Chapter-2 Episode-1 Ciao, Brother!
1657 Words
Chapter-2
Episode-1
Ciao, Brother!
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It was dusk when jimmy got done with his classes. Usually, on any other day after getting done with his classes, he would hang out in the library buried under the bulky, ancient folklores or other legends and mythological beings or if not, he would hang out with his friends. But today was different. He had an arrangement. He was peppy about the meeting.
Jimmy walked into The Sunrise, a populous cocktail lounge and club of the city. He has been there a few times with his friends. And today he was meeting his brother. Reeve called him about an hour ago just before his last class to inform him of his arrival in the city. Jimmy hasn’t had seen his brother for months, and ya, they did talk on the phone a few times but that ain't enough given that they are each other’s only family left. They loved each other no doubt but they had their separate lives away from each other.
He entered the lounge where he was supposed to meet his brother. The lounge was blazing with polychromatic neon lights zipping through the entire space and jazz roaring in the ears. It was crowded but not to the limits that will make you uncomfortable. He spotted his brother wearing his casual style, his hair looked more kept than last time and his expressions looked blank. He was sitting on a lounge chair sipping and savoring some iced orange fizzy drink. He looked tired. I walked to him, he didn’t saw me coming until I tapped on his shoulder, saying
“hey, brother,” I said as he noticed me standing behind him. He stood up from his chair to hug me.
“man jimmy, you grew more? How much water do you drink?” he joked like his usual self while tapping my back.
“yeah tell me about it. How are you?” I asked.
“Dandy and handsome, like always. Come sit!”
“how come you drop in here to see me? Or do you have some case here? It’s rare you know, to see you. But it's good.” I said as settled we both to a chair beside Reeve.
“I ain't here to hear your grumbling again okay, I am here for a case and your graduation as I promised,” Reeve said lying to his little brother. Lying to his brother……. it wasn’t the first time he did so. But doing it again and again never made it easier. He still feels a pit in his stomach like something is churning inside whenever he does that. He felt a hint of guilt but he ditched that emotion.
“you remembered? I thought you will forget like every time. I am astounded, to be honest.” Jimmy said jokingly.
“stop kidding I am serious”, Reeve said seriously in his hoarse voice.
“Okay, okay, so what is the case this time?” Jim asked in a sincere expression.
“I’ll tell you about it later, but for now let’s just enjoy this deliciously poisonous glass of manmade bliss. It is great.” He said raising his hand to summon the waiter.
“same bliss for this giant too”, he said to him.
We chatted for about half-hour about something about his last case and something about our lives. Reeve gulped some more booze. He was totally drunk till we left the lounge. He was staying at a motel a few miles distance from the club. So, letting him leave on his own wasn’t a good choice. So, I decided to drive him there. Walking to the car, he was tipsy walking like a snake stumbling at every step. So, I asked him to let me drive the car. I know he is possessive about his car but there ain't no other choice.
I was driving through the dimmed night city road while he was hanging on the passenger’s seat beside me in his drunken state. He looks funny when he is drunk. It’s a rare show for the eyes. He turned the music on in his car.
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“I was a little too tall Could've used a few pounds
Tight pants points hardly renown
She was a black-haired beauty with big dark eyes
And points all her own sitting way up high
Way up firm and high”
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Night moves started playing on the player and he started singing in his husky, orotund voice as he knew that this song is gonna play the first thing. This used to be the song we both liked once when we were younger. He peeked at me with his drunken, drowsing eyes the moment the song started.
“come on Jimmy, sing with me”, he said.
“you started this, don’t tell me to stop now,” I said and started my performance in my gruff voice.
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“Out past the cornfields where the woods got heavy
Out in the back seat of my '60 Chevy
Workin' on mysteries without any clues
Workin' on our night moves
Trying' to make some front-page drive-in news
Practicing our night moves in the summertime, oh
In the sweet summertime
We weren't in love oh no far from it
We weren't searching for some pie in the sky summit
We were just young and restless and bored
Living by the sword
And we'd steal away every chance we could
To the backroom, the alley, the trusty woods
I used her she used me but neither one cared
We were getting our share
Practicing on our night moves
Trying to lose the awkward teenage blues
Workin' on our night moves
Oh I wonder
Hey we felt the lightning yeah
And we waited on the thunder
Waited on the thunder
I woke last night to the sound of thunder
How far off I sat and wondered
Started humming a song from nineteen sixty-two
Ain't it funny how the night moves
When you just don't seem to have as much to lose
Strange how the night moves
With autumn closing in
night moves
(Night moves) oh
(Night moves) I remember
(Night moves) sure do remember those night moves
(Night moves) ain't it funny how you remember (oh oh)
(Night moves) funny how you remember the night moves
(Night moves) I remember, I remember, I remember, I remember (night moves) whoa, whoa
(Night moves) It's work
(Night moves) working and practicing
(Night moves) working and practicing oh, on the night moves
(Night moves) night moves
(Night moves) I remember
(Night moves) I sure remember
(Night moves) lord I remember, lord I remember
(Night moves) lord I remember oh yeah yeah
I remember, I remember”
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Some songs never get old, they just get more and more precious with time. They’re like a tree that grows, and bear, with time a song can grow too. They will grow bearing the finest memories. What differentiated a good old and a similarly amazing song which is newer? If you’d ask, I’ll say the memories the old song carries are invaluable, they can’t be compared or weighted with any other thing in the whole wide world. They are just like some expensive antiques from a pawn shop, each of them is valuable and distant. Just like an old memory of nostalgic times. They had the feeling, that longing, that emotions only you can feel, no one else can, ever. The song that reminded you of your first love, the one about your first kiss, or the one from your first heartbreak, they all hold some emotions, feelings. The feeling of joy, excitement, that delight or despair. Sad or happy, they are and will always be the most treasured possession in one’s lives.
Just like that, I spend the night at the motel in my brother’s room. He was sleeping on the bed like how a horse sleeps after winning a sprint. Whilst me, I was adjusting and struggling my body on that thorny and cramped couch tossing and turning the whole night to find the position closest to being comfortable on that meager piece of furniture but damn these legs didn’t like this cramped piece. They were itching to be stretched on a comfortable bed, but I had no choice but to fit in it and drift to sleep.
- Writer
