A west side short story part VI

March 15th, 1984:

A week had elapsed since Walter's unfortunate visit to the house, and there had been no word from him since. The incident was not discussed again. For weeks, they continued with their daily routine, attending the master's lectures, and performing their assigned tasks.

Finally, the master revealed the reason for his long absences and the project that he and the senior members of the community had been carefully preparing. They were all assembled in the living room, seated around the man who sat in his armchair, as he explained the details.

"All this time you have spent here…Was a test," The master said, "I was testing your patience. Why? Patience is the ability to stay peaceful while waiting for something that could never happen, so thank you for not losing faith in me."

Then, he stood up and started pacing between them while talking, "When we meditate and put ourselves in harmony with the infinite, we are equal. So, when you are in harmony with the infinite, you relate to everything. This message and concept of equality are essential between men and women and all races! So why was there colonialism and imperialism? Because Europeans felt superior to the rest of the world. Why did the Americans send an atomic bomb on Hiroshima? Because they were and still are sure, they are superior to the Japanese and have colonized the whole planet.

The Europeans and the Americans, who are basically the same, invaded India, Africa, China, Australia, and New Zealand, everywhere, believing that they were superior... So, this concept of equality is essential and fundamental in our message. It applies to our relationship to life, the relationship between men and women, and the relationship between races. It applies to everything. To the way, we look at animals, plants, everything. We are equal. We are one!

We cannot be one if we are not equal. In our meditations, we are always one; we want to feel united with the universe. It is impossible to feel united if you feel superior. That is why our enemy is this feeling of superiority that man has towards others, which I call our enemy. The West swears to be superior, and the East thinks the opposite... To achieve peace, we must destroy this narcissistic feeling of superiority and prove once and for all that we are equal."

As he finished speaking, the audience erupted into a round of applause. Following the applause, a senior member raised his hand and was granted permission to ask a question.

"Thank you, master. My question is, when will we demonstrate?"

"Next Monday, we shall finally have the opportunity to showcase the truth to the world. However, until then, I implore you to continue meditating and finding solace for your hearts and minds. The task that awaits us is no easy feat, and it will require all our strength. Remember, it is only us who can make a difference. Take these words to heart." With these words, the man departed.


March 17th, 1984:

In the late afternoon, Evan sat alone on the front steps of the house, smoking a cigarette in silence. The sweet and acrid smell of tobacco filled the air around him, mingling with the distant scent of freshly cut grass from a nearby lawn. Suddenly, the roar of a powerful engine shattered the peace of the neighborhood, causing Evan to lift his head in surprise. The sound of the engine was deafening, like thunder that rumbled through the street.

His eyes followed the biker on his Harley Davidson Sportster cruising down the street, its engine growling like a fierce beast. The bike's chrome parts gleamed in the golden light of the setting sun, casting their glow across the pavement. Eventually, the rider halted the bike in front of a house a few blocks away, and the sound of the engine gradually faded into the background. The rider turned off the engine, removed his helmet, and walked into the house, leaving his motorcycle behind.

From the steps, Evan gazed longingly at the bike, with an inexplicable envy before crushing his cigarette beneath his foot, and a faint smell of burnt tobacco rose from the ground. He left the steps of the home, the sound of his footsteps crushing leaf echoed through the quiet street. He crossed the street, striding towards the motorcycle with a keen interest. As he approached the bike, he heard the faint sound of metal cooling and ticking, like the sound of a clock winding down. Near enough, Evan leaned forward inspected the bike closely, captivated by its polished curves and rough edges.

"Found you!" a soft voice exclaimed as Emma approached Evan and looped her arm around his waist. "Is it just me, or have you been avoiding me?"

"Why would I do that?" Evan replied.

"I don't know, you tell me," Emma shrugged.

"Okay, something happened between Áurea and me the other day," Evan admitted.

"Are you referring to when she jerked you off in the laundry room?" Emma asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You know about that?" Evan asked cautiously.

"Of course I do. So, that's what's been bothering you?" Emma inquired.

"Well... yeah. How did you know?" Evan wondered.

"Because she told me. She came straight to me complaining about how you guys left her 'boiling'. She was pretty pissed!" Emma said. "She said you owed her one, though!"

"What?! She's the one who grabbed me! I didn't ask for it! And I warned her you..." Evan protested before Emma cut him off.

"Calm down! I already took care of it!" Emma reassured him.

"You did? How?" Evan inquired with curiosity.

"Guess how... And I liked it! So case closed!" Emma replied with a shrug and a big smile on her face. "What do we have here?" she asked, nodding towards the motorcycle.

"How do you like it?" Evan asked her.

"It's beautiful!" Emma exclaimed, laying her head on his shoulder.

"I don't know why, but as soon as I saw it passing in front of me, I wanted to follow it and look at it more closely," Evan admitted.

"Really?" Emma asked, intrigued.

"Yes... I'm dying to touch it," Evan confessed.

"I won't tell on you if you do," Emma chuckled.

Evan's fingers slowly glided from the seat to the gas tank, feeling the cool metal beneath them after the warmth of the seat's leather, until they reached the throttle. He gripped it tightly, succumbing to a deep desire that urged him to leap onto the bike.

"Evan, there's touching and then there's touching!" Emma exclaimed, looking around her with a worried expression.

"Climb behind me," Evan instructed.

"What?!" Emma asked, confused.

"Climb behind me. I have a funny feeling. Please do it," Evan urged her.

"Alright..." Emma reluctantly agreed before settling in behind him.

