Pain Pain Go Away

193
I couldn’t stop myself from imagining, though. What if I hadn’t run
her over?
I rewinded back to that night. After buying beer at the supermarket,
drinking it, and starting to drive, a slip of the wheel would drive me
into the gutter, and I wouldn’t be able to get the car out.
I didn’t have my cellphone either, so I would just have to wait in the
rain for a friendly helper to drive by.
Then the girl would appear. Why was a high schooler walking
around at this hour, way out here, without an umbrella, all by
herself?
Though finding it strange, I would ask her, “Hey, can I borrow your
cellphone? My car’s stuck, as you can see.” She’d shake her head; “I
don’t have a cellphone.” “Oh, too bad... Say, aren’t you cold?” “I
am.” “Do you want to warm up in my car?” “No. That’s very
suspicious.” “Personally, I think you’re pretty suspicious, walking
around on an empty road in the dead of night without an umbrella.
Don’t worry, I won’t do anything weird. Suspicious persons like us
should get along, right?” The girl would hesitate, then wordlessly
get in the passenger’s seat, and we’d both sleep.
We’d wake up to the morning sunlight. A truck would be honking its
horn. It would tow the car out of the ditch. We’d thank the truck
driver.
“Now, I should get you home. Or would school be better?” “I won’t
be able to make it now. Because of you.” “I see. I guess I did a bad
thing.” “Since I’ve given up on school now, please just drive around