Tęsinys………..

●○●

Outside the house, Larry looked timidly around checking for Eva‘s presence.    

“Well,” he started, “What are you after? What can I do for you?”

“Well, I thought you might offer me to go for a ride.”

“Do you have time?”

“Not very much,” Sandra said disillusioned, but her eyes set on sparkles at the same time, “but you could give me a ride to the bus station.”

“Is it far away that you are leaving for?” Larry was interested, while starting the engine. He liked that way out. Should Sandra be gone for some time, perhaps, he would manage to make peace with Eva. Then he would straighten things out with both of them. 

“I‘m not leaving, I just have to meet my aunt,” Sandra interpreted. “I will have to keep her amused for the whole day, but now I have some time for myself…”

Larry was glad to hear that he would not have to keep Sandra amused for a long time. “Well, since you have some time,” he said cheerfully, “I would suggest going to…”

“Where?” the girl cheered up.

“I think some amusement and games would do…What do you think?”

 Sandra looked at Larry with such eyes of a trusty dog that she seemed to be able to go to the back of beyond, just to be together.

“I would suggest the Attraction Park,” Larry continued.

 Sandra gave a laugh aloud.

“Don‘t you like it?” the guy was disappointed. 

“Of course, I do,” Sandra started excusing herself, “but I won‘t have enough time for that. May be next time? I‘ll be waiting for that day…”

Larry thought that there might not be the next time. 

“And now,” she went on, “why don‘t we go to a cafe and spend some time sitting in the sun.”

“If we go to the open air cafe, we go!” Larry agreed with her proposal and started moving. “Which one to?”

“Well, its summer time… Have a close look! There is a lot of them all around… They have sprang up like mushrooms after the rain… We could stop by at anyone you like.”

“All right,” Larry said, “I‘ll pick up a romantic spot.”

The car was flying through a sunny midday. Soft wind was puffing inside through the open windows and caressing their faces. Now Larry was feeling almost fine. He had a lovely girl sitting next to him and her convivial smile was charming Larry. Larry thought that he would felt much better, if Eva would be sitting next to him.  He cast a look at Sandra. She gave a smile to him. Her face looked much nicer than ever before with its gentle weariness in this fantastic and warm midday. Somehow, memories about Eva had steeped away… 

It was an attractive coffee shop on the quay. They were sitting in the terrace and watching the waves that were rinsing the building foundation. The sun heat was grilling and the fresh sea air gave a pleasant coolness. The sea was singing the strophe of its only and unique song. 

“It‘s so good,” Sandra finally said, “you are just reading my mind.”

“Do you like it?”

“Yes, very much… One can dream for hours and hours…”

Larry could predict, what Sandra‘s dreams were about. One could read it from her young face and the blue eyes. There was nothing what Larry could give her. There was nothing what could give her any hope. He could give her only that very minute, that moment that she was hungry for. He could give her just that much of it. Anything else did no longer belong to him. 

“You are silent again. What are you thinking of now?”

Larry got embarrassed. He tried to tell her that he was thinking of her, but he could not. He did not want to lie. He did not dear to tell her the truth, either. Larry gave a deep sigh. “I am thinking that life is so unfair.”

“Unfair?” Sandra got surprised. “We are here, together… What else is needed? That‘s fine with me…”

“Just the time is merciless…”

Sandra caught up and looked at her watch. “Oh, Larry, it‘s truly merciless. We have to go, because my aunt will be missing me.”

“Thomas could have gone instead of you, after all.”

“He wouldn‘t…”

●○●

Larry was left all alone again. Now what? Shall I see Eva and apologize? Yes, I know that it cannot continue any more… But how could I make it up? What would I tell her? Shall I tell her that I am going out of my mind because of her? No, he said slowly, it would be too cliché like. I should have told her this immediately after I saw her for the first time with that boyfriend. And now what? I cannot fall down like snow from the sky. Larry was nervously beating the devil‘s tattoo on the wheel with his finger. I‘ll get her back, just I don‘t know how yet. I have to consider everything. Right was Arnold, when he said some time that it is very difficult to have back something that has been lost. I can‘t be in a hurry. I need to go for a walk off… Shall I go to the pool house? No… Now not. Everything there is logged with stinky sweat. There must a disco going on at the Student‘s House – an entertainment for simple folk… Why don‘t I go to Kevin‘s? Sure! We would have a discussion on the concert. Everything is almost ready, just the funerals have ruined our plans.

Larry started up the engine and took off from the spot. I need to take care of the promotion, he thought, and there is a lot for discussions. So, the concert is the first thing of all, and afterwards I will think about making peace with Eva. I will get to the activities right after the concert! I will prove it, both to myself and to my mother that we‘ll be together.

He left Kevin‘s house with disappointment. That‘s a bad luck, he thought sulky. I‘m fed up already, he said in his mind. There is just one thing to do – to go to a coffeehouse. I‘ll go to our favorite restaurant close to my home. Thomas and Edgar must be giving fun there already… Larry waved with his hand, started the engine and whirled off.

When he got inside, Larry noticed Thomas and Edgar at once. Two unfamiliar girls were keeping them company. The company had been warmed up already. They are not wasting their time, Larry thought. I‘ll meet their girls in a moment. I‘ll see what they are worth for.

“Come, Larry, join us,” Thomas invited, waving his hand.

Soon Larry sat down at Edgar‘s side. 

“What will you drink?” Thomas asked.

“Nothing, thanks, I‘m not in the mood.”

“What happened? Did you get cross with Sandra?” Edgar inquired.

“No, we buried my friend‘s wife yesterday…”

“Well, than have some juice at least,” Edgar offered. “Are you going to sit here like a stump?”

