A Night On The Town

 

            by Zoe Janachek

 

 

        He was still standing near the door but he wasn’t facing it. This was her chance. She could sneak or rather stumble out without him noticing. Her hand searched the bottom of her purse then slapped a five dollar tip on the bar. Once outside she took a deep breath and wondered if her head was pounding from all the drinks or the fact that she had held her breath as she slipped out the door. Why did I do that? It’s not like holding my breath in that noisy bar kept me hidden any better. She stepped back from the curb as a yellow cab came to a stop. She took a moment to gather her thoughts.            “Miss? Umm...where to?”  the driver questioned.            “621 West Galer Street.”The driver turned around with a puzzled look as she rolled down the window. His look did not hinder her. Yes, it was raining but she liked the way the damp wind cooled her rosie face.             As she lay in bed her head was filled with the sound of her thoughts, the rain and the pounding  headache which raged through her temples. Her stomach churned. I moved here to start over, to break away from these habits. What the hell am I doing?? The thoughts filled her mind as she drifted off to sleep. * * * * * * * * * *             The red light of her alarm clock shone into her eyes as they slowly opened. She quickly pulled on a pair of jeans, a green polo and black converse. She splashed cold water on her face and was still drying it as she raced toward the door. After grabbing her raincoat and purse she slammed the door behind her and hurried toward the bus stop. On the bus ride she rummaged through her purse for a piece of gum, or a mint, or something to erase the stale taste of alcohol which lingered in her mouth. She exited the bus and sprinted toward the shop.                         She grabbed a clean apron and quickly pulled her strawberry blond hair onto a messy ponytail. She rushed to the counter.            “You’re late,” Nancy glared at her.             “I know, sorry. The bus was late.”            “Its fine. What matters is that you’re here. Can you brew some more regular coffee?”            “Yeah, I’m on it.”            “Thanks.”Kelly poured the coffee grounds into the giant paper filter and flicked the machine on.             “Two non fat lattes and a mocha,” Nancy shouted from the register. They hurried to serve the morning rush. It was their least favorite part of the day. The business men were usually nice. But the women, who wore too much make up and perfume in their polyester dress suits were always rude.             “Two coffees and I’m in a hurry!” they would bark.             Kelly always imagined that the business women thought that they were better than her. She hated them. They smell of their perfume made her feel sick, especially when she was hung over. After the flood of business suits resided the more laid back locals slowly trickled in. They tossed their soggy umbrellas in the bucket by the door and ordered their coffee. They were in no rush. They ordered politely and sparked interesting conversations with Nancy and Kelly. They had there favorites. There was Mr. Peterson. He was a retired fisherman who would have told stories until closing time if they would have allowed him to. Amy Johnson who was a single mother and yoga instructor. Nancy baby sat for her two sons every Monday and Wednesday night while Amy taught classes at the Seattle YMCA. Then, there was Kyle. He was tall and athletic. His bright blue eyes complemented his wavy blond hair which spilled onto his forehead. He worked down the street at the Pike Place Bakery. Kelly usually shied behind the large espresso machine while Nancy waited on him.             “You wait on him today. How will you ever get him to notice you if you always hide,” Nancy would insist.            “No, no. Maybe tomorrow.”            “Come on!”            “I said no!”            “Fine,” the awkward silence filled the room “so, you were late again today...”            “I know,” Kelly murmured “it won’t happen again.”            “That's what you’ve said the last twelve times. You seem kinda down and moody lately, are you okay? I mean is something wrong? Cause I’m here to talk if you need someone.”            “I’m fine!” Kelly snapped.            “Business is so slow, you can go if you want.”            “I think I will,” Kelly threw her apron into the linen basket, grabbed her purse and rushed out the door.            Later that day Kyle appeared for his regular afternoon coffee. The rain had flattened his blond curls and his Carheart jacket was soaked. Nancy poured him a large cup of coffee and resumed her spot on the countertop. He collapsed into one of the soft chairs and sighed.            “Its brutally slow at the bakery today. How is business here?” he inquired.            “So slow, I’m so bored. Its funny, you wouldn’t think any amount of rain would keep a Seattle native inside.”            “Yeah, but its really comin down out there. Where’s your other half?”            “Huh? Oh, Kelly? She went home. Seemed a little off today.”            “I can imagine,” he chuckled.            “What?”            “Yeah. Saw her at a little bar down by the pier last night. Glad to see she made it home okay. I was a little worried but didn't wanna intrude because I wasn't sure if she’d recognize me.”            “At the bar?” Nancy grumbled.            “Yea...” a puzzled look washed over Kyle’s face. “Why is that such a shock?”            “Oh, well, I don’t know if I should really be sharing this with you,” Nancy hesitated.            “Well if there is a problem I can keep an eye on her next time.”            Nancy went on and explained Kelly’s story:            Kelly was born in a small town in central Washington. She had never know her mother. According to her father she left shortly after Kelly was born saying that this was not the life she had imagined for herself.             “She was very selfish Kel, but that doesn’t matter anymore. I love you very much and we’ve got each other, thats what counts,” her father would say.             Kelly’s hometown was small and quiet. As a little girl Kelly loved the town. Everybody knew everybody, the town was like a giant family. However, as Kelly grew older the town seemed to grow smaller and more mundane. * * * * * * * * * *             It was the summer before freshmen year. Kelly and her best friend Laura lay sprawled basking in the sun on Laura’s back porch. In the distance was the silhouette of Laura’s father driving a tractor up and down the rows of the alfalfa field.             “What should we do tonight?” Kelly asked.            “I dono,” Laura replied with a sigh.            “I swear I’m gonna die of boredom in this damn town,” Kelly said.            The tractor’s engine rumbled, backfired and restarted.            “We could....no never mind,” Laura hesitated.            “What? We could what?” Kelly insisted.            “Follow me.”            Laura and Kelly walked inside. Their eyes had adjusted to the glare of the sun and it was now difficult to see in the house. They stumbled through the living room and down the stairs into the basement where Laura’s brother’s room was located. Laura crouched on the floor next to her brothers bed and pulled out a box.             “What are you doing? If Jake finds us down here he’ll kill us,” Kelly said as she gazed around the room and then back at Laura.            Laura lifted the lid of the box and placed in on the floor. A smell of old fabric and moth repellent filled the room. She dug below the layers of old sweaters and then froze. She peered over both shoulders to confirm the Jake was nowhere in sight and then pulled out a bottle. She quickly wrapped the bottle in the beach towel which had been around her bikini clad body and handed the bundle to Kelly. She replaced the sweaters in the box and slid it back into its original position below the bed.             “Come on! Before we get caught!” Laura barked.            They scurried back up the stairs and into Laura’s room. Kelly tossed the bundle onto the bed.             “Careful!”            “Sorry! But I think this is a really bad idea. You’re brother is gonna notice its missing.”            “No way, he's got bottles stashed all around his room. He’ll just think he misplaced it.”            “What is it anyway and what are we gonna do with it?”            “Drink it duh...Let’s call some of our friends and have a bonfire by the lake tonight.”            “I don’t know Laura...”            “Oh come on Kelly! Don’t be so lame. It’s not like there's anything else to do in this  town. You said yourself its boring enough to kill someone,” Laura laughed.             They called their friends and agreed to meet at the lake that night.* * * * * * * * * *             Three Jeeps and a pickup pulled onto the sand of the lake shore. The boys started the fire as the girls  spread blankets on the ground. Kelly’s heart raced. She knew her father would be incredibly disappointed if he found out she had been drinking. Laura handed Kelly a red plastic cup. She peered into the cup and back at Laura.            “Kelly, grow a pair! It’s not a big deal, just drink it!”shouted one of the boys.She lifted the cup to her lips and took a small sip. She squinted her eyes, puckered her lips and forced herself to swallow the mixture of vodka and cola.             “Blah! It tasted like nail polish remover,” she giggled.            The fire blazed higher as the level of the liquid in the bottle sank lower. The night spun. It was the first time in a long time that Kelly had felt truly happy. It was only the beginning, many similar nights would follow. * * * * * * * * * *             As high school progressed Kelly’s partying increased. What was once an occasional weekend activity morphed  into a regular weekend event and eventually spilled over into week nights. It was no longer a secret. She had been hospitalized and had her stomach pumped twice. Her father pleaded with her to stop the behavior. She often promised him that it would end but fell back into old patterns quickly. Three weeks after her high school graduation Kelly was hospitalized for the third time. As she lay in the hospital bed with and empty stomach and an IV in her arm she knew that it was finally time for a change. Her eyes wandered around the sterile room and she realized that what she needed was a clean start. She returned home and packed her things.            “You’re sure about this? Maybe you should stay here for a while longer?” her father questioned.             “No dad, I can do this, I need to do this. I love this town, it will always be my home but I need to get out for a while,” she insisted.            She loaded her bags, hugged her father and got into her car.            “I’ll call you when I get there. I’ll be home in a couple weeks to visit. I love you,” and with that she pulled out of the driveway and headed down the dusty gravel road.             After a couple hours drive she arrived in Seattle. The city seemed giant compared to her sleepy home town. This is great. There will be a lot of new things to distract me. She pulled up in front of a small grayish building. Her aunt was standing outside waving her arms franticly.            “KELLY!!!!” she shouted. “Oh we’re so happy to see you! Welcome! Your uncle is inside. Come on, oh we’re so excited to have you with us.”            They entered the apartment. Her uncle greeted her with smile and a hug and led her down a narrow hallway.            “This is your room. Get cozy. Feel free to rearrange the furniture and...well...just make it your own,” he smiled and paused as if he had lost his thought. “Things are gonna get better from here on out okay...”             “Thanks,” Kelly smiled and closed the door. She sat on the bed and scanned the room. Things are gonna get better. * * * * * * * * * *             Kelly found a job at a local coffee shop and attended AA meetings at a community center. She was sober for 4 months. However soon she began to grow bored. She felt that she was not taking advantage of the new and exciting city around her. So, one night she went to a local bar. Although she initially fought the urge by ordering an ice tea she eventually gave into old temptation. One sip and images raged through her mind. She felt like she did the first time on the lake shore. She felt numb. She felt happy. The pain of never knowing her mother, disappointing her father, the boredom of her hometown and the intimidation of the new city melted away. She fell back into her old habits quickly. It was as if nothing had changed.* * * * * * * * * *             “So you see she has a history with drinking, thats why I’m worried,” said Nancy.            “Damn,” sighed Kyle. “I had no idea.”            They stared blankly out of the shop’s windows. The rain had seized from a pour to a sprinkle.             “Well if she's not going to help herself we need to help her,” Kyle announced in a matter of fact tone.            They called Mrs. Johnson, Mr. Peterson and other regular customers who considered Kelly to be their friend. They explained the situation and agreed to meet the next morning before Kelly’s shift began. Then, when Kelly arrived, they would confront her and convince her to get help.* * * * * * * * * *             They lined the couches and chairs. Their coffee mugs lined the table. Spirals of steam wafted off the surface of the coffee. The door opened and Kelly stepped in. She froze as she scanned the room.            “Uh...whats going on?” her cheeks became flushed with a rosie hue.            “Sit down Kelly,” Nancy insisted.            “Excuse me?”            “Sit down Kelly. We need to talk to you,” Nancy repeated.            Tears began to fill Kelly’s eyes. Kyle glanced at Nancy for encouragement.            “You know why we’re here. Let us help,” Kyle said.            Kelly collapsed into a chair.            “Its time for a change. Things need to get better,” she mumbled.