Tales from an Unknown Corner

CHAPTER – 53: Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow

The soft ringing of the alarm woke me up, and in the semi-darkness, I saw Dana struggle and roll away from Sarah to turn it off. Sarah was just awakening, but as soon as the noisemaker was quiet, she seemed to fall back to sleep. Dana tried to wake her up, with soft little whispers, but I heard Sarah mumble that it was too early, and I felt her snuggle to Dana, perhaps searching for warmth. To tell the truth, it was very early, even for me, despite the fact that, when I was working, I woke up around five—or even earlier—more often than not. I was feeling pretty tired, and needed more sleep—another hour or two. Half-awake, I became aware of the built up hydraulic pressure, and knew I couldn’t go back to sleep without relieving myself. So, with a silent curse, I forced myself out of the bed to make a short trip to the bathroom.

When I returned to the bedroom, only Dana was awake, and she seemed to have given up on Sarah. I told her I would put on the coffee, and she told me she would wake up Sarah.

On the way to the kitchen, I turned on the hallway light, then stopped at the guest bedroom to put on boxers and a t-shirt, and went to the living room to turn up the heater. Picking up my cigarette and lighter, I went to the kitchen, and started the coffee. While the coffee was brewing, I lit the first cigarette of the day, trying to wake up. About ten minutes later, which felt like an eternity, the coffee was ready. I went to the cupboard and took out coffee mugs. As I was filling my cup, I heard Dana come into the kitchen.

“Morning,” she said.

“Morning. Coffee is ready. Want a cup?” I asked, taking a quick look over my shoulder.

“Bit later. Sarah’s still in bed. Will you join us in the shower?”

“I think I’ll take a cup first and I want to finish my cigarette. I want to wake up.”

When Dana didn’t acknowledge me, I finished filling my cup and turned to look at her. “Am I disappointing somebody this morning?” I asked.

She smiled softly. “Not really... I wanted to tell you that you were welcome to join us,” she said.

“I see. Well, I will... as soon as I finish this cup. I really need some coffee.”

“You’re not a morning person, are you?” she asked.

“Kind of. I enjoy a bit of quiet... solitude... the first thing in the morning. And a cup of coffee, most of the time.”

She nodded, flashing an indulgent smile and turned to leave to get Sarah up and running. I located the sugar bowl, mixed in a couple spoonfuls of sugar, and took my cup to the table. A bit later, I heard the shower running. I considered hurrying up with my coffee to join the girls, but decided against it. It was going to be a hectic day, and I wanted a bit of quiet to gather myself, and prepare for the day. Still, I felt a bit of guilt, thinking I was being egoistical despite my rationalization about a busy day coming up. However, I also knew I was a bear in the morning, especially after a few hours of sleep. On the rig, people tended to avoid me when we had had an all-nighter—an operation that continued well into the early morning hours—leaving me only 2-3 hours of sleep. But then, most of us suffered from excessive stress and irritability at such times. Perhaps by unspoken agreement, people tend to keep some distance to avoid setting each other off in an already stressful situation.

By the time I finished my cup, the shower was still running, so I made my way to the bathroom. Inside, I yelled “Good morning,” over the sound of running water, and brushed my teeth, before commencing with a quick shave to get rid off the stubble. In the meantime, the girls finished their shower, and stepped out of the tub. I saw two wet nymphs in the mirror. When they saw me watching them, they posed, and I smiled at them from the mirror.

Now that’s a sight for sore eyes! What a way to start the day!

“You want some help washing?” Sarah asked.

I turned to face them before I replied. “I think I can wash myself.” Then I noticed that Sarah’s eyes were a bit swollen and red. “What’s wrong?”

Sarah must have been startled, perhaps by my concerned tone, because she only managed to mumble, “I-I...”

“She got shampoo in her eyes,” Dana said while she caressed Sarah’s arm in a soothing manner.

Sarah nodded, giving me a sheepish look.

“It was my fault,” Dana added with an apologetic tone, and Sarah turned to her as if to object. Without giving her a chance, Dana said, “I’m sorry, honey. I should have been more careful.” She kept caressing Sarah’s arm.

After a pregnant pause, Sarah said, “Me, too, but no harm was done.” Then, she kissed Dana.

After the kiss, they pulled back and looked at each other, their gaze lingering for several seconds, before they finally turned to me.

“Are you sure you don’t want any help?” Sarah asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

Seeing her perky, I relaxed. “OK. Let me finish here and we help each other. What about you, Dana?”

“I finished washing, but she didn’t,” she said with an amused smile. Wrapping a big towel around herself, she left the bathroom.

I turned back to the basin to finish shaving. Sarah moved to me, plastered her body against my back, wrapped her arms around my belly, and watched me over my shoulder. I guess it was one of those woman things, a shared intimacy, to watch a man shave. Feeling her body against me was a bit distracting, but I managed it without any accidents; I was quite proud to keep the cotton usage to nil. Before we stepped into the tub, she ran her fingers along my cheek to check for stubble, and kissed me.

We had a quick shower, and contrary to what I thought, she seemed to need just the physical closeness rather than anything else. Although I quickly developed an erection, she took it as a compliment instead of a prelude to something more amorous. I asked if she wanted to do something, but she told me she was a bit sore from all the activity before, and just wanted to feel my hands on her body, and my body next to hers. So, she went about washing me, and asked me to put some hair conditioner on her hair—another intimacy thing I guessed—before we finished showering.

To tell the truth, I began to get a bit concerned by her behavior; instead of her usual playfulness and teasing, she was subdued. I suspected she was thinking about the upcoming separation. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much I or anyone else could do about it. I also hoped it was more a result of the emotional roller coaster we had experienced since Sunday night, and once away from the scene, she might be able to get back to her normal self.

As these thoughts were running through my mind, we dried each other. When we were done, I gathered her in my arms and looked into her eyes trying to assess how she was doing. At first, she smiled shyly, before it gave way to a mischievous twinkle. Rising on her tiptoes, she locked her lips to mine for a soft kiss, probing my mouth, dueling with my tongue, and slowly increasing the passion. When we parted, she said, “I don’t think I could kiss you in public like that.”

