26.5.2009

THE MEETING, THE UNINVITED GUEST AND THE FLORA.

 

THE MEETING, THE UNINVITED GUEST AND THE
FLORA.

http://www.netsaga.is/media/files/Makemyday.mp3

 

 

    Bang, bang, bang, went the door as the sound echoed up through the new hallway and up the stairs to where Sharon, Gordon and Bernard were sitting.

    "There here!"

    "I know that Gordy, but do I let them in? They might smash the place up."

    Bernard spoke up from behind them, "If they were going to smash the place up I would hardly think they would knock first."

    Sharon turned to nod in agreement, "good point." Her nerves were beginning to sever. Where was her husband when she needed him? Oh, yes out working with Clive. Then with little choice she went downstairs and was just about to unlock one of the two big wooden doors when a voice called out in annoyance, "Why don?t they answer?"

    Chang looked at this lump, "Because they probably ain?t in stupid!"

    Sharon opened up the door to be faced with a half looking Chinese man with four big built bodyguards. Mustering up the courage she spoke, "you must be Chang and these must be your monkey boys I presume."

    Before Chang could utter a single word one of his men asked, "what?s a monkey boy?" The others who also wore blank expressions just muttered they hadn?t a clue. Chang raised a single hand to cut them off with, "Quiet! I will do all the talking and thinking for all of us." Now addressing this woman he said, "you must be Sharon, owner of this joint."

    "That's correct," again a small waver fell over her voice as she spoke.

    Chang looked behind her asking, "Who?s the poof in the green suit and the sumo wrestler?"

    Gordon yelled out, "I?m no poofter you?" he wasn?t allowed to utter another word as Bernard placed one large hand over his mouth.

    "Actually he is our, Sharon?s architect and interior designer extraordinaire. I am just a paying guest of this establishment."

    Chang nodded with half interest before addressing Sharon, "Can we come in, or shall we do business outside in the open street?"

    "You can come inside for a few minutes."

    In they came. Chang took a look around him and to his left he observed a few obscure paintings hanging upon the wall. To his right was a little archway leading off to some stairs and as he faced the hallway, to his right was a cloakroom. It was one of those posh ones where you ring a brass bell and a person collects your jacket and gives you a number affair. A bit further beyond the cloakroom was a wide hallway which possessed a discrete sign which mentioned toilets and another which was still covered over. Directly ahead of him stood two big doors.

    "What?s behind those doors?"

    "Our restaurant."

    "Can I take a look?"

    Shaz was taken a little aback. She could see the look of curiosity in his eyes. She was going to protest then decided not to, after all she might get duffed up if she refused.

    "Sure allow me."

    The lady of this establishment opened up the double doors and flicked a light panel on her left, this was when the whole place came to life. Chang felt gob smacked at the sheer size of this room! There was rows upon rows of tables all decked out. As he walked down the middle he found he was walking towards a very large stage.

    "You going to have plays here?"

    "We thought of comedians, singers and if this place is exclusive enough, a theatrical performance or two."

    Chang nodded as he understood. He walked up the small flight of steps at the front until you were on the stage. Looking about you, you could see a very large bar all decked out with dark stained wood of some kind. No fittings just yet and then again you didn?t need an active mind to picture it finished in it?s glory. This was to his left. To the right sat the most spectacular sight that could possibly greet his tired eyes; a big waterfall coming from the ceiling and splashing down to a massive padding of rocks and water with other smaller falls trickling down rocks all gradually fanning down to the large pool area or base. Around the fall stood masses of green plant life, various exotic vegetation, some colourful and others just plain pretty. In fact each corner that looked to be of no use had a mini fall. The only area that didn?t have one was where there was an entrance for another set of toilets which ran parallel with the stage on his left and on his right another set of double doors.

    With his mouth feeling as if it was open wide he stepped down from the stage and without a word he made it round to the double doors and through them. Here was the heart of operations, the kitchen. Sadly to his chagrin it was unfinished.

    "Why ain?t it complete?"

    "Because ducky, your boss pulled the plug," Gordon piped up as he looked through those bright green glasses which reflected the mirrored face of the guy who had asked that dumb question in his mind.

    "That is why we have your money, so we can get on and finish my project."

    Chang looked at them both before saying, "I see." He felt like a child again, being that boy who wanted to see a model of a large American truck built to completion. This was one his brother had started to build, everyday he would come home from school and watch as his brother put it together. First was the chassis, glued and painted, then the wheels and so forth. As weeks went by his brother came to completion with just a few finishing touches. Chang remembered running home from school that day full of excitement at viewing the finished vehicle. Running home, through the front door and into the room he shared with his brother he found it?Smashed! Ruined by his drunken father who now laid fast asleep on his brother?s bed. Chang?s brother was only ten at the time and he was seven, but he had promised that he would never end up like his father. Sadly he was close to being that as a gang member and a man who devoted many things to destruction. Not today, not to these people. Their dream was almost complete and he was not going to do what his boss was ordering him to do so as to put the fear of his group into their hearts. No the ?Triad? were today only going to take the money.

    Shaz watched this guy as he went into some kind of trance, but after a couple of minutes this was getting embarrassing. "Um, hello! We have your money," Sharon said again just wondering if the guy had died standing upright, when suddenly he woke up.

