Kiddy Karting
Charles and Pascale were at the karting track, watching Arthur race around. He really was good. Charles had to admit. He seemed to have great control of the car and a good awareness of his surroundings. He had seen Claude Devereux standing close to the food truck, two other men and a woman with him. They just gave a quick nod, Charles had told him on the phone that his mother knew he had called, but that his little brother wasn’t told yet. Arthur drove into the pit lane, waving Charles over to him.
“What’s up, buddy?” Charles asked after hurrying over, thinking something was wrong.
“I can’t do the third corner right, why not?” Arthur asked.
“Oh, you’re doing it right, Arti.”
“No, I’m really slow there. I’m not in the rest.” Arthur said, pointing around the circuit.
“Okay … try to go outside before turning around the corner tight.” Charles started, hinting on how to take the corner better.
“Okay, thank you Charlie!” Arthur said with a huge smile and started again.
“Always, Arti.” Charles said back, also smiling. He went back to his mum, standing next to her and watching Arthur. The first time around the circuit, Arthur didn’t really get the outer curve. The second time he took the curve too tight, making him slam his little fist against the steering wheel in anger. He started getting better in the third lap, going faster and faster. Charles saw one of the men next to Claude nodding respectfully. Arthur’s time on track was over about fifteen minutes later, Charles, Pascale and Arthur going to the food truck, buying some fries.
“Excuse me, Mrs. Leclerc, I suppose?” Claude asked, stepping up to them, now alone.
“Yes, Mr. Devereux, I’m almost sure?” Pascale said, getting up and shaking his hand.
“Yes, that’s right. Would you have a moment for me, please?”
“Yes, of course, I’ll be back in a couple of minutes, boys.” She said to Charles and Arthur.
“Who is that?” Arthur asked, looking after their mum and Claude.
“Someone who knows a lot about racing.” Charles said cautiously.
He sat in the living room with his mother after they had brought Arthur to bed.
“He said he would take him.” Pascale said after taking a deep breath.
“Just that?” Charles asked.
“No. He explained what could happen, how he would progress. Pretty much copy you, moving away really young. Not now, he promised more than once. He asked me to think about even signing up Arthur with him and also asking Arthur if he would like it.”
“Did he say anything about the costs?”
“He said there would be kind of a sign-up fee and we would talk about further costs if I decide to sign.” Pascale said.
“I want to show you something.” Charles said, getting up and bringing some papers from his room. “I started this account after I got my first bonus. Arthur will get a part of my next earnings as well.” Charles said, handing his mother the papers. “It ‘s like a trust fund. It can be used for anything. You are his guardian and as that can decide what to use the money for. I would like for you to use it to support Arti’s career. If he wants that, of course.”
“That’s a lot of money, Charlie.”
“He’s worth it. Just like you are worth to keep this house.” Charles said with a smile. “Of course I’m not his parent, I cannot decide if you want to sign him up with Claude, but I would love for you to support him, in racing or in whatever else he chooses to do.”
They sat down with Arthur the next day after kindergarten.
“Why are you looking worried?” Pascal asked Arthur.
“I pushed someone. He said Charlie shouldn’t be in F1, he’s an omega. And betas shouldn’t be there either. I pushed him over. He didn’t get hurt, though.” Arthur explained.
“That’s okay, Arti. We have something else to talk about. Do you remember the man at karting? Who wanted to talk to me?” Pascale asked.
“Yeah, he made you miss the fries.” Arti said and Charles chuckled.
“That man is a manager, you know, he takes care of race drivers and kids who want to be one.”
“Okay”
“He wants to help you be a racing driver when you grow up. If you would want that, of course.” Pascal explained, stroking Arthur’s hair.
“He wants me to be like you?” Arthur asked Charles.
“If you want that. You don’t have to decide for the rest of your life right now. You could start working on it … but if you don’t want to anymore in a couple of years, you can just stop.” Charles tried to explain and Arthur looked down, drawing weird lines on his jeans while chewing his lower lip.
“I don’t want to be like you.” He then said, looking at Charles. “I’m sorry, Charlie.”
“That is alright, Arti. You can just race for fun if you want to.” Charles said, smiling at him.
“That’s not … we looked at books, racing books … in the older children part of the library.” Arthur said, looking down a little.
“At kindergarten?” Pascale asked.
“Yeah, a fourth grader helped us. He got candy for it. He read the book about racers to us.”
“Okay, what did you find?” Charles asked.
“I want to be … be like Carlos.”
“Carlos? Which Carlos?” Pascale asked and Charles shrugged.
“Carlos saint.” Arti said, happily kicking his legs. “He did Rallye, but he’s old now, now only Dakar.” He said, Pascale looking at Charles.
“Carlos Sainz Senior?” Charles asked.
“Yeah. It looks really fun.” Arti said “Can he help me do that, too?”
“We will ask that.” Pascale said after a little silence.
“Can I go play now?”
“Of course, sweetheart.” Pascale said with a smile and Arti ran into the garden, starting to play with a ball.
“Rallye racing?!” Pascale asked, her eyes wide open “You kids are killing me.” She then added, falling back on the couch.
“I’ll be back.” Charles said, running out of the house and quick walking to Max’s appartement, ringing the bell.
“Hel –“ Max started.
“YOU! You got him into karting!” Charles whisper yelled and pushed past Max into the apartment, where Charles was walking up and down nervously in the living room.
“Okay, yes, I took him karting. How does that explain this?”
“YOU took him karting. Because of YOU we met Claude Devereux. Because of YOU Arti wants to race now and because of YOU he wants to kill himself doing it now!” Charles accused, getting louder with each word and pushing against Max’s chest.
“Wowowowow! Stop.” Max said, wrapping his arms around Charles to keep him from hitting him. “How did I turn Arti into suicide?” he asked then.
“He wants to do Rallye racing now! He thinks it looks like fun! Because of you!” Charles yelled again, struggling against Max’s arms.
“Hey, hey, calm down, please, okay.” Max said, wriggling Charles against a wall. “I took him karting for FUN. I never intended more. You decided to call Claude. I didn’t have anything to do with that.” Max said, staring into Charles eyes.
“And you think it would have been possible to keep him away?” Charles asked “He and his friend FUCKING BRIBED a fourth grader with candy to read a racing book to them. He learned about Carlos Senior and now wants to be like him.” Charles hissed and tried to push against Max again.
“Hey, hey, calm down, please. They don’t even let kids do Rallye racing at that age. The youngest category starts at twelve years old.” Max tried to calm Charles.
“Oh, and you think that helps my mum? She’s already scared every time I’m racing. The only reason she let’s me do it is because she knows it’s my dream.” Charles pushing against Max.
“It will be okay, if it’s Arti’s dream as well. He will be okay and Pascale will be okay with it, too.”
“And you know that how? Not all parents are like yours and and and … call leaving their kids at truck stops and hitting them support!” Charles exploded. Max stared at him and his arms fell down. “Max”
“I want you to leave.” Max said, turning away.
“Max, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have – “ Charles said, following Max.
“I told you to leave.” Max said, his voice cold and void of any emotion.