Excerpt 3

[C.]

1977

It was a cold evening in January. The campus was draped over by the black night. The ground and trees were blanketed with mild frost. Buildings were a warm sight from within the cold. A tender yellow from the windows of occupied rooms offered onlookers a sense of certainty in the mist and gloom, much like the beacon of a lighthouse, upon a rocky shore, guiding ships through the storm.
Feeling depressed, Miltos walked along the campus path, holding his jean jacket tightly at the neck, where his scarf was knotted. To his side hung a brown leather bag, strapped around his neck, resting on his shoulder. He had spent the day doing acid. It was the continuity of what seemed to be almost a two week binge that had begun on New Year’s Eve, when he, the boys, Lucy, Sally and a few others had partied hard with LSD, alcohol and other recreational aids.
The sparsely spread street lamps, along the walkway, gave a faint glow unto the path. The trees in the dark, stood like ghostly silhouettes, scattered across the lawns. Miltos studied the creepy shadows that formed shapes on the wall of a campus building as he walked along side it. With an eerie feeling of being watched, his eyes darted between the building to his one side and the creepy trees to his other. The more he stared, the more a sense of anxiety arose within him.
The haunting outlines of the trees soon began to distort into shapes that reminded him of ghouls. He wanted to ignore them and focus on the wall but turning his back on the dark did not feel like a safe thing to do. So he continued to peer into the unknown. As he did, the trees began to form into spirits. They seemed lost; caught in stillness, trapped alongside the paths, lingering in the dark.
‘Miltos,’ a frail voice called out.
Frightened, he glanced about searching the origin of the estranged voice. He couldn’t see anyone. The spirit-like images swayed gently. Was it his imagination, he wondered. He began to panic and accelerated, hoping to get to the bus stop quickly.
All of a sudden, the sound of indistinct voices could be heard. They spoke in whispers. Their tone sounded to be conspiring. Miltos looked behind him and then ahead but could not see anything. He glanced at the wall of the building and then off of the path into the darkness, hastily continuing to walk. Still, there was no one in sight.
Just then, two ghostly figures appeared on the pathway, heading towards him. His heart froze. He could feel his pulse rise. Trying desperately to remain calm, he continued to walk for a few more metres, before eventually stopping. The two figures were getting closer, still unrecognisable from within the dark. Uncertain of what to do, he found himself at a standstill as the two strangers approached.
Nearing him, he could now finally see them more clearly. A male and a female, they seemed to be students. He wanted to feel reassured but couldn’t shake the anxiety that was now overcoming his body. His fingers trembled and his knees felt wobbly.
The couple looked at him as they passed by. Miltos was now clenching his bag to his chest, back arched and knees bent, with his mouth hung open and his eyes wide, staring at them. Feeling uncomfortable, the students faced ahead and passed him in silence. As they did, they began to walk a little faster.
Miltos continued watching the couple as they distanced themselves. Vaguely still able to make them out, he could hear the trailing sound of sniggering. They were mocking him, he thought. He tried to ignore the paranoid thoughts that were now lingering in his mind, taunting him and proceeded hastily towards the bus stop.
Sally was waiting for Miltos and jumped to her feet as soon as she saw him. As they embraced, she sensed he was distressed. They pulled apart and whilst still holding hands, she studied his face.
‘Something wrong baby?’ Sally asked.
‘No, I’m fine,’ Miltos replied.
It was clear he was uneasy about something.
‘Are you sure?’ she asked again.
‘Yes, yes, I’m fine,’ he insisted, ‘just tired.’
Not wanting to persist further, Sally decided to take his word for it.
‘Okay,’ Sally carried on, ‘after dinner, are we still meeting the others, at that new bar in town?’
Lost in thought, Miltos had not quite caught what Sally had said, although he did realise she had spoken to him.
‘Huh,’ he mumbled, ‘sorry what?’
‘Eh,’ Sally voiced in hesitation as she tried to act indifferent toward his absent mindedness, ‘are we going to meet the others later, at that bar?’
Miltos smiled dumbly, as if still not listening.
‘Yes honey, sure. We’ll meet the others at the bar; sounds good.’
They then sat in silence. Each drawn into their own thoughts, they waited for the bus. Whilst Miltos stared intently at the trees, Sally was preoccupied with concern for him. Lately, he increasingly seemed distant.
Sally eventually took Miltos’s hand and looked at him.
‘I love you,’ she said in a gentle voice.
‘I love you too,’ he replied focusing his attention on her.
She smiled and he smiled back. He then put his arm around her and she snuggled into his neck.
On the bus, they quietly held each other. Sally offered warm kisses and Miltos escaped his thoughts by focusing on her loving gestures. Eventually, they arrived in town. A short walk from the bus stop, they came to a small Mexican restaurant.
Inside was a warm ethnic atmosphere. Wooden panels and tables, dressed in colourful cloths, gave an authentic feel to the place. They sat down and a waitress cheerfully greeted them, offering each a menu.
‘Would you like something to drink whilst you decide what to order?’ she asked.
‘Yes,’ Sally replied, ‘could I have a margarita please and if you could bring us a bottle of water.’
‘And can I get you anything sir?’ the waitress asked Miltos.
‘Yes, I’ll have a beer thanks.’
‘What beer would you like sir?’
