Red and Blue

Red and Blue

By John W. Vander Velden

The night dark, heavy clouds hid the moon and stars.  The sound of the wipers slapping the large drops that fell, pounding the Valiant’s windshield and roof, and the hiss of tires on wet pavement made listening to the AM radio difficult.  Tom turned up the volume which only added to the din.  The two lane seemed more quiet than usual as he made his way home.  The ride, of twenty-five minutes, familiar, even in the dark.  Tired, he stared bleary eyed at the dark roadway, the headlights of a car that followed -- too closely -- did not aid.  Tom shoved the rearview mirror aside to keep the glare from his eyes.  But the light on his side of the windshield only added to the difficulty of driving.  “Pass or back off…”  Tom cursed to himself.  The answer -- red and blue, alternating intense flashes which filled the old Plymouth with color.

After Tom had at last found a space safe enough to pull over.  After the wet officer had tapped upon his window.  After Tom had shared his driver’s license and registration.  After the State Policeman told him it was a mistake…Tom pulled away slowly, his car yet filled with red and blue.  

(202 Words)