20070519

The Drifter

Part 2 of 6 by Joseph Ridgwell

After five hours of non-stop driving I suddenly began questioning my motives: Think about it Jude, you haven’t even called Elly to let her know you’re coming and you don’t know if she even wants you there. I fingered the letter from the clinic in my pocket and wondered if I was doing the right thing, but how could I be doing the right thing? If Elly wanted me to know she would have told me, wouldn’t she? Suddenly I was consumed with doubts, each new doubt demolishing the old doubt, bamboozling my thought processes and encouraging me to take an exit off the highway. I found myself cruising along an empty coastal road, banana plantation to the left, sparkling Pacific Ocean to the right. I stopped the car.

6S

Joseph Ridgwell lives and writes in London. Look for Part 3 of The Drifter on Wednesday, May 23rd.