Oct 3: 12am
It has been a bad day. Three unexpected deaths. The allure of drink beckons. Intoxicating.
I take a shower. Water invigorates me. My sleek black hair clings to my back, reminding me of my Oriental heritage. The phone rings. I step out and towel myself dry. I quickly wrap myself in a woolen dress and step into a trench coat. I take a swig from the Jack Daniels sitting next to the vanity.
Are you crazy?
The phone rings again. I pick it up. It's the boyfriend. "Hey babe, are you working tonight? We could do supper." "Oh I'm meeting a few friends for drinks later. Catch you later honey. Don't work too hard."
God, you've really lost it.
I bring Sibs for her midnight walk. It is chilly outside. I wrap myself in a scarf.
A text message. It's Kelvin. "Hun, don't bring the dog. I'm allergic to dogs."
I reply: "What the fuck? 'Coffee' is off. What about that terrier you told me about?"
"I made him up. Turn around."
I turn and I see him.
He looks pleasant enough, early thirties? But he is wearing Bata slippers and three quarter cargo pants in the middle of chilly weather.
Alcohol blurs the lines between acceptable societal morals and ridiculously wanton behaviour.
"You look like a fucking homeless schmuck! You piss poor liar!"
"What?"
"Exactly what I said."
"Are you drunk? You're fucking gorgeous. You didn't mention that in the ad."
"I had a hard day, please just leave me alone. This has been the star on the top of the Christmas tree, the straw to break the camel's back. Just fuck off and leave me alone. I'll go home and get some sleep. God, what was I thinking?"
"Shit day, huh? Let's go get some more to drink then."
I eye him incredulously. He brings out two stubbies from his backpack and points to a nearby park.
"Let's go drink in that park there. Sibs can go amuse herself. We'll talk about ourselves. I had a shit day too."
You know the fork in the road, the moment in time where you make a decision which ultimately dictates where you will end up. Gut instinct, women's intuition. That load of bull. Alcohol made me a stupid stupid girl that night.
I don't know why I did it but I followed him to the park.
We talked.
He was an investment banker.
"I dress in a monkey suit the whole day. Society demands you dress like a monkey, so you do it in the office. But no monkey suits after work for me. Comfort is best."
He'd travelled the world.
"Went to South Africa once. Crazy times that. Wanted to find myself. Had a mental breakdown - too much competition and backstabbing in the corporate world. Exited the rat race and went backpacking. Have you ever done that? Have you ever lived? Have you ever experienced the hospitality of a dirt poor family sharing their only supply of meat with you so they could cook you a wonderful meal? Have you ever had a gun pointed at you?"
"Actually yes, I have had a gun pointed at me. Bank robbery. Innocent bystander."
He looked at me and grinned. The alcohol and the full moon worked to potent effect. There was a river nearby and the soft night breeze and the undulations of the water brought my soul to a peaceful slumber. Like a soothing lullaby to the child who just needed to be loved. When the soul dies, it leaves the body. When it sleeps, where does it go?
"Have you ever felt misunderstood - like nobody else understood how you really felt?"
"Now that sounds like a line out of Neil Strauss."
"Oh come on."
"So this dog walker schtick - how often have you used this ruse?"
"First time babe. It was late at night and I was lonely. I liked your style of writing and I really wanted to meet you."
to be continued...
