Puzzling Pieces

Chapter 4

I'd say right now, how I felt, was a celery stick eaten but not satisfying. So, another is eaten, and still, hunger is that crocodile biting on your arm. There's no way that I can find a solution to such slim pickings. It's as famishing as just owning celery sticks. And I hate those vegetables, so the comparison makes sense.

I ran for it and didn't look back. To leave him there, just as he was … it's disgusting for me to even reminisce on. But I know he would want to me go. I don't assume any ifs with Viv. It's do or die. He told me that once. I'm nearing the closest subway, but I choose to circle around it and hail a taxi if they'd have me.

I had to dust off the shards of glass. Make sure my hair had no remains. I almost cut myself, but what're a few more scars? And what's losing one's breath when you're running from a scene that will leave you with the insomnia of a dead man with his eyes diluted and robbed of its soul.

I look a mess. Disgruntled, and on top of that, I'm no friendly face to commune with. So, the taxi’s that do see me pass-me-by and miss a fare. There loss. I shove a middle finger at each of them who leave me stranded and decide to cross the road on this suddenly cold night. It's warm to some who barely have on a skirt or jacket, but to me, I'm suffering worse than it being Antarctica cold and living the polar bears.

I realize I have no idea of my bearings. I'm an Urban face. An outsider. I might blend within the riff-rough, but I have a complex where I can be a lot smarter than the average ave-you-got-weed-mate? Or would you like sum? This makes it easier to approach the dossiers who would be considered hoodlums and villains.

I find a girl there who departs from her group of party-lovers. It's now Saturday morning. I realize that. s**t. s**t. s**t. I had plans. That’s going to have to change now. She's walking towards me with her phone lit up and her head buried at an angle where she could bump into the wall and the phone who hit first.

Her crooked neck and texting fingers mean I can't get her attention. She's in a faux-fur coat, the color of a beautiful lion's mane; shiny boots, silver surfer style; hair done-up with a long-wave pony-tail that won't move because it's an extension; and eyebrows on fleek. Yes, she's just come from a rave and judging by the pumping Rnb chills: 90's style - I get down my neck, it's a lively night.

I need some directions to get to my room. If I get it right, I should be at least 5 – miles or less. I know I should get the subway, but I want to avoid that. Keep it unpredictable to me and whoever may have noticed that Viv was not alone.

I watch her, without being too creepy as she stops at the side of the pavement and dials a number before putting it to her ear. "Cab, please? Yeah, I'm going to …” but she spots me. And I turn away to awkwardly for it not to be suspicious.

She removes the mobile phone from her ears and apologies to the man before continuing to tell him where she wants to go. 'I'm going to Queens. Yes, 718 …”But she stops again because that's exactly where I need to go, and I can't help but stare and then turn away.

“Yeah … How long?” Brief pause.“Ok. 10 – minutes? Fine. And I'm by the Deli-All-Day closed store.” She then hangs up and walks over to me. She must be ballsy because approaching me at this time of night is what hounds do and end up regretting it.

But the closer she gets, the more I see that she's a miss independent from not even hearing her speak. It's the face: pretty as anything, caramelly deluxe, and feline eyes that know that she's a dime. Eyebrows plucked. Femininity on point. Yes, she's the woman that you see from a mile and scream taxi, take me to her!

I'm brokenly stunned. And that means I can't believe sh;'s so attractive and at the same time: thud … thud … thud. Viv. Poor Viv. I harden. She's watching me and I'm visualizing old man Viv who wasn't really that old at all. He was just having his old-life-crisis.

“You got a problem?”Her voice matches the outfit: bad enough to ask out for a date. Steady and unscathed by the appearance of me.

“No.”I know I usually don't sound like that.“Just lost. Real lost.”That's more like me. An unlocked voice-box that never breaks; no matter what the trauma.

“Oh.”She searches around. Trying to disguise that me being lost could translate into she's got somebody ready to steal my mobile phone.

“I'm not out to rob ya. I just was going to ask you for some directions as I need to get home real fast.”

“Whereabouts you from?”Still reluctant, and looking all around her and back at me just as fast. Her eyes not settled, but her body telling me she is.

“Queens.” –

“Whereabouts in queens?”

“Not sure of the address. I just know it's located in a pretty run-down paper bag of an apartment with a load of rented rooms and expected cockroaches by the end of the week.”

“You could be by the fleapit? Rent is dirt cheap and not many questions get asked. Is there a really fat man who looks like he bathes in chip fat and smoothers it all over for good luck with women.” -

“Toupee on his head? But it's not actually that … more a hairpiece and bad barber who wanted him to resemble Hitler with the side-parting a little too over the edge?”

