Finding Hope (12 page)

“I don’t think you have it. I’m all in,” Mr. Howard said sliding his large stack to the center of the table. “There are times in your life that require boldness.”

As the wager traveled around the table, each player signaled their way out – that is until it got back to the man in black sitting across from Mr. Howard. “You know what they say, no guts no glory,” the player said matching the bet.

“Well here we go. I never lose on the river,” Mr. Howard said watching the cards carefully. The dealer played out the hand as Mr. Howard yelped in victory. “Isaac my boy, that’s why you can always be bold with pocket queens,” Mr. Howard said to his son as he pulled him in close.

The player in black grunted in defeat before saying, “Well played sir. We’ll meet another day, and then fate may be on my side.” The player in black stood as he shook Mr. Howard’s hand and disappeared into the crowd.

“Miss, do you have cranberry
juice? And my boy will take a whiskey soda,” Mr. Howard said feeling triumphant.

Joy poured the spirits and gently set the drinks down on the table. While collecting the house credits and getting Mr. Howard’s signature, she couldn’t help but
notice Isaac. He was now twenty-three years old and stood tall and proud with fair milky skin and perfectly groomed strawberry blond hair. It was his eyes that drew her in. There was something familiar about them. She was sure she had met him before, like in another life before the world fell apart. She could feel the kindness he possessed and wanted to be near him. She shook away her childish longing and continued on with her work.

“Hey Joy, what a night!
I’m cleaning up out there. I must have a hundred fifty credits by now,” Cindy said beaming from ear to ear. “How are you doing so far?”

Joy was still dazed by the meeting with Isaac. She was sure she had known him somewhere in
her past. “Yeah, it’s crazy. I’m not even sure how much I have yet but I’m busier than ever,” Joy said trying to avoid losing the countless empty glasses on her tray. “I just bumped into an old friend. Well, I think I know him. He looks like a guy I used to know from middle school. I think his name is Isaac, or that’s what I heard his dad say at least.”

“Well go find out where you know him from,” Cindy instructed thinking everyone was as forward and bold as
she was.

After Joy made her rounds offering drinks and kindness to the gamblers on the floor, she made her way back over to Mr. Howard.

“Are you ready for another cranberry juice?” Joy asked the silver haired man.

“Thanks dear, but I need to be done. Too much of a good thing always catches up with you. Last thing I need is to be up all night with heart burn,” Mr. Howard explained.

“And how about you? Another whiskey soda?” Joy asked making sure she got the attention of Isaac.

“Thanks but I’m doing fine. Maybe in a bit,” Isaac said without recognizing Joy.

“OK sweetie, I’ll check back,” Joy said convinced she had seen him before.

Joy continued to work the crowd
smiling and laughing while pouring her drinks. As she went through her routine, Isaac’s face continued to haunt her.

“Hey honey, ready for another yet?” Joy asked Isaac once she made her way back again.

“Thank you, but I think I’ve had enough,” Isaac said smiling and then looked away.

“Hey sugar, do I know you from somewhere? You look mighty familiar,” Joy said determined to figure out the mystery. “Where did you grow up?”

“Born and raised right here. Moved to Washington, DC when I was six though. Why do you ask?” Isaac replied feeling flattered by all the attention from such a beautiful girl.

“You look so familiar. I know we’ve met before. Do you come here often
?” Joy continued, trying to pinpoint how she knew Isaac.

“Nope, first time here. Have you ever been to DC?” Isaac asked happy to see Joy sit down next to him.

“Nope, I’ve never been there. I need to figure this out, but I got to get back to work,” Joy said as she put her hand on Isaac’s shoulder. “Hey, what are you doing later? I’m off at midnight. Do you want to meet after my shift for some coffee?”

Isaac looked around the room trying to understand why this amazing girl was showing so much interest in him. “Yea
h, I’ll be there,” he said as the blood in his face started to pool around his well-structured cheek bones.

“That sounds great. Meet me in the restaurant. See
ya then,” Joy said as she stood and went back to work. “By the way hon, my name is Joy Yamabuki. What’s your name, green eyes?”

Trying to restrain his exuberance, the young man replied, “Isaac, my name is Isaac.”

Midnight came and went as Isaac sat alone. He watched the now drunk gamblers acting foolishly as he nursed his strong black cup of coffee. Suddenly he heard a voice call out from a distance away.

“Is that
Isaac Howard? Isaac, it is you? How are you son?” the man said as he walked in with two stunning women. It was Sariel Dranias. “Isaac, what’s it been? Five maybe six years now. Look at you – a spitting image of your father. Wow, time just flies by,” Mr. Dranias said as he broke free from the two women.

