I woke up with a start feeling disoriented, which was becoming all to common. I looked around and realized I was in Dawn's apartment, but the girls were gone and it was broad daylight outside.
Just then, Dawn stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her head and nothing else.
"'Allo love, sleep well did ya?" she asked.
"Um, yeah, like a rock. What time is it?"
"Going on 1, I'd say. In a rush?" she grinned.
"Er, no, just trying to pull me head together. Where's...?"
"Bridget had a production meeting. She left an hour ago. I've got to get a move on, as well. Got to pop over to the office and check on things," she said matter of factly while getting dressed.
I sat us and looked around for my clothes. They were neatly draped over a chair. I got up and started dressing as well.
"You're welcome to stay here," Dawn offered.
"I need to go to Eddie's and get clean clothes, take a shower, maybe find a laundromat," I said, still trying to orient myself to reality.
"My, aren't you Suzy Homemaker," Dawn teased and laughed. "There's a laundromat next building over. It has a vending machine for soap and fabric softener, if you need it," Dawn offered. "I'll be back around 6 or 7 if you'd like to get a bite together."
"Yes, of course, sounds great," I said honestly, feeling a pit in my stomach. "I hope I can get in to Eddie's."
"Oh, don't worry about that, love. Sheila's always there, though Eddie's a different problem."
We both finished dressing at the same time, and Dawn collected her bag and a few trinkets. I checked my pockets and found everything was in place. Dawn came over and threw her arms around my neck and kissed me.
"Save yourself for me, now. I'm not finished with you yet," she grinned wickedly and kissed me again, then we pulled apart and headed out the door.
At the bottom of the steps, Dawn pointed up the walkway. "You'll find the laundromat just over there," she said, indicating an open door in the next block. "Can you find your way to Eddie's then?"
I turned and looked up the other way to be sure I recognized everything. "Yes, sure," I answered back.
"OK, love, see you soon!"
She bounced off down the walk, turned a corner and was gone. I stood there for a moment, unsure whether anything I remembered about the previous evening was real. It was at that moment that I realized I felt like I had worked out - every muscle ached and I felt completely drained. I decided it was real and started walking toward Eddie's place.
I tapped on the door, and after a moment Sheila answered. "Hello dear, I wondered where you'd got off to," she paused to let me in, then went back to the kitchen. "Eddie's off collecting for his footballers again, but I'm sure he'll be along soon. Lunch hour is nearly over. Are you hungry?"
"Yes, I'm famished, actually," I said honestly. "I don't think we ate last night."
"Oh dear, well you just take a seat and I'll fix up something to hold body and soul together."
"Um, do you mind if I shower up?"
"Go right ahead, love. I've put a towel on your bed. Take your time," she busied herself in the kitchen and I went into the room, found the towel, and went into the bathroom.
The hot shower felt like it was stripping a layer of life off of me. My head was clearing and the previous night was coming back in bright, colorful flashes. I scrubbed down, brushed my teeth, dried off and dressed, emerging from the bathroom as if I had been reborn.
Sheila was just putting a plate on the counter. "Hurry and eat, love, while it's hot."
I dropped my things in the bedroom and came straight to the counter. A slab of ham, scrambled eggs and toast filled my head with homesickness and I dug in, trying not to look too ravenous or uncouth.
Just then, the door burst open and Eddie bellowed - somewhat louder than usual, "Ha! I finally got those buggers to part with a pea or two." He shook the coffee can and it sounded full.
He came over to the counter and sat on the other stool, putting the can down and popping the top open. There were wads of bank notes, and when he had removed them, coins filled the bottom half.
"Must be 30 quid here," he laughed heartily.
"How wonderful, dear," Sheila gushed. "Did you try a new pub?"
Eddie reached behind him and pulled a pistol from his belt and slammed it on the counter.
"They were being their usual penny-pinchin' skin flints, so I took out my prop pistol and waved it in the air, and told them all to donate to my boys!"
"Oh my," Sheila paused and looked concerned. I nearly choked on a bite of food. The gun didn't worry me - I grew up with guns everywhere - but the idea of Eddie robbing a pub for charity made me gag a laugh.
"I expect we'll be hearin' about this sooner than later," Sheila sighed. I gathered from her reaction that this wasn't unusual behavior for Eddie.
While Eddie was busy counting his loot, I thought about my schedule and realized I had no idea what day it was.
"What day is it?" I asked Sheila.
She chuckled softly. "Lost track, have you? It's Thursday, love."
"Ouch," I said, wondering where the time had gone. "I need to leave tomorrow."
"Where are you off to, love?" Sheila asked, taking my empty plate and turning to the sink.
"I have to be in Munich Monday morning to start a gig," I said.
"Oh, that sounds lovely," she replied. "What's the job, then?"
"I'm a scenic carpenter on 'Die Fledermaus' at the Bavaria National Opera," I said. i can't miss this one. It's five weeks of work and the pay is pretty good."
"Oh, that sounds lovely, very prestigious," Sheila said. "I've never been to Munich, but I hear it's quite beautiful."
"Yes," I replied. "And the opera is famous. It will look good on my CV."
"Thirty seven and 50," Eddie exclaimed loudly.
