Danger - A Safe Bahamian Novel - Day 13

Danger - A Safe Bahamian Novel - Day 13

(2:39 pm Tuesday Nov 13, 2007)

(6:53 pm Tuesday Nov 13, 2007)

(7:00 pm Tuesday Nov 13, 2007)

*** A Lonely Room

And a slight temporal black hole issue...

Ouch. This day's writing is not starting off well gentle reader. Partly due to a severe case of the block and partly due to the procrastination block from what I can tell.

Bone tired.

But here we go and where call this lead...

*** The Streets of New Providence - A Moving Moke

Black Jack is just driving around tonight, seeing what he can see and thinking about things. Listening to music on his portable, solid state ogg player.

There goes Mary, quite contrary
asked her how did... her garden grow
she said silver bells
she said cockle shells
somethin bout pretty maids
in a row...

He had to find a way to get untracked, to come unstuck in time to get to the treasure first. But as it was, life seemed to be contrary for him right now. Maybe Mary was running things these days behind the scenes...

He had seen those guys put on a little show up on the beach at Rose Island earlier in the year. He liked their stuff.

Take a message for myself
turn around i'm someone else
left my dreams up on the shelf
and I need someone to help me
get away
get away, get away
yes i need someone to help me get away

Who could help him get unstuck, that was the question of the moment. He was approaching the turn off to the new Paradise Island bridge and on the spur of the moment he decided to head on over to the island. The thing was, he was in the right lane. And the right lane was the wrong lane for the left turn that he needed to make. But he didn't feel like making the loop. So he did himself what he didn't like when he saw other's do it. He quickly checked the traffic situation and hung a left onto the bridge from the right lane just before the light turned red. Ouch. He felt guilty and a bit of a hypocrite driving up the middle lane and promised himself that he would not do that again.

when you're home and lonely
on a friday night
baby why fight the feelin
ya gonna be alright

Yeah man, he was tapping his hands on the wheel, tapping his left foot, and singing along. He came up to the toll booth that made change and handed them a twenty. The toll booth attendant looked at him funny at first and then heard the words and joined in laughing as she handed over the change and threw the token into the basket for him.

when the days grow longer
and the night's too bright
baby why fight the feelin
ya gonna be alright

The bar lifted and he smiled and waved and drove off singing. He drifted over to the right lane for the light. A good looking gal who he took for a tourist gal pulled up in the lane beside him in a fancy rag top, with the top down, sporting SD plates. She looked at him and smiled and joined in the singing.

baby why fight the feelin
ya gonna be alright
baby why fight the feelin
ya gonna be alright

Her head was bopping to the beat. She gave a sign that he took to mean crank up the volume and so he obliged. She matched his speed and drove beside him. He wondered for a bit how a tourist gal came to know the words to this new local song.

when your best emotion's
either fight or flight
baby why fight the feelin
ya gonna be alright

They went around the round about together and hung a right into the parking lot of the little shopping centre. There was a parking space ahead and a car next to the empty space was just pulling out. Jack pulled the moke in and she pulled in beside him and turned off her car. Still singing. She gets out of her car and comes an slips in beside him in the moke. "Hey, I'm Mandy, I like your music."

"I'm Jack, are you hungry, can I buy you dinner?"

when your heart comes crashin
to the ground at night
baby why fight the feelin
ya gonna be alright

"I was going to ask you that," she laughs. He looks at her surprised and laughs. Then an odd thought flits across the back of his mind. Could she be hooked up with those horse women somehow?

"Here on the sidewalk? Or do you like the place out on the point?"

baby why fight the feelin
ya gonna be alright
baby why fight the feelin
ya gonna be alright

"Here on the sidewalk, I feel like a pizza. Tell you what. I'll flip you for it."

"You're on."

She takes a doubloon out of her purse and flips it up into the air smiling.

Jack calls it, "Heads."

Mandy wins and laughs beautifully. "Let's go Jack, are you brave enough to let me order as well as pay."

