The Bartender

Where there are people, there are shadows. There are the shadows, and then there are the shades of the shadows. Lucas noticed one on his first day of school. She was just navigating through the sea of students, aloof, minding her own business.

Since then, he had always caught glimpses of her around a corner or disappearing through a doorway. His curiosity of the wallflower grew by the day. However, no convenient opportunity has yet to arise for him to safely approach the mysterious swish of raven hair. It is hard to escape the spotlight.

“Did you hear?”

“Rumour says Lucas was a juvenile before transferring here!”

“He only got bailed out because his father’s rich.”

“Money is everything in this world.”

“How despicable.”

No one took notice of the figure behind the bleachers who abruptly stood up and walked away emoting a distorted expression. To her, unreliable rumours were meaningless. The definition of attractiveness(mention somewhere) is elusive and easily varied, especially to vacuous no-brainers. She has no time for others. It already took too much effort just to keep her own dark secret.

Every evening, after studying and completing her homework, Vivian Dai would perform her usual routine: shower, brush her teeth, and go to bed. Only when she was sure that everyone has retired for the day would she pull on her dress shirt, a pencil skirt, and a pair of tights, grab a gold ribbon, kick on 6-inch high heels and climb out her window.

From there, it would be another couple of blocks before she arrive at the rusted metal door that leads down to the hidden underground nightclub. Here is where she moonlighted as the bartender, for the past 3 years, where she learnt all the liquor names by heart, had junky lyrics engraved in her mind and lived her second identity.

Tonight was no different. Tying the gold ribbon loosely around her collar, she was ready to go. Checking in the mirror one last time, she jumped out the window. One thing she’d learnt over the years was that when she’s able to scare herself with her own reflection, she knows that she’s got enough make up on.

The pay isn’t bad, Vivian decided as she cleaned the last of the cocktail glasses. She has been slowly lowering her remaining debt balance, careful to keep the difference insignificant. Another 2 years should do. Looking around at the already tipsy clubbers, she shook her head. They’re beyond hope.

“Brandy.”An old customer said as he pulled up a chair. Kris was his name.

“Jack Rose or Paradise?”Vivian offered.

“Nikolaschka.”

“Interesting choice, unfortunately, we’re out.”Vivian replaced the last cocktail glass.

“Too bad.” He sighed heavily.

“ Tough business?”

“No kidding. Those young brats are trouble.” Kris rubbed his temples.

Loud bangs and yelling were heard.

“Speaking of trouble...”

A mob has intruded. More than half of Kris’s gang were on the ground, knocked out. Kris lost all sense of logic and charged into the fight. He was, of course, down within seconds. Impervious to the danger, Vivian stepped right out.

“Take this outside.” She ordered.

“Well, look if it isn’t the infamous Bartender. It is an honour to meet you at last.” One man smirked. “But it might take more than just words to order me around.”

The gang closed in on her.

“I’ve about had enough fun for one night.” A voice interrupted. “Let’s get a move on.”

The closing in predators dissipated to reveal a lean figure standing at the exit.

“But boss...”

“Let’s go.” The guy turned and marched off. The gang reluctantly followed.

Vivian was left to clean up the aftermath.

“Who do you think that was?” Vivian asked her feral cat, Vivi. “He seemed familiar...”

“Meow.”

“These vendettas never end. I have a feeling he’ll come again. Right Vivi?”

“Meow.”

Masked Enemies

A spicy scent diffused in the air. Crimson high heels and loose ties, this is a graduate’s life. Lucy Sun smiled as she stepped onto the dance floor. This was perfect, she thought. Her exams were over. She has three best friends and is happily engaged. Fate has treated her well. Tonight, she was going to have the time of her life and put the stressful days behind her. A new stage of her life was about to begin.

Nicole Ng was reluctant to come to the party. She had dug into the school system all afternoon while the other girls went out to shop. The acceptance information was crucial and after hours of decoding, she finally found it. She’d liked to have stayed home to wait for the confirmation to a safe security access. But to not come to the party means that she would have to explain her absence on the most anticipated event of the year. What could she say then? That she wanted to find out in advance the local names that were accepted to Princeton and hack the school’s security code and rummage into confidential information? For this reason, she spent another hour transferring the whole process to her phone so she could check it at the party. After all, what could be more normal than replying to a text message?

Nicole took out her phone for the tenth time that evening. 95% loaded. She looked up to see Lucy and her fiancé Evan swirl pass them.

“She looks happy,” Anna commented.

“Yes, I’m happy for her,” Nicole agreed. “Her fiancé’s the perfect man. He’s got the looks and the money. Most importantly, he loves her.”

“Awww, it’s like a fairy tale come true!” Wendy wore a dreamy expression as if lost in her own world.

“Snap out of it Wendy.” Anna interrupted, clearly irate. “What if he’s going for her looks? Men cannot be trusted.”

“You’re just jealous Anna.” Nicole retorted. “I know he used to be your ex.”

“What--!” Anna looked at her friend incredulously.

“You’ve been making snarky comments ever since Evan proposed to her.”

“That’s not because—“

“Admit it. You hate seeing them together.”

“I...”

 “Guys, stop!” Wendy cut in.” We’re all friends here and Anna broke up with Evan a long time ago!”

Just then, Evan hurried over pulling a staggering Lucy with him.

“She drank ...” He stated breathlessly. “I wasn’t paying attention and she downed a whole glass of wine thinking it was grape punch.”

“You idiot!” Nicole rushed over. “Lucy!”

“She’s a goner.” Anna sighed exasperatedly. “The girl can’t hold a drop of liquor.”

Evan stood to a side feeling emasculated while the girls took over.

