Crossroads of life

For Trevor, a red light is like a red rag to a bull, but what happens when there's a sudden fault?

- A short story by Barry McCann

I would have made that!" Trevor shouted at the vehicle in front, its own occupants unlikely to hear his words. As they had approached the junction in the left turn lane, providence decreed its traffic lights begin the process of going to red and the car in front obediently stopped.

If he had the chance, Trevor would have jumped the light just as it was changing. Instead, he fumed at the prospect of having to wait.

An eternity of five whole minutes followed before the lights began switching to green and Trevor sat back up with foot primed on the gas pedal while relaxing the other from the brake. The queue in the right-hand lane to the side of him began to move first and Trevor wondered what was keeping the car in front, before it suddenly jumped and then stalled.

Trevor cursed as he rested on the brake again while the other driver made repeated attempts to ignite his engine back to life. It finally roared back to life as the lights went back to red and its driver remained in accordance.

Another wait followed, only longer this time... And even longer. Ten minutes of watching the cross traffic freely speeding by finally snapped Trevor's patience but, being boxed in by the cars to the side and back of him, he could not make a u-turn or overtake and just jump the light at the first opportunity. Not unless the vehicle in front did so first.

Three sharp taps on the driver's window was enough for it to slide down, revealing a man in behind the wheel, his wife in the passenger and two teenagers, a boy and a girl, sat in the back.

"Can I help you?" the man enquired.

"Yes, we've been waiting at these lights for over ten minutes now."