Five Day Fast

By Keith Gray

Sid, a businessman, husband and father of two, through
a series of unexpected events fi nds himself stranded
temporarily in an inner city. What he experiences that
day and several days after opens his mind in a way that
changes his life forever..

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 31, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477143766

Book preview

FIVE DAY

FAST

117228-GRAY-soft-LSI-071212.jpg

Keith Gray

Copyright © 2012 by Keith Gray.

ISBN:          Softcover                                 978-1-4771-4375-9

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4771-4376-6

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

117228

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 1

It was 8 o’clock Monday morning. The hustle and bustle of the office was already beginning. Steve was walking down the hall with a little extra spring in his step. He was eager to find his best friend so he could brag about his weekend, and the girl he met at Sharky’s the Friday before. Sid’s door was closed when Steve arrived. Most of the time Steve would have known better than to knock but it was 8 o’clock on Monday morning. He couldn’t imagine that anyone could be engrossed in work yet, so he knocked lightly with his left hand while turning the knob with his right.

Sid, man you busy? Steve said eagerly but with a timid, even shy voice but there was no reply. Steve eased open the door and peaked his head in. There was Sid at his desk, his head slumped over. He stepped into the office and closed the door behind him.

Sid, he exclaimed with a strong more confident voice. What’s goin’ on?

Sid raised his head, obviously startled. What? he said with evident aggravation. Rough weekend? Steve said trying to lighten the conversation, still eager to tell his own stories. Sid looked around in disarray, trying to get his bearings. His mouth was dry and his eyes were heavy. Without looking he knew what was on his computer. Three windows with the Internet. One with his personal email account, one open to his personal homepage for his investment account, and the final one open to the ESPN website which undoubtedly contained an article on next years draft picks. He tapped the mouse and saw the time, 8:07 AM.

He looked back at Steve with a smirk and said, Yeah, rough weekend. Didn’t sleep real well. Kids had me up all night. Now I have to get these reports done before the pep rally.

Oh shit, yeah, staff meeting. How could I forget? See you there man. Steve said as he quickly retracted back through the door and scurried down the hall towards his own office. Sid chuckled to himself. He was always amused by his ability to read and manipulate people. But the reality of his predicament quickly brought him back and anxiety replaced any sense of happiness he may have had. Could it really be Monday? He thought to himself. With the quick motion of the mouse he verified it. Monday, December 13’h, 8:11 AM. He looked at the screen in amazement for a whole minute before glancing over to his phone. The red light was on indicating that he had a voice mail message. He picked up the phone and without so much as a thought, he dialed the 14 numbers necessary to retrieve his messages.

You have six messages.

Message one, Friday 4:15 pm, 8 seconds: Sid can you stop at the store and get some bread for dinner tonight? I’m making the rigatoni dish that you love so much but forgot the bread. I’d really appreciate it. Thanks. It was the familiar voice of his wife.

Message two, Friday 6:07 pm, 13 seconds: Sid, where are you? Dinner is on the table. You told me you weren’t going out with the guys tonight and promised you’d be home on time. You said we’d have a nice family dinner. How do you expect Jenny to prioritize family when you never do? I’m giving you five more minutes and then I’m letting her go out.

Shit! Sid said out loud.

Message three, Friday 8:45 pm, 11 seconds: Sid, you gotta come out. I’m at Sharky’s. All the guys are here and the view is spectacular! Tony already disappeared with a gorgeous blond and I’ve got my sights on a lovely red head. I could use your master wingman skills. Hope you can make it. Sid chuckled to himself again. I guess that worked out, he thought now knowing why Steve seemed so giddy this morning.

Message four, Friday 11:47 pm, 3 seconds. 1’m going to bed, you’re such an asshole. Another familiar tone from his wife. Well this is going to take some finesse, Sid thought to himself. Maybe I’ll pick up some flowers on the way home.

Message five, Saturday 9:02 am, 14 seconds. Sid, you better hope you’re passed out on one of your friend’s floor. If you got in an accident I’m going to kill you. If you went home with some slut from that bar, we’re through. I don’t care if you have `needs’. I don’t care if I said you could, as long as it wasn’t for love! I have needs too you know. The phone slammed down in his ear and Sid realized a little finesse wasn’t going to smooth things over this time. Last one; let’s hope it’s a good one. Sid whispered sarcastically under his breath.

Message six, Sunday 11:37am, 24 seconds: Sid, I’m tired of this. It’s not just the missed dinners or the fact that you don’t respect me enough to even call when you aren’t coming home. It’s not even the fact that I don’t satisfy you and we both know you want to cheat on me whether you do or not. You’re just not the man I fell in love with anymore. You love your work. You love your friends and drinking with them at bars. I know you don’t love me. You wouldn’t treat me this way if you did. You’re not here for me even when you are home and most important you are not here for Jenny and Nick. Sid looked down at the phone to see if the message was playing; it seemed forever until the defeated sound of her voice came hack. I’m taking them. We’re leaving. The line went dead and Sid slammed the phone down in disgust. He stood up not knowing what to do next. Throwing his chair against the wall, he stood up, grabbed his jacket and darted for the door. He opened it only to see the fake friendly smile of his sneaky boss standing there.