“Are you all right?”

“Of course, I am. Don’t worry, Mitch. I’m going to miss you, but I’ll be all right,” she replied without hesitation.

“I’m going to miss you, too, Sarah. I wish—”

“Yeah, me, too. What a trip, eh?” she responded, smiling fondly. “I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.”

“I know I wouldn’t,” I said, before kissing her again, and held her tightly to my chest, trying to hold onto the tender moment just a bit longer.

“Now, now... unhand me, Sir. I need to get dressed and ready,” she retorted, making me chuckle.

Releasing my hold on her, I cupped her face in my hands, and looked into her smiling eyes. Quickly, I was lost in them, until she broke the magic by brushing my lips for a short kiss. Then she sent me away, telling me she needed to dry her hair, and would join us in the kitchen.

I collected my boxers and t-shirt, and went to the guest bedroom to get dressed, and then I headed to the kitchen. Dana was sipping her coffee, dressed in a short robe, and her hair was wrapped in a towel. She was busy cooking sausages in a pan.

“How is she?” she asked with a quick look over her shoulder.

Collecting a kiss, I said, “I think she’s already missing us.”

She nodded, and returned a sympathetic smile, but it was a bit strained. “I know,” she said, softly. “I’m going to miss her, too. We’re both going to miss her.”

I nodded, while filling my cup. “Why don’t you get ready while I take over the cooking?” I checked my watch, and added, “We shouldn’t be late.”

“We have time. The airport is ten minutes away,” she replied, but hurried with her coffee. Finishing her cup, she left, saying, “I’d better get ready, and see how she’s doing.”

She had already set the table, so I took over the cooking, stirring the sausages in the pan. With those done, I went to the bedroom to check on the girls before starting on the eggs. They were putting the last touches on their make-up. Back in the kitchen, I prepared scrambled eggs, and they arrived just as I was filling the plates. Dana was dressed in a sweater and jeans, and Sarah was dressed in a simple, dark colored skirt, dark nylons, and a cream-colored blouse. From the way her breasts were moving unfettered under the blouse, I surmised she wasn’t wearing a bra.

“You don’t have to wake up everybody in a hurry, this early in the morning, you know?” I teased.

“Men!” Dana retorted with a disgusted tone. “They don’t appreciate the trouble we go to for their benefit.”

“I appreciate it very much. I was thinking of the poor souls in the cabin,” I returned.

Sarah moved in, and wrapped her arms around me. Then she turned to Dana, and reaching for her, pulled her in for a three-way hug. “They can look,” she said—her eyes moved between Dana and me—“but they can’t touch,” she finished emphatically. Pressing her breasts to my chest, she kissed me. Turning to Dana, she kissed her too, meshing her chest against Dana’s. After that, we took our seats at the table in the breakfast nook.

Despite the early hour, there was nothing wrong with our appetites, and we made quick work of the breakfast. Dana served the last of the coffee, and we made some small talk. While Dana and I collected the dirty dishes, Sarah went back to the guest bedroom to collect her suitcase, garment bag, and other belongings, getting ready for her departure. Finally, it was time to head for the airport, and I took her suitcase, which was quite heavy, because of the books she had put in it. They put on their coats, and we took the elevator down.

* * * * *

As Dana said, it was a very short trip to the airport, not even ten minutes. Despite the early hour, there were a lot of vehicles parked in front of the departure building. I parked behind a shuttle bus and helped Sarah with her suitcase. There was a short queue at the entrance—security check prior to admittance into the building. While the girls waited for their turn, I drove to the short-term parking lot. After parking the car, I hurried back and caught the girls at the security gate. We helped put Sarah’s suitcase and garment bag on the conveyor belt to be X-rayed. The girls were asked to place their purses and coats on the conveyor belt as well by the security officer—actually, an airport policeman—while handing them a small tray for any other metal objects. Following behind them, I emptied my pockets, placed loose change and my keys on the tray, and then passed through the metal detector, which for the first time, didn’t buzz.

Our first stop was the ticket counter. Sarah got her boarding pass and checked in her luggage. Since we had some time before they would call the flight, we headed towards the departure gates. We stopped at a small kiosk to get some drinks and Sarah bought a magazine to read during the flight. We watched other passengers going through final security checks in small curtained cubicles where hand luggage, IDs, and boarding passes were controlled in privacy prior to admitting them into the departure hall waiting room where the gates were located.

We heard the PA announcement, asking the passengers for Sarah’s flight to proceed to the departure hall. Sarah hurried to finish her drink, but Dana told her to relax, and take her time; the call would be repeated several times, before they would ask the passengers to proceed to the gates opening to the apron. Learning that, Sarah settled back on her seat. About ten minutes later the announcement was repeated; we saw several passengers hurrying to the security check, and Sarah raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t worry, Sarah. There’s still time,” Dana said. Pointing to one of the curtained checkpoints where a woman airport officer was standing, she said, “Look. There’s no queue, and usually there will be a short one.”

“Yeah. Look at those cattle,” I said, pointing to the three other security checkpoints, where other passengers were forming queues, and some were switching from one queue to another, trying to get into the shortest one.

Noticing that all the passengers in the other queues were all males, Sarah turned to Dana.

“Yes, that’s for women,” Dana answered the tacit question, nodding in the direction of the woman officer. Turning to me, she said, “Cattle?”

I returned a strained smile, feeling awkward. “Well, you know how they behave... pushing and shoving, and trying to cut in front of each other... as if that would help...”

“I know. It’s worse after the aircraft lands. As soon as the plane is taxiing to the gate, most of them are out of their seats, busy with their hand luggage in the overhead compartments, despite our warning to them to stay seated,” Dana responded sympathetically.

“Yeah. And then they rush to the doors before they are open.” I turned to Sarah, and said, “Just wait in your seat, until the crowd leaves, and then leave the airplane. Since you have to wait for your luggage at the baggage carousel, no reason to hurry, and get stampeded by those assholes. And...”

