"You're right, Gabriel, Mark, Laura. Well, so where are we going to eat today?"
"Obviously, we are right you workaholic!" answered Gabriel
"I'm with Gabriel in that fact you should try to work less, you are always overexerting yourself" said Mark
"Yes, yes guys as always you are right. But if I don't work that much how do you expect to make all the work in the different department to run as they should without the one that supervises all?"
"Oh, common Matheus stop using that same excuse over and over again, it won't work and you know it, we three can take your a part of your supervision jobs and that wouldn't mess up anyone's timetable" Laura stated
"You can't win that discussion Matheus, one day we'll make you deliver some responsibilities"
"I'm with them in that you know? my so-called best friend. You should stop overworking yourself or you will get yourself killed by it."
"Ok, ok I'll find someone that can help with that and a secretary for paperwork, happy?"
"""happy"""
"Sure, where are we eating?"
"Oh! we are going to that new restaurant situated in the center, it has good reviews and it has gotten to my ears that the rib eye in that place is just divine" answered immediately Laura with a very enthusiastic tone.
The three of us were standing still looking a little bit stunned by the sudden answer.
"""hahahahahahahahhahahahaha"""
We began to laugh, yes laugh, despite a year Laura hasn't changed at all when we are talking about food there is no one more fond of it than her.
"OK, I GOT IT!!!! My reaction must have been funny but do you have to laugh that much at the expense of me?" shouted Laura with an angry tone but it just made another round of laughter appear.
"AND WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING NOW????" Shouted Laura even angrier
"nothing, nothing, is just that your flustered face caught us off guard, isn't it guys?" I answered quickly to ease her
""Yeeeeeeees"" answered Gabriel and Mark in a childish tone.
"It seems a joke that one year ago we just talked in two separate groups and only business related when we were all together"
"Well, Matheus last year we didn't know each other. Laura just knew Mark as a childhood friend and I only knew you as my own childhood friend too" interfered Gabriel.
"Well, yes, yes, it's quite a beautiful reminiscing about the past but let's get going, those rib eye won't wait for us!"
"""Yes food heat Laura!!!"""
"Oh! common stop with that stupid joke!"
"It's your fault for being such a food lover you know???" I said
"Oh... common just stop..." Laura said sobbing, she was at the border of crying so we stopped, we all knew that Laura could be a food lover and all but she is not too keen about talking about it.
She really loves food with all her being but when you talk about it with her you must stop when it reaches her limit at all costs! If you continue when she has already made a clear stop statement it could derive in something you will regret for a long time.
I still remember the last time we didn't stop, it was three months ago, we had confirmed that Laura was a foodie and we were joking about that with her and it finished pretty badly...
Just imagine her with an expressionless face telling us that she knows that this could make her fat and she should try being less obsessed with food. But she just loves it! so what is wrong with it?
Well, we didn't mentioned at any moment about being fat but she still mentioned it and started a crazy plan for erasing all possibilities of becoming fat after the buffet where we assisted. Well, it was an all you can eat take it so we ate a lot...
But we never expected to be obligated in accompanying her in the plan she made for losing weight after that, she's just crazy!
How can she make us wake up every morning at 4 o'clock in the morning to go running for three hours without stopping and when we finish, a little breakfast that is half of what we normally eat. Followed by a normal day of work but eating half what we normally do, and we would finish the day running one hour before sleeping and with just a light meal!
We ended up having to follow this routine for a whole damn week! We are not used to sport. We admitted that long ago! We are just too focused on our jobs and daily lives that we don't have a lot of time for doing physical activities, so we are more of a shut-in? Well it's not like we don't like it, to be precise we love to be active and make some sport from time to time but we are not used to high physical activity.
It was a hell of a week for us and we learned to never mess up with her and her food.
While we were following Laura to the restaurant we were having a little chat about how do we think tomorrow will be, we are all nervous about it as we have been planning that for over a month. And we all want it to run as smoothly as possible.
And while we were having this little chat...