Sid, good morning. How was your weekend?

Hi Dave, it was fine. And yours? Sid said, trying not to show any emotion from the confusion and frustration of the morning.

Good. Do you have the weekly status reports done?

Of course, they’ve been in your box since Friday. Sid said without a second thought, knowing that every Friday morning he completed the reports, so they wouldn’t interfere with an early start to the weekend.

I need you to check with Bob and Jim. I need you to present the summary for our group at the staff meeting.

It was the same old story. Dave forgot to prepare for the meeting so he was going to make up some excuse to get out of it.

Can’t do it this week Dave, Cindy just called and there’s a family emergency. I have to go now. Sid was halfway down the hall before Dave had a chance to process the words.

I hope everything is ok, will you be back today?

Don’t know, Sid mumbled without turning around and was out the door. Sid made a mad dash through the parking lot trying to fumble for his keys that he couldn’t quite get a hold of. Finally grasping the keys, he pressed the button to unlock his brand new jet-black Toyota Tundra extended cab pickup. He leaped into the leather bucket seat as he fumbled for the ignition key. He turned the key in the ignition and pressed slightly on the pedal to hear the sound of his V8 engine roar with power. God, I love this car. I deserve this car.

The wheels squealed as he pulled out of the parking space and hastily sped out of the parking lot.

Morning rush hour traffic was still heavy and Sid slammed on the brakes and waited to merge in. He thought about his six-year-old son, Nick and his eleven year-old daughter, Jenny. He wasn’t going to lose them, especially when he did nothing wrong. He found a break and slammed the gas pedal to the floor. As he raced onto the highway he heard the horn blow from the car behind. He looked in his rear view mirror to see a man screaming from the car, his middle finger high in the air.

Fuck off asshole! Sid said instinctively, raising his right hand and middle finger to the back window in retaliation. He slammed down the lever to signal left and inched over before looking to find a gap. He slammed onto the gas pedal again and pulled into the left lane. He passed two cars and weaved back to the right, only to slam on the brakes as the traffic light turned red.

Damn it, Sid screamed as if the traffic light could hear him. Why are you doing this to me?

When the light turned green, Sid was off like a quarter mile sprint only to come to a screeching halt at the next traffic light two blocks ahead of the last. Sid slammed his fists on the steering wheel. He looked toward the sky and shook his fists in the air. Why are you doing this to me? I just want to get home to my wife and kids.

Sid saw a gap in the crossing traffic and decided his prayers had been answered. He inched his truck up and as the gap approached he firmly pressed the gas once again. The rear tires spun momentarily before griping the road and as the truck began to move, Sid realized the gap wasn’t big enough.

Sid’s brand new jet black Toyota Tundra T-boned into the side of an old beat up blue Plymouth Neon. The Neon spun around before flipping onto its side and smashed into a tractor-trailer. The impact knocked the car onto its roof and the rear axle of the tractor-trailer came to rest as it rolled up on the underside of the Neon’s engine.

Sid opened his door and looked at the crash in disbelief. He cursed himself for trying to make the gap. He knew that it would be hours before he’d be able to get home to try to save his marriage or at least his relationship with his children. He thought about the increase he’d have to pay on his car insurance. He wondered if they’d even pay enough to get a new truck. He thought back to when he was trying to find insurance. As usual he went with the lowest price. Insurance is such a scam, he remembered.

I’ve been paying for thirteen years and they haven’t paid out anything. Well I guess I’ve made up for it today, he said out loud as he timidly walked over to the Neon and crouched down at the driver’s side door. He saw a young woman; blood soaked into her green and white dress, her face covered with blood and bits of glass.

She whispered softly I’m sorry.

Sid couldn’t believe his ears. Excuse me? he replied.

I’m sorry. she said again.

I hit you. It was my fault. I ran a red light. Why are you sorry?

I saw you racing to the light… . She said gasping for air. I saw you inch up when you saw the gap in front of me. I tried to slow down so you could go. I imagine something awful has happened to make you in such a hurry.

Sid thought to himself about his messages. He knew Cindy was already gone. He knew it made no difference at this point whether he found her today, tomorrow or next week. He looked back at the woman hanging upside down by her seatbelt. He thought about her selfless words of compassion towards the same man who may have just killed her. He imagined the words he may have said in his own dying breaths toward his killer and how he would have sped up to close the gap if some asshole wanted to cut him off.

If I don’t make it out of this… The woman began, interrupting Sid’s thoughts. Tell my daughter that I love her. Tell her that I don’t blame you. Tell her to live every day as if it were her last, so in the end there will be no regrets.

Sid watched the life fade from the woman’s face, and her arms fall limp over her head. All the energy escaped him and he collapsed down, knees hitting the ground first and then his bottom. He hunched over and held both his hands to his head, as if it was the only thing keeping it up. He thought about her words again in disbelief. He tried to picture the life she led that would allow her to be so different