26.5.2009

CROSSED SWORDS AT THE SKULL AND CROSS BONES!

CROSSED SWORDS AT THE SKULL AND CROSS BONES!

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

 

Walking in to the Skull and Crossbones and making your way over to the bar you find the landlord Dave listening in to a conversation being conducted between a well spoken chap and a Jamaican man with a large black beard, all dressed in black and holding a thick book. The other is in a blue pin striped suit and Dave is in his pirates uniform as per usual trying to keep the image of the pub alive.

The blond man continues with this conversation, "Equality among the sexes? Yeah right! I'm an air steward, and on our last flight there was a punch up between three drunk men. Instead of the women sorting it out they said I had to! So muggings here did it and the only reason why the women wouldn't do it was because I am a man! Now that?s sexism for you!" he almost shouted while pointing a finger to the man in black.

The man in black answered back, "I don't agree. These women were smart, not sexist. They were using the self preservation method; in other words you get beaten up while they get to stay all pretty looking with out a single scratch on their faces. Now that's what I call cleaver thinking!"

The blonde chap was clearly upset by this weird piece of thinking, so turning to Dave he asked, "What do you think?"

"Well me matey, I'll have to go with me main man here on that one."

He wasn't satisfied with that answer and voiced his opinions, "Suit yourselves! I still think its sexism." With a large huff and a puff he walked away.

Talking about walking, in came Clive and Ben. Dave shouted and waved like a child upon spying them through his mock telescope, "Ahoy me ship faring matey's!"

The man in black turned round, "Hello Clive!"

Clive in turn tugged at his friends arm and muttered, "Watch out for this man here, every opportunity he gets he will bash you with his favourite saying which is ?I've got a scripture about that!? and no matter what the subject is about he will find a way to bash you with his bible."

Ben's eyes widened with a kind of fear, "Does he now?"

Clive never replied for he had already started the introductions, "Hello Raymond, this is Ben my boss."

Raymond shook Ben's hand fervently before asking, "Clive did you say you have a job?"

"And a place to live!" Ben added.

Dave butted in with, "you ain?t given Clive a job? What a brave move! I think this causes for a celebration of whiskeys on me!"

They all cheered except Raymond who had just witnessed one blast from the past coming into their lives again, well he and Clive's! "Look Clive, it's Gloria."

The group turned to stare at a beautiful looking woman of early forties with an olive reflection and very dark brown eyes, the type you could lose yourself in. She was a petite woman with a lot of grace, one felt she had the moves of a ballet dancer.

When Clive spoke up, it was in a sigh or one of mournful dejection, "Yeah, that's my, um, that is Gloria."

"Why don?t you go and talk to her?" Ben asked as he eyed both parties up.

"You know full well why she won?t."

"Aha, I remember. It?s to do with the drink problem me mateys. He likes to take it in faster than a ship with a gaping big hole in it?s side. Come to think of it, he sinks just as quick into the mire of despair. That is where he will stay stuck until he can be rescued by the lifeboat of common sense." Dave added.

Ben felt impressed at the way this barman used his hands emphatically to illustrate a sinking boat stuck in the mire of what?s it, um, thingy. Anyway he was equally surprised that Clive got the point.

"You are saying that if I give up the drink, I have a good chance of getting her back?"

"Aye, that be me point."

"In fact, talking about wine and ships I have a scripture about that! Now let me find it."

"Oh no, not the bible again."

Ben noted Clive?s protests, "Clive shut it and listen. If it is of help then listen and learn, if it ain?t then take it and leave."

Raymond raised his eyes to look at this very white man, "that in it?s self is almost a proverb my friend. But this is a real one from the wise old king called Solomon in chapter twenty three verses thirty through to thirty five."

"Do we all have to suffer?" Clive moaned.

Ben frowned at the lack of patience and understanding, "Yes we do."

Raymond wasn?t going to be put off as he began, "It says; those staying a long time with the wine, those coming into search out mixed wine." He looked up at this point, "which means whiskey and other drinks of the alcoholic kind," before looking back down at the verse he was reading. "Do not look at it when it exhibit?s a red colour, when it gives off it?s sparkle in the cup, when it goes with a slickness. At its end it bites just like a serpent and it secretes poison just like a viper. Your own eyes will see strange things and your own heart will speak perverse things. You will even be like a man lying down at the top of a mast. They have struck me, but I did not become sick, they have smitten me but I did not know it. When I shall wake up? I shall seek it yet some more." With this said Raymond closed his hardback bible with a sharp action making a gunshot sound with it making all jump. "So you can free yourself of this poison!" Raymond added as he tapped Clive?s whiskey glass with disdain.

