Ever since Angela's parents had accepted that she was with a woman, she has been happier than before. And the fact that they'd met me had made the rest of Angela's year. Granted, the day could've gone better than it did, but Angela said she would not have changed a single thing about it - not the time I stepped on her fathers toes, literally, when I went in for a handshake, or that I'd spilled my red wine on her mother's favorite white table cloth.
Her brothers had become accustomed to my clumsiness, and the fact that I was used to them and was comfortable around them spared them from it. They found the whole afternoon hilarious, and my poor angel was just embarrassed on my behalf - I mean she was as nervous as I was, if not even more.
All in all, I only left trampled toes and wine stains in my path of destructive clumsiness, other than my awkwardness. It was a successful-ish evening, so much so that they invited us over again, if not only for being pleasant. Well to Angela it wasn't a pleasantry, I mean she's their daughter. But in my case, it may have been. Still, it was a great feat, one that made Angela all the more comfortable in being with me. A woman. She hadn't been with a lot of women before, but I wasn't her first.
The festive season had come around again, and with that it meant more jobs for Angela outside of her radio hours. People were having parties left, right and centre and she was one of the most-wanted hosts for a lot of the parties all over the country. She'd gotten into this line of work and was so successful at it because it fit her personality, as if the job was designed in such a way to fit her. However, I was quite the opposite of her. In a way, we brought a sort of a balance to each other.
I'd spent most of the festive break at my apartment, getting together with friends and visiting my parents. However we had planned on spending the New Year holiday together, so I'd be going to the NYE festival she'd be hosting this year. I didn't go with her, opting to spoil my group of friends again this year. Anyway why should it change this year? So, we had all access passes again and the VIP treatment that came with it, but what made me happier was that I would be sharing it with Angela this time, as my girlfriend and not merely as someone I had an interest in.
This year she was to host at a different NYE festival at a different city as they rotated locations each year. She was scheduled to go to one of the bigger city's in the country and that meant more - in quantity - of everything. More people, more drunkenness, more fans, and a bigger VIP. I mean I don't have any fear about being in crowds or anything, but I could only handle so much of it at a time. Everyone partied the night away and she was just as amazing at hyping the crowd up as she had been a year ago. I preferred to be backstage than sitting around with everyone at VIP and my people understood that.
Now Angela is amazing at what she does, and what she does is interact with people who are fans, her colleagues, some of whom are celebrities, and celebrities in the entertainment industry. All these people came off as successful to the public eye, and they were all desirable to the public eye and other celebrities alike. It wasn't any different to Angela's case. Just because she was with someone did not exempt her from being hit-on by anyone, especially as our relationship wasn't public general knowledge.
At first I would be jealous when I'd hear or witness others flirt with her, but one day she pointed out that she didn't flirt back, she just shrugs it off with a joke. She was right, she's quick and witty with her words, such a smooth talker. As it was a bigger party, bigger crowd, it also meant a bigger personnel. She was on stage alongside another big-time celebrity who is an actor, co-hosting. They danced together on that stage and brought fire to the crowds. The crowd went wild every time they did. I felt a pang of jealousy but I did not even entertain it because Angela's love for me and commitment to our relationship was clear to me the whole night.
Besides, I knew she wasn't really fond of the guy because he had too much of an ego, like he'd overdosed on confidence in order to detract from another aspect he was lacking in. "Well you know what they say about people who overly-compensate in one area of their life, don't you?" I'd joked with a grin months before when she said she doesn't like him. Yet, here we were tonight, thousands of us witnessing the magic they were making on stage. He'd flirted numerous times with her and each time she'd deflect, using her humour and wit.
She was very charming even when she wasn't trying to be, and at that moment I thought it's one of her attributes that I've grown immune to, but not other people. I mean it still worked every time when she put it to her mind to be charming, but when she wasn't I, I was no longer taken aback by it. She walked up to me and planted a kiss on my lips while I was still in my head so I hadn't noticed her coming to me.
"What's that little smile about?" She asked after planting the kiss on me unsuspectingly.
"Oh I'm just lost in my own world. Thinking about how amazing this past year has been. I've become so much better as a person. Ok, to get to the point, what I'm saying is I like that actor guy you're on stage with even less now," I said as I took a sip of my drink quickly in an attempt to drown out the last bit of my sentence.
