Dark Carnival (© Jesus Riddle Morales)
Page 1 Warning: This contribution contains some mild sexual content, and material some readers may find distasteful. Reader discretion is recommended.
(El Paso, Texas)
"It’s going to be all right, now.
…Everything’s going to be all right!"
"I got the speed and I can’t
loose – can’t lose!"
That’s what Juan kept telling
himself as his friend’s racecar bolted pass him with relative ease.
"Dios, ayuda me!" That Spanish
quirk translated to: God help me…"
That’s what three-time racing
champ, Juan Reno said as the Puerto Rican driver sped his car through a narrow
gap between two of his fastest competitors. Juan was the only Hispanic racecar
driver within the entire state. In fact, he was one of only three Latino
members of the Nascar scene within the entire country. Initially, the art of
professional car racing was a Caucasian sports attraction. However, Juan was
accepted for his exceptional skills and know-how among the racing circuit.
As Juan pivoted to his right,
he saw a blinding fast blur speed in front of him.
"Damn, Chingou!" Shouted Juan.
For the last seven minutes,
Juan had been in the lead, but as he turned to adjust his position on the
track, his good friend and long time rival suddenly swept in front of him. To
his dismay, he made a passing hand sign to the Latino driver, which simply
stood for: You snooze, you loose! It was a playful, competitive thing the two
racers had among each other. This friend of his was young, but already becoming
a new legend in the racing culture. His name…Josh Gordon: a.k.a "the rocket
man".
After the race, Juan
stepped out of his car and greeted the winner of the race with good
sportsmanship. In reality, Juan was glad he was beat by his friend rather than
some of the other snotty rednecks he despised at times. Juan had always
suspected that some of his competitors were downright prejudice. Juan’s dark
hair and savvy good looks often gave him the reputation as being the quintessential
Latin lover. However, this was far from the truth. He was a loyal man and real
team player. In regards to these traits, the majority of the other racers were
actually very welcoming toward him, although they constantly joked about his
Hispanic heritage.
"Hey, Pork-chop! I got you this
time, eh! So what does the Latin lover have to say now? Replied Josh in a
playfully, goading banter.
"OK, man…so you beat me this
time, rookie. If I hadn’t been distracted by that flying bumper from the car
ahead of me, I would have stood far in the lead, honkey!"
"Ha, not so, my little,
coconut-eating monkey. I would have put the dust on you anyhow!" That reminds
me, Juan – If I recall correctly, you owe me some drinks, buddy"
At that, the two of them joined
the celebration in a local bar that was known as the racer’s hangout every time
they competed in Texas. There, Juan stuck to his word and bought the whole
menagerie of rowdy racers their fill in alcoholic elixirs. Unlike Josh, Juan
was more of a conservative guy. Compared to Josh, he seemed downright timid.
Josh was an extreme personality as his edgy sports activities dictated. Once,
Josh had gotten Juan to try the more dangerous hobbies including rock climbing,
which was a favorite of Josh’s when he wasn’t risking his life racing. Josh had
even taken Juan on a hang gliding expedition. Straddled next to Josh without
the aid of an instructor, Josh had once sent them soaring through the sky
together. Although Josh was used to the flying, Juan had gotten so nervous,
that his struggling had made the pair crash into a long, grassy null. Luckily
for them, the crash wasn’t bad. Juan thought about these things as he bought
Josh another round of Tequila shots.
Still celebrating and
discussing the finer aspects of racing, Josh was suddenly distracted by the
Bar’s TV, which was currently airing some type of emergency report. Being set
in southern Texas, the bar owners were Mexican and the TV blurted out the
important message in Spanish, which Juan had to translate to his pal, Josh.
"Hey, Juan – you speak Mexican,
what the hell’s all this shit about? I suppose it has something to do with all
that stuff going down up north, eh?"
Juan nodded his head. By this
time, they were all aware of the massive attacks that were occurring in the
northern states and many had feared that the strange, homicidal behavior would
some how pour down into the south. Now, it was apparent that the national
emergency was clearly far more dangerous than previously thought. As Juan and
Josh watched the report play out, Juan translated the dire warning to his
drunken friend. [ Continue to page 2 ] |