return of the broken soldier
Under the cover of darkness, I slipped across the border and into the concrete jungles of Baltimore. It had been nearly a decade since I last gazed upon this great metropolis of stone and brick complexity, yet all appeared as I had held it in my minds eye. In my absence, the city had remained the stubborn monster;undaunted and unwavering against the harsh reapings of time and progress. Once again I wrapped her around me like a warm industrial blanket and for the first time in years I found myself smileing. Legally.
At a soldiers pace I made my way up Prince George street. Past the antiquated neighborhoods of Little Italy and clear past the artison digs of Fells Point. Finally coming to rest at the waters edge I drew out a much craved Marlboro Red and as the stench of the Inner Harbor hit me with the force of a decades past i reflected on the last ten years as I watched the sun rise over the Chesapeke Bay. Finally, exhausted and wounded, this soldier was home.
Checking my watch I realized it was only 5:30 in the morning. I despratly needed a drink but at this hour that would be hard to come by. I flipped through my roll a dex of memory, searching for any old friend that might still be left and awake at this fetal hour and only one name came to mind,Scully.
Now Scully was an artist. In truth he was a speed freak whos brain had betrayed him to do any real work so he took all his oddity and decided to call himself an artist. His work was shit, his excentric nature baffling but he never slept and always had a bottle of Jamesons whiskey on stand by. If he was home he would surley be glad to see his old friend.
When I reached his flat, a half mile away in Dundalk, i stood beneathe his window and threw a few rocks , unfortunatly too hard. Glass came showering down with an explosion and a great "What the fuck!!!", came belowing out. " Who in the hell...?" As his moppy, redheaded face came pooring throuigh the window he looked down and noticed my familiar lanky self. " Joe?, Joe is that you?!" He had a look in his glassy eyes like he was seeing a ghost. " Hey Scully how the hell are ya?" I answerd with a cat that ate the canary grin. " Can I come up?" In seconds, as if he teleported down the stairs the door flew opened and I was greeted with a lifting bear like hug. we
"Jesus Joe I thought for sure you were dead. Last I heard you joined the army and were shipped off to the middle east!" He eye balled me up and down. Stealing one of his Pall Moll cigarettes i took a deep drag and sat down on his couch that itself looked like it had been through a war. " Yeah man, I did but I just got discharged a week ago." I sure as hell didn't want to tell him why........
It was just like old times. We sat there doing lines of cocaine and devouring shot after shot of whiskey. I felt like I was 21 again and the only thing that had changed was me. Scully hadn't changed, I think his constant drug use and drinking had preserved his body like Keith Richards. He still looked and dressed as if he were a bag lady from the 1970's that had a child with a redheaded Van Gough painting. Still, I couldn't believe I was actually sitting there, with Scully and not 3000 miles away hiding out in some goddamn cave waiting to get shot. Luckily he didn't ask about the war. He was too high on showing me his latest avant-garde craptacular new film he had just finished shooting. " I call it," Sucker", he said as the real to real began to play. " I basically put all my money into this magnificent preview of a movie that doesn't exist", he sounded so proud. " What the fuck man, that makes no sense", I replied truly lost. " No man that's just it. This awesome preview draws them to the theatre, then the movie is the preview. Hence the title, "Sucker". It'll be a cult classic!". I looked at the drugs on the table, looked at Scully and his mad man grin, then suggested we find a bar. " You gotta lay off the drugs buddy!".
Chapter 2
The Brass Bar Saloon was an old school staple of Fells Point. The owner, Max, had run the place since 1941 and was as old as the bottles of Zima untouched in the cooler, but he never forgot a face. " Well if it isn't Scully and Mulder. What the hell are you two ladies doin' up so early? Tickets for the Cher concert goin' on sale today?". He was infamous at giving people he liked shit. " Hey Pete, how the hell are ya, still molesting dead animals?" Scully sounded like he had just arrived at work. " Oh you know, same as always just older. What can I get you lovers?" " Like you", I laughed. " Same as always". The old man turned, poured two double whiskeys, and set them on the bar with a couple of pink cocktail umbrellas. " Here you go Mary's, two pink daiquiris." I never did meet an Irishman I didn't like.
I can't tell you how long we sat there getting absolutely shit faced when all of the sudden I spotted a tall, brunette in overalls come walking through the door. " Hey Scully who is that, she looks familiar?". Scully lifted his head from the bar and focused his eyes. " Uhhhhh....Oh hey man no way, that's Susanna. I couldn't believe it. She hadn't left either and she looked great. Quickly I felt myself start to sober up from nervous adrenaline. Would she notice me? Had she forgiven me? What the hell was I going to say? I stared at my shot glass and tried not to make eye contact. " Joe?, Joey, is that you?" Without a witty remark I looked at her and said, "Hey Susanna, how are you doing kid?". I always tried to sound cool. She then proceeded to punch me in the face shouting," You fucking asshole! Not one word, not one goodbye. You can't just fucking leave people with out a Goddamn explanation!". I fell off the bar stool and the last thing I saw before passing out was the upside down view of her walking away. God I loved her.