“And? There’s more?” Sarah asked.

“Well...” I said, and with a mischievous smile, I continued. “You know what you said; they can look but they can’t touch. I’m afraid someone might try to take advantage of you if you get caught in the crowd.”

“Oh!... OH!...”

“That was mean!” Dana said. “That doesn’t happen.” Turning to Sarah, she added, “Don’t mind him. I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

“I can take care of myself,” Sarah said. “But, I don’t want a run in my nylons.”

The last quip was directed at me, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at her sense of priorities. They started to laugh at me.

“OK. I know I earned that,” I said feeling a bit put down.

Sarah reached to pat my hand and followed up with a kiss. At first, she looked like she was going to kiss me on the lips, but seeing me hesitate, she realized we were in a public place, and decided to buss me on my cheek. I looked around to see if somebody saw, and when nobody seemed to take notice of us, I relaxed.

We heard the last call for security check for Sarah’s flight. Finishing our drinks, we made our way to the checkpoint. Sarah stopped, and turned to hug Dana, and the girls said their goodbyes, and kissed each other. I could see they both wanted to have something more than that, but they knew they couldn’t. Finally, Dana traced her fingers lovingly, along Sarah’s temples down to her cheek, before they disengaged. Then, it was my turn. When Sarah looked at me expectantly, I opened my arms, and she moved in, plastering her body. She wrapped her arms around my neck, and pulled me down. Our cheeks met, and she nuzzled my neck. I inhaled her sweet fragrance and perfume, and rocked her gently to comfort her.

“I love you,” she whispered. “I want a goodbye kiss, but...”

“Me, too, love. But, we’ll see you shortly,” I said, and pulling back a bit, I placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

She looked in my eyes, and I could see she was trying to smile, but it was an effort. I hugged her again, and she rested her chin on my shoulder, letting me rock her. I quickly checked around, discreetly to see if we were drawing any attention, and to my dismay, I saw several men watching us. A few of them were trying to be discreet, but most of them were very obvious. I also saw the woman officer watching us, but she was at least being considerate, and trying to give us some privacy. She opened the curtain to the small enclosure, getting ready to admit Sarah for a final check, and waited patiently, while trying to look busy. I continued scanning the immediate surroundings, and saw a few old guys—very much older than us—openly staring, as if they haven’t seen young couples saying goodbye to each other before in their lives. That really made me angry, and I flashed a challenging look—What? You’ve got nothing better to do than watch? Mind your own fucking business!—and when they saw me glare at them, they hastily looked away.

Sarah must have felt my irritation, and she tried to calm me. “We’re attracting attention, aren’t we? I’m sorry. It’s my fault,” she said.

“No, it’s not. Some people never learn common courtesy,” Dana said.

She moved and positioned herself to block the view of most of the people, receiving a look of gratitude and a smile from both of us. Finally, Sarah pulled back and I kissed her cheek, and she returned my kiss in the same manner, perhaps not to cause further attention to us. I gave her one final hug, tightening my arms around her, and then released her, and Dana gave a final hug as well, before Sarah turned and walked to the cubicle.

As we watched her walk away, Dana leaned and whispered, “She’ll be all right.”

I kept on watching Sarah. Her steps were light, as if she was walking on clouds, and for a moment, I could see a happy, teenage girl, almost skipping on the marble surface. The momentary image calmed me down, and wordlessly I nodded to Dana. Sarah turned to take one final look and shyly waved her hand, and that really completed my mental image. With a small smile, I waved back.

The woman officer greeted her, and bid her in, before closing the curtain behind her. Dana and I walked to the side of the cubicle, to the glass partition that offered a view of the waiting hall and the gates to the apron. A few minutes later, Sarah walked out of the cubicle into the waiting room, and turned to look around. Seeing us by the glass partition, she walked next to the window, and discreetly blew us a kiss. We signed her to give us a call, and she nodded. With a final wave to us, she motioned for us to leave.

We turned to leave, and I noticed the woman officer had been watching us with a sympathetic expression on her face. I’m not sure why I did what I did next, but I gave a short nod, perhaps to acknowledge her sympathy, and received a polite smile.

“She’ll be fine. First time flying?”

I wasn’t expecting a conversation or a comment, and I was caught unprepared.

“Not really,” I replied, automatically.

She turned to Dana, perhaps sensing my surprise. I saw her staring at something, and my eyes followed her gaze. I noticed that Dana had an ID card hanging at the end of a ribbon around her neck—the kind that airport and airline personnel use.

Stepping close to us, she asked Dana, “May I see another identification, please?”

Without hesitation, Dana opened her purse, and took out her passport. Still surprised with the developments, I found myself following Dana’s example before I was asked. I took out my driver’s license from my wallet, and we both handed them to her. She took Dana’s passport and compared to the ID card, and then checked my driver’s license, before handing them back to us.

“Please wait a moment,” she said to me and guided Dana into the cubicle, and half closed the curtain.

From the gap, I saw her run a hand-held metal detector on Dana, and then she quickly inspected the contents of her purse, before sending her inside the waiting room. She opened the curtain and invited me in.

“Just a quick check. Then you can follow her in,” she said, by way of explanation, and ran the metal detector. Of course, it buzzed at my watch and the coins and car keys in my pocket, which I hastily took out. After a final scan, I was clear.

I wasn’t going to ask what was happening, but to tell the truth I was curious why she had decided to allow us into the waiting room.

“Girlfriend?” she asked.

I nodded; still a bit bewildered at the developments—I was unable to form words.

“For ten minutes, only, and please do not wander far away. Then you can leave via here,” she said giving me a sympathetic smile.

“Thank you,” I finally managed to say.

“You’re quite welcome,” she said. After a pause, she added, “You’re a handsome couple, and I think she’s already missing you.”

