ADRENALINE JUNKIE

 

I was at the breaking point. Having my cab pinched by drunken teenagers would be the last straw. I wanted to think about something else, but it was hard. However, the missing car reminded me of the most exciting moment of my life.

***

On that Wednesday I stayed at home with Selma. Linda went out to meet somebody. She was secretive. Although I was curious, I understood that some things were better left in the dark.

It was the second week Linda was staying with us. I was laying on our old green recliner, which was permanently reclined, watching TV. Actually, the TV was on with reruns of an old 'white soap', while I was making big plans for the future ahead. Our future looked as bright as the unnaturally white teeth of the cute brunette nurse in the soapy. My thoughts were interrupted by an interphone buzz. I slowly got up. It was before we were under surveillance so the doorbell didn't give me goose bumps on my hands. And Linda wasn't at home anyway. When I answered the only thing I heard was a female voice telling me to come down quickly. I looked around me, wanting to ask Selma for advice, but she was taking an order for a wedding cake in the kitchen, so I just opened the door and went downstairs.

At the entry of the building I saw a stunning blond girl with sunglasses and a colorful band in her hair next to a red sports car. She smiled and raised her glasses and I recognized Linda's eyes and her long, miraculous lashes. She looked at me cheekily and asked me, "Would you like to go for a test drive?" and turned her head towards a shiny red Ferrari Modena 360, the latest Ferrari model.

She sat in and closed the door. I didn't waste a second. I just stepped out of the building in my old blue micro fiber track pants I used to wear at home.

This outfit didn't suit a Ferrari, except perhaps for a drug dealer. I didn't even stop to think about what was going on. Where did she get the car? Was this a wise thing to do? I was just bedazzled with the fine machinery. I would prefer a James Bond style Aston Martin, but obviously a Ferrari was also a dream machine I could never afford to buy. This was her way of showing me that my show-off Porsche was nothing in comparison to this red devil.

The moment I sat down on the low but comfy leather seat, Linda turned on the engine that roared behind us, and smiled like a child all excited about her new toy.

"Let's have some fun!" And with that remark, she stepped on the gas.

I suddenly felt the world spinning around me as Linda made a donut on the road, screamed and pushed the gas to full throttle.

It was still morning, before the lunch-hour peak. But there was some traffic on the streets. Linda didn't seem to care. This stallion was handling like the cars you played on arcade games, as though we were on rail tracks. She made a sudden right turn to East Wayne Avenue and cut off a car while overtaking a Budget Rent-a-Car delivery van. Without doubt she was having fun! And she was speeding. I was still impressed by the smell of Italian leather and the hot engine behind me, which I will always remember as 'the Ferrari scent', when she suddenly turned onto Mansfield road while the tires squealed.

"That road was too big," said Linda with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"Where are we going?" I asked while looking at the speedometer showing over seventy miles per hour and having roughly three times more to go until the end of the dial.

"Just for a spin." Her voice was full of joy. "Wow, who says suburbs are boring?" Linda said and floored the pedal.

Even at cruising suburbia speeds, the sound of this Ferrari would draw attention. Although Porsches were noisy with their characteristic sound, Ferraris are much louder. Linda's rapid acceleration made it roar like an IndyCar and made pedestrians turn their heads. Youngsters were amazed, while older people were shaking their heads in disapproval, but without doubt, a 'rosso' Ferrari got everyone's full attention. It was something Linda didn't need, but looked like she desperately wanted.

***

The taxi driver was getting off the highway, making the turn and going back to Philadelphia. I was getting sick of the curry smell. My car wasn't where I left it. I wasn't sure where the cops stopped me, but it was definitely after Baltimore. And we were now in the outer suburbs of Baltimore, and nobody saw the car, yet Ashok was driving over the highway turning back to Philadelphia where it would be easier for us to check with the cops what had happened to the car and to find the transport to New York. I didn't know what to do, but I didn't want to worry about it.

