ONE YEAR LATER……
“So, when are we supposed to be back at the hotel?” I queried, glancing at
Nick and Howie in my mirror. I was driving us back from the cinema.
Howie’s point of view
“So, do we call triple A?” I asked.
Nick’s point of view
“So, what do we do till they get here?” I asked.
THE NEXT DAY
I was determined to find that girl again. I wasn’t just immediately
attracted to her. I felt like I already knew her. Today, I was going back to
that bar to see if she was there.
Start of Flashback….
“What’s wrong with you?” the girl inquired, concerned.
End of Flashback
I snapped back to reality. I was certain it was her. It had to be! No doubt
about it! I also came to the conclusion that she was responsible for helping
me. That was it, I was gonna ask her about it and nothing was going to stop
me. I turned around confidently, but to my dismay, she had already left!
Brian’s point of view
“Kev told us to try and get back before 1 am this time,” Howie informed me.
“I think we woke him up yesterday when we got back at… hey, when did we get
back?”
“Half two,” Nick answered. “Kev weren’t happy! He gets grouchy if you wake
him up. Besides, we have rehearsals tomorrow”
I was about to contribute to the conversation when a loud bang issued from
the engine of my car.
I grimaced, “Oh man! Not again?!” I complained out loud as I pulled over and
got out of the car.
“You mean this has happened before?” Howie asked as he and Nick got out of
my car as well.
“Twice,” I told him, pulling up the bonnet and looking at the engine.
We all tried out a few things to get it restarted, but nothing seemed to
help.
“Aw hell!” I exclaimed, giving the bumper a kick. “Lousy piece of junk!”
“I’ll do that!” Nick exclaimed and got out his cell. He punched in a few
numbers then moaned.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“I’ve got no money left on this card!” he told us.
Brian reached inside his pocket, “Aw man. I left mine in my room at the
hotel!”
“So did I,” I informed them. Honestly, the one time I forget my cell, Rok’s
car breaks down!
Nick looked at the building we had pulled over next to. It looked like a
late-night bar. “Maybe they’ll let us use their phone?”
We walked into the bar, and entered a slightly smoky atmosphere. The bartender and the three customers glanced briefly at them. Brian walked up to
the bartender.
“Can we use your phone?” he queried.
He finished wiping the glass he was holding, and replied, “Sure, it’s in the
back.”
Brian went to the back to use the phone and Nick and me sat down at one of
the tables.
The bar tender looked at us, “Are you gonna buy anything?” he grunted.
“Erm… no thanks,” Nick answered nervously.
He just shrugged and continued to watch the TV on the wall. The other
customers paid little attention to them.
“I wonder if we’ll get killed by Kev again,” I said to Nick.
“Probably,” Nick answered.
I coughed due to the cigarette smoke in the air, “Urgh, I hate smoke!”
“How AJ managed to survive this, I don’t know,” Nick commented, wafting
smoke away from his face.
“He quit, remember?” I reminded.
“Yeah, of course,” Nick replied.
Brian came back from the back room where the phone was and sat down next to
us, “They said they’d get here around 1:15 am.”
“OK, now we’re definitely gonna get killed by Kev!” Nick dismayed.
“I’m sure he’ll understand if we explain,” I reassured.
Brian grumbled, “I hate that car! I liked my old one better!”
Nick grinned, “Is that before or after you crashed it?”
“Hey, that wasn’t my fault!” Brian retorted. “I told you, the other guy hit
us!”
“OK, OK!” Nick defended. “Anyway, you’re right. It’s not funny.”
He was obviously having bad memories from the previous year.
“Talk, I guess,” Howie replied.
Brian stood up, “Might as well get a drink while we’re here. You guys want
one?”
“I’ll pass!” I stated.
“I have whatever you’re havin’,” Howie replied.
We sat around, as bored as hell, until the Triple A guys arrived.
Brian and Howie both stood up and went outside and I was about to follow
when someone walked into the bar. It was a girl of about 18 or 19. She had
short, blond hair. But one thing hit me most: she was beautiful! It looked
like she worked at the bar, since she was helping out and talking to the
bar-tender like he was a friend.
She finally noticed I was watching her, and she stopped and looked at me,
“Take a photo, ’cause it’ll last longer!” she laughed.
I swallowed nervously and was just about to speak when Brian came through
the door and came up to me.
“Nick, c’mon. We gotta go!” he told me.
“Just wait a sec, Rok!” I instructed. Brian looked towards what I was
concentrating on. He moaned.
“Nick, pick your jaw up off the floor and get moving!” Brian ordered. I was
about to object when he grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the bar.
“Aw man!” I complained to Brian as he pulled me along. “I was just about to
say somethin’ there!”
“And stay here even longer so Kev will kill us? NO WAY!” he shouted, pushing
me into the Triple A vehicle. Howie was already there, and we were driven
home.
Brian came up to me, “We’re finished here, Frack. We can go now.”