I couldn’t think of a reply to her comment, but by then she was opening the curtain to the waiting room, and motioned me out, into the waiting room. I moved a few steps away from the small enclosure and looked around. I saw Dana steering Sarah to where I was standing, and took a few more steps away from the cubicle to have some privacy, but didn’t wander too far, remembering the warning. Sarah looked like she was over her surprise to see Dana. When she saw me waiting for her, she hurried up. She was trying very hard not to run and Dana looked like she was trying to keep from laughing at her enthusiasm.

“I thought you guys already left,” she said, trying to catch her breath.

“Well... we were lucky. An understanding officer helped us,” I said, turning half-way towards the cubicle.

Sarah looked in the direction of the officer, and flashed a smile of gratitude, receiving a quick nod and a smile.

She turned to me, and her expression changed into one of mischief. “I know Dana can easily get into the plane. How are we going to sneak you aboard?”

“Uhm... I don’t think that’s a good idea. The airport security might take exception. I have to keep a clean—” I barely managed to stop myself in time.

“You have to keep a clean?”

“Ah... ummm...”

Shit! Think man! THINK!

“What?” she insisted.

“I shouldn’t get into more trouble,” I said very reluctant to remind her the trouble from the last few days. “I mean... I’m not in trouble, but there’s no reason I should go looking for trouble,” I rephrased hastily, trying to save the situation, but I knew I had botched it up completely!

Her smile faded, and her eyes darkened. Quickly, I pulled her into my arms, and hugged her. “It’s all right. It’s going to be all right. Don’t worry, love. We’ll keep in touch,” I whispered.

Before we drew attention, I released her and reluctantly she pulled away. I quietly said, “Please keep it to yourself, Sarah. I don’t want Kathy worried, OK?”

After a momentary hesitation, she nodded.

“So... looking forward to the flight?” Dana asked, coming to my help to change the subject. “You have a lot of things to tell to Kathy, especially the singing.”

That brought on a brilliant smile, and Sarah nodded excitedly. “Yeah. I think she’ll be very surprised.”

“Are you going to visit her during your lunch break, or wait until the evening?” I asked with a knowing grin.

She slapped my arm, then, with a huge grin, she replied, “What do you think?”

“Ahh... yes... of course... You don’t want to keep Kathy and Mark up late into the night,” I retorted, receiving another slap.

“You’re sooo baaaddd!”

“I thought I was being very good, my dear.”

A soft laughter from Dana stopped Sarah from responding. “Well, he has a point, you know.”

I quickly glanced in the direction of the officer to see if we needed to leave the waiting room. Dana and Sarah noticed. “We are supposed to have a few minutes with you,” I offered.

“That’s all right, Mitch,” Dana said. “She’s keeping an eye on us.”

“Well, that’s all good and nice, but I don’t want her to get into any trouble by taking advantage of her kindness.”

Just then, we heard the announcement, calling the passengers to proceed to the gates, and Sarah’s flight was among the flights called out. Hastily we exchanged hugs, and promised to keep in touch. Reluctantly, Sarah turned and headed for the gate, and we went to the officer who steered us out of the waiting room via the cubicle. We thanked her and headed out. Now that all the surprises were over, my mind was busy with what happened, especially the way the security officer treated us. I couldn’t help but take a quick look over my shoulder, and caught her watching us depart. She didn’t seem to be concerned about being caught watching us; in fact, she looked like she was expecting me to have a quick look. Then, a faint smile appeared on her face, momentarily, breaking her professional image, and she looked like a woman rather than a security officer.

While we continued to walk, I tried to find some answers...

Why did she do what she did? Wasn’t it a breach of security? I could have been a terrorist or something...

I almost laughed at myself. I admit, sometimes my mind strays to strange destinations, and I guess, you could say I might be prone to overanalyzing things, but still... my mind was busy trying to find answers to some improbable questions, as well as probable ones. I had watched enough movies, and read thrillers and spy novels. They might have been fiction, but they did contain parts that sounded credible or within the realm of possibility. In addition, living and working in a dangerous area kept me on my toes. Even when I was vacationing, I tried to keep my eyes open and pay attention to what was going on around me.

Well. The security is tight in the airport, and I passed through metal detectors, and they check personal effects with the X-ray machine. I know I’m not a terrorist or a criminal, but the security guys—she—didn’t know that. If I were planning to do something...

I tried to imagine myself as a bad guy with an agenda: to gain access to a place where I wasn’t supposed to be—like the departure hall where only passengers were allowed. I knew the three of us looked innocent, and we were innocent, and thinking about how we were allowed inside without trying, I wondered how difficult it would be for a professional to pull something like that off.

Maybe I read too many thrillers!

I remembered an old movie, The Day of the Jackal, and several favorite novels from Ludlum and others, that dealt with professionals who were like a chameleon, who could move in and out of places easily.

“What are you thinking?” Dana asked, interrupting my chain of thought.

“Huh!”

“You seem to be preoccupied. Are you worried about Sarah?”

“No. I was... I was thinking about why the security officer let us into the waiting room?”

“She must have thought us harmless.”

“I guess. It was just... unusual,” I replied.

“Marianne is a nice person,” she said.

I came to a sudden halt, wondering—

“Marianne? Marianne, who? The officer?”

She nodded. “We know each other.”

“But, she didn’t act like...”

“You were distracted,” she said with an amused glint in her eye. “She recognized me, when you were... distracted.”

“Is that why you had your ID on?” I asked, directing my gaze to her ID and received a nod. “Then, why the...”

“She had to. She couldn’t just let us waltz in there without a check, could she?”

“I understand that. That doesn’t explain the way you two behaved, though.”

“Oh, that!” she replied coyly. “I guess she wanted to look professional.”

I wasn’t buying that. “You both knew each other, and she wanted to look professional?”

She laughed. “Well... we know each other professionally. We see each other enough times at the airport.”

“Uh... OK!” I said, still not convinced.

“All right! I told you she’s a nice person. And, she has a good sense of humor. When she approached with her professional mask on, I knew she was going to pull a stunt, so I went along. Happy now?” she huffed.

