He awoke suddenly, jolted from his sleep. Like a twitch, his body jerked awake. He realized it was… just a dream—a dream that felt all too real, yet never quite enough to be reality.
He straightened up, checking himself and scanning the area around him. Then he remembered.
In the front seat, a pair of eyes met his in the rearview mirror.
"You okay there, sir?"
"Yeah… I'm okay," he said. "Just a stupid dream, that's all."
Those eyes peeking from the front seat didn't look satisfied; their brows were slightly furrowed, lower than usual. It hinted at something more—perhaps a question.
"Excuse me, sir, I didn't catch your name. My name's Jamie. What's yours?"
He said nothing. There was no time for introductions.
"That's alright, sir. If you'd rather not say, I'm fine with it." The eyes glanced away, then back. "…So, what brings you to Lowfer?"
"Business," he said, curtly.
His eyes went up, "Ah yes!" He said with a proud voice. "I see plenty people come to Lowfer, not only for business, but for..." he said with a few pauses, "sight seeing as well."
"Yeah," he said amd turned his attention to the left. His head pivoted towards the glass panel and watching what goes outside where trees and trees move aside each other.
20 minutes later....
"Wow, wow, wow," the man said.
"What is it?" He looked over to the front seat and his eyes looked at the view infront of the vehicle's front.
It was a traffic jam. There wasn't much to tell about it—the only thing seen were cars, waiting in line. Then it started to drizzle a bit.
The vehicle moved and the driver stopped, winded down his window and was given a brief talk to the officer. Dimitri who was sitting behind on the back seats could only sit tight amd watch. For all the quiet observation he did, he could tell, something had happened. Something major.
After finished, the officer let go of the driver and the vehicle continued its movement.
"Sorry about that sir, we continue," the driver said.
"What was that about?" Dimitri asked curiously
"Oh nothing at all sir, just some incident that happened here at the lowfer," the driver responded easily going.
An incident? He looked out the window.
"Stop the car!" Suddenly he shouted.
The vehicle stopped and Dimitri stepped out of the vehicle. It was still drizzling but not that much.
"Sir, here is an umbrella—" the driver was about to give Dimitri but was too late. "Well at least it's not that bad."
Dimitri sturdly ran at slow phase to the crowd of people that gathered around. Being at the back he heard voices but couldn't see who it was, so he listened as he tried to get a closer look. Sounds of worry. Questions unanswered and unbothered. And some other voices criticising.....
"That's what you get for working in mines."
"Truth be told, I didn't even expect this."
"I don't want be there."
Dimitri saw an ambulance vehicle parked to the side and a few medics pushing a stroller—stretcher. The medics stopped at the rear and Dimitri saw it. A body. Lying and covered in a white plain cloth. No signs of movement coming from the legs that poke out.
"What happened here?" He spoke unbothered that a black man stood next to him.
"Accidental death, probably," the black man said folding his arms across to his chest.
"Is that so?"
"Yeah man. Everyone knows it," he toughened his tone. "That's what you get for working in the mines."
Watching the medics lift the stretcher up the rear of the vehicle.....Dimitri felt a sudden surge in his breath, his mind as if slowed amd whispered something. But the black man intervened.
"What's that?" He said.
"Oh, nothing," Dimitri snapped out of his wimpy day dream. "It's a rare sight to see." He said out of words and meanings to convey.
"Yeah."
"Wait—you're not from around here," the black man said.
"How could you tell?" Dimitri asked a little taken aback.
"Cuz everyone here knows it. You—no."
He had a point.
"My name's Joe."
"Dimitri."
"So what brings you here?" The black man asked after shaking hands and turning back to the situation at hand, looking tense.
"Nothing much," Dimitri said. "Just saw people gathering so I wanted to see what all the fuzz was about."
"—And it doesn't disappoint." The black man said which made Dimitri have his eyes do a side-eye to the right. Dimitri didn't have a word to say. That by just seeing it and hearing made much sense....that there was normal in their words. That this must be a common sight to behold.