“It’s good. Things are good. I see you’ve moved into politics. How do you like that?” Isaac asked noticing
Sariel’s impatient companions.

“Yea
h, well… If you want to make any sort of difference, you got to climb into the trenches. How’s your father by the way?” Mr. Dranias asked as he wobbled in his expensive Italian shoes. “He’s always been such an idealistic leader. I envy him for that.”

Isaac smiled and said, “He’s doing well. You know how it is. These campaigns keep you working eighteen hours a day.”

“Don’t I know it. Well, be sure to say hello. Let him know we’re always looking for great men like him in the conservative ranks. If he’s ever interested, have him come see me,” Mr. Dranias offered trying to enunciate his words perfectly. “It was nice bumping into you. Take care.”

“Yea
h, you too. Have a good night,” Isaac said as the lean, attractive man walked away with a woman on each arm.

   Mr. Howard and
Sariel Dranias traveled in the same circles. Although their ideals were very similar, their approach varied greatly. Mr. Howard believed in individual liberty, where everyone had the ability to live their life as they saw fit. He felt the government should have a very limited role in defining social norms and those norms should be determined by each individual. He also believed when social issues needed legislation, it should occur on a local level through community or at the most, State involvement. Mr. Howard feverishly expresses his indignation for large Federal systems that do nothing more than breed corruption and waste precious resources. Sariel Dranias on the other hand was very interested in large government. He believed the root of the collapse so many years ago was a watering down of the country’s morality. He had also become very nationalistic – tapping the anger Americans felt towards the United Nations and the rest of the world. He was determined to rebuild the country and destroy those who stood in his way.

   “Hey green eyes, I so glad you’re still here. I had a couple customers who wouldn’t settle up. Have you been waiting long?” Joy said as she greeted Isaac with a hug.

       Joy couldn’t explain it but she felt so at home with Isaac as if they’d been life-long friends.

       
“Nope, not too long. I was thinking you’d forgotten me,” Isaac said.

    
“So tell me Isaac, have you figured out where we’ve met before? It’s absolutely killing me,” Joy said as she sat close to Isaac.

     
Isaac leaned forward compelled by an unseen force and quietly whispered, “Maybe, just maybe… we were man and wife in a past life.”

   Joy’s eyes twinkled with inspiration, sensing Isaac also understood their connection. “I like that green eyes. This is Isaac… and he’s my husband,” Joy announced to the empty room as she draped her arms around him and lovingly kissed his blushing cheeks.

Chapter 10

Restore and Remember

The sun pierced the horizon creating millions of sparks across the morning sky. The empty crew was st
ill in the throes of their self-medicating. In just ten hours, Hope had fallen. She was again a devout follower of the synthetic god.

“We’re
gonna need more shit,” David said with his eyes bloody red.

“Yes
, but we need money first – anyone up for hitting the station?” William asked rubbing his temples.

“Let’s do it, but only for a couple hours. I
think the afternoon staff is onto us. “You coming this time?” Meera asked smiling at Hope.

Empty of pain and focused on h
er new needs, Hope replied, “Yeah, I’m in.”

“Well, before going to the station, we need to make a quick stop and talk to my guy to make sure he’s holding,” said David. “The last thing we need is a pocket full of cash and nothing to score.”

As they rode through the morning light, the city of St. Louis looked more sad than dangerous. The wickedness had left leaving children playing along the streets. Their clothes ripped and worn, they looked hungry and confused by what life had become. Once they crossed the bridge, they rode along the interstate led by David. He turned the down a tiny alley that opened up into a parking lot. When they reached the one of the back streets off the interstate, David slowed his bike down to gather the group together.

“My buddy live
s just down the block. That cat’s as paranoid as they come, so I can’t take everyone up in there. I’m not going alone either, so who wants to come?” David said looking at the group.

“I’ll come,” Jacob
offered rolling his bicycle forward. “I couldn’t let you go in there alone.”

Hope could tell from the silence surrounding them that the rest of her friends were afraid to go with David.

“I guess I can go if you need me too,” William announced after a long uncomfortable pause.

“Thanks man, but you’d better stay with the girls in case it gets ugly out here. There’s shit all around us and
ya need to keep ‘ur eyes open,” replied David.

Hope grew more curious about the David’s friend and couldn’t understand why everyone was so afraid. Her curiosity evolved into bravery as she volunteered, “I’ll go.”

David seemed surprised at Hope’s offer. Without a second thought he agreed to take her along.