Clive took a look at his glass before pushing it over to Dave?s side, "you had better put it back and give me one of those alcoholic free things you call a beer."

Dave pulled a proud father look at Clive before saying, "right on me brave matey."

"So, you are giving up, just like that?" Ben asked not sure if you could or not.

"Well, yeah. If I can win Gloria back than that will be the best reward I can imagine."

"Why don?t you tell her that."

"I haven?t the courage," Clive replied as he eyed up his long lost love before looking back at Ben.

"Here, take this whiskey here and that will give you the bottle!" Ben offered as he handed Clive one glass full of whiskey.

"Yeah, that will!" Clive lifted the glass and knocked the contents back finding the courage to say... "oh no! What have I done? You idiot!"

Ben looked at the glass, at Clive, then back again before it hit the thick idiot. He swallowed hard before saying, "Oops! You will give up after that last one I kind of forced you to take by mistake."

"How can I tell Gloria I?m giving up the booze, if I just knocked a whole glass of the serpents poison down."

"Well man, do as the white bloke says and start from now. You are doing it for her, because you love her."

"Yes Clive, tell her you love her."

"I can?t."

"No bro, you can." Raymond placed his warm hands upon this abandoned soul and as he did he took them off quickly as something had come to his mind. "I have a scripture about that somewhere."

With the threat of another scripture from the big ?B?, Clive knew he had to get going before he was bible bashed again. So, by talking to Gloria would avoid the need to listen to anything else Raymond was saying. Slipping off from the stool he walked over and stood waiting to be noticed by the lady. Suddenly she looked up and he thought he could see that old sparkle in her eyes, soon to be removed upon seeing him. The parting still hurt her, he could tell.

"Hello Gloria," was all that fell out from his mouth.

"Hello Clive, you must have got your courage up by drinking. You must get drunk to want to come over here and speak to me."

"No?I?ve just had the one glass of whiskey?actually I?m giving it up."

Gloria laughed at him before saying, "oh yeah, giving it up for what?"

Clive swallowed hard before giving two simple words, "for you."

Her mouth fell open and for a second the ridicule was gone. "Why?"

"Because I still love you and want you back." There, he had said it and felt the better for it. But before he could say anymore there was a commotion at the entrance of the public house.

In came six big looking men all wearing black with dark sunglasses. Clive knew in an instant who they were as a skinny looking half-Chinese chap walked in the middle of a gaggle of big built bodyguards. He was in his twenties, a rather ruthless individual as he had to be, being the number two guy in this part of London?s mafia movement. There are many segment or should we say Mafia organisations. Sometimes they work together, other times they fight till the death. It was a lot like two Bull Elephants fighting over the females. Sometimes they would cooperate and other times a massive fight would ensue until one lost the day. Clive watched as this cocky looking young man strolled up to the bar just where his friends were.

Dave started to shake with fear as he knew exactly why they were making a house call. "Ah, aye, um, hello, what can I get you gents?"

"Just the money you owe us," replied the half-Chinese guy.

"Ah, the money. Well you see?"

"No excuses. My boss wants the money."

"What money?" Ben asked.

"I wasn?t talking to you punk."

Ben took half a step backwards as he boldly replied, "actually the name?s Ben."

Chang the mafia man eyed him up and down before deciding to enlighten the dude on what is going down. "Well Ben, this landlord owes us back pay on protecting him"

"Ah I see! A kind of bodyguard revolt?"

"No man! Are you thick of someth?n?"

"Actually I have a scripture about that!" piped up Raymond only for him to be shouted down with, "shut up!" from all around.

"Look dude, we are paid to protect all the properties in this area and for this protection we demand a small fee."

"You protect properties from suspected trouble, like a neighbourhood watch where all has to chip in to pay for baseball bats, guns, knives and other violent items."

Chang eyed the smaller guy up and down once more before deciding that he wasn?t worth the time. So addressing the owner of this stupid maritime bar he continued, "Look barman just give us the cash, or we will just have to take our cut from your nice bar and unique scenery."

