It is now day twenty of my sojourn. I have been working harder than ever, saving money to get me off this island and back home to Acacia. I have fallen into a strict pattern of sleep, eat, work and repeat. This is not new to me, this was my life at sea, only more exhilarating. My time at sea was wonderful, not knowing where the wind would always take us, finding peace in the sultry winds at my back and my fellow men at arms by my side.
I have no friends here. This is something that has been becoming more clear to me with every passing day. I miss comradeship. I miss singing raucous songs of loose women and tippling a bit too much ale with friends.
And after a bad day at work like today, I felt desperately in need of a drink.
I hailed a taxi and was off to a local pub.
Being so early in the day, the bar was quiet, but I didn't mind. I beelined to the bar, ordered a heavy drink - no ale, but not remiss in alcohol, thank God - and guzzled down more than my share, like a parched man to fresh water.
I wan't far into my sixth drink when a newcomer came through the door.
Maybe I was more tipsy than I meant to be, maybe I was starving for friendship, a friendly smile, or maybe it was all those things. Whatever the root of those feelings, it made my breath hitch in my throat for a moment when I met her glance for just a moment before she caught sight of one of her own friends.
I felt a sudden impulse to get up from my chair and introduce myself to her, and I did just that. And conversation flowed easily between us almost immediately.
She was Gertie Cleary, a lass with a pretty face who seemed to enjoy a little cooking.
I offered to buy her a drink, and when she accepted that with a flirty smile and a bat of her lashes, we took on a game at the shuffleboard between drinks.
I won.
But it was to Gertie's dismay, to say the least.
I quickly found out that this lass had a bit of a temper. Something that intrigued me, and scared me. She was after all, a girl of substantial proportions and could likely lick me in a fight . . .
But I laughed it off, she seemed too good to take on a bar brawl.
After we finished our drinks, I walked her home. We chatted awhile longer, but I'm not sure what about, because the drinks had gone to my head.
I do remember that I gave her a wink and a kiss in parting - something that made her flutter a bit and made me wonder just how drunk I really was.
Once I made it home, (it turns out she lives just up the road from me) I reflected upon the evening and how - for just a moment - I was able to forget for awhile how much I missed home.
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