I couldn’t let her get away with it, so I said, “That wasn’t so difficult, now, was it?”

“It did hurt,” she retorted.

“Really? How much?”

“You better behave yourself,” she warned with a playful tone.

“Hey! I’m not the one being sneaky here.”

“Neither am I. It was all Marianne’s doing.”

“And you weren’t doing anything?” I returned.

After a momentary pause, she gave me an appraising look, and said, “I didn’t do anything.”

“Did, too,” I replied immediately, and noticed the small smile forming on her lips.

“Did not!”

As I said, “Did, too,” she couldn’t keep a straight face and broke into a grin, and we both laughed at our childish argument.

When we managed to collect ourselves, she hooked her arm into mine and said, “Come on. Let’s get going.”

She dropped me at one of the cafes, while she went to the administration building to check on her schedule, and make arrangements for next Monday, when she would be going back to work. Hopefully she would be able to fly back on Monday on one of their scheduled flights out from where we will be going on our vacation. I grabbed another cup of coffee, while waiting for her, and about three quarters of an hour later, she showed up with a smile on her face, which I took it to be good news. She told me she was going to be an extra hand on Monday’s early morning flight and would catch up with her crew on the next flight.

* * * * *

Walking to the parking lot, we discussed what to do until the meeting with Ulysses. Dana suggested that we should drive downtown, to the shopping district. She reminded me that the club was close by, and we could visit a travel agency to check for the ferry times, and then drop by her bank to put the negatives in her safe. Afterwards, we would meet Ulysses. I reminded her about catching Alex and visiting Gary, and she told me we could meet them for lunch. For the rest of the day, we didn’t have anything to do. I was thinking of getting on the road in the afternoon if we could catch a late ferry, but without knowing the ferry times, it was difficult to make any plans. I asked her if she had packed already, and she told me she did, yesterday, after returning from shopping with Sarah, but she had a few more things to pack. Leaving the parking lot, I drove downtown, putting in effect our plan for the day.

We missed part of the rush hour traffic, as it was just past seven, however, by the time we were near our destination we got caught in a traffic jam. After wasting about three quarters of an hour, I managed to get into a parking lot. We walked to the shopping center, and Dana led me to a travel agent along the main street we had visited previously. It was a small office run by one of her friends who had left the airline a few years ago after getting married to a guy who owned a chain of travel agencies. Her friend was absent, on a business trip, but one of the employees recognized Dana, and helped us with our inquiry.

We hit the first hitch in my travel plans: the ferry service I was planning to use, the one that traversed the channel before heading south to the small coastal town on the west coast (which was about 4-5 hours of travel), wasn’t available—it was a seasonal service, and the season had ended a month ago. They only had a daily service, on a turnaround basis, which traveled between the two opposing shores of the channel (about ten minutes by boat). That, of course, didn’t help, because first, I had to drive all the way to the ferry departure point, some 200 kilometers north-northwest, and then, after the ferry crossing, I would be back on a secondary highway and had to drive about 300 kilometers to arrive at our first stop to spend the night.

I explained my problem, and on a map, I showed her my original planned route. As we were looking over the map, she pointed out another ferry service that was leaving from one of the harbors here, that traveled south and stopped at a town just before the channel, about 350 kilometers north of our actual destination, and some 250 kilometers down, south-southwest. It had a connection to a highway—part of the highway that Sarah and I drove a few days ago—an option that I was trying to avoid, because it was very crowded most of the time. Before I could raise any objections, she pointed out that I would be avoiding crossing the bridge and the busy ring traffic around the city, as well as the busiest section of the highway for some 250 kilometers, leaving only 200 kilometers of highway, and 150 kilometers of secondary highway to my destination. After a quick mental calculation, (about an hour to cross the bridge and get out of the ring, and another two or three hours on the highway), I knew it would be best to take the one hour ferry trip. She checked the schedules, and informed us they had daily services at 08:00, 15:00, and 18:00 hours.

I thought about leaving today, with either the afternoon or evening service, but we still had to drive several hours, arriving quite late at our first stopping point; I didn’t want to look for a hotel late at night, or go through other hassles. After a quick discussion, Dana agreed on taking the early morning ferry, so that we would travel comfortably in daylight. While the sales clerk was arranging our tickets, and reserving space for my car, I pulled Dana aside.

“I still owe you for half of Sarah’s ticket,” I said.

Dana quickly waved it away. “That’s not so important.”

“Well... maybe not, but... I was thinking... How about I pay for hotel accommodation and you pay for dinner, and extras?”

“That’s not a fair division. What about gas and other expenses?” she objected, immediately.

“I think it’s fair,” I objected hastily and strenuously. Softening my tone, I added, “Look. I was going to take a trip anyway. I always spend most of my time traveling, and stay in hotels or pensions. I really want to do this. Please?”

She mulled it over for a moment, before responding. “Are you trying to impress me?” she asked, but the small smile on her lips took the sting out of her words... somewhat.

“Well, you know I’m kinda old fashioned. So, there you go,” I retorted, giving her a lopsided grin.

“I’m a modern woman,” she quickly returned.

“I didn’t say you weren’t. In fact, I’m not that old fashioned. After all, I even asked you to pay for the dinners and extras,” I reminded her.

“Hmmm.... OK! But I pay for the gasoline, too.”

I knew she wouldn’t budge, but still...

“Let’s meet in the middle. Gasoline is 50-50.”

She shook her head.

“You know I’m a ram, and rams are very stubborn,” I tried. “And I don’t want my male pride hurt.”

The last comment drew a short laughter, and she gave in. “We wouldn’t want that. OK! For your male pride, darling!”

Oh, God! Darling! I like the sound of that!

“Thank you, my love,” I replied, with a big, happy grin on my face.

In the meantime, the clerk had finished making the arrangements and had our tickets ready. I paid, collected the tickets, and after thanking her for her help, we left the office. Our next stop was the bank, which was a fifteen-minute walk. While I waited outside the bank smoking a cigarette, Dana went inside to put the rolls of film in her safe deposit box. She came out as I was finishing my cigarette. Since we had almost an hour before the meeting, and the weather was good, Dana suggested we walk to the club.