"If you are ordering pizza, sure, I think I'll risk it."

They walk over and choose a table under the stars. The waiter comes over and Mandy orders a pizza with pepperoni and onion. Jack laughs and orders himself a Tom Collins. Mandy gives him an odd look and asks him an odd question, "Do you know something I don't?"

Jack gives her an odd look in return, "I am sure I know a lot of things you don't know, what do you have in mind though?"

"Do you normally drink and drive?"

"Never actually, I don't plan on driving for a good while."

"That's what I had in mind. You drove here. How do you plan on leaving."

"I don't, well, not soon in any case. When I am done with dinner, I planned to walk on over to where the big boats are and see a friend."

"Makes sense. OK."

"So?"

"So, what?" asks Mandy.

"So, what did you think I was thinking?"

"I didn't really know, that's why I asked."

"Are you a lawyer?"

The pizza comes and they start to eat.

"So, how do you come to know that song and what brings you to town?" asks Jack looking into her eyes.

"Well, I like a lot of the new island music to answer your last question first. And I came to town to see you," she says looking into his eyes in return and smiling with a twinkle in hers.

This hits Jack like a slap in the face, "What do you mean you came to town to see me? You don't even know me. You are with those horse women aren't you?"

"Jack, I am not with any horse women, I don't even know what you are talking about any horse women."

"OK, then, who are you with?"

"Well, officially, for this assignment, I am with the D.E.A. but you know, life's complicated."

"And who are you with for other assignments?"

"Jack, don't ask. Let's not talk about this any more until after we finish dinner."

Jack is not sure he likes that suggestion, "No, let's clear it up now please. And can I see some ID?"

"No Jack, you can't see my ID. I just need you to trust me on this one."

"That's a bit much, don't you think, Mandy, if your name really is Mandy. Is it?"

"Yes Jack, trust me. You want to talk business over dinner? OK, we'll talk some business."

"OK, then, fine."

"Well, we need you to work with us on a little project we have going right now."

"I am sorry, I have my own little project going right now and I can't really spare the time."

"I am sorry to hear that Jack, you see, I have instructions to the effect that if you should take such a tack, that I should insist. So, I am going to have to insist."

"Insist? Mandy, you do know you are in the Bahamas don't you? I mean, I know we refer to Florida as out shopping mall, but we are not a part of the US you know."

"Jack, don't be naive."

"It i you who are naive if you think that an agent of the US government can come into our country and insist that one of our citizens co-operate in anything against their will."

"Jack, Jack, we have a very good working relationship with your government, surely you know that."

"Not from what I see in the papers and hear on the streets."

"Jack, do you always trust those sources? But you are right, we don't always have such a good relationship, but normally, when there are issues, they come up because there are locals involved. In this case, that is not the deal. Look!Just hear me out and then tell me what you are thinking."

"OK, fine." Jack agrees partly because she is good looking but more so because there is something about her that he likes. He can't put his finger on it yet, but he can sense it.

american stars
you know who you are
you're gonna go far
in your new car
american stars

american dreams
are not what they seem
shiny and green
never too mean
american dreams

Jack notices that he and Mandy are both tapping their fingers to the beat of this song as they eat their pizza.

"So, Jack, we have our eyes on a group that is running drugs through this country into ours. We know that the group is interested in you for some reason and that you have had contact with them recently."

Jack gets up, angry, "Listen! I don't know who you think you are or where you get your bogus information, but I don't have anything to do with drugs, you hear me!" Jack hisses out between clenched teeth.

"Jack, not only have you had contact with this group recently, you have had one of them living with you for a while now, so don't try to play all innocent with us! But stop running ahead. Right now I just want us to deal in facts please, you can bring your emotions into this later."

Jack sits back down, "OK, go ahead, let's hear your bogus facts."

