A trip to Sweden - Part 2
♪ Marjatta, oi Marjattain mun…Marjatta, oi puolukkain mun ♪
The radio played music, as an average Finnish family was driving along on the Valtatie 18, from Alavus to Laihia. As their japanese hybrid SUV traveled down this main road, the family inside listened to this song that the driver, a man in his 50s, not showing them well, loved.
Husband: This song gives me great memories of days past…I’m glad they still play it on the radio.
Wife: Yeah, it’s the third time this month you say that…
Husband: Is there ANYTHING you want to talk about? Sometimes I think all you do is complain and mumble mumble…
Wife: Yeah! We can talk about the fact that you almost asfixiate us every time…you and your obsession with perfume.
An awkward silence filled the car, only the mumbling of the kids’s father audible, before someone else’s voice broke the noise?
Daughter: Who’s Marjatta? In the song!
Husband: I’m glad you ask! Marjatta…well, Marjatta is-SAATANA!!!
The SUV quickly swerved to avoid an accident, the reason behind it? Some youngster in an old, yellow modified hatchback cut him off, and around 5 of them followed suit, alongside a white camper van and a blue flatbed truck with an old Sedlak on it.
Wife: Is everyone okay?
Husband: He throws a punch at the steering wheel. This little jonne…ugh…it’s always these punks driving those…fucking modified cars! They are good just at wasting oxygen…when does the Poliisi do anything about them? No! It’s never those punks, ruining the day of normal people! Mumble mumble mumble…
As the Seinäjoki Speed Freaks continued their road trip to Sweden, it was clear that they were not professionals in the very slightest, ripping around the road to Vaasa, overtaking cars, racing with each other and generally being all around assholes. Right behind them, Mikko’s campervan, and the blue flatbed truck with their car for the rally, manned by Akseli and Jani.
Jani: Man, this is like Need for Speed in real life, it’s so awesome!
Akseli: Shut up. I’m trying to concentrate, those guys make it hard, you make it even harder.
Jani: Tosses an energy drink can over him and in the back.
Akseli: Jani? This is not a garbage truck and I am not a garbage man. You’re picking all those cans up later, understood? Also, stop drinking that shit, you’re going hyper.
Jani: Yeah…yeah, whatever, it’s not like it’s your truck…look! Kari’s trying to overtake you!
As Kari, the driver of the old yellow hatchback, attempted to overtake Akseli’s flatbed, he finally got in the mood for some racing. Opening the exhaust valves, you could hear the sound of the Diesel V8 coming out of the straight-piped exhaust, and the unassuming flatbed truck slowly started pulling away, a black cloud of diesel smoke the only thing they could see from the mirror.(https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WpzG5aYs6GI)
Jani: See? You can race too!
Akseli: Cut it out, it was a one-time occasion…
Akseli would grab the walkie-talkie in the truck, which he had paired to Mikko’s walkie talkie, and quickly began speaking in it.
Akseli: Oi! Rest stop up ahead, let’s stop for lunch.
Mikko: Alright, I’ll tell the rest of the squad, over.
Akseli: Don’t “over” me, we’re not in the special ops.
Mikko: Okay! Okay…wow, fine man.
The crew stopped at a rest stop for lunch, time for some beer, some sausages, and hopefully to have some fun with each other. Well, for most of them, really. The dynamic of the group had become…weird, since the Speed Freaks had been formed, but it’s not exactly relevant now, as it will be later on.
Jani sat alone, smoking a cigarette now that everyone else was talking, having fun. He didn’t understand it. It seemed yesterday that him and Mikko were such close friends, but now, with the arrival of Akseli, the rest of the squad, everything just seemed…off, he was alone. Well, it didn’t really matter now for him, he would just…do the race, have fun, everything that this was supposed to be. But you know, when you thought he was alone, he wasn’t really that alone.
There was another person of the team in the vicinity, someone who Jani had noticed, but never had the time to introduce himself to. Alexandra Boyd, the blue-haired girl who had quickly taken his attention due to being…exactly not the type of person to hang around Mikko and his crew. She was rolling a joint at the very moment, she did give off a bit of those stoner vibes after all, but she seemed nice enough, at least. Well, she noticed Jani, and decided to walk over towards him, maybe ask him how he was, whatever. She walked towards him, and leaning over the same place he was located, she tapped on his shoulder.
Alexandra: Woah…dude, what are you doing out here, you alright?
She was speaking in a very broken Finnish, she was clearly not from here.
Jani: Spooked out by the tapping on his shoulder. Vittu- I’m fine, yeah! Completely fine.
Alexandra: Sorry-…you don’t look that fine to me…hey, do ‘ya mind if we speak in English? My Finnish’s fuckin’ broken, sorry.
Jani: Sure, sure. Wait, you’re not from here?
Alexandra: Well…not really? Truth be told, dude, I’m from Canada, I just study here in Finland. I’m majoring in Political Science at the University of Tampere…you?
Jani: I’m still in, uhh…high school. But how are you here? With Mikko and everyone else?
Alexandra: I met them back at a race…I’m personally pretty good behind the wheel, no racing driver, but I try my best! And…um, Mikko asked me if I wanted to be part of the group. I think that he thinks he has a chance of getting in bed with me, nuh uh, no chance dude. It’s giving “desperate”.
Jani: You’re serious? I met him back in middle school, he didn’t seem like that type of guy, oh my-
Alexandra: Exactly! Oh, sorry, I haven’t introduced myself yet, I’m Alexandra, and you’re-?
Jani: Oh! I’m Jani, it’s nice to meet you.
Alexandra and Jani shook hands, then her hands moved back to the joint she was rolling.
Jani: Rolling a cigarette? He had never tried drugs, ever.
Alexandra: Something better…this’ll cheer 'ya up, hey, I’ll let you take the first hit if you want to. She would pass him the joint, holding the lighter.
Jani: Hey, I never tried that, I- I’m not sure.
Alexandra: Come on, dude, just this once, 'ya can do it.
Jani: Okay, let’s do this. Whew, Jani, you can do this.
Jani ended up lighting the joint, and taking a hit. Okay, maybe two. Maybe three. Then he passed it back to Alexandra, and she took a few hits as well, they started talking with each other, having fun, maybe Jani had finally found a friend now that Akseli and Mikko were growing…distant.
Alexandra: Hey…hey…listen man. If you want to…like, not ride in the truck with mechanic guy…you can be my passenger princess…hah…you’re passenger princess-
Jani: I’m not…a passenger princess. But sure, I’ll ride in your car, yeah…
Continues in Part 3 tomorrow