The three bicyclists split from the pack, and continued on down the empty streets. Hope couldn’t help but notice the poverty of the area. This part of town was crumbling long before the country collapsed. There was garbage on the sidewalks which were lined with dirt and void of trees or grass. As she rode, she became nauseous by the scent of human decay coming out of the forgotten buildings and their broken windows. Reaching a narrow alley between two of the buildi
ngs, Hope became fixated on blood left on the concrete. She’d have mistaken the stain for brown paint spilled across the sidewalk if it wasn’t for splatter on the walls complete with smeared hand prints.

Turning down the alley, they rode in silence, completely alert of their dangerous surroundings. Hope then noticed a little brown door on the side of the building with two men sitting out front.

David slowed and got off his bicycle. As they walked up to the entrance David spoke, “Hey guys, is Diz around? I need to talk business if he’s here.”

The larger of the two men stood and confronted David. “You got some balls
, Dave. You know the man said he doesn’t want you coming back. Get the fuck out of here.”

David smiled, showing his missing front tooth, and said, “I know, I
know… just relax. I got his fuckin’ money. I came to drop it off, that’s all.”

The rough men looked at each other and decided to let David in. “Well go ahead already. And good luck you piece of shit. You’re about three weeks late on payment,” the smaller man in sun glasses snarled.

As they walked up the eight stairs into the dingy building, Hope glanced above her. Hanging on the useless power lines above the entrance were countless numbers of shoes with their laces tied together. They hung, baking in the November sun like a mysterious omen Hope didn’t understand. The three walked into the building. They reached their destination in the nick of time. The smell of urine and animal feces was absolutely smothering making it difficult to breath in the dark, infectious halls.

David knocked on the door and shouted, “Hey
Diz, it’s me… Dave. Just stopped by to pay you back.”

A series of clicks and clanks came from behind the door as the numerous locks were disengaged.
The door opened as a thick wall of marijuana smoke rolled out into the hall.

“Hey
Diz, how’ve ya been? I was passing through the ol’ hood so I thought I’d drop by,” David said cautiously.

“Dave…
my boy, ahh shit! How ya doing?” David’s old friend exclaimed. “It’s been too long man.”

The apprehension on David’s face melted away at the warm reception. “Yea
h, it’s been too long. I’ve been tryin’ to make some scratch to pay ya back. Times are tough and ain’t nobody buyin’,” David replied.

“Dude, come in. Sit down. I was about to spark a fatty,”
Diz said as he walked back into his apartment. “Come on in. Your friends too. Me casa, es su casa.”

             
Upon entering the hot, tiny apartment, Hope was disgusted by the human filth that lay before her. There were several people huddled in sweat, unconscious on the floor. The few that were aware were sitting about the room in a haze. Trash was everywhere adding to the stench of body odor and smoke. Sitting like an idol off the far end of the room, a huge plasma television screen hug on the smoke stained walls. It hung without power, waiting for a signal, beautiful glass and plastic, full of grime and dust. Hope couldn’t help but notice how the bodies in the room faced the plasma beast waiting for the glowing light to return someday.

    
David’s friend fell back into a stained recliner, and lit his large joint. “So you got money?” Diz asked with squinted eyes.

    
“I have most of it and will get the rest by tonight,” David replied speaking quickly. “We’re boltin’ to a gig and when we get paid, I’ll get you your cash. I’m also thinking about some glass. You holdin’?”

Diz
exhaled a lungful of bright white smoke, and giggled quietly to himself. “Nothin’ now, but should have a drop in a couple hours. You can hang and wait if you want,” Diz struggled to reply. “Hey, remember when we’d sling those dime bags back in high school. We never had enough.”

David smiled, nodding his head, and hit the moist
joint. “Well, we’ve got to fly. We need to get to the gig. So you’ll have something later right?” David said as he stood up.

Diz leaned back in his dusty chair and said, “Yeah check back after three. I’ll hold some for ya. Make sure ya bring my money too.”

             
David, Jacob, and Hope rejoined the others and continued on to the train station. As they rode through the streets, Hope noticed Buhina steering her bicycle towards her.

    
Matching her speed, Buhina began to speak. “Now Hope, here’s how it works. Never look or talk to David, Jacob, or William. You’ll see them, but act as if you’ve never met them. We just stick together and play our songs. They do the rest,” Buhina said prepping Hope.

    
As they rode along the crumbling city streets, William rode up next to her. “So what we do… is... we watch. When people come and tip you guys, we see where they put their money. Most people keep their money in their front pocket. Then when they leave, one of the guys will follow them and lift their money. It’s simple really. Dave, Jake, and I have it all down to an art form,” William said with a sense of pride. “But it’s important that they don’t know we’re with you girls. That’s the key.”

