Friends Always Win in the End!
by Ruwen Rouhs
Chapter 5
The R4-Buggy
Severin woke up at 3 in the morning. He usually didn't wake up during the night at all. There was a funny smell in the room, a smell he wasn't used to. He turned around and pumped into someone. Someone was sharing the bed with him. Sitting up he tried to pierce the darkness with his eyes. Then it dawned him. He shared the queen-sized bed with Arash. Recalling the previous night he sniggered inaudibly. At bedtime his mother wanted to prepare his sisters room for Arash. "No, Mom, Arash can sleep with me. Remember you got me a queen-sized and today it's the day to use it for the first time with a friend." When she hesitated to grant permission, he remembered her. "When I was younger you always asked why I didn't bring friends to a sleep over!" and Arash was making Severin's mother puppy eyes assisted. "We already have tried, and its room enough for both of us." Severin's mom accepted, after she got she was outvoted
Now, in the middle of the night it was different. When they tried the bed in the afternoon, they both lay side by side on the back. But now Arash had curled up like a baby and needed much more space. Severin considered to poke him, then decided to go to relief himself first.
Looking out of the window in the bathroom Severin was surprised to find a car on the opposite side of the street, a car he had never seen before in the neighborhood was parking there. It seemed to be one of those ancient Renault R4, converted into a dune-buggy, he had admired last summer in Spain. He was even more intrigued as he spotted someone sitting inside. The man was smoking at the open window wiping off the ashes from the cigarette. It looked as if the man was waiting for someone or was spying on someone.
On his way back to his room he forgot about the observation and even more, when he decided to spoon Arash. He hadn't spooned anyone since more than eight years ago. Last time when his classmate spooned him they got into a quarrel. He couldn't remember the reason. It was something he didn't like, but what. He couldn't remember.
Already before breakfast Arash tried to call up his parents. But in vain. He tried again and again. Sev was relieved when he got a message: "Its Tanner. When do you show up? Roger, Naim and his friend. We have already started a game. Are you coming?"
"Sure, I bring a friend along!"
"Who is it?"
"Arash, a teammate from school!"
"Great!"
The monkey cage in the park was a ten- by ten-meter field surrounded by high walls of mesh wire. Tanner and Roger, who had just finished high-school, were already kicking with five younger boys. Robby and Yamal were 10 th graders, while Naim, the brother of Tanner was in 8 th grade. There were two more students present, who Severin hasn't met before. Both seem to be about the age of Naim.
"Hi, Sev! Great you showed up and have a friend with you. We are hot for a match. Roger and I against you and your friend. Choose two of the boys and we will form a team with the other two."
"But then one remains."
"He goes to the team that gets the first goal."
"That is unfair."
"Well then, take all three!"
Meanwhile Roger, checking Arash out, walked over and offered him a hand, "Well come, I am Roger, and that's Tanner. And your name!" After the introduction, they started kicking and were soon fully focused on soccer. Severin suddenly stopped in the middle of the pitch. He waved Arash over, "Do you know that car?" He pointed to the small car blocking the entrance to the park. The man on the driver's seat, was fiddling with his phone and seemed to take picture of the game. Arash shook his head. "It was parked in front of our house tonight. I recognize it, it's a converted R4-buggy."
Tanner also noticed the car. As he didn't want the game to be disturbed, he shouted to his teammates, "Go on! Go on!" When the car was still there after 20 minutes, Tanner left the monkey cage, beat his way through the shrubs and unexpectedly build himself up in front of the man in the car and blocked his view. "Are you a soccer scout or are you just spying on us?" Waiting for an answer that didn't come, he barked at him, "If not, just leave!" When the man in the car wanted to put his phone away, Tanner snatched it from his hand. A short scuffle broke out over it. In the mean-time the others player had gathered around the car. While Roger helped his friend to retrieve the phone, Severin, Arash and the boys surrounded the car to prevent the man to drive off. Despite the man's protest, Tanner viewed the last photos. They showed the game. It was noticeable, however, that it was mainly close-ups of Arash and Severin. That made Tanner suspicious.
Showing Severin and Arash the photos he asked the man, "Why took you close-ups of these two only and not of me and the others? Do you hate Turks?" In the meantime, Severin had taken the phone and shown the snapshots to Arash. Then he deleted the shots. Giving back the phone, he told the man "Just leave and don't show up again!"
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