Herbert Gordon

Chapter (2+2+2)^2 -2 - Super Leggers

Herbert considered saying something to Sarah. Apologise for his behaviour. The only issue though was he had no idea what was wrong with his behaviour. He decided to give it a shot regardless.

“Uhm…I just want to say, I’m uh…”

They squealed around the corner, the tyres letting go more than usual. Herbert stopped talking and jerked the wheel, flattening his foot. The car lumbered forward – he’d forgotten to change gears. He stamped his left foot down, raised his right up, jerked his left hand down and left, released his left foot and punched with his right. The engine screeched, the tires howled and they slid faster. He corrected and straightened and backed off, dashing a hand across his forehead.

Sarah’s eyes were wide.

“I…uh, want to say I’m sorry for how I’ve been this morning. I’ve uh…”

He stopped talking as they flew into another corner, right on the bumper of the Surf. The Surf slowed and Herbert jerked the brakes, remembering to change gears. The car jerked and bucked, pantomiming its way around the bend.

He continued.

“Yeah, I’m uh…sorry. I haven’t treated you well. I don’t quite know what I’m supposed to do, everything feels different for me.”

In front of him, the Surf was accelerating normally along the straight. Behind him, the hatchback was getting closer, waiting for the burst of speed.

Sarah managed to relax.

“No, look, it’s ok now you’ve said that. I was a little worried but…look, I’d rather you concentrate on the driving! Please? We don’t have to talk – no don’t look at me, a fucking corner!”

He turned and focused. They were metres away from the fastly braking Surf. A very sharp corner approached, twisting to the right. A section of gravel glinted to the left of the Surf – a measure of caution from the road builders. He hit the brakes. They were travelling too fast.

His left foot slipped the clutch, his left hand caught the gear and shot up left and down, then grabbed the handbrake. He flicked it up, released the clutch, swivelled the steering wheel to the right. The car pirouetted around his hips, its number plate  smearing the 4x4’s tow-bar. As the back wheels hit the gravel, he dropped the handbrake, hit the throttle and jerked the steering wheel to the left.

The car roared and slid, perfect application bringing the bonnet along the flank of the 4x4. They mirrored each other, reflecting themselves back and forth in a showcase of light.

The Aston kicked up clouds of dust, travelling faster than the Surf. The rear bumper scraped the vegetation behind it.

Jasmine stared out her window in open-mouthed horror. She was staring directly into the Aston. She saw Sarah’s face, white and sideways, her pretty mouth stretched wide in fear as she watched the scenery approach her door. The look of fear etched itself into Jasmine’s memory. The fear was not in Herbert’s face.

He had a beatific smile upon his face. His face was tilted, allowing him a glance out the side window, at his rear view mirror and at the bonnet of his car. Surprisingly, his eyes were shuttered, the merest glimpse of light appearing beneath his lashes. His hands were light upon the wheel, shifting slightly as he felt imperceptible changes into the angle of the car.

Greg relaxed. He guessed Herbert had lost his concentration and not seen the corner. He’d dealt with it admirably. Now, he needed to get out of Herbert’s way.

His fingers danced down to the instrument panel and tapped it twice. A thunk sounded from beneath them, making Jasmine jump and look around startled. Greg gave her a quick smile and hit the throttle, all four wheels now taking power. The car roared and leapt forward, reaching the end of the corner with minimal fuss.