A fire broke out in a commercial building near Jarvis’ house around six thirty this morning. It was now 7:15, and with the traffic diversion due to the fire, rush hour traffic was bumper-to-bumper, and although he was driving down a road close to his home, he was unfamiliar with it.

Hey, I’m driving behind my car’s twin, Jarvis thought, smiling. How rare is that?

The sun shone brightly behind him, but a biting cold came with it. However, as he sat inside his dark grey car with its cream leather seats, the heater worked perfectly.

Hmm, Jarvis thought, glancing around as he trickled along in the traffic.

He glanced at the clock on the dashboard. I’m right on schedule, he thought as his car’s twin stopped, allowing an elderly woman, who was jaywalking, to cross the street.

Jarvis wore a long-sleeved cream shirt with a matching tie and long black pants.

Traffic sped up, and about five minutes later, as they approached a crossing with flashing amber lights, an elderly woman with a cane slowly began to cross. Suddenly, Jarvis’ car’s twin sped up and stopped on the crosswalk. The elderly woman looked up at him, frowning, but the driver looked straight ahead.

“What?” Jarvis asked aloud.

The elderly woman shook her head, and a few seconds later, the twin drove off the white lines. The elderly woman then looked at Jarvis, and when his car stopped moving, she slowly crossed the road.

Shortly afterwards, Jarvis caught up with the twin, but traffic was moving steadily, and soon he was out of his neighbourhood and lost sight of the twin.

Jarvis’ phone rang, and he spoke with his wife about what he had seen of the burnt building for about ten minutes. As they said goodbye, Jarvis said, “Love you,” and his wife echoed his words. He smiled and increased his speed as he entered the highway.

“Ah, I’m back with the twin,” Jarvis said, switching lanes on the highway and pulling up behind the car he was behind in his neighbourhood.

Jarvis and the twin driver’s eyes met briefly, and recognition shone on his face.

They lost track of each other shortly afterwards and caught up again when the twin stopped to allow a woman in red high heels to cross the road shortly after exiting the highway.

Jarvis followed him for about ten more minutes before another crosswalk with a mother and a stroller arrived. The front wheels of the stroller were already in the crosswalk. Jarvis and the man’s eyes met, and like earlier, he slightly increased his speed, swerved away from the pedestrians, and continued driving.

“Whoa, brother,” Jarvis sang, stopping for the woman and the stroller to cross, “I got your number.”

The woman thanked him with a wave of a hand and quickly crossed the road.

Jarvis saw the twin ahead of him, and when it turned into the parking lot, that was also his destination.

“Hmm,” Jarvis said, and by the time he parked and left his vehicle, the driver of the twin was nowhere in sight.

Jarvis made his way up to the third floor in the elevator to his office. He still had about fifteen minutes to reach his office and settle down before his first business meeting. He was a wedding photographer by trade; however, he outsourced venues to take the photos and musicians to perform live at the engagement celebration and the wedding.

A few minutes from now, he would be meeting with a musician. He has been working with the same three musical groups for the past five years, and it has been great for everyone. It has been so great that he could afford to take on two more musicians and three more venues.

Jarvis greeted his assistant, who had been with him since the first day he opened the business. She was his younger sister by two years.

He had just sat in the chair when a knock came on the ajar door.

“Come,” Jarvis said.

The knocker pushed open the door and entered. He paused for a moment.

“Wait,” he said, laughing, “are you the same guy who was following me?”

“Partly guilty as charged,” Jarvis said, laughing.

The twin driver wore a black and blue checked shirt with the same colour tie and long black pants.

They introduced themselves to each other and sat on opposite sides of the light-brown lacquered desk. Tyler, as he instructed Jarvis to call him, surveyed the desk, and his mouth slightly fell open, and his face looked like stone as he stared at the photo of Jarvis and his wife.

A few seconds later, Tyler looked up at Jarvis.

“You know what?” Tyler said. “Sorry for wasting your time, but I don’t think we would work out.”

Tyler stumbled out of the chair, and without giving Jarvis a chance to say anything, he opened the door and left the office.

Jarvis shook his head. “Whoa, brother.”

Shortly afterwards, his assistant rushed into the room.

“What happened?” she asked. “Why did he just rush out muttering something about ‘why do they always have to take away everything from me? I really wanted this deal.’”

“Hatred, Sis, it’s hatred.”

The End