After half an hour Janne Happonen proposed: “Who wants a beer?” Ville was angry again but said nothing. It was funny to see his face in the mirror. I took a can and the two Janne also. Of course, Matti refused. The minibus jumped and Havu had some foam on his shirt and I laughed. Janne Ahonen opened a bit his window and lighted a cigarette. “Brrr close the window! I’m cold!” I protested. “Just five minutes,” Janne said. Suddenly the temperature fall. I was freezing. I tried to catch my jacket but some beer moistened my shirt. I swore. “It’s my turn to annoy my teammates,” Janne added while he threw some ash outside. Nobody protested but none of us was happy about the cold and the bad smell. I cursed Matti for his previous expression. When the window was closed again I and Havu talked about the party. It was funny to notice that we didn’t remember it the same way and the same events. “The karaoke was great. I don’t like to sing but after some beers and with friends it’s funny,” I told with a wide smile. I remembered how the others appreciated. I unfastened my seat belt, got up and started to sing. “Oh please shut up!” screamed Ville still looking at the road that was slippery and covered of snow. “Drink a beer Ville. You need it.” “I’m driving Harri! And as you can see it’s not easy. There is ice under the snow,” he explained like if I was a 3-years-old boy, losing his nerves. What was the problem in that team? Everybody, I meant the oldies, were angry.
After a small break Havu proposed to do a singing competition. Again, Matti protested because he said that he was a bad singer. “I’ve a better idea!” Ahonen exclaimed. Oh my God… he had an idea. “We can sing a canon. You two together and I go at the back with Matti,” he proposed. Havu and I were happy about it but not Ville and Matti. “So let’s start with a simple song. Maybe Gimme Gimme Gimme by ABBA,” Janne proposed. It was old fashioned but at least not to difficult to start and everybody knew that song. We were not the best singers of the world but it was not that bad. But in the background there was a strange noise. Someone was muttering. When we found the victim we all laughed. “Oh Matti! You’re inventing a new song!” Happonen exclaimed, half laughing. “I told you that I was a bad singer. What did you expect?” he asked with his arms crossed. “Okay, okay. So now, it’s your turn to choose a song,” I proposed to him. His face was quite funny. After long minutes he said: “Well... Let’s sing… Every day is Monday by the Kroisos.” “Good idea Matti!” I said. “Ville can sing with us!” I added. Surprisingly our driver started to sign and we followed. It was the first moment during that trip that we were not fighting. It was great. At the end we laughed and applauded ourselves. I thought that I never saw a smile on each of our faces at the same time since I joined the team.
We continued our singing competition but Ville was very bored and angry. But we didn’t care because he said nothing. I finished my third beer and told a joke. “What is the difference between me and a Viking?” “Not so loud Harri and I know it. It’s an old joke,” Ahonen complained. “I want to know. I don’t know it,” requested Havu. “When the Viking came home after the war, it’s when the real drinking started. But when I come home after few drinks, that’s when the war begins.” Havu laughed and added: “I understand better the mess that was in your flat last summer when you invited me! By the way, where did you sleep last night?” Happonen asked curious. “I didn’t sleep. When you left Kimmo’s flat, we played again with his Wii and when it was almost 6 o’clock, I drank three energy drinks. Then I walked to the hotel and you were kindly waiting for me,” I explained with a wide smile. “Kindly?” repeated Ville. “Oh shit, now it’s snowing harder and there is fog. Super…” he commented. “Hey guys. Who want an energy drink? I’ve two cans in my pockets,” I proposed. Nobody answered. I got up and opened a can. As you can imagine the liquid was projected in the whole bus. It was so funny. “Harri!!!!” everybody complained. Ville was so pissed off that he turned to look at us. “Now it’s enough! Here it’s not a kindergarten. So…” “Ville!!!!” screamed Havu showing the road with his finger.
Suddenly the bus left the highway, jumped on an amount of snow, flew in the air and then rolled in the snow. The bags, the jackets, the cans, everything was projected in all the directions. The windows broke and we were screaming. I couldn’t control my body. I was crashing against the seats, my teammates, the ceiling. I closed my eyes to don’t get glass in them. With my arms I tried to protect my head. Each shock was so painful. I threw away a jacket that went into my face. At that moment I saw Ahonen, the eyes wide open, telling me something but I couldn’t understand. His hand was tense in my direction like if he wanted that I helped. But I reacted too late. In less than one second he disappeared. I hit violently the ceiling with my right arm. I felt an enormous pain and I screamed. Then I was projected in the front, hit Ville’s seat and went back. Suddenly the bus stopped. No more noise, no more screams. There was a big silence. Like death.
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