She sniggers gently before licking her glossed lips. “He thinks it makes him look German. A good look-alike.”She sniggers again.“He wouldn't have an idea who Hitler is though.”

I can't smile. No point of me pushing the door open when it wants to remain closed. But she's no longer distrustful to a certain extent. And now I know what to ask for. "So, I ask for the flea pit?”

“To be honest …”She gives me an elongated glare with a serious glint in the eye. I catch her eye color now … hickory-brown and grimly out to let me know that she isn't one to mess with. “That's where I'm heading.”

I see where this is going. “You uh … up for sharing a cab?”

That serious glare and words are not needed crosses her face again. “I always stay packing. So, any funny business: try and grab my wallet or anything else shady, I'll be able to promote self – defense.”

“A girl with sense, huh?”

“I just know that no matter how somebody comes across, you should never judge until you know. I don't want to assume your slim – shady or take-your-bag-Joan. Plus … My lady-gut tells me that you really need to get home. And my cab's going to be here in 5 – minutes.”She turns from me and walks back to the location where she stood: before that closed Deli store.

Isn't life cruel? A good man dies in the night, and a pretty girl comes in his place. I think it’s best that I go home and think of why the hell the cookie crumbles so far away from Viv's freedom?

…

When we reach the flea pit, I can't think of a word exchanged between me and the now silent lamb. She took the safety of sitting in the passenger seat that's next to the Jewish cabman with his speckled white-grey flat caps. Not much of a talker either, but he found a voice when it came to the cab fare;“$160.00” –

We both say; huh!?”With some attitude at the end of the note that drops real low.

"Oh.”He scoffs with his cheeks closed.“I mean $16.00-dollars, please?”He's smizing, and both of us are fuming. I give her the $8-dollars in paper and cents, then get out the car with no thank you for the cab driver. My heart can't take all these new beats to the melody. Does he want me to turn buck-nasty?

I shut my door, and she soon shuts hers in the front. “Thank you.”He drives off a few minutes after counting his tips and resetting his meter. Those things are more trained than the 40-thieves, and nothing gets past the fact that they really want to lead you to the traffic. Yeah. I'm all trained in the trick-o-meters that the cabmen employ. I used to have one myself.

“The apartment you're searching for is around the corner and 15 – yards down. It's on the side you stay on … so you'll see it straight away as it’s the tallest building on that road.”She tucks-in her faux jacket and heads in the opposite direction of me.

“Hey, thanks for your help,”I call after her to show my manners. In times like this, showing manners and gratefulness can do a whole load of karma points which I need to tick-off as a resolution before the new year.

She twirls whilst walking backward: nice and smooth … no trip up. The girl must be able to dance? “No problem.” She twirls back around and still manages to not upset the balance of her stride that has a little too much va-vaaaaaa-booo-yah! For my liking. Meaning I like it, but I'm as numb as that blunt I forgot to stub out on my bed. So, no point in liking anything that will make me feel better.

I watch her walk off. Mainly because I want her to reach safely. I've always had that courtesy for women after dark when their vulnerability in a hot-tosh area which is leaking with irregular activity. Not only can I smell methamphetamine brewing and being dealt with from behind a smashed glass and abandoned warehouse that must've been burnt to the crisp, but a few gang activities is patrolling the streets.

It's the way they lean-bop and shimmy their pants that if they dropped any lower would invite the prisoners to a butt-a-million weekend. The lean-bop-shimmy was a signal that all is clear for now. The out-looker would do this every 2-hours. It's probably a selling bingo going on and special discount.

I'll keep away from any of that. I don't any association with that. She gets in safely after she brandishes a key from her faux-jacket and then opens and disappears from my eyesight. So, the world got it right for once: that wasn't meant to go any further and that suits me in the mood I'm in.

It's s**t, including all burnt burgers on a barbeque grill. Vivian is dead, and I haven't a clue as to why that could be. I'm sitting on these creaking floorboards with the dust mites covering my baseball shorts: blue and white stripes, and turning them into a frothy clear brown.

I get up to dust it off. And sneeze; achwooooooooo! Before falling onto that Stonehenge of a bed. The back of my head nearly gives birth to a new creature that resembles a dinosaurian. I got an extinct headache on the way and eyelids that won't shut. It's the worst start possible. But I got a long day ahead of this Saturday. I need to find some way to falling asleep.