It was the end of rehearsals, and now I had my chance to go meet her. But
honestly, rehearsals at 6:00am to 7:00am! It was ridiculous.
“I’ll see you guys later!” I called, heading for the door. Kevin stepped in
front of my path.
“And where do you think you’re goin’?” he questioned.
“Downtown, nosey!” I replied. “Since when do I have to tell you about my
every move?”
Kevin folded his arms, “I just don’t want another episode like the last two
days.”
“Geez, sorry Kev!” I replied. “You know, you’re starting to sound like my
dad!”
Kevin shrugged, “I’m just keeping up the big brother role.”
I rolled my eyes and left. Sometimes Kev could get too nosey as big brother.
I got into my car and I drove to the late-night bar we were at the previous
evening. As I got out of my car, I saw that the area was probably the most
run-down part of the city. Luckily, the bar was open in the daytime as well,
so I walked inside.
Today, the occupants looked a little friendlier than the three grumpy
looking characters last night, and there was less smoke in the air. I took a
look around and spotted the girl I liked so much serving drinks at the bar.
I approached her, and she noticed me.
“Oh, it’s you again!” she observed, smiling.
“Hi,” I said in reply. “Sorry about yesterday. I…”
“You don’t have to explain,” she told me with a casual wave of her hand.
“You’re new around here, I’m guessing,” she continued.
“You mean Florida or this exact spot?” I queried.
She laughed, “This bar, of course!”
I grinned, “Yeah. I live in Florida though. So, are you gonna serve me?”
“Sure, what do you want?”
“Budweiser.”
She got me my drink and we talked some more. She seemed like a nice person;
she had a good sense of humour and stuff like that. After a while she
glanced at her watch. “Hmm. 7:30. End of my shift. Well, it’s been nice
talking to you.”
“Wait!” I shouted.
“What?” she asked. “Problem?”
“Yeah, we haven’t even introduced ourselves yet!” I informed her.
“Oh, sorry,” she apologised. “I’m Jennifer.”
I shook her hand, “I’m Nick.”
“Well, Nick. I have to wait until the other guy gets here before I can
leave. I can hang around with you till then.”
“That’d be great!” I replied, perhaps a little too enthusiastically than I
meant.
I stayed until the bartender from the previous night came to take over the
bar. As I fumbled about to find my car keys out of my pocket, Jennifer had a
conversation with the bartender.
“Hey Karlos! How are things?” she greeted.
“Great, Jen. You been OK?” he asked in reply.
“Yeah. I sent out that order for some new chairs. That bar fight got pretty
ugly,” she commented grimly.
“Good goin’!” he congratulated. “By the way, how’s Tohja?”
“Oh, he’s fine. You know Tohja; sleeps all day, goes for a wander every
night when he feels like it,” she replied casually.
Karlos laughed, “I swear that guy’s nocturnal!”
Something about that conversation rang a bell at the back of his mind. That
name; I repeated it over to himself; Tohja…..Tohja……Tohja.
Then my mind flashed back to that night the previous year;
“I’m blind for life, that’s what! Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get
some sleep!” I told her irritably. I was getting very edgy lately.
“Blind? Geez, that serious?” she exclaimed quietly.
“Yes, now go away!” I ordered.
“I can still help,” she claimed.
“Look, are you gonna leave or do I have to call somebody in here?” I
threatened.
“I promise, I can help you!” she insisted.
I frowned in the direction of her voice. How could she help me out at all? I
was told this was irreversible. “Who are you, anyway?”
“That’s not important, just lie still.”
I did as she told me, and she put her hand over my eyes, “OK, now this might
hurt a bit, but don’t worry,” the stranger reassured.
Suddenly, I felt a cold chill go right through me, but I felt relaxed under
this girl’s influence. Like the stranger had said, there was a sudden,
numbing pain at the back of my eyes. Yet as suddenly as the pain had
arrived, it disappeared, and the stranger removed her hand.
“There. I have to go now,” she stated moving away from me.
“Wait! What did you just do?” I asked, sitting up.
“You’ll understand in the morning,” she told me.
She continued to walk, but her footsteps were not alone. There sounded like
another set had joined her.
“Is there someone else there with you?” I questioned.
“Well, sort of. He’s not a person,” she informed.
“You mean he’s your pet?” I asked, surprised. “You’re not allowed animals in
here!”
“I wouldn’t call him my pet, but you’ve got nothing to fear from young
Tohja, here!” she reassured.
“Wh…where’d she go?” I asked.
The bartender looked up, “Home, I guess.”
“Where’s that?”
“Sorry, kid, but I can’t tell you that without her consent. Employee’s
rights.”
I frowned, not happy at being called ‘kid’, but let it drop.
“Aw, c’mon!” I moaned.
“I told ya, I can’t! But you can come back in about five hours when it’s her
shift again.” He suggested.
I sighed, “Thanks.” I left and drove back to the hotel. What a
disappointment! I thought I could meet her…….