"THE HITCH-HIKER BEND"
Another hundred miles to go. Dark night and no traffic on the road. He had a quick look to the dashboard. Everything was correct. The fuel tank had been refilled and he was driving at 90 km/ hour. No more, no less. It was two minutes to midnight. Andrew mentally calculated; if he didn't find anything unexpected on the road, he would stop in another gas station at twelve thirteen to fill up the car, have a drink and relax. And more or less forty five minutes later he would be home.
"Prima donna, first lady of the stage!
your devotees are on their knees to implore you!
Can you bow out when they´re shouting your name?
Think of how they all adore you..."
Andrew used the remote control on the car wheel to turn up the volume as track ten began. He absolutely loved that part on 'The Phantom of the Opera', more than any other more common song from the musical. The chorus was enthusing and the parts of the Opera managers fighting to convince a diva were really funny. He still couldn´t believe he was gong to play 'André'. And in the Garnier Opera House! That was indeed a very good end for a tiring week. His opportunity had come, at last!
"Prima donna, enchant us once again!
Think of your muse...
And on the queues round the theatre!
Can you deny us the triumph in store?
Sing prima donna, once more!"
He began singing aloud as he drove; yes, that was worth it. Three years ago, he had spent all his savings to fly from New York and move to Paris and enrol Le Mirage, a world wide known institute in La Madeleine with more than one century of existence. He had left everything behind when the letter announcing he had been accepted came to his house, but still he didn't regret it. He had always known one day he would play a main role in a musical. Well, 'André' was not exactly a main role, but it was something, wasn´t it? He had never given up, trying each and every audition being celebrated, and would never have, until he had "that" day coming. And the day had come, at last.
Andrew still believed he could have played a good 'Raoul'. Better that the actor who finally got the part, that was for sure. It still annoyed him a little to think about that. He had the talent, the voice, and, of course, an excellent training. But he had been rejected in the casting three times before he got that role. They said he had no experience playing main roles. But how the hell was he expected to have such a little of this dammed experience required if no one gave him an opportunity? That was a bloody vicious circle! He sighed. Well, no one had said that was going to be easy or fair, he thought to himself. He'd better take advantage and play his best 'André' role. There would be more 'Raouls' to audition for... it was all a question of waiting, of being in the right place at the right time. If he had to wait, he would. Although waiting was, indeed, the hardest part of show business.
Suddenly, it began to rain. Andrew turned on the window cleaner and lifted his foot from the pedal to brake the car. He felt hypnotised for a moment by the sound of the raindrops pitter-patter. Zip, zap. Zip, zap. The road was endlessly straight to the darkness. He turned on the long-distance lights. In the distance, he could distinguish a dark figure. 'A hitch-hiker', he thought to himself. It was pitch dark and there was no traffic at all. 'He might have had a breakdown...'
Even before doing so, Andrew had already decided he would stop to help the motorist and his Harley Davidson. He changed the light, unwillingly stopped the CD player and slowed down to finally stop the car inn the middle of the dark road. The rain was falling quite heavily, but still he could see the hitchhiker waving him to stop. The motorist was dressed in black leather from head to toes and wore a crash helmet, so he couldn´t see his face.
"Can I help you?", he asked, rising his voice through the rain pouring heavily outside as he opened the car window.
"Yes", a woman's sweet voice answered him behind the crash helmet, "I've run out of petrol and.."
"I'm going to stop in the next gas station. Would you like me to pay you a lift there?"
"Yeah, sure", she answered, "if you don't mind..."
"Of course I don't! It's a dog's night and you won't probably find another car to help you. Please, get on the backseat", he went out of the car and opened the door, allowing her to enter.
Andrew started the car again thinking that, at least, that girl perhaps would break the silence of his driving back home better than his Phantom CD. He looked at her through the driving mirror while she took off her crash helmet and her damp helmet jacket. Suddenly, he realised she was very pretty, the prettiest girl he had ever met indeed. Hers was a wild wet beauty, very attractive and eye-catching. White brilliant skin, wavy dark hair falling wildly through her shoulders and stunning black eyes, as dark and wet as was the night weather outside...
Andrew felt a little bit embarrassed when he realised she was staring at him through the driving mirror, as if she remembered his face from somewhere. But he could tell he hadn't been that girl before. No, there would have been hard to forget that stunningly white skinned face if that had happened. There was a silent uncomfortable break before he decided to turn on the CD player again. This time, the random reproduction system chose itself a new track from the same record...
