Chapter 9
1386 Words
“To drown out the noise,” Danny.
“Last table to scrub, Pete,” She called out as she cleared a
booth in the PANAMA CLUB. A club owned by Pete’s dad, a migrant from Panama.
Every night the club plays a Cuban remix popular with the locals. Now Pete owns
the club after his father died.
Danny works here as a part of the sanitation crew. A job she
started when she turned 15th. Pete is the son of an old friend of Mr. Matthews.
He's aware of Danny’s condition and was the one who suggested that she works at
the club.
“To drown out the noise Matthews.” He told Danny’s dad all those
years back.
Pete is a 27-year-old veteran who did several tours in Iraq. He
has his share of PTSD episodes. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a
disorder that develops in some people who have experienced a shocking, scary,
or dangerous event. It is natural to feel afraid during and after a traumatic
situation.
He witnessed Danny when she was around 15; when she was around
15, he saw Danny suffer a PTSD episode. He could tell as he would still get the
same episodes. A PTSD episode is characterized by feelings of fear
and panic, flashbacks, and sudden, vivid memories of an intense,
traumatic event in your past.
He suggested to Mr. Mathews that if Danny had something to do
during her insomnia attack, it might help drown out the noise. And since her
episodes mainly were at night. Working in the club seemed like a good
idea.
Mr. Matthews trusted Pete like a son and agreed that he would
watch over her, especially around the drunk men in the club.
Over the years, Pete noticed that Danny could handle herself
around the drunk men, but she was too much of a distraction for the men as she
got older. Hence, he moved her shifts to when it was closing, so there would hardly be any men when she was out
on the floor.
Danny didn’t mind as sleep eluded her. She sleeps better late
afternoon while the sun is still out and wakes up just before it gets too
dark. Then she’s awake all night until the sun rises, and she takes a quick nap.
Pete knew this and even had a room in his cabin behind the club
prepared for her when she got too tired. Mr. Matthew doesn’t mind as he felt
that was safer than her walking all the way home at 4 am.
Danny is like a little sister to Pete and is the only one that
Danny shared what happened to her during that attack.
A year ago –
Sitting on the steps outside Pete’s cabin. Danny had to sign off
her shift earlier as she got triggered when one of the drunk men grabbed her.
She usually can fight them off or let them roll off her shoulder, but tonight,
it hit her hard.
She went running to the Cabin, and when Pete came, he found her
sitting by the step leading to the door.
They were sitting quietly for more than 30 mins before she
spoke.
“They made me watch as they slit mom’s throat. Then after they
raped me. Passed me around like a rug doll. I don’t remember everything as my
mind slipped away when the first attacker was done.” She says as a
matter of fact. No emotion was written on her face, yet a rouge tear fell on
her cheek. “I guess I can consider myself lucky that I don’t have a clear
memory of everything.”
“But there are times….” She shrugged.
He stayed quiet, he knew she needed to be just heard, and he was
worried he might push her into an episode if he pushed her.
“Normally, I could carry myself, but not tonight.”
Then Pete realized why? f**k, it was the night of the
attack.
“Danny, you shouldn’t have gone to work. If this work is getting
too much for, your welcome to quit.”
“And do what stare at my room while I wait for the sun to
rise.”
“You’re welcome to come over anytime, and maybe I will add some more
techniques into those pounces.”
“You know?” Danny was taken by surprise.
“That your dad’s been training you? Dans, some of those moves
you do to avoid the men in the club. It's not exactly something you learn from
YouTube.” He laughed.
Danny opened and closed her mouth, expecting that he knew more.
But she was glad he didn’t, or if he knew he was keeping mum about it. It will
help her improve her skill if she trains more often.
“Deal but on one condition. I still get to work here; give me
the closing shift. Then we train after my morning nap.”
“No deal,” Pete says while shaking his head and smiling as Danny
pouts.
“If you want to get tougher, we train right after your shift.
Then you earn your naps.” He says in his soldier voice.
“Yes, sir!” Danny laughs while saluting.
Pete stood and was about to leave when Danny grabbed his arm.
“And Pete, thanks.” Pete turns to see her looking at him with her Hazel Dewey
eyes piercing through him.
“For what?”
“For earlier.”
“Anytime” As Pete walked away, his heart started to flutter.
Fucking hell, he was falling for Danny.
- Present time –
“Done with this area?” Pete walks over to Danny.
“Yep! BTW am sorry I was late today. Tell you later about it?
I’ll finish up the rest. I am starving, so I want to get all these done as fast
as possible.” Danny smiles as she puts back on her headsets and takes off with
her trolley.
Pete knew Mr. Matthews had a drinking problem and the food at
Danny’s place was worse than what he had when he was in training camp. As he
knew its been a week since school ended, he wanted to give her something
special.
Pete headed to the kitchen to check on the food he asked the
kitchen staff to prepare for her. He double-checked that her favorite chocolate
cake was also there.
Moments later, Danny parked her cleaning trolley and removed the
orange coveralls they wore while cleaning. Something Pete insisted she
wore. She doesn’t know it was Pete’s way to at least mask her curves
from the men.
Pete has been a little more possessive over Danny after that
night. Now that she was 18, he felt even closer to her. But being nine years
older, he was being careful. She saw him as her support, someone who understood
her episodes.
Pete was standing by the exit door and holding the door open for
Danny. As Danny passed Pete, he stopped her and pulled the hoodie over her
head. “It's cold tonight.”
“Awww, Petey worried about me?” She teased
“Always,” Pete winks before continuing, “Come on, I have a
a little surprise for you.”
Danny walks close next to Pete through a dirt path that leads
them to the cabin behind the Club.
Before reaching the cabin, Danny felt a movement behind the
bushes as both heard a low growl. Pete stands in front, creating a barrier
between him and whatever animal is behind the bushes.
As the bushes moved again, a big possum jumped out as they
started laughing.
“Petey saves me from the possum,” Danny says between his breath.
“Dans, stand behind me. I’ll protect you!” Pete laughs harder.
Pete places his arm over her shoulders. “Come on, my lady, your food awaits!”
“And…”
“Your chocolate cake!”
“Yes.” Danny pushes Pete’s hand off her shoulder as she runs to
the cabin.
“Dans, don’t you dare. Leave me some,” They banter as they chase
each other as they head to the
cabin.
AS they enter the house. A low growl escapes a wolf standing across the road by the forest line.
- Writer
