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I’d not celebrated my birthday in a long time, not properly at least, since my 21st. My birthdays all came and went, and I’d get cards and gifts from my close friends, namely the ones that were there when I got the devastating news about the death of my parents. So, it wasn’t just a birthday, it was also an anniversary and I guess they felt part of that life experience that I experienced. The only card that I ever put up since my 21st was the card my mum and dad wrote all those years ago.
“Happy 21st Birthday Son,” I read out aloud and stood it on the centre of my sideboard. Smiling to myself, I made it the centrepiece for another day like I had done every year since their deaths. The card was showing its age, but that’s what made it more special for me. This year, I placed the poem that dad had written beside it. I needed to get a frame for that.
The doorbell rang. I was expecting Barkley, normally he would just walk straight in. It rang again, and then again.
“Ok, ok!” I shouted, making my way to the front door. I opened it to find Barkley standing there dressed in one of his finest suits with the biggest grin on his face; bottle of champagne and a card in his hands.
“Happy birthday, mate. What do you think to this ride pal? I thought we would arrive in style.” He gestured out towards the road.
Sitting at the top of my drive was a silver sports car like no other. It was beautiful. I have never seen anything like it.
“Oh my god, Barkley!” I said. “You're kidding me! Is it a Ferrari?”
“It’s a Bugatti Chiron, zero to sixty in 2.3 seconds. Mate. I’m buzzing. A three-million-pound car sitting on your drive.”
“No way! Why would anyone pay that kind of money for a car?” I said walking around the exterior. “Why would anyone build one for that matter?” I ran my hand over the top of the gleaming metal. The curved structure and design made it look like something from the future, you could tell it was aerodynamically designed for speed.
“Three million quid,” I said as I opened the driver side door. “How can you...”
He cut me off laughing, “I haven’t bought it ya daft sod. I’ve hired it for the day. I’ve earned a fair bit of money since you...” he looked around cautiously in case someone overheard, “I mean iLUMiNO, came on the scene. So I’ve treated myself. Today,” he said as he handed me a card and bottle of champagne, “we arrive for your birthday meal in style.”
The smell of the interior was enticing. It felt like the car was hypnotising you to get inside, to feel the trim, the dashboard, to hold onto the wheel. I sat in the driver's seat. You could feel the luxurious quality seeping through, it made you feel important, sophisticated.
“We’ve got two hours to kill before your surprise birthday meal,” Barkley laughed.
“Hold on,” I said. “I’ll just get my jacket.”
Once upstairs I looked out of the front bedroom window, Barkley was standing in front of the three-million-pound Bugatti taking selfies. He was in his element. Anyone would have thought it was his birthday. The car had drawn a bit of attention and people were taking their time walking past it. Some kids on bikes were taking pictures, Barkley was loving it.
The jacket was fresh from the dry cleaners. Taking it out from the plastic covering, I put it on, straightened my tie and winked at myself in the mirror.
I was excited, I’d not felt like this in a long time. I knew what he was doing though. He was trying to take my mind off what was about to come.
Downstairs in the living room, I saw Barkley's birthday card on the side. I opened it, ‘Happy Birthday Mate’ it was signed BB. I stood it up next to my 21st Birthday card. Today was all about change. Hopefully for the better.
Locking the front door Mr Williams gave me a nod. He had come outside to see why a small group had gathered at the top of our drives.
“Nice wheels,” he said. “Can you read my mind?”
“No,” I laughed unsure what he was talking about.
“Has he committed the crime of the century or what?” Referring to Barkley.
“What do you mean?”
“Stealing that car! There's no way anyone in Redgrand could afford a car like that. He must have stolen it,” he laughed.
Barkley was already in the driver's seat. I opened the passenger side door and slipped into heaven.
“Ready?”
“Ready!”
The engine roared into life. Revving the car, you could feel the power transcending the body of the vehicle. It felt good. He looked at me from the driver side and smiled. The smoothness of the car was unbelievable. You couldn't feel anything. It was like I was flying again. He would put his foot down for a couple of seconds, which would make my stomach feel upside down. We loved the attention. He drove through town. He was famous now and he loved people taking photographs of him driving this beast of human engineering.
We had the best two hours ever, driving through the countryside, owning it. He really was a true friend. He’d taken my mind off my birthday dinner but soon I recognised where we were, and the time was near on 6 pm.
He pulled up outside the restaurant and I felt my stomach turn again. Not because of the adrenaline. This time it was the nerves and anxiousness again.
We were about to change my life. One way or another, it was certainly about to change. But for better or for worse, we didn’t know.
This time Barkley said in a more sombre tone.
“Are you ready?”
I nodded, “I’m ready.” I was nervous, I was anxious. What if our plan didn’t work?
Inside the restaurant it was all smiles, Penelope looked so elegant in her pink satin dress with the high neckline, blouson sleeves, and a thigh-high split added to its feminine charm. She looked lost without her lapdog like a ventriloquist without its dummy.
“Hello my darling,” she said as she kissed me on the cheeks. “Happy birthday handsome!” she said pulling back to let Leigh in.
Leigh had outdone herself as well. She looked so beautiful, her hair pinned up with jewels dotted throughout it. Her dress was trimmed with colour co-ordinated decorative beads and sequins, plus beautiful diagonally draping layered ruffles which disguised her baby bump.
“Wow,” I said. “Look at you!”
“Well, ya know, I thought I’d make an eff. Check out the wheels,” she said. “Someone’s been treating you!”
“Yeah, it was amazing. Bloody loved it. He’s a good one,” I said, referring to Barkley.
“Yeah, sometimes,” Leigh said laughing.
Brenda came next and gave me a hug, “Here’s my birthday boy!” She too looked so glamorous.
“No glasses?” I said.
“I’ve got my contacts in,” she said. “I still can't see a thing though!” We both laughed.
Lottie waited until the gang had seen me. She walked up to me as graceful and elegant as a lady.
“Aaron,” she said. “God, I love you. Thank you for you know. Just, thank you and happy birthday.”
“You're welcome,” I said.
I looked around and there was another couple sat at another table and a family of four on another.
“Is she not here yet?” I asked shifting my eyes around.
“Oh, she's here love. Double D is here.”