Dave swallowed hard as his nerves were getting the better of him, he replied, "I can?t pay all of it...I only can manage half. All the bills have piled up and if I pay you I can?t afford to pay for the beer and without beer my customers go else where, then I have to close and you won?t get a penny when I?m gone."

The mafia man sighed as patience wasn?t his strongest asset, "you?ll be gone in a sec if you won?t pay what you owe my boss."

"Just how much does he owe?"

"Just stay out of this shorty," Chang replied pointing a finger so close to Ben?s face that the he went boss eyed.

"I think I have a right to know as I am a resident of this area."

Chang raised an eyebrow, "oh yeah, where?"

"Just up the road, the one that has the doors hanging off and is in need of total refurbishment."

"The old restaurant. Best sign up for protection then."

"No thanks, don?t need any."

At this the mafia man laughed along with all his heavies, "ha ha, you will sooner rather than later."

This didn?t make Ben feel any more relaxed, though it didn?t stop him from going back to the original question, "we were discussing just how much Dave owes."

"Lean forward and I will tell you."

"How much!" Ben replied as he received the rather big sum.

"Yeah, that is how much we are going to enjoy damaging this joint eh lads?" Again all the heavies laughed and it was here that Ben noticed that most of them were of mixed races, not predominantly Chinese. In an instant the leader called out to all, "I think it is closing time, all had best leave."

Many took the hint and started to disappear into the evening, until one small man yelled out, "friends there is no need to leave!"

The Chinese man turned, with fire in his eyes and a knife to the guy?s throat he yelled at him, "Will you stop butting in! If you speak another word I will?" he was stopped as one cheque came up in front of his eyes.

"Is a cheque okay?" Ben said as he dared only to say these few words as the blade felt it may cut any second now. Just as fast as the knife being there, it disappeared.

Chang felt astonished, "you are going to pay up for him?"

"Yeah, friends stick together."

Chang took the cheque, "That?s fine providing it ain?t made of rubber and don?t come bouncing along to come back in your face."

"It ain?t made of rubber, but proper cold hard cash."

Chang took this moment to leave, then just as he was at the exit he addressed this slightly shorter man, "So Ben. Are you sure your place don?t need protecting?"

"Quite sure."

"I will pay you a visit in a couple of days, to see if you have changed your mind."

"You are more than welcome to come round and see how far we have got and to see how our restaurant will work."

"You know, I?ve always wanted to see how it all works."

"You know where to come then."

Chang grinned, "Oh and one thing."

"Yes."

"What construction company are you having do all your work?"

"J.M.Construction." Then Ben asked, "Can you just tell me something?"

"What."

"Just your name."

"Chang." He pulled a half-smile at the other before walking into the cool evening air.

The public house was as silent as the grave for a while before one person started to talk, then another and soon all were back to their lives. It was Dave out of the group who found the voice to speak, "Ben I can?t believe you have just paid them off. I?ll pay you back I promise."

"Just forget it. As I have already stated, that is what friends are for. All I ask is that you try to not get into debt like that with them again."

Dave sighed, "I wish I could, but they keep on changing the protection rates."

"Well you know there is a scripture that says there is more happiness in giving than receiving, so how much do I get?" Raymond butted in as he held his hand out.

"Get real! I ain?t that generous."

"Are we going now?" Clive asked as he came up to the group.

"Yes, better get back before Shaz finds out. See you later guys."

After Dave had thanked him a hundred times, Ben finally managed to get out of there.

Sharon had told Gordon about the good news and he had clapped his hands together in delight. Now Sharon was at her auntie?s as she pressed the intercom button and after a few moments a voice called out, "Yes, who is it?"

"Hi auntie it?s Sharon."

"Who?"

"Sharon who was here last night with my husband Ben."

"Oh yes, come on in."

Buzz went the buzzer to unlock the door, only of course the chain was on again. Sharon buzzed the intercom once again.

"Yes, who is it?"

After looking up to the heavens and sighing Shaz started all over again.