“Help us! Don’t just stand there!” Wendy cried.

Together, the five of them helped Lucy pass through the crowds and out the door onto the driveway. Evan drove them back to the girls’ dorm.

“Way to ruin a night out.” Anna muttered.

That night, Anna lay awake in bed long after Nicole had drifted off. They have always been roommates and understood each other almost too well. Wendy and Lucy had arrived later and occupied the last vacant room. The four of them have been friends since the first day. They went through so much to get to where they are today so how come she can’t brush off this uneasy feeling in her chest? To say she wasn’t the least bit envious of Lucy would be a lie. She had loved Evan and she still does, probably.

Lucy opened her eyes to adjust to her surroundings. She wasn’t quite sure where she was. None of the optical arrangements around her made any sense. Her mind was in a haze. Groggily, she sat up. The party, she remembered.

“Are you feeling better?”Wendy was sitting by her bed.

“What happened last night?”

“You drank this purple liquid called wine.” Wendy stated. “It’s a graduate’s party Lucy, you should known better than to drink random beverages. Alcohol isn’t restricted from these parties.”

“Spare me your lecture.”

“You were lucky it was Evan who was with you.”

“Yeah...could you get my pills?” Lucy remembered.

“Where are they?”

“Second drawer from the left.”

“Here you go,” Wendy handed her a small bottle filled with white tablets. “I’ll get water.”

 “Thanks.” Lucy took the pills and plopped them into her mouth while Wendy hurried to fetch the water. The lumps on her tongue had begun to dissolve. A sudden chill went through her and she quickly spat them out onto her hands. They were bitter. The taste was faint but it was there. Not many are able to recognize the threat but Lucy can.

“Here’s your water!” Wendy came in.

“Thank you.” Lucy replied as she took a big swing and gulped down the non- existent pill. With a smile, she laid back down.

Before she was sure, she’d play along.  

Although the three girls were as close as friends can get, the competition for the number one spot is intense and morals and respect can go out the window in desperation. Lucy had kept her spot at first place ever since she enrolled at Star Academy. Nicole came close at second and Wendy and Anna were never below top 50. It wasn’t in her place to suspect but it is difficult not to do so when someone is after your life, take the pill incident for instance.

Lucy has been taking the pills from that same bottle everyday when she realized they were just vitamins. Although she would still sneakily swallow her real heart-control pills in secret.

Who would switch her heart-control tablets for vitamin C? The morbid question repeated in her head. Lucy was more meticulous than ever in watching her friends’ behaviour. Even the smallest details can give them away ---- what she had learnt from devouring the 10 volumes of Sherlock Holmes. The dismal thought was that all possible suspects included her friends, those she trusted most. They were the only ones who could have done it. No one else had access to her privacy. The problem was that they all have the shrewdness(cleverness/motive) in them, each in their own way. Their friendship seems almost belittled by the indelible wall from this incident.

She will be patient and wait.

(To be continued... )

A Story

The morning sun emitted an eye-blinding light over the county. Thankfully, most people were still asleep at this early hour. All but Charlie, the stable boy, who never needed to concoct an acceptable excuse to get up at five in the morning to enjoy the morning air.

Everybody knew Charlie. The boy who carries the malodorous smell to the church hall every Sunday, who leaves horse hair stuck to the delicate velvet church seats, and who is heard off-key at the very back of the choir. In Lowland County, everybody knew everything about one another. All but Charlie, he has a deep, dark secret. He was an artist.

If anyone would dig under the pile of hay behind the door to the tools room, at the back of the stable, they would come across some peculiar ornaments, perhaps a few doodles drawn hastily on a piece of broken fence, or a rock. And on a small corner of each fossil, they would find a carefully-inscribed name: Charlie.

Charlie quite liked his name. Except for one time when he was minding his own business taking a stroll in the park and a foreign lady behind him screamed: “CHARLIE! CHARLIE!” Of course, Charlie was startled and obediently walked himself back in front of the lady. “Yes ma’am?” He was about to ask when the lady joyously bent down to scoop up her precious beagle puppy. ‘Charlie’ was a dog.

                That incident did not in fact turn out at all embarrassing. A few exchanges into their conversation told Charlie that the lady was a rich collector, and in return, the lady found out that Charlie was a self-proclaimed artist. They quickly became good acquaintances as each fits to be the other’s benefactor. Charlie needed a patron, and the lady needed someone with creative potential to construct the ultimate, unique collection that no one else in the world has ever seen.

                The same day, Charlie had skipped home under the pitch dark night sky humming an ancient lullaby he would have liked to believe that his mother had crooned him to bed with. It was a calming tune, thought Charlie. But any auditor would have disagreed that the unnerving monotone was not anywhere close to the famous, beloved Mr. Grahms’ lullaby.

                That night, as soon as he got home, he mulled over his project for two hours before gathering up the tools and material he needed. He built the structure carefully to ensure longevity, so the lady can enjoy the art piece for years to come. Charlie worked all night and into the next morning before his final product began to take shape and look presentable. He worked proficiently and with zeal.

                The lady loved Charlie’s work and praised him ceaselessly as such imagination is a rare sight and had receded with every other artist she has met. But Charlie’s item has impressed her and she now believes that her collection would prevail over all others. “Gnarly!” She had commented. Her henpecked husband could only agree even though the piece of ‘art’ seemed more like the quintessential of an ordinary rock. Even after generating all of his cerebral capability, he could not understand the two beaming faces in front of him.

 

                People often times misconstrue the true value of art. They try too hard to fathom some logic or definition of everything. Sometimes, life doesn’t always have a certain meaning, just like Charlie’s collectable item.