left lane he kicked the accelerator all the way down, taking the SLK past the 260 km/h mark. Suddenly a lifetime of rage and resentment were aflame in his heart. With a brow furrowed by fury he bit down on his lower lip. Snarling. ‘Shit!’ He howled mad frothing fury and slammed his fist repeatedly into the ceiling of his German luxury car. And then. Like a child, who had just taken a tumble in the playground, he broke into a hysterical fit of crying. Sobbing. And bawling. And howling. Kyle jerked the wheel to the left and came to a shuddering stop on the shoulder of South Africa’s main highway. A few seconds later the surprised Corsa driver came speeding past, ensuring a more than adequate space between him and the stationery madman’s car.
Kyle jumped out and screamed at the sky in absolute rage. He threw his arms into the air and howled until his strength ebbed from him. Drained, he sank onto his knees. Sobbing into the arm of his Armani jacket. More than a few drivers slowed down as they passed him. Rubbernecking. And enthralled by the sight of a grown man crying next to the N1 highway. Eventually Kyle got wearily to his feet. He rubbed the salty tears from his eyes and tried to compose himself. He glanced at the speeding cars, feeling a blushing embarrassment as two little girls waved to him from the back of a passing SUV.
And then. From nowhere. For the first time in such a long time. He thought of his brother. Without thinking he reached into the interior of the SLK and grabbed his phone. The screen indicated 27 missed calls. He selected a name from his contact list and dialled. The phone rang a few times and then was picked up.
‘Hello,’ the voiced said on the other side.
Kyle paused. Uncertain.
‘Hello?’ The voice was more insistent this time.
Kyle paused. For a moment he considered killing the call. But then. ‘Lindsey.’
‘Kyle? Is that you?’
Kyle wavered. Hesitated.
‘Kyle? Is that you? Are you alright, honey?’ Lindsey emitted what sounded – for a brief moment – like a sob. ‘Kyle, please. Please talk to me.’
‘Lindsey.’
‘Kyle, please tell me you’re okay. Please.’
Silence. ‘I’m okay.’
This time Lindsey openly sobbed. In the background he heard someone talk. ‘Is that Kyle?’ It was Thabo. ‘Lemme speak to him.’
‘Wait,’ Lindsey said. ‘Kyle, how are you doing, baby?’ She tried to get her emotions under control. ‘You’re ... you’re not ... doing something stupid are you, Kyle? Please don’t do anything stupid.’
‘Lemme speak to him.’ There was a sound of fumbling as Thabo grabbed the phone from Lindsey. ‘Kyle! Don’t be an idiot.’ Kyle heard something in Thabo’s voice he had never observed before. Fear. ‘Tell me where you are. I’ll get the ambulance there in no time at all. Just hang on. For God’s sake, just hang on.’
Despite the tears that ran across his face, Kyle found himself laughing. ‘Jesus, Thabo. What are you guys on about?’ He shifted the phone in his hand. ‘I’m standing next to the N1. I just pulled off for a moment. What the hell did you guys think I was doing?’
Thabo sighed laboriously. ‘Nevermind. Just as long as you’re okay.’ He paused. ‘Lindsey wants to speak to you.’ There was a momentary clatter as Lindsey came back onto the phone.
‘Kyle?’
‘Yes, Linds.’
‘You’re okay, right? Really okay. You’re not just saying that?’
Kyle paused. ‘Lindsey.’
‘Yes?’
‘I want to tell you something.’
‘Of course. You know you can tell me anything. Anything in the whole world.’
‘Yes. I know.’ Kyle sat down on the SLK’s driver seat, facing towards the highway. ‘You know ... I ...’
‘What is it, baby?’
‘I haven’t told this to anybody. Ever.’
‘Yes?’ Lindsey sounded confused.
‘I mean ... nobody, Lindsey. Ever.’ Kyle wiped remaining tears from his cheeks. ‘Not even Angelique. I didn’t even tell her, you understand.’
‘Yes,’ Lindsey
Kyle jumped out and screamed at the sky in absolute rage. He threw his arms into the air and howled until his strength ebbed from him. Drained, he sank onto his knees. Sobbing into the arm of his Armani jacket. More than a few drivers slowed down as they passed him. Rubbernecking. And enthralled by the sight of a grown man crying next to the N1 highway. Eventually Kyle got wearily to his feet. He rubbed the salty tears from his eyes and tried to compose himself. He glanced at the speeding cars, feeling a blushing embarrassment as two little girls waved to him from the back of a passing SUV.
And then. From nowhere. For the first time in such a long time. He thought of his brother. Without thinking he reached into the interior of the SLK and grabbed his phone. The screen indicated 27 missed calls. He selected a name from his contact list and dialled. The phone rang a few times and then was picked up.
‘Hello,’ the voiced said on the other side.
Kyle paused. Uncertain.
‘Hello?’ The voice was more insistent this time.
Kyle paused. For a moment he considered killing the call. But then. ‘Lindsey.’
‘Kyle? Is that you?’
Kyle wavered. Hesitated.
‘Kyle? Is that you? Are you alright, honey?’ Lindsey emitted what sounded – for a brief moment – like a sob. ‘Kyle, please. Please talk to me.’
‘Lindsey.’
‘Kyle, please tell me you’re okay. Please.’
Silence. ‘I’m okay.’
This time Lindsey openly sobbed. In the background he heard someone talk. ‘Is that Kyle?’ It was Thabo. ‘Lemme speak to him.’
‘Wait,’ Lindsey said. ‘Kyle, how are you doing, baby?’ She tried to get her emotions under control. ‘You’re ... you’re not ... doing something stupid are you, Kyle? Please don’t do anything stupid.’
‘Lemme speak to him.’ There was a sound of fumbling as Thabo grabbed the phone from Lindsey. ‘Kyle! Don’t be an idiot.’ Kyle heard something in Thabo’s voice he had never observed before. Fear. ‘Tell me where you are. I’ll get the ambulance there in no time at all. Just hang on. For God’s sake, just hang on.’
Despite the tears that ran across his face, Kyle found himself laughing. ‘Jesus, Thabo. What are you guys on about?’ He shifted the phone in his hand. ‘I’m standing next to the N1. I just pulled off for a moment. What the hell did you guys think I was doing?’
Thabo sighed laboriously. ‘Nevermind. Just as long as you’re okay.’ He paused. ‘Lindsey wants to speak to you.’ There was a momentary clatter as Lindsey came back onto the phone.
‘Kyle?’
‘Yes, Linds.’
‘You’re okay, right? Really okay. You’re not just saying that?’
Kyle paused. ‘Lindsey.’
‘Yes?’
‘I want to tell you something.’
‘Of course. You know you can tell me anything. Anything in the whole world.’
‘Yes. I know.’ Kyle sat down on the SLK’s driver seat, facing towards the highway. ‘You know ... I ...’
‘What is it, baby?’
‘I haven’t told this to anybody. Ever.’
‘Yes?’ Lindsey sounded confused.
‘I mean ... nobody, Lindsey. Ever.’ Kyle wiped remaining tears from his cheeks. ‘Not even Angelique. I didn’t even tell her, you understand.’
‘Yes,’ Lindsey
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