FICTION
An Accident With A Happy End
When she bumped into the back of his car, he couldn’t foresee what would happen
Bert turned the radio up and hummed along with one of his favorite golden oldies. This station was his favorite, sharing songs from when he was still a young man.
Not that Bert saw himself as old.
In years he was, as he had just turned seventy-three on his last birthday, but he still possessed the zest for life he had when he was in his twenties. Oh yes, he had more aches and pains, and couldn’t pull all-nighters anymore, but he enjoyed every moment of his life, knowing it could be over in a flash.
Today Bert is on his way to visit a friend with whom he had served in the military. They had always kept contact after they had laid down their guns. Throughout their marriages, raising their children and burying their wives. Both of them lead full lives, despite going to bed alone every night.
It was hours later and close to the end of the day that Bert got back into his car to go home after another enjoyable day with his friend. They had lunch together at a restaurant close to where his friend lived, then spent the afternoon chatting about everything and nothing and drinking numerous cups of coffee to eliminate the effect of the beer they had at lunch.
That was as close to living on the edge as Bert came to these days — having beer with lunch and then driving back home hours later.
With one last wave at his friend who stood in the door opening of his house, Bert turned the nose of his car into the late afternoon traffic. He soon stood waiting behind other cars at a stoplight, and once the light turned green, he drove on, turned left, then right. This part of town was quieter, but once again Bert had to stop.
He had barely brought the car to a standstill when he felt the bump and simultaneously heard metal scrape on metal. Someone had crashed into the back of his car.
Bert literally rolled his eyes, switched off his car and got out to assess the damage.
The first thing he noticed was the expensive car — a brand new, dark blue BMW, sports edition. Whatever the damage on the car, it would cost the owner several pennies to have it fixed.
That was the moment the owner opened the door and stepped out.
Despite his age, Bert’s loins stirred.
A stunningly beautiful woman, her skin slightly tinted and her smooth black hair hugging her shoulders, came over to him with tears in her eyes.
“Mister, sowwy, me so sowwy, I not see,” she said in broken English.
Bert held up his hands to calm her down, but still she started crying.
“So sowwy. You pain?”
Bert, a man of little words, just shook his head and turned to look at the damage. His car had no damage at all, thanks to the tow bar at the back. It would, however, cost quite a smack of money to repair the BMW. The front bumper, heavily dented, lay on the street.
When the young woman took a step closer, she also saw the damage, and a wail escaped her mouth.
“Oh no, what I do? Can’t drive, what I do?”
“You’ll have to go to a garage,” Bert said dryly.
“Insurance paper you want?” the woman asked.
Since Bert had no damage on his car, there was no need for him to have any insurance papers filled in, but he understood she needed the papers and his information to have the damage claimed from her insurance.
“It’s okay,” he agreed.
“Oh no, you really want? I don’t, but you want?”
Bert frowned and looked at her. Did she really want to waive the insurance papers? How was she going to pay for the damage?
It was like she heard his question.
“My boyfriend pay. No papers. Boyfriend money.”
Bert pulled up his shoulders. Looking at the young woman, immaculately dressed in what appeared to be expensive clothes, he once again felt that stirring inside.
He nodded.
“Okay,” he said. “You sure you don’t want insurance papers?”
Now she nodded.
“Then, no papers,” he said.
This caused her to cry again, and when Bert heard her next words, he wasn’t sure whether it was because she was happy with his answer or a manipulative move.
“I no can drive,” she said, pointing at the bumper lying on the street. “How I drive? What I do?”
Bert bent down, hearing his knees creak, picked up the bumper and provisionally reattached the bumper to the car.
When he straightened up, his back complained, but he instantly forgot that when the beauty squealed and clapped in her hands.
“Thank you, Mister. I drive now, thank you!”
Before he could move to get in his car, she jumped in his arms and hugged him tightly. Her head barely reached his chest, but she stretched up to his face with both her hands, stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss right on his lips.
For all the moments the kiss lasted, Bert stood still, but his body reacted. That stirring was right there, and had the kiss lasted seconds longer, it might’ve been more than a stirring.
When she let go of his face, she instantly turned around, got into the BMW and as she drove off, she waved at Bert and blew him a kiss.
On the way back home, the radio was on again, but Bert didn’t listen to the music. His thoughts were with the accident, or more precisely, the young woman. It had surprised him how his body reacted to her, but not as much as the seductive kiss she had planted on his lips.
In his younger years, he would’ve acted on it, but in this season of his life, it at least made for a delightful story at the bar of the establishment he frequented.
And every time Bert told that story, he added a second to the length of the kiss. Who wouldn’t, having a sweet story like this to tell?!
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