Temporary Bliss

"Ski..."

"Skinn....."

"hhmmmm" Groggily, Sky tried to wake up after hearing a familiar voice. He tried his best remember who it was comming from but since he was still in a dreamy state, he tried to go back to sleep.

"OOOOWWWW!" As soon as his eyes closed again, He suddenly felt a sharp pain comming from his head. Turns out, The middle aged male beside him, slapped him in the back of his head. Sky woke up in an instant and glared at the man beside but he was scared stiff as soon as he saw the glare comming from the other person.

"You darn kid! You never fail to surprise me!" The man yelled at him

"Sorry Dad, it's just your driving is so smooth that I felt so relaxed so I fell asleep." Sky sheepishly replied. As soon as he saw the person, He finally remember that it was his father, Henry, that took care of him since he was a baby. This person in front of him is his idol on everything, especially when it comes to racing or mechanical repairs on vehicles.

"I told you to stay awake and look at the way I drive here! You need to learn how to drive and no, you can't learn from an automatic car. I will buy you a new car with manual transmission as soon as you hit 12. You're already 8 this year Skinny so I need you to start learning now." Henry was filled with expectations when he saw his son tentatively listening to him. You can say that he was really proud of his son.

"No worries Dad, I promise I will learn it."

Sky looked at this Dad and the way he drives. He always felt amazed everytime he sees his dad performing those flashy movements on the gas pedal, brake pedal and the clutch pedal. Sky knew the coordination from his dad's left foot to right foot is incredible and could only dream of doing it in the future.

"Hey Dad, those flashy movements you do, what do you call them?" Sky curiously asked. He's been wondering lately to how come his dad only showed it to him today.

"It's called heel and toe Skinny. This is one of the most important skill you need to learn when you go Pro racing. You also need to know, by learning this skill, your driving will improve tremendously and it will also prolong the life of your car's transmission."

Sky was stunned. He seriously thought that his Dad was just showing off. His dream of using it to grab a girl's attention went to drain right away. Then, he thought about something and asked his dad, "Dad is this how you seduced mom back then?"

Henry was so stunned when he heard Sky's question that he just stared at his son and totally forgot that he was driving.

"DAD!! Look out theres a turn ahead!"

"Oh shit! You little bastard! You just had to ask that kind of thing huh? Your mom would've hit you if she was still here. I told you before, just because mom is in heaven, that doesn't mean that she's not watching over us."

"Hehe I was just kidding." Sky then suddenly clasped his hands and looked up at the sky, "Mom please don't get mad at my jokes, just get mad at Dad." He then looked at his dad while grinning.

Henry shook his head after hearing what Sky said. He knew that if Sarah, Sky's mother, was still alive, she would've been laughing because it was actually the other way around.

"Skinny your Mom would be so proud of you. Your Mom's wish back then was for you to learn how to drive and be the best. She wanted you to go pro when you're old enough" Henry sighed and thought 'If only she didn't have complications during your delivery...'

"Of course Dad, you know I'm the best and i will become a pro racer who will win multiple championships."

Henry looked at his son and smiled. 'Looks like you're right Sarah, he does resemble you so much.'

"Okay enough of that, you need to start to attentively watch me now on how i drive this car and how i try to take the turns."

The father and son duo inside the car started driving the vehicle faster than before. This has become their normal routine every weekend. For four years, Sky learned all the necessary knowledge on vehicles and racing. Henry was also recruited as pro-racer during those years. He was able to shake the racing world due to his skills and winning multiple championships.

Soon, Sky reached the age of twelve. He was at home and was getting ready to see his dad race his final tournament. They wanted to celebrate his birthday after the event.

*RIIIIINNNNGGGG*

Sky heard the door bell ringing downstairs and knew that it might be his bestfriend, Jake. As soon as he opened the door, he was surprised to see that it wasn't only Jake at the door but also his little sister.

"Uhm hi Sky..." says the young lady

"Hi there Jean! are you also joining us to watch my dad?"

Jean nodded at him but was so shy that she hid right away behind his older brother. Sky and Jake just looked at her actions and giggled. They then headed off to the house beside Sky's. Jake's parents, Uncle Joseph and Aunt Jessica, were already waiting for them in the car.

Uncle Joseph saw the trio running towards them and shouted, "Hurry up kids! The race is about to start!"

The trio then got in the car and put on their seatbelt. They then started driving excitedly towards the venue. Sky was thrilled to see the final race of his dad. After reaching the venue, They hurried to the stands and found good seats that was near to the race track. Sky saw his father getting ready and screamed at him "DAD LETS WIN THIS RACE!"

Henry heard the voice and saw sky waving at him. He waved back and immediately went inside the race car. He started focusing on the race since he knows that this is his final race and if he could win the trophy, it will be the best birthday gift for Sky.

The difficulty of this Grand Prix is very challenging. For nearly 2 hours, he needs to battle it out with the other racers to take the 1st place. He knows that he needs to focus on the race if he wants to win the trophy. Even after taking the top 5 qualifying time, Henry was not relaxed at all. He then signaled his teammate that he was ready to race. His whole team double checked the vehicle, once everything was done they left Henry on the track.

The announcer declared on the broadcast that everything is ready and the race is about to start. The officials on the track then signaled that everyone is ready. Suddenly, everyone heard the revving noises of all the F1 engines on the track. They were all fired up, knowing this will be a really close race.

Sky looked at his dad driving the blue and red F1 nervously and wished that he will win. Uncle Joseph who was beside him that time saw him and reminded him, "Sky just calm down, your dad will win this race."

Sky nodded at him and they then heard the roaring noise of all the engines signifying the race was about to start. As soon as everyone on the track took off, Sky was excited to see a great race that his father prepared for his birthday. Soon, at almost 2 hours and at the end of the final lap. Sky saw his father was gaining speed reaching the leader at front. He stood up and cheered for him since this will be the last turn. If Henry was able to pass the driver in front he will win.

The turn was aproaching near and the leader slowed down a bit. Henry took this opportunity and sped up to pass him. But as soon as he was about to turn, his vehicle's rear tire blew up due to heavy pressure. He lost control of his vehicle and slammed hard to the wall of the track. His vehicle exploded in flames right away because of the gas that started leaking after the hit.

Sky saw the turn of events and was so horrified. He saw that his dad, Henry, was still inside the burning vehicle. He noticed that his dad was not moving at all inside the vehicle. He screamed painfully knowing that his dad might die if nothing was done. He then started running towards the track but was stopped by Joseph midway. Sky could only lament the feeling of powerlessness of not being able to help.

Due to the pain he was feeling, He suddenly woke up. He felt the tears that ran down his face but soon noticed the white unfamiliar room he's in, "Where am I?"