"Jack, from what I heard of you, I expect better than this from you. Get a grip will you!"

baby kiss me
like in hollywood
honey hold me
like a lover should
stand beside me
like a wife who would
love forever
till the end of time

Jack closes his eyes and listens to the music and breathes deeply for a while, trying to find a calm centre in this difficult situation.

honey baby
take this heart of mine
only you dear
can make it shine
like the noon day
or the pale moonlight
honey baby
you can make it right

When Mandy can see that he is calmer, she takes another chance and proceeds, "Jack, we are not talking motives here yet, just facts. Clear?"

"OK, go on already."

"Fact, there is a group running drugs through your country into my country."

"Fact, this group is interested in you for some reason."

"Fact, you have been in contact with this group recently."

"Fact, you have had one Reg Pyfrom, a member of this group, staying at your place for a while now."

"Fact, since your contact with this group, their activities have picked up greatly."

"We want to know more, and we want you to help us."

give me all your truth
give me all your lies
give me all your half baked
alibis

and i will take you in my arms
kiss you down to size
give you all my heart
on a summer night

oh yeah,
oh baby oh yeah
sweet baby oh yeah
mmm baby oh yeah

"So, what kind of help do you want? These sound like dangerous men."

"Jack, you can't imagine how dangerous. These are not men you want to mess with."

"I never like to mess with dangerous men Mandy, but sometimes, dangerous people don't leave you much choice. Know what I mean?"

"I know what you mean said Mandy," thinking that he might have meant more or he might have meant less. Time would tell.

(10:26 pm Tuesday Nov 13, 2007)

*** The North Shore Beach on Great Guana Cay Abaco, across from the settlement.

Golden Child and Fred are walking along the beach hand in hand. Golden Child has been crying, "What should I do Fred?"

"Golden Child, I can't tell you what to do. I know what I want you to do from a selfish point of view, but I can't tell you what you should do."

They had been going around in circles like this all day now. These women certainly had an odd point of view to Fred's way of thinking. He had never heard of anything like this before in his life. He could not see what the big deal was. Why all the drama?

Why was everything so urgent? Why was everything so strict?

Moon Daughter had grilled him for a good long time last night. She must have at least liked his responses some. At least, Golden Child seemed to think so.

After the grilling, she had put some options to him...

He could leave his home for good, never to see his people again and come to live amoung her people.

She could stay with him for good, never to see her people again.

"That's it."

"No more options?"

"No more options."

And a single day to make the decision.

Golden Child had indicated that she couldn't believer that Moon Daughter had been so generous in giving them so much time to decide and in letting them decide together.

He told her that if she wanted, there was at least one more option, he could become hard to find and she could stay with her people.

Golden Child assured him that that would not work. She tried explaining that because of what she had one, that there were only the two options that Moon Daughter had explained to him.

He pressed her and asked her what would happen if he vanished for a while.

She said that he did not want to know.

When he tried insisting that he did, she had broken down in tears. He couldn't take that. She had too much of his heart already.

A song drifted down to the beach from the club up on the dune...

well i'm runnin low in abaco
i think i need to take a break
head somewhere where life is slow
man i can't take this hectic pace
in abaco no mo
said i can't take this hectic pace
in abaco no mo

Was that lyric trying to tell him something? If so, what?

While he was walking hand in hand with her and pondering the meaning of that lyric for his life, another drifted down on the heels of the first...

if i'd a known just what i'as doin
i wouldn't a done just what i did
i wouldn't a shot the sheriff and his deputy

i'd a spent more time a lovin
and a lot less time a fightin
might a been someone else and maybe not just me

if i'd a known just what i'as doin
i wouldn't a done just what i did
and maybe i wouldn't be facin that old tree

That one gave him even more to think about.

Golden Child was thinking along the same lines in respect of the last lyric. But when she was done thinking, she realized that she would have done just what she did.

She didn't want to tell him just yet until she got a better read of his feelings on the issue, but she realized that either of Moon Daughters options would be fine with her. As long as Fred chose one of them freely and fully.

(10:53 pm Tuesday Nov 13, 2007)