Shorts of the Rula

A New Life Of Speed

Admiring the car, he thought on how it was different to what he was used to out of a racing machine. To anyone, it looked like an ordinary road vehicle. Yet for those who knew, it was a speed beast capable of taking on anything.

And this was just the start of his new life.

At the dealership for these cars which was attached to the airport he had arrived, Gareth waited for the one who was handling his ownership of this car. He was raring to get going to see for himself how it handled on a track.

"It's you!" he heard from the other side of the car.

Looking up, he saw a woman with short, brown hair and an excited gaze.

"I never thought I'd ever get the chance to meet you!" she continued. "Even against tough competition in an outclassed car, you still held your own."

Gareth smiled. "Thanks. Nice to see I've already got some fans here."

Fans could be both good and bad. He was good at making quick judgements on which type of fan a person was.

"I guess you wanted to experience the culture for yourself? Enjoy something new?"

"Indeed. It was easy choice."

She was silent a few seconds. Gareth wondered if she was thinking about how bad his life had been, and was expecting some probing.

"I hope you enjoy your time here," she suddenly said. "Hope we get to race sometime."

And with that, she'd turned and was walking away.

That surprised Gareth. He mentally checked her off as one of the good fans. Then turned his thoughts to how he had first come here, remembering again the event that would change his life.

His manager in the team he had been a part of had approached him with a proposition. As one of the top drivers in the sport, they wanted him to head to a place where racing was the entire culture, and with his open-wheel racer take on the best racers of the island. He'd been told it was for a special event that the government of the island had organised as part of the 50th anniversary of settlement.

So, during the break of the current season, his team had flown to the island, competed in the race, and flown back. There'd been very little time to experience any of the culture beyond the track. As such, during the rest of the season, he'd been thinking.

And quickly come to the conclusion that this season would be his last.

He'd enjoyed his life of fame that being one of the best afforded him. But he also had felt its negative effects. Negatives which felt they had been outweighing the positives in recent times.

So he had retired, sold everything he owned besides essentials, and arranged to fly to the Racer's Way. As it was unofficially known. He wanted to start again, build up his new life, and become involved in the culture of this island at his own pace.

Which, he guessed, also included making friends.

The woman was a few meters away when he called out to her with a simple "Hey!"

It had got her attention. Stopping, she turned to face him, curious but still with that excitement flickering in her eyes.

"You've been here how long?"

She took a few steps forward before answering. "All my life. Been in the same town for that long, too."

"And what's that town like? Suitable for a racer like me?"

"Definitely!" she enthused. "I can show you around if you want. Though... don't you already have somewhere to live?"

"I was told that would be arranged upon arriving."