My Dinosaur Era Chapter 22

 

the taberna was busy, mix of locals, tourists

only eight in the evening, still early for spain

ginny grabbed a table, I went to the bar

pointed at pintxos, went heavy on the fishy ones

one beer, one wine, ferried all to the waiting ginny

she was bouncing up and down in her seat

glee overtaking her in that anticipatory moment

as I made my way back, I felt a warmth, a strength

despite it all, I have this

 

the pintxos are gone now, that round and another

the beer is gone now, that one and another

the wine is gone now, that one and another

it’s after nine, the bar is filling up, noise rising

cafuckingcophony

ginny is telling me something about work

how some bitch is messing with her

how she’s going to end her somehow

I smile along, nodding away, sipping my wine

she could be saying anything

I feel the last pieces of my melancholy hit the floor

mid sentence, I hug her, a proper bear one

I feel her almost stop breathing

let her go

what was that for, she says

for being here with me, today, I say

she grabs me now, arms around my neck, pulling me in

she speaks right into my ear

you silly sausage, she says

 

patrycja messaged me, told me the name of  bar

just across the bridge, good drinks

meet me there at ten

ginny took my arm, we swayed across the bridge

walking, laughing, the pavements full now

tables rammed with voices, echoing into the dark

we find the bar, tiny entrance, almost missed it

inside, a whole wall of spirit bottles

fucking hell, said ginny

that’s a lot of booze, I said

well, let’s get started

I try to order a wine, it gets lost in translation

or the noise, end up with a rum and coke

sounds a bit like rioja, in here it does

ginny just shouts beer until she gets a beer

the bartender amused at our antics

he shouts

party party

at us

like he has been waiting for us to arrive

now everyone can have go crazy

let’s go

 

we go outside again, sit at a table so ginny can smoke

in the darkness

we huddle under a pointless sun shade

I drink my rum and coke

strong enough to go right into my brain

up the middle lane

into my soul

ginny swirls her beer

takes large gulps

we may be cold

we’re just warming up

 

ten thirty, patrycja arrives, saunters along the street

slides herself into a seat next to us out on the pavement

why are you sitting outside, it is cold, she says

she’s right, it is cold,

the heaters are shit, barely tingling my face

ginny wants to smoke, I say

you people are crazy, says patrycja

sorry, I just wanted to smoke, says ginny

she sounds whiny, lost her edge for a beat

come, we go inside, says patrycja

she stands up again, waits for us to comply

she’s tall, I hadn’t noticed at the bar

our eyes meet over the table, level

she twitches a smile, looks down at ginny

come, come, we freeze, she says to her

sorry, ok, I’m coming, says ginny

I pause, seeing ginny being bossed about is new

would never dare myself, she’d bite my face off

 

cocktails

that’s what patrycja has deemed the order of the evening

glasses of colourful delights arrive at our table

disappear into our three mouths

all the rioja of before is drowned

the sweetness and sourness scraping my palate 

I miss the safety of my rum and coke

patrycja is conductor, gradually coming to life

she smiles some more, talks about her time in brighton 

working bars we know, living in the streets we inhabit

complaining about the seagulls screeching in the morning

the women form a secret huddle

I sit half alone, in touching distance

but apart, the other side of the tracks

talk to a dutch couple next to us

they seem to be screaming instead of talking

excited to be alive

squeezing the juice out of every action

they thrill me, they exhaust me

 

ginny gets up, heads for the door, smoke break

patrycja comes and sits with me

timmy, are you good, she says

yeah, I’m good, I say

you feel drunk, she says

a bit, yeah, happy drunk, I say

it’s good, ginny say you been sad, she says

I guess so, I say

because of a woman, yes, she says

yes, I say

she left, she says

I think so, I’m not sure I say

how can you be not sure, she says

I dunno, it was all a bit strange, I say

maybe she’s no good, she says

maybe, no, I think she’s good, hard to be sure, I say

I can help you forget her, she says

she stares deep into me

I feel my stomach tighten

what is going to happen

from nowhere she pulls two shot glasses

red liquid, diluted blood

come, drink, she says

I drink, she drinks, we drink

aniseed, sharp, good

now you are ten per cent less sad, no, she says

I smile, nod, what the fuck is there to be sad about

she puts her hand behind my head, pulls me slightly forward

kisses me on the mouth, slow, gentle, kind

she lingers for a second, slowly pulls back

see, no more sad, ok, she says

she strokes one cheek of my face

gets up, sits back down in her seat

ginny reappears, they laugh, loud

their limbs flailing

I sit alone once more

taking it all in

another cocktail appears

coffee flavoured,

I drink it quickly

the women, still enthralled

their drinks sit untouched on the table

they keep on talking

I absorb the noise of the bar

languish in my own silence

I’d kill for a glass of rioja