The Writers' Circle

Second Chance
by
Gary Jarvis

David Richardson pressed the call button on his mobile phone and his earpiece clicked before he heard the phone dial the familiar tones vibrating down his ear. He felt his whole body tense as the to dial tone turned to a phone ringing. Ring ring, his stomach felt like it was turning upside down. Ring ring, his mouth went dry. Ring ring, a wave of doubt washed over him. 'Hi.' A female voice sounded down the phone and David's heart skipped a beat and he became tongue-tied. 'You've reached the voicemail of Claire Lapell. I am unable to take your call at the moment but leave a message after the beep and I will call you back.' David's tension eased slightly. It was only a short delay before the voicemail was ready. Beep. 'Hi.' He paused unsure of how to go on. 'Erm. I don't know how to quite say this really.' He paused again. 'It's just that I've been struggling now for a couple of months and I really can't go on like this. I hear what you say to me but I just can't believe you value me from the way you behave.' He could feel all of his burdens releasing and he continued more confidently. 'I know I may regret this in a few months or a few years but it has to end. I'm sorry I have taken the cowards way out and left a message but I don't think I could have done it to your face. Just know that everything I have ever told you was the truth. Goodbye.' He pressed his earpiece and his message ended along with his call. 
 
He slotted his keys into the ignition and started his car. It was relatively new car and the engine sounded like a low hum in the background after the initial rev. Ok so home. He thought to himself and pushed the car into gear and set off on his journey home. He enjoyed driving it was a time when he could indulge himself and just go with the motions. He would normally strike up some music and let his emotions be ruled by the airwaves but he felt sombre after the call and decided to drive in silence. After a couple of minutes his mind began to relive his message and he started to question himself. What if I have made a mistake? No, no I needed to do that. But it wasn't all that bad was it? I'm never going to have all the good time I had there again. All the plans I made just washed away. Stop it David you made the right choice. He put the radio on to his favourite station and turned it up so loud he wouldn't have been able to hear himself think even if he wanted to. A track he knew but couldn't work out the title was nearing the end when he turned it on and then went straight into a new song that he already knew all the words to. It was an upbeat song and even though he felt down he could not stop himself occasionally singing quietly along. He was weaving along some country roads when the radio lost signal and the voice in his head was allowed to open up and start questioning his choice again. You loved being there and after a couple of months of trouble you bail. How many times have you been told not to just give up? You should have been more mature and talked about it. The radio regained signal and blasted out drowning David's thoughts once more.
 
A couple of songs played through and again he lost signal and he heard his phone beep. He had received a message. He quickly pulled over, his heart racing, and he opened the text. It was from his service provider stating he had a new voicemail. He dialled the familiar number with a lump in his throat and heard the automated system confirm the text. 'You have one new message. To play the message, please press three.' It was about to continue with more options but David quickly pressed three and heard her voice. It was silky and smooth but with disappointment added into it. 'I just wanted to tell you that I never thought you would be such a coward. I can't believe you would leave it like this and bail out with a message.' Then her voice became bitter and twisted with anger. 'Hell I wouldn't be surprised if you were tempted just to leave without even letting me know.' Her words hit him hard. He was known well. He had contemplated just that, not turning up when he was expected. 'Well just so you know. I never want to hear from you again. ' The message cut off there and David felt sick. He could hear the bundle of emotions in her message and how it was all tied in with a deep disappointment in his behaviour. He felt almost like a young child disappointing their parent. He sank in his chair setting back on the road. The radio kicked back in and the deafening noise stopped him from dwelling on the message.
 
After a couple more songs that seemed more like noise than music, a song that David knew better than any other song started on the radio. It was slow and meaningful, its words having a greater meaning for him and what he had just ended than any other. It hit him hard bar after bar of the music making him feel like he just made one of the biggest mistakes of his life. I can't go back. He thought as regret hit him and he leaned over to switch over the radio but he couldn't bring himself to do it. This isn't real, is it? I can't have just thrown away three years of my life because I thought it was going nowhere. It wasn't going anywhere though, was it? She kept promising soon and saying that she didn't have a say in the matter. No she could have pushed. Or maybe I shouldn't have pushed so hard. Argh I don't know anymore. Have I just made a huge mistake? Realising he was going in circles he pulled over violently and went for his phone. The car behind was caught unawares by the sudden stop and had to swerve to not collide with David. As he went past he honked his horn, but David couldn't care less he had more important things to do. He makes a call to a different number. It rings and a male voice answers. 'Hi David. You alright mate?'
'Not really Chris mate, I just made the call.' David's voice was shaky.
'Oh my god. What did she say?'
'Well I had to leave a message so there wasn't a drawn out conversation but you should hear her disappointment and anger in the message she left me back.'
'How do you feel?' Chris said trying to sound sympathetic of David's ordeal.
'Lousy. Do you think I have done the right thing?'
'Truth be told mate.' He paused searching for the truth. 'No. I know you have had a crap couple of months but think of all the good times. Do you want to come round for a chat?'
'No. You have just confirmed it for me. I have just made the biggest mistake of my life because I couldn't face a little bad patch. Right I have some calls I need to make. Will call you tomorrow for a proper catch up.'
'Ok mate. I'm here if you need me or just a couple of pints.'
'Thanks. Bye.' David hung up.
 
He turned the car around in the road nearly having a collision with a van about to overtake his parked car. He then sped back the way he had come and dialled the original number in haste, panic gripping him that he may not be able to rectify his mistake. It rang once, twice before it was picked up. 'Don't say a word. Goodbye David.' Claire hung up. David tried again the phone ringing twice before being picked up. 'I meant what I said David. Never speak to me again. You have blown your chance. What you did was pathetic and childlike. Goodbye.' She hung up again and tone of her voice was strong and he knew it was over. He could feel himself being overcome by grief. Tears started down his face quickly forming a stream of salty water and then his throat choked up and he struggled to breathe. His body felt like it wanted to shut down and he began hugging the steering wheel trying to release even a tiny amount of the pain in his body but it didn't help. But during his attempt to release some grief he had lost focus on the road and the car was no longer following the turning road. It was too late before David realised and the car smashed into a lamppost crumpling the front of the car. The bang of the car hitting the lamp post echoed into the air and all the cars behind David's quickly slammed their brakes on causing them to squeal and sending them skidding over the road creating a scene of mass chaos. The impact had deployed David's airbag but he still hit it very hard because of his speed and it sent him unconscious possibly for the last time.
 
David Richardson pressed the call button on his mobile phone and his earpiece clicked before he heard the phone dial the familiar tones vibrating down his ear. He felt his whole body tense as the to dial tone turned to a phone ringing. Ring ring, his stomach felt like it was turning upside down. Ring ring, his mouth went dry. Ring ring, a wave of doubt washed over him. 'Hi.' A female voice sounded down the phone and David's heart skipped a beat and he became tongue-tied. 'You've reached the voicemail of Claire Lapell. I am unable to take your call at the moment but leave a message after the beep and I will call you back.' David's tension eased slightly. It was only a short delay before the voicemail was ready. Beep. 'Hi.' He paused unsure of how to go on. 'I love you. I'm sorry. Let's go out somewhere special tonight.'
 
The End