“And I would propose to have a glass in order to comfort your heart,” Thomas insisted.

“No, Thomas, I am not drinking today for sure,” Larry cut off, “just some juice. I mean it.” Both guys understood that Larry was not kidding. They stopped persuading him. 

The girl at Thomas‘s side was not of very presentable outlook. She was tall, thin as stick and with a massive face. Perhaps she is a player of basketball, Larry thought. Edgar‘s girlfriend was much prettier. Her lip color made her lips to look so soft… They simply attracted to be kissed. She was wearing a fashionable blue suite, neatly slinking on her body. Her look was piercing and challenging, her face was small and with silly lineament. The girl noticed that she was being watched and a nervous quiver crossed her face.

“Oh, we have forgotten to introduce you to each other,” Thomas exclaimed as if getting awake. “Larry, meet Norma and Lisa, please. Lisa is the one with black eyes.”

The black-eyed girl was a little nervous. She put out a cigarette that was lit up just a moment ago against an ashtray edge.

“That‘s right,” Larry said. “You don‘t look like a smoker. That‘s what I always imagine Eva like.”

“What Eva?” Thomas wandered.

“Yes, what Eva, since you are dating with Sandra?” Edgar interfered too.

Larry got embarrassed, but tried to carry on the conversation. He continued, “And what girls do you prefer – smoking or non-smoking?”

The black-eyed girl looked at Larry resentfully. “And you, what kind of people do you prefer,” she threw a vicious question, “discrete or indiscrete?”

Larry got lost. What a blatant upstart, he thought. What a stunning self-confidence… Well, this should mean that she is a human from the capital letter and I am just an indiscrete brainless man. That‘s a „nice“ company I got into. I should get out of here sooner.

Edgar joined the conversation, realizing that Larry had choked, “Lisa is a smart and nice girl,” he said, “she can speak even seven languages.”

Those words astonished Larry. What an erudite! he was thinking nervously. She can speak seven languages, but is sitting at some shabby restaurant and drinking like a coachman in the middle of the day. Larry smiled from ear to ear. “I can speak just one language, my mother tongue, and you know what,” he looked around all of them and went on having set his eye on Edgar, “I can talk to everybody and all people can understand me, just like I can understand them. I just wanted to say that smoking is very harmful for your health.”

“Well, yes, it is,” Thomas admitted, “but let‘s not start moralizing…”

“Yes, Larry,” Edgar added, “each one is free to have his one opinion about things. Is it necessary to spoil this nice party of ours?”

Lisa felt being over him. She looked around proudly like a peacock and gave a crooked smile. “There you go, when someone comes from nowhere and tries to show up, what kind of person he is…”

Larry wanted to put out her self-regard, but the waiter came up and interfered with his intention to wreak his accumulated fury on her. She looked at everybody in a rather unfriendly manner. She must be rather fresh here, Larry thought. She hasn‘t learned to smile yet.

“Can I have some juice?” Larry asked.  “Just cooled, please.”

She contracted the forehead surprisingly. “Is this all?”

“Yes, miss. Is it bad to drink juice?”

“No, why?” she finally relaxed and gave him a smile. “What juice would you like?”

“I‘d love to have some grape juice, if you have.”

“One of grape juice,” she repeated, putting it down in her block note and smiled again, having lifted up her lovely face. “Great, I‘ll be right back.”

Larry watched her leaving with a smile on his face. She was young, but her strong constitution made her look slightly senior. She will learn it, Larry decided. She is not like Edgar‘s girlfriend.

Further, Larry tried to avoid any detailed discussions. He was slowly sipping his juice and watched a couple seated at the opposite table. They were two lovers: he was timidly caressing her hand and she was smiling at him. Their behaviors looked playful and rather comic. Aren‘t they going to kiss each other? Larry backed off with his chair a little in order not to stare at their side. I‘d rather sip my juice instead of staring at other tables.

His company at the table was very busy. They were deeply involved in some discussion, so that Larry even did not give a try to get into the essence of it. He was looking around and watching faces of the merry customers. He did not feel cheerful at all. The guy founded himself so alien in that fuss of the set-up people that he decided to disappear from that place. Larry was waiting for an appropriate moment. 

A crowd of people flooded the restaurant. An entertainment program must be about to start, Larry thought. I‘d need to go now for sure… The orchestra roared. There was a loud drum boom and everything died away. And then a slightly husky female alto sounded. She was joined by the gypsy choir, which by their cheerful whoops turned the restaurant customers to their stormy emotions.   

Larry looked at his friends at the table. They were bellowing together with the singers. Larry wanted to tell them that he was going home, but it had no sense. He finished his juice in a gulp and walked away unnoticed. The gypsies were still raving behind his back and a bluish tobacco smoke was flowing through the door… 

The street was almost empty. Near the restaurant, the same couple of lovers he had spotted before getting inside were sitting under the trees. Or it may be a different couple. Larry took a breath of fresh air.  It‘s so pleasant and peaceful, he thought, walking towards the car. He got inside and was driving home. He was not in a hurry. The fresh town air was cooling him through the open front side window. Taking over the loaded trucks and cars full of passengers driving ahead of him, Larry was going forward and was happy having escaped that volcano. It‘s not nice to have fun, he thought, when it was just yesterday that I saw my best friend‘s parents and wife to their last journey. It will be much better to get back home and back to work preparing for the upcoming concert. And the last night vision doesn‘t let me forget about it. It definitely has some meaning. I do love Eva very much! I miss her so much… Indeed, she is my other half and I need to make up with her. And mother? What does she think about? I‘ll see what is her mood.

 ………………………… bus daugiau……………………………..