She didn't giggle, she didn't chuckle at that, no, not at all. She belted out a laugh that infected me with a laughing spell of my own. She started fanning herself with her hand as she'd gotten hot from laughing so much. Home, I felt at home in a stadium filled with 50 000 strong people, with music blasting noisily through gigantic speakers, and everything else going on around us - I felt that serene feeling of being at home again. I kissed her on the lips and she got back on stage. Apparently she'd seen that I was in my head while she was on stage and thought to come and check up on me, she said. She understood me, she just got me, and at that moment I shot up a quick thank you to the heavens as I felt so blessed to have her in my life.
When the countdown to the new year was down to 5, she sneaked off the stage to kiss me into the new year. This girl never failed to amaze me. We'd been grown in our past relationships as well as this current one that we understood that our ways of expressing love are different, and that we'd have to learn the other's love language. She wasn't one to talk at length about her love for me, but she showed me through so many things she did that she loves me. I on the other hand would pour out my heart to her. I'd send her long texts she started calling them essays, or I'd talk her ear off telling her how much I love her and she'd called those speeches, jokingly, of course.
Once her slot was up for hosting the party we left for our hotel room. She had been busy for most of the day, having had woken up at 4 a.m. that morning for a busy day. When we got to the hotel she got a quick shower, followed by me. When I got out she was already sleeping and I cuddled up behind her. She had another busy day ahead at three other New Years Day parties around the city, so we were booked into the hotel for another night.
I'd had my fair share of parting and needed some time away from the crowds. As it was a coastal city I wanted nothing more than to go to the beach but knew undoubtedly that it was going to be packed so I opted out of that. I called up a friend who stays in the city and asked if he wanted to hang out. Besides, it had been a while since we got together. Stephen already had plans, unsurprisingly, but I was more than happy to join him after he'd told me what it had entailed.
Yes, it was a public holiday, but Stephen and some friends had managed to book out a racetrack for the entire day, and they'd spend it speeding some of high-class cars around it. When he said I should join them I couldn't say no to that solicited invitation, unintentional as it was. I had a great time, and checking-in with Angela every now and then, it seemed she was also having a great day. The event organizers were picking her up from the location she'd be at, but I'd pick her up from her last function and when the time came around I was reluctant to end the thrilling day I had been having.
I bade farewell to Stephen and everyone else and set off to the love of my life. As I considered the prospect of driving on the public road I knew it would take everything in me to keep within the speed limit of the roads. 60 km/hm I was sure would feel like such a snail's pace after reaching up to 232 km/hm. I loved the rush I got on the race track and I wanted more of it but I knew better. I checked if it was safe for me, and the coast was clear so I pulled out of the gates of the racetrack arena and onto the road.
As I did that I saw a bright light beaming from the corner of my eye as soon as I drove into the road When I turned to face that direction, a pair of headlights blinded me as there was nothing more I could do. I relaxed my body, looking up to the sky instantly as if it would understand what I was trying to say. Even I didn't know what I was trying to communicate but I was sure nonetheless that I was communicating something.
Next thing I remember I'm hearing noises that I can't make out, as well as voices shouting above me. I try to open my eyes but they feel heavy, but I manage to put all my will into opening them. As much as I tried they fluttered closed as quickly as I forced them open. I'm being moved along a corridor, and I try getting up but my body feels heavy like it was bound down. I tried talking but my mouth wouldn't move as if it was closed shut using super-glue. Next thing I went into a panic as I thought: 'Angela! What happened? Where is Angela? God! I think I was in an accident. Where am I? I need to call Angela, she's going to be worried. Oh no, I hope she doesn't call my parents to ask if they know where I am, they're going to be freaked out.' All these thoughts fought to dominate my attention, but each thought gave way to the next which spun me into a frenzy of panic. As heavy as my physical body felt, my mental body was up and about, flipping about internally.
"She's crashing..." and I did not hear the rest of the sentence as I drowned again into an unwanted unconsciousness I couldn't even fight off.
I don't know how long it had been when I roused again. My eyes weren't as heavy as they were but I was still struggling to keep them open as I tried looking around the room. My neck hurt as I turned it slowly, my arm grew tired quickly as I lifted it, trying to drag away this thing on my face that was bothering me. I heard the constant beeping in the background starting to go into a frenzy again and I identified it as the heart-rate monitor, instantly remembering what happened the last time I heard that happen.
I willed myself to relax and stay calm so that I do not panic and raise my heart rate too high. Who knows what's going to happen if I do that anyway? Better safe than sorry. I want to last longer this time than I did last time. I remember feeling so tired that I fell back into unconsciousness again, but this time I felt it slowly overcoming me and I did not want to put my energy in fighting off the inevitable. So I just welcomed it.
