TO A NEW END.

CHAPTER 1: a page out of the book

AUSTIN D’SOUZA, 14th of July 2012

It was 20 minutes ride form St. John square, the eminent part of city St. Dominick, the place where I live. I rode, full of perspiration, trickle of sweat running down my spine. It was 10:15am when I reached the bend connecting the road to the blood orchid hill. I exhaled a sigh of relief. Frankly my mind didn’t seem into it. It was supposed to be a field work study for environmental analysis paper, we were to form groups and do a case study on industrial effluents or something, but somehow I didn’t seem to want to be there, not that I didn’t like it with them, them being the lot I referred to as friends.

 But my mind wasn’t into it. and 15 minutes late didn’t really add to a cheer, and as a matter of fact, I had a couple of angry calls, well I couldn’t help it, I just hate the whole idea of field work thing….at first I did thought of it to be dumb, to go to some creaky old factory and takes notes or something, and I wouldn’t have gone, but it was the excuse of their company that dragged me along.

The length of the road was deserted, I noticed, quiet and silent, unaware of the world that lay cascading it. Lost in thoughts, I rode my bike faster, adding more sweat to it than I should have, I rode cutting through the bushy edges on the road and sure almost missing a tumble.

I rode frantically, taking in the exemplary sight around me; it seemed a masterpiece spelled out on celluloid, either side of the road stood tall trees in variations, trying to reach into the emptiness of the dark sky.

I was still reluctant of the idea of targeting a packaging industry at the out skirts of the hill, it seemed to have a pretty clean sheet, but then you never know. The damp road had smelled of an early shower. Flowers dwindled like tiny fairies, dancing on tender branches of wild grown bushes, and then there was that soft pleasant breeze flowing fluid, blowing me pleasantries, strange isn’t it? The creation, on a large ever changing canvas. I’m not a ‘dancing in the rain’ kind of a guy but I do loved the weather, the constant streaks of light striking through and the withering sounds of thunder had its own satanic feeling that would just draw my attention.

Today of course it hadn’t been any different, dark clouds brewing, thunder roared through, and lighting cut the July stormy sky. Well that was expected; I thought to myself and sped along, I had no intentions in getting drenched to the bone, I never did like the rains that much.

The wind had caught up; twigs and boney branches broke away, and got carried away in the gust, wheeling through the stormy brew had been difficult.

 I rode frantic, with occasional dodge of a twig that flew right at me; I felt my phone buzz, “Damn...” I sneered “who the hell...” I cursed pushing my hand in my jeans I pulled out my phone, I glanced at the screen, it was Sailee again- one of my friends the sexy kind that is constantly dating, deciding to ignore I pulled my eyes towards the road, and before I had time to register, something crashed square in my face, I jammed the brakes, still eyes shut, I  flew off  the bike and skid across the tarmac, the bike landing in a heap on my spine; excruciating pain is the last thing I could register.