Paul felt about as average as a young man could get. He passed all his schooling with average grades, math was the only subject he enjoyed. To be fair it was lack of inspiration, not ability, that held him back. After school, he took a job in his uncle's electronics repair shop where he re-soldered wires that had come loose and changed circuit boards. The pay at Martin's Electronics was minimal and so was his uncle.

Martin had bought the shop after the appliance store he had worked at for the last 20 years shut down. He managed to keep it running and even made enough to employ Paul. The worst part of it all for Paul was that even though his uncle didn’t really enjoy it, he was resigned to the thought he would be there until he died. Paul was reasonably social. He played basketball once a week at the local community center, swam on Tuesday mornings, went to the pub with friends in the weekends and enjoyed going out on fishing or hunting trips with his father, though finding the time for longer trips was difficult with their schedules.

Paul could get Martin talking about electronics, but not much else. Still, it gave them a subject for communication. Though he had no way of knowing at the time the knowledge his uncle dribbled into his mind over the years would prove valuable during his involuntary time in space. The main and only real joy in his job was the customers who came from all walks of life. Almost everyone commented on the improvement in the service since he took over customer relations for Martin.

“Ding!” Sweet relief, the sound of the bell at the front desk was a promise of a new fresh interaction, so much richer than any broken appliance could ever provide.

Paul pushed his swivel chair back from the workbench happily leaving a disassembled toaster to fend for itself. He carefully navigated his way out of the cluttered work room to the front of the shop. The air seemed somehow sweeter out there, even though most of the pot plants had died long ago. It was Pip, he played basketball at the local youth center with her and her partner Tracy who ran the place. Pip always sported the most outrageous hairdos, today's was half shaven and the rest bright pink.

“Hey Paul, can you bring a trolley out for me?” she asked.

While they lifted a large microwave out of the boot of her bright yellow Toyota Corolla she looked him in the eye. “You should get out of this place Paul, before your uncle dies out the back, you inherit the shop, grow a mustache and become a pasty white cynic like him.”

Paul laughed “There isn't much else on offer that that isn't hard labor, I'm certainly not built for that” he smiled, “what do you have on offer to save my tan and any style I have left?” he joked looking down at his reflective white arms.

“Buy a car fill it with gas and drive in whatever direction takes your fancy. When your petrol or cash runs out see what kind of life you can make there, it's bound to be better than hanging around this town for a young man like yourself. Tracy has been firing the idea about the youth center lately, something must have got on her wick.”

Little did Paul know but this brief interaction would be the spark that changed his life in the most unusual, mind-expanding way. He wheeled the microwave into the workshop to see what Martin thought about it.

“Probably a broken capacitor or cracked circuit board in these models. Tell her it should be ready in a few days.” he said, peering over his thick glasses.

Paul went back out front and passed the information on to Pip.

“Great thanks, think about Tracy's idea. There are a few kids at the community center that could be keen to pool resources.” She winked at him then left to carry on with her day.

He watched her leave the shop speeding off in her little yellow car. Paul was still staring at the door daydreaming a minute later when Martin called out from the workshop.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Can you come out back and pull the cover off that microwave for me.”

The effect of his monotones galvanized the thoughts floating around Paul's brain. He shook his head.

“I do have to get out of here” he muttered to himself while he trudged back to start on the microwave.

Two days later the courier arrived with the capacitor for the microwave and a bunch of other electronic components. It was an easy fix from there, just five minutes with a soldering iron and a quick systems check. He emailed Pip to tell her it was ready. She turned up that afternoon bouncing through the door.

“Have you given it much thought?” she asked.

“It didn’t take much, just a fresh capacitor and a bit of soldering,” he answered.

“No, you twit, the escape plan, I'm just got a call from a friend. His son Kim has a station wagon that he thinks will suit some of the kids. You know Shige from basketball, I know he is keen, why don’t we go for a look?”

“Cool, OK, we don’t have much on, I will just tell Martin,” said Paul.

“Sod Martin let's just go.” said Pip daringly.

Pip drove like a racing car driver, the yellow Toyota Corolla shot through the traffic with Fleetwood Mac blasting out of the stereo. She punched call back on her phone.

“Hey Kim, be there in five.”

"Great see you soon.” Kim's voice confirmed over the car speaker.

“Kim's family runs our local convenience store. He is selling the car for his aunty” she yelled over the noise of the stereo.

She swung around a corner into a side street and pulled up in front of a neatly kept house. There in the drive was a slightly worn looking station wagon.

“My auntie only wants one and a half K for it. Pip said you were going on a trip, wherever you are going this old girl will take you there. Auntie has just got a smaller car so doesn't want this one anymore.” said Kim.

“I don’t even know what to look at other than the tyre's and oil.” said Pip.

“Me neither” shrugged Paul.

“It's a good car, dad said I had to look after you and that you were not only a good customer but an asset to the community.” said Kim.

“Your father is so kind” replied Pip

They took it for a test drive around the suburb.

“It's a bit sluggish but feels solid, what do you think?” she asked.

“I've never looked at a car to buy before but it seems good. Anything would seem sluggish compared to your rocket.”

“That's for sure, I got the boys at the garage to soup it up a bit, Jake used to come to the community center a lot and was happy to help. Tracy calls it the yellow peril, but I don’t think it's very PC.” she admitted grinning widely.

“No, I don’t believe it is,” said Paul laughing.

Once they were back in Pip’s car she suggested heading to the youth center.

“Shige is there working on some project, and I hope Amataya is around as well, she is there a lot at the moment,” said Pip.

“Who is Amataya?” asked Paul.

“She is a force of goodness, you will see” replied Pip.

“Martin will have shut up the shop by now, I can apologize for my absence tomorrow, let's go,” said Paul

At the community center they were waiting in the kitchen when Amataya strode into the room, cake in hand, her pregnant belly just beginning to show past her generous build.

“Talofa Pip” she said leaning on the bench. “Hey Paul. I heard about you from Tracy, I don’t know about you, but I am keen as to get out of dodge for a bit. My parents are hard out into the church and can't get it into their heads that that I'm not going to marry Lakopo no matter what. It's getting pretty intense at home.”

Before Paul could answer, Shige arrived, fine dust covered his jeans and tee shirt and he had pulled a black leather jacket over top of the ensemble.

“Hey Paul, Pip said you two just checked out a car. You keen on a road trip.”

“Why not, things have been a bit slow around here.” he answered.

“How is the woodwork Shige” asked Amataya.

“Great, I make your baby a traditional Japanese cot.” he replied grinning.

“Bullshit, my baby won't fit in some ornate shoebox.” laughed Amataya.

“So, is this the meeting of the escape committee?” Shige asked.

“Why not,” said Paul.

“What are you in for.”

“Oppressive parents, Dad is only business and no fun. Mum wants me to be a doctor, I want to drive motorbikes as fast as I can and play guitar.” he smiled “At the moment I only have scooter, but I can sell that.”

“How was the car? Would it fit this glorious body comfortably, I'm not doing a roadie in a wee car like yours Pip,” said Amataya.

Pip smiled and told the others about the car.