* * * * *

As we were walking I checked my watch again, suddenly remembering that the meeting was at 11:00 o’clock, and not 10:00 as I mistakenly remembered. Seeing me hit my forehead, and quietly curse, Dana stopped and turned.

“We are too early. The meeting was at 11:00.”

“So? There should be somebody there. We’ll just sit and have some coffee,” Dana offered.

I shrugged and we resumed our walk. When we arrived, we found the door unlocked and entered. There was nobody at the coatroom, but a young guy was behind the bar, busy stacking glasses on shelves, from a tray. He turned, directing a questioning look at us.

“We have a meeting with Ulysses at 11:00, but we are early,” Dana said. “Is Amy around?”

“Yes, Miss,” he replied, and we saw him reach for a telephone. After a quick few words, he nodded to himself. Turning to us, he asked, “Do you know the way?”

Dana nodded. The guy returned to the handset, and informed Amy that we were on the way.

“Amy is waiting,” he said as he put the handset down and returned to his work.

Dana directed us to the left side of the bar, to a narrow hallway, then to a small staircase on the right. At the end of the stairs, we saw Amy waiting for us in front of Ulysses’ room.

“Sorry, Amy. We miscalculated and are too early,” Dana said.

“It’s good. We haven’t had a chance to talk,” Amy replied, inviting us in.

After the greetings, and hugs, she directed us to the armchairs in front of Ulysses’ desk. I helped pull up another armchair for her, and we took our seats around the small coffee table. She ordered coffee, and then joined us. The girls caught up with what was happening in their lives. For the most part, I joined in when I was asked something, until the conversation moved to the story of how Dana and I met. Dana skipped some of the stuff that happened in the airport, and gave her a sanitized version, but I got the feeling Amy realized there were things Dana wasn’t telling—if the crease on her forehead were any indication—but she didn’t probe. The talk moved to me and my family, as Dana mentioned her visit to Kathy’s, and the dinner afterwards, at which point I had to join in.

Then came the questions about Sarah. I really didn’t know how to respond, and Dana took it upon herself to explain how the two of them hit it off from the first moment they met each other. She told her that Sarah extended an invitation to her for her overnight stays in town. Although it was quite an unusual situation, somehow, she made it sound like a fast developing friendship, telling Amy how Kathy made her so welcome, how Sarah was so friendly, and how we all enjoyed spending time together, and such. When Amy directed a few questions to me, I told her Sarah was like a sister—‘an incestuous sister at that,’ my inner voice reminded me, which I hastily tried to hush—as she had been a fixture in our home when we were kids. I told her that after college, I had moved away from home and had spent little time with my family and friends. I wasn’t sure if she bought it, but she didn’t probe, and Dana moved the talk to Amy’s kids. They left for a short while and went into the next room to look in on them. When they returned we talked about our vacation plans.

Not long after, Ulysses and his lawyer, Mr. Holcomb, arrived. We convened at the conference table, and Amy called for another carafe of coffee. After we were all seated, Ulysses told us what was happening. Last night, a few of his clients had dropped by the club, and talked to the police about what they remembered about the incident. While an officer took the statements, the precinct commander was also there mingling with the witnesses to put them at ease, while enjoying a select whiskey—in other words, mixing pleasure with business. This morning, the reports were forwarded to the DA. At this point, Mr. Holcomb took up the story. Armed with the new reports, the DA had met the pro-bono lawyer representing the two other assailants, and made his offer. Although initially the lawyer was inclined to refuse the deal, expecting a better offer—he had met the other lawyer who offered him a joint defense—the DA managed to convince him that it was the only deal he would get for his clients, and the best he could do under the circumstances. Furthermore, he warned him that the deal would be on the table for a day—until five in the afternoon, today—if his clients would decide to take it. He also told him that he wanted full cooperation from them.

“So,” he said, “recapping, things are going all right. By the end of the day, we’ll know where they stand. Until then, the DA isn’t going to do anything about the other one, except pushing for any charges he could heap on him. The final wording on the charges hasn’t been decided yet, except in draft form. The DA also suggested that he might delay meeting the other lawyer—the weasel—or leaning on his client, even after the two assailants decide to take the deal.”

“Why is that?” Dana asked, her tone a bit anxious.

“To make him sweat... on one side, and on the other, to let him and his weasel of an attorney cool off and, re-think their situation carefully. I think, in a few days time, when the painkillers wear off, he might sing a different tune. The DA will, of course, let the weasel hear the extent of charges being drawn up against his client to give them some food for thought,” Mr. Holcomb answered with a small grin.

“Oh! OH!”

“Don’t worry, Dana. Things are well in hand,” Ulysses added, patting her hand.

“The precinct commander hasn’t heard anything from other stations,” Mr. Holcomb added.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” I asked.

“The police have identified the assailants, and they are looking into their backgrounds, but it’s not easy. It’s not like in those American movies or serials; the information isn’t centrally organized, except in the case of big-time criminals, organized crime, or for high profile cases. Those are kept centrally in the Department of Justice, the Interior Affairs Ministry, and the Police Central HQ. Usually a person’s rap-sheet, as we call it in the business, is sent to the main police station in their hometown, where their birth is registered. And of course, the local station where the crime has been committed. So, it will take some time to gather any information the police might have on them. The commander also sent in an inquiry to the other stations in town, to see if these guys have been involved in anything else in recent times.”

“I see... Do you think they will find something on them?”

“I think so. They don’t strike me as particularly harmless. I doubt this is the first time they did something. You never know, of course, but my gut tells me that the one in the hospital isn’t innocent. He looks like he’s been around a few times,” he replied, and then quickly added, “in the criminal system, I mean. The others... I can’t say for sure.”

“Is that why he’s being difficult?”

“Yes. That would be my guess.”