***

After Linda made a turn around curvy suburban streets, the red Ferrari boomed again on Wayne Avenue. I was amazed with its impressive mechanics, but also with Linda's skills. She was quickly changing gears with a Ferrari trademark silver gearshift that stuck from its comb-like base. The sound from behind and the back push were amazing. We were quickly approaching the intersection at State Highway 384, but Linda didn't slow down a bit! Squealing tires left a burnout mark on the road as she turned left just in front of a Jeep Cherokee. The Jeep's bumper was going straight into the side while my eyes were wide open in sheer horror and my right hand grabbed the door handle tight while the left hand was holding the edge of the seat. Luckily, the Ferrari had enough grunt to run away from the 4x4, whose driver seemed to be scared to death. I didn't say a word. I was just a silent observer. My blood was full of adrenaline as my neck was on the line. This encounter made me realize how sleek this car was and that race flags behind the gear stick were not there just for decoration. This was a real racecar.

As soon as we were on the highway it wasn't hard for cops to spot a red Ferrari going almost ninety miles per hour in the city. I had a feeling that Linda was looking for company. Like speeding wasn't enough. She wanted to be chased!

***

My heart was pounding. I was getting sick of the smell. I couldn't stand the sound of the engine anymore. We were going and going, but I couldn't see the car. I was panicking, but now I was trying to play it cool as I realized that I might easily get kicked out of the car. Although I was quiet, my head wanted to explode and I was hearing little whistles indicating that my blood pressure was sky high.

***

When I heard the police sirens behind me I paid no special attention. I didn't think of the consequences. Besides, I wasn't controlling things so I decided to enjoy every single moment of the drive instead. To just enjoy the roaring engine behind me, now mixed with the sound of the sirens. I enjoyed the speed and Linda's company.

Linda didn't look worried either. She just kept an eye on the mirror and continued to take advantage of her fine machinery. She started to do slalom around cars that were going less than half our speed. She turned left to State Highway 390, but of course she couldn't be bothered with going around the traffic circle, so she made a shortcut going in the wrong direction. The cops didn't dare to follow.

"Hey, we lost them. And by the way, this is the normal way people drive in Calcutta. Just go the way that is closer to your exit from the roundabout," Linda said calmly like nothing happened.

She floored the pedal again making the engine explode behind us with power. The Ferrari ripped along the highway. Other cars on the highway seemed to suspend in time. I counted three police cars behind us, yet without any real chance of catching us as a Ferrari's suspension was much more suitable for slaloming on the highway. Another obstacle for the police represented cars overtaken by Linda, which surprisingly would usually slow down suddenly, making the police's hot pursuit impossible. Before long, flashing lights from police cars disappeared from the Ferrari's mirrors.

Suddenly, I noticed there was a red light on the Kennedy street intersection.

"Hey Linda, there is red light," I said, allowing my worry to come to the surface. However, Linda ignored me and pushed the pedal harder.

"Linda, speed won't help us when a semi-trailer rams into this tiny car." The panic in my voice was evident.

"You know what the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy says?" Linda asked me as she moved to the left lane to overcome all the standing vehicles. She then abruptly turned right and then left to the only empty lane on the opposite side of the state highway, making a zigzag maneuver at the intersection. I was speechless, my mouth wide open in total shock.

"Don't panic!" said Linda like she was teasing me. "You know, this is a very nice road for playing with this baby. Not many proper intersections."

When Linda finished her sentence, a police car that was approaching us in from the opposite direction turned the siren on and made the sudden turn to block us. Instinctively, Linda went left into the oncoming traffic lane now going in the opposite direction, but quickly enough so that the cops would go in reverse. At the same time a delivery truck was approaching the Ferrari head on.

"Jesus!" This was the only thing I could say as Linda changed to third gear and floored the pedal.

The truck driver honked, but without trying to slow down. This made the policeman step on the brakes, allowing the Ferrari to squeeze just between them.

"Huh, that was close," Linda admitted.

"That was close? Are you nuts? You could get us killed or kill that poor cop! You are one lucky bitch!" I finally burst. Linda was laughing like a crazy witch.

"You could destroy this fine car," I continued to preach. "Whose car is this?"

"Don't worry. It's Paul's."

"Paul? Paul who?" I didn't get it.