Ben laid there in bed wondering about tonight and wondering if he should tell his wife or not. Still the least she knew the better. Sharon was next to him fast asleep. She had got in later than expected as she had to wait a long time outside her auntie?s flat, thirty five minutes before she finally got in. Her auntie and uncle were not Sharon?s actual blood relations. Sadly for Sharon all her real family had laid down to rest and she is the only survivor. She had a sad life, she was only seven when she lost her sister in a riding accident. At twenty one she found out that her mother had cancer and twenty three when she died. Then her father found out he had cancer and had passed away by the time she was twenty five. It came as to no surprise to Ben that she had gone off the rails a bit before he came along and managed to get her back on track. It came also as to no surprise that she had sold the family estate; after all the place would only bring back bad memories every time she visited it. He also went on to think about just how fortunate he had been and very honoured to be the only man to be given the chance by Shaz to be trusted enough to become her husband. This is still in his view the biggest compliment ever made to him in his life. He always wanted to pay it back, but money wise he couldn?t. Carrying on the family line, something that she could look on and say that this was hers. Something like a baby?

Yes! A baby. Sharon could love it and be the perfect gift to her and a compliment of her, especially if it turned out to be a little girl with her mother?s eyes and yes that smile. That smile she gave could melt the hardest of hearts. Sharon is a very beautiful woman with her ash blonde hair shimmering in the summer sun, her dark eyes penetrating your very soul and not to mention her elegant figure; not too slim yet not too fat, oh and those prominent cheek bones! Now if her daughter had all this to her advantage she would never want for admirers.

Ben turned and tapped his wife on her shoulder, "Shaz are you awake?" He got no reply. So he tried again to little avail. This time he decided to give her a little push not realising that his wife was right on the edge of the bed and out she fell with a thud to the floor.

"Ahh! What the hell happened, one minute I was fast asleep dreaming of waterfalls, the next I?m pushed over one."

Ben panicked, "ah sorry."

Sharon picked herself up and fumbled for the light. After finding the switch she flinched at the brightness of the sixty watt sun. After rubbing her eyes she spoke, "that?s the first time I?ve fallen out of bed since I was about six I think."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah fine, just a little shocked."

"Can we talk?"

"What about?"

"About our family line."

"Isn?t that a little too heavy for three in the morning," Sharon replied as she pointed to where the clock told the time as it sat on the dressing table.

"Not about our past, but the future."

Shaz felt suddenly more alert as she asked, "the future?"

"As in who will come after us."

"No one."

"Exactly."

This was a little too much of a quiz, then as she ran through the late night quiz her eyes widened as the final haze of sleep cleared. "Ah, you want children."

"Just the one so we can carry on the family line."

"Your family line."

Ben shifted his pillow as he muttered, "not mine exactly, but yours."

"Why?"

Time for expression of thought and no time to get tongue tied. "Because there is only one of you and well I would like the world to have another of you. After all the world would sadly miss you when you are gone and the maggots have eaten you away. But with another one of you about, then the world could see and appreciate exactly what I appreciate and that is you; just how pretty, loving and kind and beautiful you are."

Sharon sat down on the edge of the bed. "This is not about children. You want me to have a wax figure of myself in the island?s wax-works museum so that all the tourists can see a form of me after I am dead and buried. Why not just get me stuffed?"

Ben felt annoyance at her interpretation of events and took offence at the stuffed comment. "No. I want a daughter who could be just like her mother."

"Oh I see," Shaz replied as she got back into bed. "You know just how much looking after they take. You get very little sleep and as they get older they get more and more of a handful until one day find boys, get pregnant and trouble starts all over again. We as newfound grandparents are left holding the baby while our daughter goes out and does it all again. Is that what you really want?"

Ben became aware of he had barked up the wrong tree and found a viper lurking which had just come out and bitten him. He thought through his reply, "Sharon dear, if we train up our baby the right way with the correct balance of love and discipline then it will be a better chance of our child turning out okay. This could be the best and happiest time of our lives."

Sharon could see what Ben was getting at. If he wanted a child so much he was going to have to understand exactly what child rearing means. He will have to go and be a parent to babies, toddlers and children.

"Okay I will think about your proposal on one condition."

"What?s that?"

"That you come down to the local toddlers club and spend a morning with the babies there."

"What a good idea! "Okay deal!"

Next morning Sharon took Ben down to the local baby club and was allowed to handle the babies. One was sick over him and all he did was call out with pleasure... "Hey Shaz isn?t this great! This one has just emptied it?s stomach all over me!"