One block before they reached the train station, they all parked their bicycles and separated. Hope,
Buhina, and Meera walked into the busy train station ready to earn their living. As they began to play, Hope noticed the men standing close by. By mid-morning the plan was in full swing. Kind and grateful people would stop and listen to the three women sing about life, love, and happiness. When they leaned in to thank the musicians by adding coins to the tips jar, the men would watch carefully for the most vulnerable.

As the morning went on, Hope was feeling more and more at ease. She started to enjoy the songs, still feeling the methamphetamine pulsing around her body. It struck Hope just how normal she felt with the chemicals in her blood. It was like she’d forgotten who she really was until now. Nothing seemed to matter as the women enjoyed their music.

Around eleven-thirty, the women decided to end for the day. The calmly packed up their gear and left the station. Once outside, by their bicycles, they reunited with Jacob and the men.

“
Meera, the guys and I were talking and we think we should give ‘em an encore. We could use the money, and the day is still young,” Jacob said trying to avoid looking at Buhina.

“Plus, I can’t get any crank till after three. My guy isn’t around until then so we’ll have to come back anyhow,” William insisted. “I know you guys get nervous about playing in the afternoon, but I’m always up here selling meth. Morning, afternoon, or night, cops have no clue.”

“I don’t like it. You know as well as I do that if we get caught, they lock you up and ask question later,” Buhina complained. “It ain’t worth the risk. Plus we’d already made thirty silver coins. That’s enough for now.”

The desperate crew argued back and forth until Hope finally stepped in. “I think we should do it. Everything went as planned this morning
, and we don’t want to come back out here later today. Let’s just be careful,” Hope added as Buhina turned away in anger.

Re-entering the train station, Hope noticed a change in the energy and feel of the building. It was buzzing with
activity, and the frequency of arrivals had increased dramatically.

They found their little spot
adjacent to the stairs, and sat down to play their music. This time the activity was different. What had been so enjoyable before had somehow changed to a chore. Hope felt disassociated and raw. Her emotions were bubbling within her, and she had far less control. They began to play, struggling to keep time or connect as a whole. They pushed forward with the hollow music. As planned, the men served their purpose and followed the travelers to their pockets. After ninety minutes of hard laborious work, something out of the ordinary occurred. Hope noticed two men in plain clothing watching them play. As Jacob turned to leave and follow a finely dressed older woman, the two men casually left in pursuit. Buhina also noticed the anomaly, but led by her chemical master and the need for a fix, she erased her concern and kept playing her song. Meera, on the other hand, wasn’t as complacent. She noticed the situation and took action. She left her music while Hope continued to sing to follow Jacob and the two men.

Standing along the platform, the finely dressed woman stood by herself waiting for the train. The imm
ediate area around her was busy with strangers waiting to depart on their journeys. Jacob was standing close by watching her movements. He casually walked by the unaware traveler and lifted her silver without detection. As he quickly slipped away into the crowd the two men leaped upon him. Meera arrived as the three wrestling men hit the ground. She ran full speed at the chaotic ball of flesh rolling on the ground and kicked one of the cops square in the head. The unexpected blow knocked him unconscious instantly. Suddenly two other men joined in the struggle. When the dust settled, Jacob and Meera were subdued.

Standing at a distance, David watched in horror as Jacob and
Meera were quickly led away. He panicked and ran down the narrow hallways back to the place where the girls were still playing.

Walking carefully by
Buhina, David whispered, “Meet me at the bikes.”

Buhina and Hope gathered their belongings and calmly walked out of the station with William following closely. When they arrived at the bikes, just a block away from the station, they found David standing alone.

“They got ‘
em. Meera and Jacob! They caught Jacob trying to rob some lady and then Meera jumped in trying to free him,” David said breathing heavily. “They’re gone.”

Buhina’s
eyes filled with rage as she said, “God damn it! I knew this would happen. Nobody ever listens.”

“We need to stay calm. It’s nobody’s fault. Let’s just go back and wait for them to get out,” William said in a reasonable tone. “They’ll probably be back tomorrow.”

As they got on their bikes, William and David grabbed the two extra bikes. They lifted them awkwardly and placed them across the center of their bikes and slowly made their way home.

Before reaching the interstate, David slowed his bike and said, “I need to make that stop. It’s after three
, and we need to go see my guy. I don’t want to have to come back later tonight.”

The four bicyclists made the stop and collected the supplies for the evening. When they finally arrived back at the compound
, Buhina was a mess.