Morgan was just coming out of her apartment when Kevin drove up. She glanced over at the car then quickly continued on her way towards the bus stop. Howie quickly hopped out of the car and ran to catch up with her. “Morgan! Wait up!” Howie yelled after her. “I have nothing to say to you right now, just leave it be!” “Mo! C’mon, I’m sorry for treating you like that last nite. I broke a promise to myself that I would never treat a woman like that ever, in public or in private..” Howie said. “NO ONE treats me like that, Howie!” Morgan said as she turned away from him.
“Listen Mo, I want you to accept my apology for slapping you last nite, but that’s it. I’m not sorry for anything else, except maybe that I let myself trust you. How could you Mo?” Howie said with a hint of a tear in his eye. “Who was he Mo? Did he mean anything to you?” “I see you have a car full of new pals......”she said avoiding the question. “Who those guys? Ya, there nice, but Mo.......I just don’t get it!” “That’s it Howie, you just don’t get it....and you never will.” she said as the bus pulled up.
“What do you mean? Stop playing games Morgan! I can’t do this anymore. I won’t! We’re done!” he yelled after her as she boarded the bus. She paused at the window and looked out. He watched the bus pull away, carrying with it his heart and leaving him standing alone in a cloud of fumes.
“I’m sorry, man. For everything.” Kevin said as Howie somberly got back into the car. “What are you guys going to do next?” Howie asked. “Hopefully have lunch!” Brian said anxiously. “I don’t mean that....I mean where are you guys heading next? Home?” “Don’t know...hadn’t thought about it, have you Brian?” Kevin asked. “Let’s start with lunch and go from there,” Brian said. “I’m starved!” As Kevin drove towards the Olive Garden for lunch, he realized that he didn’t have his wallet with him.
“I had it this morning.....I must have left it at the golf course. Gee I’m always forgetting things!” Kevin said as he turned around and began to head back to Scottsdale. When they reached the golf club, Kevin ran in quickly hoping that his wallet would still be in the club house. As Brian and Howie waited in the car, Brian noticed a motorcycle two spaces over from them. Surrounding the bike were several boxes and clothes were strewn all over. There was a man dressed all in black, with a sleeveless shirt exposing arms riddled with tattoos. He had on a baseball cap, backwards, sunglasses and was smoking on a cigarette. Brian’s eyes were drawn to watching the stranger as he desperately tried to attach all of these boxes to the motorcycle.
Kevin came running from the club house with his wallet in his hand. As he ran, he tripped, losing one of his flip flops. He yelled a little as he stubbed his bare toe on the pavement, then reclaimed his flop. As he got back into the car, Brian pointed out the motorcycle man. Kevin glanced over, then squinted his eyes curiously. “Isn’t that?...........Isn’t that the guy we golfed with this morning?” Kevin asked. “What? No way!” Brian said then looked again. As the three of them stared at him, Alex looked up, answering their question. He stood up and stopped what he was doing. “Hey guys.....never thought I’d see you again! Here for another round?” Alex said without a smile. “Kevin forgot his wallet.....” Brian said. “What are you doing?”
“Leaving..” Alex replied quietly as he dropped a box, spilling all of its contents. Kevin hopped out of the car and went over to help him. “Leaving? It’s none of my business......but why?” Kevin asked. “Got fired, right after you left......some of the members saw Ireland and complained.” “Fired.....oh Alex, I’m so sorry!” Brian said as he sat up on the trunk of Kevin’s car. “What’s with all of the stuff? Are you going on a trip?” Howie asked.
“I’m................” he began, until one of the boxes he was carrying slipped and hit him in the face, knocking off his sunglasses, revealing a very black and swollen eye. “Oh my God, Alex are you alright? How did that happen? Who did that to you? Were you in a bar fight or somethin’?” Brian asked in amazement. Instead of answering or putting his sunglasses back on, Alex kneeled down onto the pavement beside his bike and began to cry. “I can’t do this anymore.....”he cried as tears streamed down his face. Kevin walked over to him and bent down beside him. “What is it Alex? Can I help you?” Kevin said “It’s..........it’s ...Ireland,” Alex sobbed. “Ireland?” Kevin was confused. “Yes, she........throws her fists around,” he whispered quietly. “Ireland did this to you? Has she done this before?” Kevin asked as Brian and Howie came closer. “Uh huh.......she gets really mad....all the time........I can’t do anything to stop her!” he said through his sobs. “You mean she hits you?” Brian said flabbergasted.
“She beats me, just like a man would. Once she beat me unconscious and I had to be hospitalized.” he said as he began to regain his composure, feeling better finally having begun to share his inner pain with someone. “Most times she is beautiful and loving and harmless, but sometimes she just goes off and turns into this maniac that I can’t control, and she hits me. I refuse to hit her back, no matter what, so she just beats on me. Look at this....” he said as he lifted up his shirt revealing his bare chest which was so bruised and battered, Kevin marveled how he could swing a golf club. “So what now?” Howie asked. “I’m leaving, hopefully...” Alex replied. “Hopefully?” Brian questioned. “I’ve tried to leave before, but she found me. She always finds me. I just can’t seem to get away from her. I’ve been gradually packing up all of my stuff and bringing it here, so that I could just go one day. And today is the day.” he said, standing up trying to reattach some of his stuff onto his bike again. “Look, you ain’t gonna get much on there that way. Where you headed?” Kevin asked. “I was thinking about going home to New Orleans, Mardi Gras is on soon.” “Brian, how do you feel about Mardi Gras?” Kevin asked. “Sounds like a real party to me!” Brian replied. “You mean.....you guys are going to New Orleans?” Alex asked, completely taken aback. “We are now!” Kevin said with a big smile. “No you’re not!” Howie said angrily. “Not without me, you’re not!”