Brian’s point of view
"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.
"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!"
"So, do we call triple A?" I asked.
"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 bar tender 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.
"So, what do we do till they get here?" I asked.
"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.
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.
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 my mind. That name; I repeated it over to myself;
Tohja…..Tohja……Tohja.
Then my mind flashed back to that night the
previous year.
Start of Flashback….
"What’s wrong with you?" the girl
inquired, concerned.
"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.
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!
"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…