Like Paper from a Fan!
He drops his overly sized backpack hitting the ground with a heavy thump as it sinks into the muddy soaked embankment by the iron gates. Another fierce storm looms over the city with dark grey clouds that could burst at any given time typical for the month of November. Gary's shoulders slumps over as he dreads seeing the one person who told him to go in the first place. He found a place to sit on the cold hard ground, he needed a rest before he decided to face the music and see Miranda for the first time since their last meeting which he thought was a final goodbye.
Slowly, the old memory of her being stuck behind the lock gates comes into his vision:
"Gary, please get me out of here."
"Miranda I'm doing the best I can under the circumstances." He tries to pry the gate as wide as possible, only she could only budge back behind the gates. Sooner or later she'll pay for this as her sides will bruise. Standing up she shivers from being so cold in the dark night air.
"Gary, this isn't working."
"Here!" He unzips his leather coat and hands it to her through the iron rods. "This will help you keep warm."
"Thanks Gary."
He stood there for a few minutes assessing the whole thing, and there was only one way out, up and over the fence. With a finger he points up and she glances to see it.
"No, there's got to be another way out." He watches her rattle the gates in a sigh of desperation.
"Trust me on this Miranda."
"This is ME we're talking about."
"Got an old hair pin?" he winks at her.
"Nope, fresh out." Let's out another long depressing sigh.
"Ok, plan B, you'll have to mount this fence, and climb over."
"Mount the fence? GARY!"
"Do you want out of here or not?" He pulls on the gate it only budges a few inches between the fence post and gate. "Look, trust me, will you?"
"Then mounting the fence it is." She mouths the word mounting.
"Miranda, you're making worse than what it is, just climb over the top and I'll help you on this side."
"You're right, I'll be sore later." She rubs her sides where they were tender from being trapped between the narrow gaps in the fence and gates.
"Ouch, watch it, Miranda." Gary's pulls away in haste from the gate as his fingers were pinched between the bars and her foot, all of her weight was on them.
"Sorry." She explained once again. "I'm no good at this climbing thing, Gary!"
"Stop saying you are sorry."
She was heavier than she looked and he helped her over by holding on her hips as she flips the other leg over the top of fence then angles herself down the other side. Only, he lost his footing and his hands slip from under her weight, and they both fall to the ground hard, knocking the wind out of them. "So, sorry." She repeats. They detangle themselves from one another, both ok not really harmed and just a bit bruised. Gary stood first reaching out to help her up onto her feet.
She reaches for her shirts to change into, unzips about half way when he pauses her actions. "You're shirts are dirty, you can't change into them. "Keep it. To remember me by." He choked out as he faces the other way hoping to keep his composure she couldn't see how upset he was to say goodbye.
The sky turns the colour of clay; dark swirling clouds hung low in the air. If it wasn't for the chilling rains that woke him, it was the thunderous clap overhead that shot him awake and too his feet. He took a deep breath of salty air, as he felt the spray of the rain against his face as he turns it up to the sky. Checking his watch he only slept for a few minutes before the storm hit the area.
The mobile in his back jeans pocket begins to vibrate and he fishes it out to answer it. "Clive! Mate, tell me the position is still open?"
Clive hesitates to answer, "Oh, Hong Kong, you're serious then?"
"Come on Clive, you owe me a massive favour." He paces now in the rain.
"You know it is, come on, listen, we haven't let the new guy go, Danny –"Crackling was heard, then the line goes dead before he could hear the rest of that sentence.
"Damn it!" He paces a bit trying to fix on a signal but with the rather thick clouds in the way he couldn't connect. At least he had his old job back, but he needed a place to crash while he searches for a new flat. He was hopeful that Clive would allow him to crash on the settee for a few weeks until he got a new flat to rent.
With no time to waste, he picks up his backpack huffs it onto his back and starts to head down the embankment towards the city centre. He'd be back in his restaurant in a few short minutes. His heart beats quicker, as he clips along at a fast pace no more chickening out. Once he arrived at the front door, he pause to place the heavy backpack down and to catch his breath. Then he'd enter it hoping for a big reunion with his best friends.
After everyone had finally spent some time playing with the ball pool and bed, Miranda found a way to kick everyone else out but Gary. The hesitation in his voice was heard as he asked. "I can't crash at Clive's."
At first she almost agreed to it. Three months ago if he suggested a sleep over she wouldn't have thought twice about it, but now, it's strange to find him back home and without a place to live. "Never you mind, you'll stay here, although, you'll have to put up with Stevie's annoyingly good humoured way to wake me up." She indicates tossing a ball at him.
"You really have a thing for ball pools." Gary hops over the back of the settee and settles next to Miranda's left.
"Don't forget the odd jobs." She laughs as he playfully pokes her side.
"Let me guess, you got…
…chucked out." They both laughed together.
"I never liked Sushi in the first place."
"Go back a little bit?"
"I mounted the sushi travellator."
"Dare I ask?"
"Not really, no." he laughs along with her feeling the awkwardness slip away as they grow closer again like he never left in the first place.
He reaches over to his pack and unbuckles one of the side pockets, which had a lot of interesting trinkets and items from Hong Kong. He spreads out on the table, sunglasses, and a folded piece of paper that's had many creases, a guitar pick, his wallet, a few foiled condoms and a rubber band. He fishes though the items until he found a black velvet pouch that conceals something inside of it.
"I have something for you. Open your hand and close your eyes."
She felt the weight of a small soft pouch slide into her open hands. From the weight of it, she knew it was a small object inside. She shook it hearing the metal objects clink as they jingle together creating such an unusual sound almost like coins. She felt the light bag being opened as he tips out the contents into her palm. The cool metals caress her open hands as she finally took a peak to see what he bought her. Three coins were strung together held by a silk red ribbon that clasps in the back creating a small charm bracelet that he clips around her wrist for her to wear.
"They're old coins, with no monetary value, so they create jewelry for tourists to purchase as souvenirs."
"Gary, it's amazing and wonderful. Red means for luck right?" She could feel the coolness of the coins against her soft wrist.
"Yes, and don't ask me what it means, just thought of you when I saw it."
"It was cheap." She shoves him playfully.
"You know me too well." He responds though with a long yawn.
'And I do know when it's time for sleep."