    "Yeah, the doe."

    "Here take it. I trust we can have our workmen back now." She handed him the money feeling it a waste just like throwing it into a bin, or fire, or something.

    Chang took the envelope with a feeling of regret, regret for what? Was he going soft? No he cannot and will not let his emotions run the show. He was the number two guy because of his hard outlook on life. He was big headed, eager, tough and a guy who loved to ruin peoples lives. A guy who at the click of his fingers could make it rain on some guy because he spoke wrong. He was a man to be feared and he was just like his father! Just like him.

    "I?ll tell you what. As you have been so kind in giving us, or should I say in taking out a protection policy with us. I?d like to do something to you."

    This was met with gasps of horror from the trio as Gordon yelled out, "oh no! Not my suit, don?t get blood on my suit, it?s hell to wash out, I?ll strip down to my underwear then you can smash me up!"

    Bernard followed up with, "Shut up! What are you talking about? You might not survive the torture of having your fingers chopped off, or your eyes gouged out with a cold steel blade. Don?t worry about your suit a little ?Stain Devil? will get that out."

    Chang raised his hands and stopped the mad ramblings of the three as they flinched from his hand gesture. "Guys, guys, I don?t mean to smash you all up with knives and things. My favour, or gift is that I will help you get this dream of yours complete. I will instruct the builders to work double time to get it done. Night and day if necessary. Now what do you say about this offer?"

    "I would say thank you, but just days will be fine."

    The voice came from behind Chang. Turning he saw two men who were at the pub last night. The smaller guy was Ben and his friend that renowned drunk Clive. It was Ben who had spoken and was going to again.

    "Nice to see you again Chang."

    "Likewise."

    "What do you think of our place?"

    "Very good, in fact it?s what moved me to make my offer."

    "Thank you all the same, but we don?t accept gifts off crooks who only pull things down and break things apart for the sake of fear."

    Chang?s rage was starting to come up into his heart, only for the reason that these words said here were true. Still it didn?t stop him from reacting and placing cold steel against this man?s neck.

    Ben swallowed hard before saying, "oh, I forgot. Pull knives at people because they don?t like the truth, only because it can hurt far more than any flesh wound."

    After what was said had given way to silence, both men just stared each other out before Chang placed the knife away.

    "Just be careful of that mouth, it could get you in trouble with my boss."

    Shaz who had been unable to move through all of this managed to find the words to say, "don?t worry he will!" before stepping in between the pair.

    "Well lady and gents, it is time I left." With that he walked out and headed for the entrance. Just before he exited he took another good look and muttered under his breath, "I?d like a piece of this."

    "Sorry boss, did you say take?a piece of this?"

    Chang pulled himself out of it. "Nah Ron it was nothing, let?s just go."

    After the heavy mob had gone, all especially Sharon took a deep breath before she punched her husband.

    "What the hell was that for?"

    "You, trying to be a hero or what ever. I thought I was going to lose you."

    As Ben rubbed his arm he explained, "Chang may be a villain, but he would never kill someone, well not directly. He probably arrange for some poor sucker to bite the dust, he wouldn?t do it personally."

    "I just hope he don?t ask someone to bump you off, anyway how do you know he won?t do it himself?"

    "It?s in his eyes Shaz. You can tell a lot from looking into people?s eyes."

    Sharon avoided looking into her husband?s eyes as she gave him her opinion, "that?s rubbish and you know it."

    "Oh yeah, I could tell you fancied me by the way your eyes looked at me."

    "Shaz looked up at him, "how so?"

    "At first you wouldn?t look at me directly in the face, you always spoke to me looking else where. Then after a period of time you found the courage to look into my eyes and not long after that you popped the question."

    "Um, er, yeah, I get your point," Shaz said as she felt the urge to go all shy like in the old days with him and look everywhere but at him. It was then she noticed something else. "What are you two doing?" She asked as Ben also noted that Gordon and Bernard were staring at each other?s eyes.

    All Gordon could say was, "Um, nothing," before changing the subject to, "that?s all very interesting, but what is the plan now?"

    "That?s obvious. We get our club under way and operational as soon as possible. In that way you guy?s can recoup all the money paid out to the ?Triad?."

    Sharon couldn?t agree more with Bernard?s line of thought. All seemed to agree to get back to work as soon as they could.

    This turned out to be the very next morning as workers turned up extra early. It was very touching as each man personally apologised for not being able to work due to the so called strike. They had also clubbed together and purchased a large bunch of flowers which the foreman the one who looks like John Wayne presented to Shaz.

    "Here you go me lady, just a little something from the lads. We wanted to say sorry for all the inconvenience caused by the strike."

    "I don?t really know what to say."

    The foreman did, "don?t say anything at all, just listen to the sound of many workers apologies."

    Shaz felt flustered at all of this attention and when you don?t know quite what to say, it is best to say nothing at all; she didn?t? "Well thank you again," before looking at her husband and saying, "how come you never buy me flowers?"

    It was like the whole room had centred their looks upon the man as he stammered out..."well, um, I think it?s time I got on, er now. Work calls." He couldn?t get out quick enough and into that small stupid van, cooking stupid burgers for the masses. All the while the Coffee Club went on expanding.