Feeling a little agitated, Miltos flicked to the back of the menu, searching for the drinks list. With a slight tremor in his wrist, he put the menu down and asked for a Budweiser. The waitress then smiled and moved away from their table.
As they read through the menu, Miltos began to feel restless. His palms became moist and he could feel his body starting to sweat. Feeling uncomfortably hot, he removed his jumper and remained in a green t-shirt that had rock n roll imprinted in white letters across the chest. Sally looked up from her menu. Seeing Miltos looking uncomfortable, she asked:
‘Baby, you okay?’
‘Yes,’ he replied clearing his throat, ‘I’m good.’
A short while later, the waitress returned with the drinks. She took their order and went away again. Miltos reached for the water bottle. With shaky hands, he unscrewed the cap and tried to pour water into his glass, spilling some on the table. Struggling, he just about managed to fill it half way. Placing the bottle down, he quickly drank some of the water in his glass. Meanwhile, the bottle, having not been placed firmly on the table, rocked around its circular base. Sally grabbed it to stop from tipping over. Miltos watched. He placed his glass down and sighed as he tried to gather the spill with a napkin. Sally then took his glass and slowly filled it up.
‘Miltos,’ she said, as she placed his glass in front of him, ‘you sure everything is okay, my love?’
‘I’m okay Sally. Can you please stop asking me?’
‘I’m sorry honey. You just seem a little restless and distracted.’
‘I don’t know. I think I’m just tired,’ he explained. ‘I didn’t sleep well last night. I’m sorry.’
‘Don’t be,’ Sally added comfortingly. ‘Would you like to go back to campus?’
‘No, no,’ Miltos said reassuring her, ‘I’m fine.’
He offered a forced smile and she responded warmly. Soon, the food arrived and having finished their drinks, they ordered a bottle of wine. They began to eat and not before long, the wine was brought to the table. Sally poured them each a glass. Their glasses met and they toasted to their love.
During dinner, they chatted about the food, their university courses and friends. Sally could see Miltos was struggling to relax. Trying to keep his mind from wandering, she flirtatiously whispered erotic things she would do to him later. Meanwhile, Miltos drank his way swiftly through several glasses of wine and whilst Sally was still on her second glass, the bottle had been finished. Feeling his mood more elevated, Miltos asked if Sally wanted to order a second bottle.
‘Well, are we going to meet the others at that bar?’
‘Yeah,’ Miltos replied, ‘it will be good to see the gang.’
‘Okay then, why don’t we eat up and we can continue drinking later. It’s a short walk from here and we can have a joint on the way.’
Pleased at the idea, Miltos agreed.
Just over an hour later, he and Sally joined the others at a little basement bar. It was dark and smoky with orange and yellow lighting that gave it a hippy ambience. Jack, Simon, John, Lucy, Jim and a few others were already there to greet them. Tequila shots and various mixers made their way amongst them. There were even a few joints and lines of cocaine going around.
At some point in the night, amidst the drunk and stoned laughter, Sally felt Miltos’s hand slip away from hers. Whilst giggling at something Lucy said, she turned to look at Miltos but he was gone. She looked about, unable to see much through the smoky mist in the dim lighting and with the many people standing and sitting around.
‘Lucy,’ Sally asked, ‘did you see where Miltos went?’
‘No darling. He probably went to the bathroom.’
After a few minutes, Sally decided to go looking for him. She excused herself and made her way through the crowded little room.
Peeking into the men’s bathroom, there was no sign of Miltos. A man was lying on the floor passed out and another, barely able to speak, crouching over him asking if he wanted a line. The cubicle door was open and she could see it was empty.
Closing the door, she headed up the stairs, exiting the bar. Stepping out into the street, she immediately saw Miltos. He was standing, further along the sidewalk, smoking a cigarette. Relieved, Sally walked up to him.
‘Miltos baby, you okay?’
Startled, Miltos turned around. He had a worried look on his face.
‘Hey baby. Yeah I’m okay.’
Sally studied him with concern. She then lit a cigarette and took a hold of his hand.
‘What are you doing out here baby?’ she asked. ‘You just disappeared.’
‘I just came out for some air,’ Miltos replied.
Sally could feel a tremor in her palm. She looked down. Miltos’s hand was trembling a little.
‘Are you cold my love?’ she asked him.
Miltos noticed his tremor. Pulling his hand from Sally’s grip, he placed it in his jacket pocket.
‘Yeah, it’s a little chilly.’
‘Do you want to come back inside?’
Miltos looked towards the bar and then to the other side of the street. It was dark. Shops were shut and the only light was from the street lamps and a few apartment windows. He stared at the glare of the street lights. The iron lamp-post curved into the night like a holy man, bending forth, humbly offering the gift of light. Above were creepy branches that fell just out of reach of the round glow. They crept over, lingering like the bony fingers of evil witches waiting in the dark.
Sally was feeling cold. She held her arms together, smoking her cigarette uneasily. Flicking the stub away, she then placed her arms under and over his, pulling her body near him for warmth. She looked up towards his face. He however, remained in a daze, staring across the street.
‘Baby,’ Sally spoke gently.
Miltos looked at her. He felt very anxious. There was intensity in his eyes and yet his facial expression indicated sadness.
‘I... I don’t feel myself,’ he said insecurely.