"Paul Allen's. He gave it to me for a spin. Actually, I took it this time, without him knowing about it," Linda said casually, while she was still driving like a devil behind the wheel.

Although I registered somewhere what Linda had just told me, the adrenaline stopped me from paying any attention.

"And you are calling this 'a spin'?" I was shouting now in disbelief.

"Listen, Zoran. Calm down. Let's be rational. I can't return this car just like that. The police will be after us. We have to find a good place to burn it, or it may be easier just to smash it." Linda was calm again.

"To burn it? To smash it? Are you insane?"

"Ha, ha, I'm just teasing you. We won't do anything like that. Paul will get his car back without a scratch."

"What about cops?"

"You're right. I don't like this highway anymore; there will be more and more of them." As Linda said that, police sirens were getting louder and louder, signaling that they were closing in on us. Linda was still doing her slaloming routine with drivers occasionally honking at her. Then she turned slightly right, across a pedestrian crossing and straight into New Hampshire Avenue.

"We don't want to look like we're getting to Georgy for tea uninvited," Linda said sarcastically, while the sound of police sirens started to fade out. "Does this road go to Dupont Circle?"

"Yes," I answered, slightly proud that my cabbing experience was finally proving useful.

"That's great! I usually don't like those circles. But capitals are typically full of them. Canberra, for instance, is hopeless; it's so hard to find your way around. Although it's good fun now!" Linda said excitedly, letting some neuroses from the stress float to the surface.

Dupont Circle appeared ahead while the Ferrari was going around the square at seventy miles per hour and avoiding slow-moving vehicles was a breeze, proving again that it is more than a status symbol, but a pure race breed. The sirens were there again. Linda was checking out the windscreen and all other windows and mirrors. She couldn't see them.

"Holy crap!" Linda swore, still trying to sound nice, like kids in private schools do. "I don't like it when I can't see them."

Suddenly, the rumble of a helicopter was getting louder.

"Oh nice," Linda said ironically. "Lets hope this is a TV crew." She pressed the pedal harder and continued along New Hampshire Avenue.

"Our ride is over. Once they have a chopper on us, we'll be stuck." Linda was getting more nervous. The kid in Linda from only five minutes ago disappeared. Now she was again rational and calculated, suppressing any signs of panic. I knew that I lacked any good ideas and that only Linda could make us walk away free. If we got out alive at all.

"Isn't the Ritz hotel somewhere on the right?" Linda again wanted some of my taxi-driver skills.

"Yes, on right-hand side after next intersection," I said confidently.

"They have a car park?" Linda asked.

"Yes, big outdoor car park."

"Great! Unfasten your seat belt and get ready to jump out and then leisurely walk to the hotel with me," Linda finally explained her plan.

Linda turned right and then she suddenly made a left turn to the car park again, cutting off a gray Toyota Camry while she was parking in the Ritz Carlton Hotel parking lot.

Like a well-trained team we rushed out of the car and walked to the hotel while the police cars with sirens were passing by and the chopper finally showed up in the sky.

When we entered the hotel I asked her, "What happened with the car key?"

"Don't worry. It's all in the car. The police will return it to Paul and it will all look like some kids have done it."

"But why did you do that?" I couldn't understand it.

"Just for fun."

"Just for fun!" I couldn't believe it.

"Listen, Zoran, I know you worked hard all your life. But it is time to learn to enjoy it a bit. Didn't your adrenalin jump while they were chasing us?"

"Yes, but..." I continued, but I was abruptly interrupted by Linda.

"And no harm is done."

"But that truck could have slammed into the police car..."

"That's why you can't get the same excitement on a roller coaster."

"But what if they caught us?"

"Hey Zoran. I don't need any of your theories!" Linda almost yelled at me and for the first time showed that even she could lose her nerves behind the cold, yet joyful façade. "I had to do it. I hid a note in the car for Paul. That was the best way to contact him and all the mess was required to make him find the message and explain something to him. Well, I don't know why I'm explaining anything to you. You want to play in the big league, then get used to living that way! And, please, call us a cab."

***