Chapter 3


Joshua watched the young man walk out the door before getting up to follow him. He ran to the door of the bar and shot his head out in search of the blond head amidst the thousands of black bobs. When he did not see it, he sighed and went back to the bar, sipping on his gin, hoping that the other man might come back.

Before long several other people had entered the bar, not one of which was blond. Several of which were speaking English, though, which very much pleased Joshua none the less. Before the night was out, he had started a conversation with another British man named Chris. Chris was a tailor in Panaji, the only English speaking one apparently, and promised Joshua 20% off if he would talk to him while there, and “pull him out of his everlasting boredom” as he had put it. Joshua chuckled and agreed.

“So, Chris, what brought you to India?” Chris swallowed down his drink in one gulp.

“My sister lived here, died of tuberculosis, and I wanted to see her before she died. I stayed because,… well basically, I didn’t have enough money to get back to England.”

“As the only English tailor in the city you don’t make enough money?” Chris raised up a hand in his defense.

“On no. I have enough money now, but Panaji has sort of become a home for me. I can’t leave it now.”

“Oh.” Joshua turned slightly away from Chris, and jumped as a blond head rounded the corner into the bar doorway. He went to his feet and followed the straw colored mop with his eyes as it traveled across the room. Chris looked up at him with confusion in his eyes.

“What ya lookin’ at, Josh?” He stood up and followed Joshua’s gaze with his own. Joshua pointed out into the crowd.

“That blond man. Do you know who he is?” Chris looked at where Joshua was pointing and gave him a questioning stare.

“You mean Lance?”

“Lance.” The whispered name rolled off of Joshua’s tongue. He stared at Lance in a trance, until he was pulled out of it by a tug on his sleeve.

“Sit down, Josh. You don’t want to be messin’ around with Lance. He’s bad news.”

“Oh, that’s ridiculous.” Joshua got up, leaving Chris still at the bar behind him. Chris grimaced, and threw back another drink.

“Oh well, I warned him.” And with that Chris got up and left, ready to fall directly onto his pillow and into his dreams.

Joshua on the other hand made his way into the crowd until he was merely ten feet away from Lance, and stood there watching quite a scene unfold.

“Hey Lance.”

“Hello Thomas.” Joshua stopped moving as a tall thin American came up behind the shorter blond. He whispered something harshly into Lance’s ear, and pushed him away with a frown on his face. Thomas pulled him back up against his chest and growled into his face.

“C’mon Lance, you know that isn’t how it works.”

“Well, I need money for rent right now, and you aren’t getting the stuff from your wife until Monday!” Lance growled right back into the larger man’s face.

“Rent can wait till Monday, Lance.”

“No, it can’t, Thomas! Now would you rather I find some guy at the bar, or would you like for me to go to Lou again?” Thomas winced at the threat, but held tight anyway.

“Rent can wait!”

“No, it can’t!” Lance attempted to pull away from Thomas unsuccessfully, and was met with a stinging slap to the face.