“What about the police? Do they require anything from us?” I asked. “I’m not a resident here, and my workplace is at the other end of the country, almost. We were also planning to go on vacation.”

“Not that I know of,” Ulysses said, directing a questioning look to his lawyer.

“Well, the police have your addresses, and concluded most of their background check. You don’t have a previous record, and you’re not considered a flight risk. The DA didn’t raise any issues about the situation,” Mr. Holcomb answered.

“What if that lawyer tries to sue me, or sue us?” Dana asked, and quickly clarified her situation. “I also fly international routes, so I have a passport and travel freely.”

“Ummm... I’m not sure. You might be asked to fly the domestic routes for a while... perhaps...”

“That could be arranged, but it also means I’m going to lose extra pay,” Dana replied.

“I understand, Miss Conor. If he tries to sue you, there’s very little chance for him to win it, and it all depends whether there will be travel restrictions placed upon you. Later, we can sue him for loss of income, if it comes to that. Right now, I would suggest we sue him for damages. It’s a scare tactic, but it is something we can use effectively. The only problem is... ehm... your past. The previous assault makes a very compelling argument, a very persuasive case. It will be the basis for our damage claims. Are you willing to do that?”

Dana took a pause, and Amy quickly moved to her to give emotional support. She buried her face in her hands, thinking, and I stood up to move to her. Hearing the chair move, she looked up and saw me, and smiled, indicating for me to take my seat. Taking a deep breath, she turned to Mr. Holcomb and said, “Do it. I’m not going to be a victim.”

“Very well, Miss Conor. I’ll have the papers drawn. Is it possible to meet in my office, before I file them?”

I nodded to her unasked question.

“When is it convenient for you?” Dana asked.

“After three? I need some information to prepare the dossier,” he said, and turned to Ulysses. “Can I use your telephone?”

He asked a few questions about the incident from several years ago, when it happened, which precinct responded, and the hospital where she stayed, and then phoned his office and talked with one of his clerks, asking them to start collecting the police and hospital records based on the information he got from Dana.

When he returned to the conference table, Dana opened her purse, and took out her checkbook.

“Oh, no, Miss Conor. I can’t accept that,” he said when he realized what Dana was doing.

Instead of responding to him, she flashed an irritated look at Ulysses, who just shrugged, and raised his hands, indicating he had nothing to do with it. When Dana kept giving him the evil eye, Mr. Holcomb had to intervene.

“Miss Conor, Ulysses has nothing to do with this. I assure you it would be my pleasure to work on a clear-cut case with a perfectly reputable client, rather than on some questionable case for an ill-reputed client.”

When Dana directed a somewhat surprised and quizzical look, he smiled apologetically. “I’m afraid not all my clients are very nice people, nor as innocent as they claim to be. It would be a very pleasant change for me. To see that justice is done, in this case, would be payment enough. Believe me.” With laughter in his eyes, he added, “That would also help me prove some of the lawyer jokes wrong.”

We all chuckled at his joke, and with reluctance Dana returned her checkbook to her purse, thanking him for his kindness. Since everything seemed to be settled, we all stood up. He turned to me and said, “Before I forget. I was meaning to ask you. How did you manage to deal with the two assailants?”

“I... I had learned some things in the military,” I offered, but even I could hear the hesitation in my voice, and knew how it sounded—I was hiding something!

I could feel all the eyes were on me; I knew Ulysses, and even Amy had their own opinions about that. To think that Ulysses’ lawyer didn’t suspect something about it would be foolish. I was trying to figure out how I could explain myself—

“Special Forces?” he asked.

“No!” I replied, and seeing the raised eyebrow, I had to repeat it again. “No, I wasn’t... but I went through basic training where they teach hand-to-hand combat...” I saw him accept my answer, but I knew he was wondering what I was hiding.

“Is there something else? Some other training?” he trailed off, offering me an out.

“I had some private lessons... when I was very young,” I replied, still not wanting to get into it because I knew Dana was listening carefully to the exchange.

“Would you excuse us, please?” Dana interjected. She turned to Amy. “Shall we check on the kids?”

I realized she was trying to give us some privacy before our discussion moved further, and that helped me make up my mind.

“Dana, no reason to leave. Please, take your seat,” I said pointedly, giving her a strained smile. I motioned the others to take their seats too and sat down.

“It’s not something I advertise, but... when I was young I... ahh... I studied martial arts,” I said.

“I see. You mentioned private lessons... you didn’t attend a specific establishment?” he asked.

“No, it was private lessons. I wasn’t registered in any school or club that taught martial arts in any capacity, and I believe my instructor wasn’t registered... umm... at least, not in this country. I’m not sure.”

“Is that a problem?” Dana asked.

Mr. Holcomb was quiet, mulling over what I told him. “In your military records, is there any mention of your training, or in any other place?” he asked.

“No, there isn’t. As I said, I don’t advertise it, so I didn’t mention it at all when I joined the army...”

Mr. Holcomb raised an eyebrow.

“Personal reasons. I was planning to take the optional short-term service so that I can get on with my life,” I said. Trying to explain my point of view, I added, “You know how it is... employment. Military service is... ahh... an obstacle. I wanted to finish with it so I can find long term or permanent employment and start making a life for myself as soon as possible. Since the opportunity was there, I opted for the short-term service and didn’t mention any extra skills that might... ummm... that might draw attention to me and derail my plans.”

When I finished my explanation I was flushed with embarrassment because I sounded like a cheat and felt like a coward. What’s more, I knew I cheated. I had knowingly scored average instead of a better score during the Assessment Exam—prior to joining the boot-camp—to ensure I wasn’t eligible for the full-term service. Well, actually, eligibility for short-term service was a joke; when the army found people with needed skills, then they kept them for as long as possible, but I wasn’t inclined to help them do that. I was pretty certain that had I disclosed my martial arts skills, I would have ended up in a commando unit. Worst case: I might have been assigned to one of the dangerous spots near the south-eastern border where many soldiers saw action and were killed. Best case: I might have been assigned as some sort of trainer at a training facility. But, my problem had been the length of service. I just didn’t want to waste sixteen months of my life, when I could have the option to get it done in eight months, so I did all I could to ensure short-term service. Did that make me a coward? I didn’t know. Sure, it wasn’t the patriotic thing to do, but I didn’t think patriotism had much relevance in this instance, because there hadn’t been—there wasn’t—a war or a state of emergency. I was too pragmatic, too practical about what I wanted to do.

