The record

An excerpt of the book 'An African sunset'.

'Phew, I'm wet and sticky all over!' Everon declared as they were sitting in his car at the hotel's parking lot, ready to set on and leave.

 'Is everything okay, including the deal...? You didn't get cold feet, did you?' He asked Shatz with that ironic smile of his, getting on Shatz’s nerves.

Sending his hand to his mouth to stifle a yawn, Everon switched on the car's engine and turned it slowly towards the hotel's gate.    

'You'll be exhausted tomorrow, sure enough.' He remarked. 'You know what, I'll pick you up at ten tomorrow morning, and let you rest as you should, for you'll have to drive to the farm right away �" and at that same evening we’ll meet again.'

Shatz nodded his head in approval and turned right back to his thoughts, the rapid changes, the flow of events did not efface Hilla's image from his mind.

'Fine I'll get in touch with Miniaron.' Everon muttered absent mindedly, as if he was thinking aloud.   

                               

'With whom and who is he?' Shatz asked surprised.

'The manager of Peugeot's agency, that's his name. He explained to Shatz. 'By the way, he is the Mouaka-Dialo record holder.

'There is a record?' Shatz wondered feigning surprise, as if he wasn't told all there was about it at the farm; 'and on what time does that record stand?'

'Nineteen minutes and twenty four seconds.' Everon answered Shatz watching him with a look of an almost spent but determined athlete, who has no intention of giving up hope. 'It doesn't seem so far off to me as it did at the beginning.'

'If you haven't broken it yet, you will surely break it very soon.' Shatz smiled back to him.

'I'm going to break it, as a matter of fact I'm very close to breaking it!' Everon declared decisively. My best time is nineteen fifty-nine, and that's the second best time mind you.  But I've got to cut off a good deal of time yet. Let's see, well, some good thirty five seconds.' 

                       

'Thirty five seconds, shouldn't be a too high hurdle for you, I'm quite sure of it.' Shatz encouraged him. 

                

'It isn't that easy but I'm going to do it.'

'Is it some kind of a formal competition?' Shatz asked.

'No, it's just between some of us; I mean the circle of friends to which I belong. Anyway, I'd like to see Miniaron repeat his record with an ordinary car, like mine for instance. He after all is doing in his agency's garage whatever he likes, the car he drives passed a special preparative treatment. It's a car that can end up the Paris-Dakar rally without a hitch.' He noted with much envy.

      

As soon as they left the outskirts of the old town, Everon pushed down the accelerator, and the car gathered speed, as if they themselves were part of the race he just mentioned.                     

'I do hope you won't try to break that record yourself on your way to the farm, tomorrow. I wouldn't like to send you back home in a wooden box.' Everon warned him.                                     

'I've no such intentions it didn't even cross my mind.'  Shatz assured him, the whole thing seemed a bit childish to him. The only subject that would occupy his thoughts on his way to the farm, could be just one, as far as he was concerned �" the beauty, the personality, and the sweet smile of Hilla Priel.

© Haim Kadman 1989 �" all rights reserved.