As soon as she settled in, she jumped in surprise when the engine roared to life, and she instinctively wrapped her arms tightly around him, snuggling up against Evan's back.

"How did you turn it on? Do you have the keys?" Emma asked curiously.

"No... Shall we go for a little ride?" Evan proposed.

"What?! That would be stealing! And... Can you even drive it?" Emma asked, hesitant.

"I don't know... but we'll find out soon enough!" Evan replied before squeezing the clutch lever.

"EVAN! I SWEAR, YOU'RE A DEAD MAN!" Emma yelled as the motorcycle roared down the street.


As they roared out of the neighborhood, the engine of the motorcycle revved up, its sound echoing off their surroundings. A few moments later, they narrowly avoided colliding with an oncoming van, the squeal of brakes piercing the air. Evan felt the rush of adrenaline as he yearned to push the engine a little further, but he slowed down as he felt Emma grip him too hard, the screech of tires as they slowed to match the speed limit. Her arms gradually loosened behind him, now just resting against his back as she hugged him close, the wind whistling past their ears.

"Evan, get up there! To your right!" Emma shouted over the sound of the engine, pointing to an exit on their right.

"Alright," Evan responded, revving the engine before following her direction. They took a narrower uphill road, tracing through the trees, the crunch of gravel beneath the wheels of the motorcycle. After climbing for about ten minutes, the road ended, and Evan parked the motorcycle in a small circular tarred area, the sound of the engine dying down to a low rumble. Emma dismounted first, stretching her limbs as the sounds of the surrounding forest filled the air.

"That was terrifying...yet exciting! You never mentioned you could ride," exclaimed Emma.

"I didn't...but it felt like second nature to me!" Evan replied, dismounting the bike and scanning the surrounding trees and a solitary wooden table.

"Where are we?" he asked.

Emma took his hand and replied, "Come with me!" She led him towards the trees, and they eventually arrived at a small balcony that overlooked the city and the Rhine River. Emma leaned against the railing, gazing out at the breathtaking view. The soft light of the setting sunbathed everything in a warm glow. As Evan wrapped his arms around her, he felt a sense of peace wash over him. He rested his chin on her head, feeling her soft short hair, brush against his face. They stood there in silence, watching as the sky shifted from orange to pink to deep purple.

"The timing couldn't be better," Emma said as she watched the sunset on the horizon.

"The most magical moments are often born out of spontaneous events," Evan whispered.

"Whoever first said that knew the real deal," Emma added.

Evan noticed the quietness around them, and turned to Emma, "I think this is the first time you and I have been alone in a long time...I mean away from home."

Emma smiled and leaned in to kiss him. "I feel like you've been holding back from telling me something for a few days," she said, pulling back slightly.

Evan took a deep breath. "I do...what do you think about all this?" he asked.

"What exactly?" Emma asked, looking at him curiously.

"About the group, about life at home, about what we spend our days doing... because I have doubts," Evan said, looking down.

"Doubts about what?" Emma asked, concerned.

"Doubts about the old man and his speeches!" Evan said, his voice rising slightly. "It's not exactly what he says, but... the way he stands over us, the way he calls himself 'master', the grip he has on everyone, the stupid hierarchy in the house, and... I feel like everything is done to ensure we don't get out of there... that we're under surveillance... maybe your brother..." Evan trailed off.

"My brother? My brother calls black people monkeys!" Emma said, her voice rising in frustration.

"Bad example... sorry... don't you share my opinion? Not even a little bit?" Evan asked, his voice softening.

"I agree with some... The days are indeed loaded and exhausting... But, Evan, I think the real problem is your ego," Emma said, placing a hand on his arm.

"My ego?" Evan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes... Your ego is blocking you from opening your heart; that's why you don't understand the depth of the message that the master is trying to transmit to us," Emma said, her voice gentle but firm. "The household chores we spend our days doing, the meditation sessions, the group hierarchy, the lectures, and the house protocol are generally meant to teach us modesty! The world needs modesty to understand that violence and arrogance are not the solutions! How can we change their minds if we don't tame our egos?"

Evan nodded slowly. "I don't know, it's just that I constantly have a bad feeling... When the old man talks... my stomach hurts," he said, looking down.

Emma reached out and took his hand. "Did anyone force you to come or do anything? Or blocking you from leaving?" she asked, her voice soothing.

"No... of course not," Evan said, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Evan, you're just a long way from your home, in a completely different environment... You need more time than we do to adjust, so, don't worry... I'll always be here to hold your hand," Emma said, kissing him tenderly. "Anyway... We should get back before the neighbor notices his bike is gone."

"Fine," Evan said, following her off the balcony.


They rode back to their starting point, and Evan made sure to leave the motorcycle in the exact spot where they had found it before they hastened away. Once they were near the house, Evan suddenly spun around, believing he had heard the sudden wind gust call him. His eyes fell again on the motorcycle they had left behind, and a strange, uneasy feeling washed over him.

"What's the matter?" Emma asked, looking in the same direction as Evan.

"I thought I heard someone calling me," Evan replied.

"You were probably just tricked by the wind. It used to happen to me all the time," Emma assured him.

"Or maybe it's the motorcycle that's calling me. She likes how I handle her and loves the feeling of having you sit on her. She wants a new owner," Evan joked, giving Emma a playful squeeze on her butt.

"Be serious!" Emma said, laughing.

"What did you just call me?" Evan asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"I didn't call you anything. I told you to be serious," Emma clarified.

"Right, let's go inside. I'm freezing," Evan said, rubbing his arms.

"Me too," Emma agreed, shivering.