He was allowed to feed them, put them to bed and change their nappies. He did pull a face at the smell especially when he put his hands in a runny pooh. One baby went for a number one over his shirt and being a boy managed to aim a good shot to score a jackpot in the mouth. Again all her husband could say was, "this one?s just pee?d all over me and it tastes like, well, lime juice cordial!"

Later on he was run over by a push chair and had a child who wouldn?t stop crying. All in all he was determined to prove to his wife that he would make a good father. Of course, the burning question is; would she?"

When they arrived back after a busy morning she found it to be quiet, very quiet. Sharon thought the builders had broken up early today. She was wrong, very wrong as they hadn?t turned up at all.

Gordon was pacing up and down the path outside the back door. He was dressed today in a bright green suit with a white shirt, green and white spotted tie along with white socks and green shoes. To complete the effect he was wearing matching green glasses with mirror lenses.

"Oh dear, oh dear luvvies, it?s bad news, very bad news!"

"What is?" Though Sharon knew what the answer would be.

"The builders have not turned up," He replied as he waved his arms up and down looking like a chicken trying to take off and fly.

"I can see that."

"It?s the mafia, they have taken them, told them not to turn up."

"How?"

"They run things around here and they run what you can only call as a forced builders union. This union has voted to go on strike."

Ben stood a quiet spectator until the truth dawned upon him. "Oh dear. I wondered why Chang asked me that question." He sat down on the patio wall and before his wife could ask him to elaborate he did. "Last night Clive and I went to the local pub."

"You did? What after saying about getting drunk."

"Sharon please let me finish!" This was said in a rather stressed cutting sharp tone. He had to get this out before he was found quilty. "It was there, Dave the landlord got into trouble because he owed the mafia a couple of thousand back pay and couldn?t pay it. So I stepped in and paid the bill."

"You did what?"

"I paid up for him, it was either that or they took it out on the pub?s décor and worst of all, Dave." Ben flinched just waiting for a clip round the head and her to blow up like a stick of dynamite, but no.

"You did the right thing. Gordon can?t we offer the builders more money, or maybe a big cash incentive so they come back and complete the work? Like a few grand each."

Gordon was still pacing up and down but he stopped briefly to reply, "Sharon love, I have already tried. I even rang round other companies. They won?t come because of the strong grip the mafia have in this area. Outside contractors will have their equipment vandalised and builders will be shown the door. The police cannot help much except increase patrols. I?ve tried all morning and come back to square one."

Silence fell for a few minutes, all that could be heard was the sound of local traffic and a solitary blackbird singing into the summer air. All sat down on the patio wall trying to find a solution. Defeat only came their way.

"The only thing to do is to pay the mafia what they want."

Everyone agreed. Sharon took Gordon off to survey the work completed on the club and what required the up most attention. Clive came back and collected a dejected Ben and soon their little van sat outside a building site that they had visited earlier when business started to pick up. Today the site was almost empty, apart from a few people working. Undaunted they set up shop and waited for the lunch whistle which came about one. No one came.

"That is strange." Clive mumbled.

"I can only agree. Hey, hold on someone is coming." Ben said eagerly as he addressed the chap, "what can I get you?"

The man had a badge on his left pocket which indicated that he was a person in authority. "Do me a burger with fried egg, chips and a coffee please."

"Sure!" Ben nodded to his buddy who went to work. "Why are you so quiet? Near completion?"

"No. We have a sickness problem. Must be a flu bug or some?in. Everyone was fine last week, this week all ill. Except the guys who always bring in their own pack lunches. The doc suggests it could be food poisoning, where they all get that from I don?t know?"

"Um, no, strange that," Ben answered as he suddenly went all wide eyed.

Clive saddled up to Ben as he handed over the coffee, "wasn?t that about the time we first visited this place."

"Shh! Yeah, now get into the front, get us the hell out of here."

Clive slipped out the back door and went round the front, started the van as his buddy made some loud banging of cans to muffle the noise.

"How long will my food take?"

"Oh not long, then again it may take longer than expected. Why don?t you have your coffee and admire your building work." The man grinned and took his coffee and turned to admire the construction. By the time he went to place his coffee onto the small counter the van was history. Ben joined Clive up the front and found the guy to be a little rattled.

"Man, next time you cook the chips and I will do the meat!"

"Okay buddy, whatever you say."

Actually nothing else was said until they reached another destination where Clive cooked all the meat and Ben did the drinks.