"STOP!!!!" I shouted while pushing Laura and the others out of the road and jumping back as quickly as possible.
A truck just went through in front of us, a little bit more and we would have been dead by now!
"Whoa... are you kidding me? don't tell me that that has just happened... A little bit more and we don't count it..." said Laura out loud without being aware of it
"Yes, Laura, yes. It has just happened. I don't want to believe it but a little bit more and we would be some puddle on the ground by now." answered Gabriel reflexively while swiping the sweat from his forehead
"I hope that wasn't a bad omen, if it wasn't for Matheus acting in time..." said Mark while shivering on the floor
"Well, luckily I've always had a strangely high awareness of all the things that surround me. But this is starting to become stranger every day..." I answered
"What do you mean by that Matheus?" asked Laura
"Well... how do I say it? This one has been like the truck number 11 that I've had to dodge this month" I answered.
"What! You must be kidding! There's no way that's possible, we are on November 10th, how can 11 trucks nearly run over you in 10 days!?" Shouted Gabriel in shock
"Ok Matheus. That is definitely not good, you shouldn't leave your home for some time, what's happening to you isn't normal." recommended Mark
"I'm with Mark on that you know? Maybe someone is trying to harm you? Should we talk with the police?" Asked Laura in a worried tone
"I don't think so Laura, Mark, it may be just some pretty bad luck, I don't think I should close myself up or change anything in my daily life for just this."
"Look, Matheus. There's no way you are being serious right now, you shouldn't be so careless! something is surely wrong here and you shouldn't ignore that. We will contract a bodyguard for you and make the security for tomorrow's event higher but you need to be careful yourself. Talk with the police about this too ok?" Told me Gabriel in an authoritative tone that doesn't accept a no for an answer.
"huh... ok I'll do it just leave this matter for now..." I answered
"Ok, but you must do it, deal?" asked Mark
"deal" I answered without any other option on the matter.
"Ok now eat and go home, don't get out till tomorrow for your speech, and definitely take good care of yourself. Don't let anybody kill you." Said Laura still slightly worried about tomorrow
Ok, ok. Just leave the matter for now..."
We all four entered the new restaurant that opened just one month ago and acquired a good reputation in such a short time searching for a good food. And we found it! the food is well-made and you can find a big variety of it, there is also a good ambient and the workers are very capable. It surpassed our expectations.
In my opinion, the best was that rib eye, but we differ in that, Laura for example preferred the classic English dish fish and chips, Mark as always went for a hamburger and Gabriel went for a salad with some pork. But we all liked the experience and promise to come another time the next week.
After that I returned home, had a shower and watched TV till lunchtime, had a light meal called the police and told them all that happened, and received the bodyguard my friends contracted for me before going to sleep, just to wake up from a group call.
It was a call from my friends.
"Matheus! Did you call the police?" asked Laura
"Yes, I did it, they said they will look onto it because it isn't normal for this high quantity of near-death encounters happening to one person" I answered
"Ok, that makes us have some relieve on the matter but you should be on guard, you never know what could happen." Followed Mark
"And remember to sleep early today because tomorrow will be a long day." Said Gabriel to try and lighten up the mood a little bit
"What are you now? My mother? and for your information, I was going to sleep when your call woke me up."
"Ok that was our fault, and no, I'm not your mother but if you want I can act like one?" answered Gabriel
"hahahahahahahaha" Laura and Mark started laughing while I was containing myself trying not to shout as if you could! You are the most irresponsible person in the group!
"Well, jokes apart, have a good night guys, see you tomorrow, and remember our meeting the next Monday at that restaurant." Said Mark
"Se you" answered Laura
"Bye" answered Gabriel
"Good night" I answered them "And remember the meeting is at the restaurant at 1 pm," I said while calling off the chat group meeting.
But what we didn't know at that moment is that it would be impossible for us to do so, and that I would never try any other dish from 'the Enclosure', the restaurant where we decided to meet next week, as something inevitable would happen the following day.
Well we are getting near to the start to the true story so I hope you are enjoying it till now.
Have a good day.
QID_