|
Pay the Price I was ignorant at first, oblivious. I didn’t realise. But I’ll never forget. I swear I’ll never forget. A beep. A single, solitary beep accompanied by a tinny vibration. A message on my mobile. I was in bed at the time, struggling with the after effects of the previous Friday night with Sarah and Julia. Sarah had organized the gathering, wanting a final blow-out before jetting off to Mauritius with Darren, her boyfriend of only a few months. She’d arranged for the three of us to go for a meal at the Italian in the village before moving on to a few clubs where we swilled wine as though it was about to be rationed. She had to be at the airport for ten on the Saturday morning, but that didn’t stop us avoiding the taxi rank till after four, leathered and full of kebab. When I eventually stuck my key in its lock, the big hand was near twelve and the little hand hovered over five. I know that because my dad shouted it down the stairs as I failed in my attempt at sneaking in quietly. I was only nineteen; perfectly natural that my drunken form should be stumbling in and waking my parents up at some ungodly hour. |
||