Alien Murmuration - Chapter 16 - 1991 (Part 2)

Part 1 Here - https://www.abctales.com/story/vincent-burgess/alien-murmuration-chapter...

 

Then I see him. bright against the night sky. The lights from the party bouncing off his white t-shirt.

So, I stand there. Hopeless, lost in an ocean of my own making. Stranded on my desert island negative. I know it is Manny because of his bowl, bowl cut, Brighton bowl, bowling along he is unmistakable.

Thing is it doesn’t really hit me until he arrives “Aaaaaallllllliiiaaaaaaaaan, my fucking man! What are you doing out here?”

I really want to explain but words are not coming to me. My thoughts are broken. The only thing that leaps to my mind is boxes, beaches and  . . .  dad! Manny gets it though. He says kindly:

  “Katie is looking for you man” and puts his hand on my shoulder. Then he turns to go back to the party and opens his mouth to speak . . . .”

“Why!?” I say insistently pushing his hand off my shoulder. I think I am feeling mistrust but I can’t hold on for long enough to be sure.

“ . . .  because she is worried about you, man” he laughs and looks at me confused.  “She lost you, we all lost you. Alien, what’s going on over here?”

I summon some more strength and yell “wait!!  Manny . . .” my voice trails off a bit as I continue to search for my question. “Why . . .  are you in my life? Why are you my life saver? You have pulled me in . . . my dad tried for years. He chopped me and cut me and made me . . . . but you .  . .”

Manny looked concerned “he did what? . . . “

“No not really. He was just trying to make me fit . . .” I was feeling panic rising in me, I couldn't make him understand.

He laughed kindly and sat on the pebbles, patting the space next to him “Mate,” he smile “what the fuck . .  are you on about?”

I sat and looked into his confused and kind face. I took a deep breath and tried again.

“I’m Alien right?”

“With you so far,” he laughs

“From another planet. An outcast. . .  a visitor from another planet”

Manny looks down and gently shakes his head “look man we’re all sorry . . .”

He looked back over to the party. Like he remembered something.

“It’s fine, It’s right . . .” I said matter of factly “ . . . but why did you make friends with me?”

Manny stops and turns straight back to me. Looking me stright in the eye.

“Because you are into the same music as me. Look man, Katie is really worried about you. Let me go and tell her that I’ve found you and that you're okay . .  sort of . ..” he smiles at me to make sure I know he’s joking. “and that we’ll be back soon.”

I try to nod and look okay about it.

“Look I’ll be back in like, one minute.

 . . .

 . . .

I was back to being alone.

Alone on my desert island.

My alien planet.

. . .

 . . .

 . . .

When Manny comes back, we sit up on the hill of pebbles. He smiles “Katie is going to go and get the others and come over for a spliff”. He seems relieved, like he is ready. “Can I give you a hug man?” I look over and he is smiling at me.

I am taken aback as he usually just grabs me and hugs me or slaps me or whatever. Never any warning.

“Alien” he says, reading my response, “my mum told me that I should ask. She said that you might not like physical contact.” He looks down and apologises again.

I lean over and hug him myself. We held the hug and I felt like I was lost in the warmth.

As we broke away I said “It is more the unexpectedness of a sudden hug that gets me.

He nods his understanding and then says “What is bothering you man?”

I look at him “I just don’t know why you made friends with me?”

“Why do any friends become friends?” he smiles” I was interested in your music, you remember when I  found your tapes?  Then I was interested in your guitar playing. Really because it is incredible. Then it was just because you are . .  well . . . you’re cool. Different! . .  but  . . .  cool . . .  like refreshing. No-one sees the world like you.”

He pulls two cigarettes out of the sparkling golden box, puts them both in his mouth and lights them, I am kind of hypnotised by this and watch him as he hands me one.

I pull hard on it and look at him. “Thanks,” I smile.

“If I am honest though it’s not all about you. I was getting fed up with hanging out with Whitey and that. It’s not like I don’t realise that he is an arsehole. I do and quite often he would be an arsehole to me, if no-one else is around to pick on . . . then his target it was me.

“Really?” I say shocked and confused “I thought that no-one picked on you . . . “

“Whitey is a fucking psycho, he’s fucked up. His dad picks on him and he  . . .  well he just takes it out on the world . . . whoever is around. The added bonus of always fighting is that you can explain away any and all new bruises.

“Fuck!” I exhale shaking my head and letting out a stream of smoke. “I never knew.”

“Thing is though, you can only make allowances for so long. I started hanging out with Rod more and then realised that there was something more to life. Something more positive . . . “ he looked back over at the party and smiled.

“I just, I don’t know” I stammered “I wasn’t expecting people to be like . . .  well . . . like this.” I followed his gaze and smiled.

“Maybe this is it, man. Maybe people don’t really give a shit. You are you and I am me. We can all just be what we want to be.”

“Let your soul let your body let your mind be free” we both started singing and laughing. “We all are that, going all the way is where I'm at. With delivery smooth like water from a fountain.”

As we sang and danced, sitting on the pebbles I didn’t feel spiky, sharp or closed off anymore. I felt more rounded, open and ready for the world. At this moment I could even conceive of the idea that maybe, just maybe the world was ready for me.

We started to laugh and looked over to see Katie and the others walking towards us. Katie’s hair bounced as she walked. The curls expanding and contracting as she moves. She was so graceful and elegant. I feel another rush trying to push its way through my chest but it wasn’t like earlier . I guess that the ecstasy is wearing off. Then she breaks the spell and stumbles forward, Tash catches her and they both stumble and fall into fits of giggles.

As she stood up, I noticed . . . like . . .  really noticed . . .  the dark orange shades of henna in her hair. The sparkling shades of orange and red dragged my gaze past her hair, behind her and onto the bright pale streaks of orange bursting over the horizon. The light was amazing, so deep so strong yet still so dull. The power waiting to be released was ominous, dangerous, terrifying and exciting at the same time. I watched it bouncing from cloud to cloud as they came into focus. I am sure there are better places to watch the sun rise but right now there was nothing better and nowhere else I would rather be.

“Where did you go baby? ”Katie smiles and nestles herself in between Manny and me. Gently she touches my face and turns it to her so she could study it carefully

“Are you okay? I was worried.” she smiles.

I return her smile, delving into her big brown eyes.

“Yeah I am great, I just . . . went to visit my planet for a bit”

She smiles a little and looks very confused. Manny laughs behind her and says cheerfully

“Welcome back man, you are home with us now.”

Katie turns her puzzled look to Manny and laughs “Okay you two needed a bit of boy time eh?”

Then she kisses me smiling into our kiss “I am glad you are home baby.”