A passenger in a speeding van

continue from "My company dinner, an unforgettable night..."

After everything was paid, packed and loaded into the van, it was time to go home. We were the only people left, the Marcomms Team, our van driver, Muru and Chin - the last ones to make sure everything is in order. People were asking how I'm gonna get home and I thought Mec could give me a ride, but she was kinda reluctant and Nancy didn't even looked at me (was quite late by that time), but our van driver cut in that he could give me a ride back since he had to head back to the office to store some stuff and return the van. O-k-a-y... I didn't really mind as I knew he was an okay guy, nothing gross or sleazy at all.

So at last we all got into our cars and started driving off. Mr Van Driver (VD) pulled over to pay for the parking and he took a very loooong time to do this. In the end he got back into the van and we were off. Then when we got to the part to exit, he tells me then only that he still hadn't paid the ticket coz the machine wouldn't accept his RM50 note. Then he started reversing back and forth, back and forth, back and forth and still he couldn't get the angle to reverse the van back from where we came. Then suddenly CRASH! He backed into the building! I looked incrediously over at him and he looked nonplussed! Then he went forward again, turn the wheel and reverse again and CRASH again! I was like "What the HELL??! *Bleeeep Name*, are you okay to drive? Are you drunk?" He said no, he's not drunk and he's okay. Then he did it again! He crashed the back of the van into the building and this time, the glass crumbled in a explosion of glass. I was like "Oh shit!" Then, the guard came and VD got out of the van and explained to the guard that we couldn't get the ticket validated and paid. Then they went ahead of the van to where the bar was and the guard unlocked the bar after VD paid him RM10. When VD was walking to the bar in front of the van, he was walking straight, but when he turned to walk back, he almost fell sideways! And right then I was sure he was drunk!

On the drive back, the van was weaving and in and out of lanes and I was trying my damnest to talk to him, to keep him awake. A friend had actually smsed me that he was in KL clubbing and I tried calling him to ascertain his whereabouts (so that I can get out of the van immediately) and at the same time try to convey my desparate situation but the background music wherever he was was too loud for either of us to understand anything. In the end I gave up when VD started weaving violently, we narrowly avoided another car speeding passed. I quickly put down the phone and started talking inanely to VD. I asked about his children, his wife, how they met, was it romantic, then when he was not responding satisfactoriy, I started talking about my non-exixtence 'current' boyfriend and asking him for advice on what I should do about a problem I was having. Sometimes I had to shout at him to get his attention or wave my hand in front of his eyes, all the time telling him to slow down, drive slowly and carefully. At least he was listening to some extend coz he slowed down considerably.

Then VD turned up to Sentral Station and the road he wanted to turn in was closed for road works so he reversed all the way down, amidst furious honking and birdies from other speeding cars and motocycles. The road works people were giving us weird looks, or rather giving ME weird and questioning looks. I just gave a casual wave to convey I was okay. I didn't think I needed rescuing from strangers either. Bet they thought what a young women like me dressed for a night out was doing with a much older man. Ewwww... begone disgusting thought!

All way home, I talked to VD non-stop and he was doing better and when we finally got to my place, I was dying to get out of the van so fast that I forgot my paperbag of change of clothes.

Later, sis drove me to the office to pick up my paperbag but VD had still not reach the office! And that was half an hour after he dropped me off. So I called him and waited for him for 15 more minutes. Finally he came and I got my stuff out and said good night to him. Don't think he heard me.

Hope he's okay.

*sigh* What a night...