Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: COMMUTE (07/07/16)
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TITLE: car4me Knock-Down | Previous Challenge Entry
By Don Buschert
07/11/16 -
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The early morning cold blasting his face was both invigorating and undesirable. Ellis trotted in the driveway snow to the street. He'd shovel it later.
There was another passenger in the vehicle. "Good," muttered Ellis. "We'll share the fee today."
Ellis placed his card over the dash, authorizing the vehicle to unlock the door with a muffled click. Ellis quickly opened the driver side door and climbed in. The driverless car had four leather swivel chairs surrounding a small work table.
“Hi,” said Ellis to the stranger sitting in the front passenger seat.
“Good morning,” grunted the man, not bothering to look up from his handheld.
“I’m Ellis.”
The man flashed Ellis a brief glance, then unimpressed, looked back at his device. “I’m Jâd,” he mumbled.
The console on the dash politely asked Ellis for his destination. “Downtown, Bankers Hall West, please.” This car was more pleasant than his travelling companion, noted Ellis. He buckled in and immediately the car sped off.
“Big meeting with the lawyers?” asked Jâd without looking up.
“Yes, you could say that,” replied Ellis giving a hard stare.
They drove in silence for several minutes. Then the vehicle turned onto a main road and suddenly came to a halt; before them snaked a long traffic jam.
“What’s the problem?” demanded Jâd, now forgetting about his device. He banged his fist on the dash and spoke to the console as if it were a servant. “Hey, you should have known about this jam. I don’t pay you to sit through traffic!”
“Relax,” said Ellis, clearly indignant with his traveling companion. “There’s a crowd of protesters up ahead, lining both sides of the street.”
The car made no effort to weave through the traffic. Like motorists around them, they were trapped. The protestors were waving signs, demonstrating over recent government decisions to eliminate charitable tax status from churches that wouldn’t comply with new regulations.
Jâd cursed bitterly. “Those Christians need to fall into line. Their beliefs are incompatible with the twenty-first century.”
“Apparently their freedom is too.”
“They don’t deserve freedoms, not when they believe in a jealous, proud, petty, unjust control-freak God. A misogynistic, homophobic, racist bully is what He is and His followers take on that same nature. The world is better off without them,” spat out Jâd coldly.
“Wow,” said Ellis. “What’s next, public executions?”
“This is an opportunity for them to start making the right choices. Eliminate superstitions and embrace reason and enlightenment. It’s the next logical step in our evolutionary development,” Jâd said matter-of-factly, all the while staring at his device.
“Those Christians do a lot of good too.”
“What are you, sympathetic to their cause? Religions bring senseless wars and misery. We’re above that now.”
“The Soviet and Chinese Communists killed more people for their cause than all religious crusades combined,” countered Ellis. “And yes, I’m a believer,” said Ellis giving him a frank stare.
Jâd smirked but didn’t bother looking up. “Whatever,” he mumbled. “Stay in your ignorance then.”
“I hold two degrees, and I’m on the verge of a business development that if it works could employ several hundred people. So don’t pass me off as one of your whipping boys. I’ll prove you wrong. And the same God you vilify is the same God who inspired me with this idea.”
“What idea?” asked Jâd, now interested.
“That’s none of your concern. You’ve shown me nothing but contempt, your behavior in this car is immature and self-absorbed. If this is how the human race is evolving as you claim, well, that’s pretty pathetic.
Without looking up and not saying a word, Jâd flipped his middle finger at Ellis. A large gratifying smirk filled his face.
Ellis turned away, looking out the window at the protestors as the car slowly moved through traffic. He saw men, women and children of all races and backgrounds quietly standing along both sides of the street. There must be several hundreds of them, he thought.
Then, as if by instinct, Ellis tapped a control on the counsel. The car stopped, Ellis unbuckled and opened the door. “Have a good day Jâd,” he said with heartfelt compassion. Jâd looked up and rudely waved him out. Ellis got out, closed the door and stepped onto the crowded sidewalk, joining the protestors.
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Your tale as a reality is not so far away I think.
Your win didn't surprise me at all. I've seen you move up through the ranks. You have a very unique and interesting voice.
Loved this read. A belated congratulations and well done!