It had already fucked up everything else, especially what I really wanted to have! It stood in my way, prevented me from what I would have done. If it hadn’t been such an obstacle, I might have been able to offer something solid, something more tangible to h—

The thought made me flush with anger once again, but I managed to control and suppress it. I didn’t want to go there right this moment. It was in the past!

I knew I had my justifications for the choices I’ve made then. Yet, I also knew it hadn’t been fair even if I had made use of an option available to everybody. On the other hand, many, both eligible and ineligible, had ended up at those posts; some survived without a scratch and some came home in a box.

Did someone else die in my place? Could I have prevented the death of someone else? And if I had gone there, might I have survived unscathed? What if—

Once I started to think along those lines there didn’t seem to be an end to all the ‘what if’s! I didn’t want to feel guilty at what I had done, and the only comfort I could find was that my family was spared the possibility of a tragedy—a tragedy that struck the families of many young kids and guys who got killed in the line of duty.

Isn’t it ironic that you’ve avoided the hot spots as a soldier, and yet, as a civilian, you’ve ended up right in the middle—

Perhaps it’s bad karma?

My musings were interrupted by Mr. Holcomb’s quiet and solemn voice when he said, “I understand.”

I wondered if he sensed my unease and embarrassment, or read my thoughts. I wondered how he was judging me. I chanced a glance at the others worried about what I would see in their eyes, when Mr. Holcomb moved on with, “Can you elaborate about your training?”

I was glad with the redirection and tried to collect my thoughts before answering his question. “When I was young I had some trouble in school... with bigger kids. I met someone who taught me martial arts. It’s a long story... he’s Japanese. I don’t know too much about him... I mean, about his family and such. I know he used to work in the Japanese embassy. After his term was finished, instead of returning to Japan, he settled here. That much I know. I don’t think he taught elsewhere, in a school or anything... maybe privately, but I doubt it. He kind of took me under his wings after a chance meeting when I had a nasty incident with some kids, off of school grounds. Does that answer your questions?”

“Were there further incidents after you took up the training?” he asked, but before I could answer, he added, “I’m not implying anything, Mr. Tanner. Do you understand?” With a sincere expression, he said, “Kids are kids, and I remember my own teenage years.”

“I was beaten a few times more, until one day I managed to fight back and put an end to it,” I said. Then, looking him in the eyes, I added with a solemn tone, “I never had to fight since then.”

For a while, it was quiet, as he kept thinking, but Dana couldn’t hold herself, and she asked, “Is there a problem?”

Finally, he replied. “I’m not sure. In principle, he’s trained in martial arts, therefore he could be held accountable, if he had used excessive force. The thing is, he’s not registered, and his level of expertise isn’t evaluated. So, it’s difficult to say if he could be held accountable and to what degree. The fact of the matter is two armed men assaulted him. In simple terms, that allows him quite a bit of leeway. Whether he’s trained or not, the question remains to be seen if his training allowed him to deal with them in a mentally capable manner. Even a trained police officer could panic when facing armed people or unexpected and dangerous situations, and respond excessively without meaning to. So, it’s difficult to say how a civilian, who hasn’t been involved in any violence, would react in a dangerous situation. At this moment, I’m inclined to think it’s not an issue to worry about. Even if they may suspect something, they have to prove he had training, where and to what extent, but more than that, they have to prove he had acted deliberately to cause injury, which I believe would be very difficult to prove, since he was facing serious odds. Furthermore, he didn’t continue thrashing them after putting them down, according to all your statements. It was pure self-defense. Let’s leave it at that for the time being.”

Dana was unsettled, as I was, but not to the same extent. Amy reached and patted her arm to comfort her. Mr. Holcomb smiled in re-assurance, and said, “It’s not something to be concerned about, Miss Conor. I wanted to cover all our bases, that’s all. You shouldn’t worry about it.”

“You know, sometimes we have a little bit of trouble in the club,’ Ulysses joined in, “and things happen despite our best efforts, and nothing comes out of it. Our bouncers in the club are trained to deal with problems, and the troublemakers are just untrained people. We never had problems with the police or the law, even when there were complaints, or legal threats from some of the unruly clients.” He reached and patted her hand to put her at ease. “Don’t worry about it, Dana. It’s a cut and dried case. Self-defense. He did what he had to do, while facing bad odds.”

“Ulysses is right, Dana. You’re worrying about nothing,” Amy joined in.

Composing myself, I smiled trying to put her at ease, and she seemed to settle down. “I’m not worried. I know I didn’t go out of my way to hurt them, but I wasn’t going to allow them to hurt anybody,” I said with a firm voice, and flashed another smile to convince her.

Ulysses left the table and returned with a bottle of brandy. Seeing Amy refill our cups, Ulysses topped them up with some brandy. Dana reached for her purse, looking for her cigarettes and lit up. When she offered Amy one, she lit up as well. I declined, even though I was dying for one. I thought it would go a long way to reassure Dana that I wasn’t worried. She was surprised, but finally seeing her tense shoulders sag in relaxation was, without question, worth the little bit of nicotine deprivation!

We all finished our coffee, and it was time to get on with the rest of the day. Mr. Holcomb was the first to excuse himself, and he gave me his business card before leaving the club. Dana and I stayed a bit longer. She reminded me to call Alex to see if we could meet him. Although it was almost lunchtime, I managed to reach him, and we made plans to meet in half an hour. His office was just a few blocks away from the club, so I knew we could make it there in time. Thanking them for their help and hospitality, we promised to keep in touch with them, and hurried to our meeting with Alex.

* * * * *