“Weather today will see most of the country under heavy spells of rain…” The weather lady on TV warned. Amara told her mum that whoever does the forecast needs to be fired because
“they’re full of shit!” Her mother slightly chuckled.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to pack you some roti for lunch sweetheart?” She asked her daughter who was marching all over the house, gathering things she needed for the day ahead. She was tired, she was moody, but she was still playing catch up at University. Amara had been staying up countless nights working towards assignment deadlines. Her books and papers were scattered all throughout the house and she rummaged around like a headless chook every morning after them.
“Ah no thanks!” Amara jokingly rasped.
“Do you want me to get bullied again for being a curry muncher?” The two laughed as Amara grabbed her backpack and keys, kissing her mum goodbye as she headed for the door. She gave a quick glance at the sky–painted with the splendid shades of a perfect, Seven AM rising sun.
“Heavy rain my ass” Amara scoffed as she tucked her backpack behind the driver’s seat and began to reverse out of the driveway.
#
The motorway, considering the time, was surprisingly busy today.
“7am Monday traffic is usually mellow”, Amara thought.
“I hope I can get parking today!” she hopingly sighed.
Cars were barely moving for miles. People honking and poking obscenities at each other every few kilometres. Driving in Auckland traffic; such fun. The tiny screen on her dashboard read 7.54 am. “
“Auckland man has Turban ripped from his head, accused of being a terrorist. We catch up with this story shortly.” The man on the radio nonchalantly announced. Amara frowned in irritation and turned the volume down. She tried keeping her cool but the more she thought about scavenger hunting for a parking spot at Uni, the more frustrated she became. She kept switching lanes to whichever was going the fastest and without realising indicated towards an exit lane which was impossible to get out of. Amara was in panic mode. Having no other choice, she sped through the exit. Waiting until she found a nearby parking lot, she stopped to figure out how to get back onto the motorway. Switching her mobile data on but to no avail as it was dry out of gigs. The time on the phone screen jeered at her: 8.27 am.
“I can’t afford to miss another lecture!” she huffed.
Above the roof of her car, the sky was slowly pulling a grey blanket over itself. Amara sighed in annoyance throwing her phone on the passenger seat.
“Follow the signs! Follow the signs!” She tried to comfort herself. Luckily enough, the motorway wasn’t as hard to find as she thought and in no time, she was back…waiting in line, behind cars that went on for miles.
#
Amara arrived at University, terribly behind schedule. The time paraded menacing three digits: 9:34 am. Amara was flustered. She drove round and round the student car park in desperation. Frantically looking around in hopes of an open spot to secure. She remembered last week when she had made it to University early and found a good parking space every single day. Such simpler times they were. On what seemed like the hundredth timecirculating the car park, Amara caught a glimpse of a young man, walking towards his car, keys in hand. She drove a little closer to interrogate him.
“Excuse me, are you leaving?” and to her dismay she was blatantly ignored. Amara decided to overlook his indifference as she steered closer and closer to her emancipation from the grips of her seatbelt. Slowly approaching a halt and indicating right as the young man reversed out. Suddenly another vehicle swiftly cruised from behind andclaimed the parking space. She was reaped. Frozen in complete shock that someone would be so cruel.
“You can’t do that!!!” She growled. But this beast of a human being was unbothered. Amara got out of her car while other ones lined up behind hers in confusion and irritation.
“Um, hello! You just stole my fucking spot. Are you kidding?” She thundered. The thief scarcely glanced her way. No remorse for the treachery he had just committed. But Amara was persistent in her protest. “Excu–”
“Plenty of parking back in India love” the fiend scornfully interrupted her. Amara was bewildered at this man’s contempt. Drained, stung, and weary from the culprit’s venomous tongue. She returned to her car in defeat, circling the parking lot like a vulture looking for its next prey. Until she saw the person who had cheated her again.
He stood there, in absolute disregard and ignorance of the events that just took place. Unbothered. Unashamed. Unapologetic. He had embezzled from her. Insolently snubbed her protest. Ridiculed and sniggered at her despair.
The derisive man stood at the pedestrian lines on the road about to cross when without warning, Amara felt exasperation, haste and apprehension broiling in the pit of her stomach. It erupted from within her, like lava, raging out of a volcano that had been awakened from a hundred years of sleep. She viciously stepped on the accelerator, only one target in mind. She didn’t stop when–THUD! The hood of her car vehemently struck her foe. Amara braked hard in dread in realisation what she had done. In a moment of frenzy, she lost herself. There was no stopping now. Amara backed up and put her car in drive. She sped out of the University gates as light spells of rain began to fall from the sky.