"... I gave you my music,
made your song take winds,
and now, how you repaid me
denied me and betray me..."
Oh, how delightfully sad Michael Crawford´s voice sounded, so evoking and emotional!, he thought. Someday, if he kept on trying, he hoped to be able to play this Phantom's rival on stage. And even, with a little bit of luck, he could play that part himself... Andrew observed his passenger through the mirror. Surprisingly, she seemed to know the song too.
"He was born to love youwhen he heard you sing...
... Christine... Christine...
Why? Why?"
"My name is Lilith", she broke the silence smiling broadly as the track ended. Her voice was unbelievably sweet and tuned; she spoke rhythmically while the rain was falling outside on the road, "and you?"
"I'm Andrew, pleased to meet you. If you need drying please, be free to take a towel from the bag on your left."
"Thanks", she responded, her voice bright and breezy, ""I'm soaked to the skin. "Cars appear in this road once in a blue moon, believe me.", she stopped a moment, and then asked quietly, "How often do you take this route?"
"First time tonight", he answered, "I'm driving home from Paris. How about you?"
"I love driving and travelling around... except when my Harley decides itself we have to stop..."
"Then you've been very lucky that I passed around, Lilith. If I hadn't stopped, you would have had to walk under the rain. But fortunately you've come across me...", Andrew added
"Yeah,", she nodded, "you've just saved my life..."
There was again a moment of silence; only the rain falling heavily outside and the monotonous roaring of the car engine and track 14 still playing the Phantom's Lament. Andrew changed the gear and looked again to his passenger. On the CD player, Sarah Brightnam and Steve Barton were now performing their breathtaking duet...
"...Say you´ll share with me
one love, one lifetime,
say the word and I will follow you.
Share each day with me,
Each night, each morning..."
Andrew found himself speechless when he paid another look to the driving mirror. It was just a flash, a moment, but he saw her black velvet eyes staring at him... behind a white pearl-coloured mask... He shook his head. No. This was not possible, he said to himself. It was only that he was tired of driving. Yes, it had been a tiring day, that was all. She was not wearing a mask...
"You remind me much of someone I met a long time ago", slowly she spoke as the song faded on the CD player and the rain began to patter even heavier.
"Really?", Andrew replied smiling friendly
"Yes, he was a very nice guy", she continued, "his name was Andrew, like you… but I always called him Andy. We used to go driving this area together…"
So then you should know every inch of this road", he answered again, smiling back at her
"This part is tricky. Pay attention now, Andy", she warned him suddenly, "You're going to find a speed limit signal and then the broad of a hill…"
And there it was. Out of the blue. In the blink of an eye, they were passing through the signal. Now the Phantom's song was about to end…
"… you will curse the day you did not you
all that the Phantom
asked of you…"
Andrew applied the brake again and reduced the speed. Lilith hadn't stopped looking at him through the mirror.
"Slow down. This bend is very close"
Andrew opened his eyes, astonished.
"How do you know that?"
"I died driving here…"
EPILOGUE
Tonight, I'm on duty. Friday night shift is always an eternity. I'm sitting in my office, praying it won't happen again. But then, the telephone rings. It's always the same. Between midnight and one o'clock, when most people are turning over in bed… it is then when she acts.
What follows for me is as clear as it is familiar. I will go there to investigate what could have happened. Another car accident in secondary road 320. Same cause: it inexplicably swerved, overturned and exploded. Same time: 0:15 a.m. The Hitchhiker Bend. Same evidences found: a woman's leather jacket and a crash helmet, with the same inscription: "FOR LILITH, WITH LOVE. ANDY"
A cold sweat covers my body; the urge to escape from the scenery will drive me mad, overwhelming everything when I introduce the car registration number in the computer to read another name to add to the list: Andrew Lammer, actor. Another 'Andy'…
After an hour, I'm back in the headquarters trying to forget. But it is impossible, as usual. I curse whoever invented cars, and motorways, and alcohol, whoever gave me the idea of riding my Harley that night with Lilith. I curse the day I joined the traffic police. And I realise this will be unending, until she finds me. That's why I am madly writing right now the end of this story. The end? It's nearly midnight again. I still have time to drive the road again and find her in the Hitch-hiker Bend before she goes for another hunt.
Just one piece of advice before I go to her:
DRIVE CAREFULLY AND NEVER,
NEVER STOP TO HELP A HITCH-HIKER…