Once Scully got me back to his flat I slept for the rest of the day having succumbed to blows from the fist of a jilted lover and the blows from my self induced whiskey coma. I slipped into a dream and found myself back on the battle field. I had been left for dead and buried under a pile of rotting corpses. There was no sound. No color.
I awoke screaming,coverd in sweat. "Hey man! Hey Joey,youre Ok!" It took me a moment to remember where I was. "I'm cool Scully, I'm cool"
I tried to reassure us both. Scully nervously chuckled " Damn dude, you were totally moaning and shit. It was crazy!". He sat down handing me a beer. Covering my forehead with one hand I fell back on the pillows embarrassed. No wonder the people on the bus gave me such strange looks. Beer, wasn't gonna cut it today, I decided.
When we stepped outside, it was already in the upper nineties. I was drenched in sweat and the humidity played hell with my clothes. " Jesus I forgot how hot it was in this fuckin state,im dieing". I winded like an old lady. " Relax man it's right here". Scully held the door open and the air conditioning kissed my skin like the most perfect frozen lips.
We sat at the bar next to 2 lesbian biker chicks, a businessman facedown partied out and a chain-smoking old lady playing Keno. The bartender was a tight little red head, flirting with every inch of her cleavage with the wheel dikes for a better tip and from the basement I could hear what sounded like an all night rave.
"Guys,whatchya drinkin'?". She had huge brown eyes. Again, trying to look cool. "Hey chica, four shots of Jameson's and ah, two pints of Guinness". Fuck it, what the hell else was I gonna do today?".
By 11am we were feeling pretty good. That's the thing about hangovers,have a few beers for breakfast and your train never crashes. "Oh hey Joe, I forgot about this art opening I was supposed to go to. You wanna be my date blue eyes?". Honestly I didn't know. "Uh yeah but I'll need a line and another shot". I smiled rubbing my knuckles into his nappy red hair. He smiled holding out a huge white baggy. "My man".
I was jacked. My face was numb, my teeth were numb.
Everything tingled and my heart felt like someone was playing Wipeout on repeat. " Hey Scully,give me two cigarettes'. Pulling them out of his chest pocket he asked,'Why two?". I rationalized quickly. "So I don't have to ask you later dickhead". We both laughed at how high we were and the fates that lye ahead.
The gallery was about a mile up town by Hopkins university. Some private dance lesson must had just ended because there were pre teen girls in ballerina outfits,leaping and giggling all over the sidewalk. As fucked up as I was I did my best not to make eye contact outta fear of guilt. When we stepped in the door all I could see were tuxedos and ball gowns. I looked at my ripped blue jeans and wine stained shirt. Uh Scully,wheres the bar?
The exhibit wasn't half bad. Urban. Modern. Brown dominated. One in particular caught my attention. It was an oil painting of this young black kid, standing on the ledge of a project building. He seemed peaceful. Ready to fly. " Do you like it?". A soft female voice asked. " That really happened". She pointed making circles over the canvass. "Yeah, from my studio I watched this kid climb up on the ledge. Raise his arms skyward and jump". I was too far gone to reply. " I'm Jenny, this is my gallery, and you are?". I took a long drink from my whiskey on the rocks. Near choking I got out," Joe. I'm Joey. I'm a friend of Scully". She started to laugh." I know Joe! I was just fucking with you drunk boy, it's me, Jenny!? Scullys' sister...Jenny?". Oh my God. She had grown up. Even sober I wouldn't had recognized her. " Oh hey kid. Yeah I knew it was you". She took my arm causing me to lose my balance. "Whoa cowboy, let's get you another drink".
She plopped me down next to Scully and ordered three shots and three beers like a gun fighter just in off the prairie. " Ok boys, to old friends and ones gone from us". Sweet but sour. Scully adding in, " And too my kid sister's art success. My sure to be a cult classic,short film,"Sucker", and to my asshole friend Max. I'm glad your home buddy, I mean it". Our glasses clinked and so arrived round 2......
Sunrise
As always I awoke as soon as the buzz wore off. Head spinning, equal Librium nill, and faced with a decision; start drinking again or take the withdrawal as it comes. I decided to keep drinking. I filled my flask with the half bottle of whiskey left on the table from the night before, stole 20 bucks from Scullys wallet and headed for the door. Fuck it, he'd think he spent it at the bar anyway.
The sun had just began to rise and for some reason I decided to climb federal hill and watch it be born again. Golden light scimmed like a slow stone across the water lighting up the Key bridge and bringing the abandoned Domino sugar factory back to life. I loved it there. You could see the entire city coming to life in it's slow crawl to routine. It was also where I met Susanna.
" Excuse me?". Her eyes were bloodshot. " Hi, are you from here?". I couldnt see her face, just a siluette and the sun behind her. " " Hi, I know this is crazy random, but can you help me?". When her face came into view I froze. Freckles, red curly hair and eyes like the grand canyon.