"Wonderful, dear," Sheila said. "I'm sure the club will be quite happy with the extra bob or two."
"Can I get a train to London from here?" I asked to both of them.
"Not direct," Eddie bellowed as he scooped his loot back in the can and jumped down off the stool, putting the pistol back in his belt.
The pistol was an old .38 police special, not very large and on the verge of being an antique. It was quite obviously a prop, since the hammer had been spot welded in the "safe'' position, but to a casual observer it probably looked very real.
"You'll have to take the commuter to Liverpool, then connect to London," Sheila offered. "it's not difficult. The London train leaves at 7:30, as I recall. You'll need to catch the 6a commuter to make it."
"OK, so I'll have to get going at 5a, then," I said to no one in particular.
"Stay here, mate," Eddie interrupted as he went around the counter to the fridge. "I'll get you a gig here and you can stay on a bit." He grabbed two bottles of beer out of the fridge, bit the tops off and handed one to me, then moved over and plopped down on the sofa.
I slid off the stool and moved over to one of the arm chairs. "I'd like to, but this is a pretty important gig. Not only is the Opera a big deal, but the..."
"Stay on, mate," Eddie interrupted with nearly a command. "I'm sure Dawn will be happy with that." He smiled and winked at me.
"It's really tempting, but I've been planning on this for..."
There was a knock at the door and Sheila went to open it. I froze for a moment expecting the worst. The door opened.
"'Allo, Ma," a man who looked nearly identical to Eddie, but slimmer, more refined and quite a bit quieter stepped in and kissed Sheila on the cheek. "'Lo Eddie," he nodded to his brother, then looked at me.
"And oo might you be, then?"
"Rex," I said, standing to shake hands. "I'm visiting town from Texas, and met up with Eddie. Your mother and he were kind enough to offer me a room for a couple of nights."
"Even though you ain't slept in it," Eddie roared, laughing.
"'Lo, I'm Michael, Eddie's brother," he said.
"I guessed that," I smiled. "You both look very much alike."
"Yes, unfortunately," Michael sighed. "But I'm the couth one in the family."
Michael went to the fridge and took out a beer, rummaged around in one of the doors and took out an opener and popped the top. He and Sheila stood talking quietly in the kitchen.
Eddie continued his pitch. "Don't worry about the Kraut gig. You'll have a lot more fun here. The Krauts got no sense of humor. That lot are a dour bunch," he growled.
"i wish I could," I said apologetically, thinking of Dawn. "But I've signed the contract and it could mean a lot more contacts for other work, too."
"You've caused a stir, Eddie," Sheila interrupted. "Michael says the town is buzzing about your stunt this afternoon."
"Feck the lot of 'em," Eddie scoffed in full voice. "Trying to get those buggers to support my boys is like pullin' teeth. Put the fear of God in 'em, I did." He laughed loudly.
"Eddie, you're going to cause trouble you can't fix one of these days," Michael said, coming into the living room. "Stealing cars..."
"...that bloke had it comin'," Eddie mumbles.
"...threatening to jump off the bank building..."
"Bastards wouldn't loan me money for the team road trip," Eddie interjected.
"...and setting Old Man Conner's field afire..."
"You see how green it is now. I did 'im a favor."
"Folks will tolerate a bit of horse play, but waving guns around is a bit over the top, don't you think?" Michael glared at him. Eddie ignored him. This was apparently an old argument.
There was another knock at the door. I froze again. Sheila walked calmly over and opened it. A woman about Sheila's age and stylishly dressed in business attire was standing there.
"'Allo dear" she said. I suppose you've heard by now."
Suddenly the room was abuzz with conversations that didn't involve me. I quietly made my way to the bedroom and began going through my pack and rearranging my gear, taking a quick inventory. I hadn't gone in it in two days, which was the longest I had been away from it in months. I checked my passport, tools, and clothes, and realized I hadn't gotten to my laundry yet. I wadded up the dirty clothes in a cloth bag I carried for this purpose. I checked my coins, guessing I had enough, and went back into the living room.
The conversations were still going hot and heavy. I politely interrupted Sheila and said I wanted to wash my laundry.
"Alright, love. Do you know where it is?"
I nodded and pointed in the general direction and she returned to her discussion.
Once I got outside, I felt relieved. There was obvious tension building and it had nothing to do with me. The laundry was a perfect retreat. When I got to the laundromat, it was thankfully empty. I carefully removed my tattered copy of "The Women's Room" from the bag and dumped the remaining contents into the washer. I put a 25-pence coin into the vending machine and took out a packet of soap, dumped it in the machine, then fed the appropriate coins into the slot until the water clicked on. I closed the lid and moved to a row of metal chairs along one wall, sat down and opened my book.
About an hour later, the dryer stopped, I dog-eared my place in the book and took the bag over and stuffed my hot but freshly cleaned clothes in it. Going outside and turning up the walk, I hoped that the drama had died down a bit. I glanced up at Dawn's apartment as I passed, but the window was still dark. It was nearing sunset, which meant maybe 7 o'clock or so. I hoped she would be home soon.
When I got back to Eddie's place, I tapped on the door, but there was no answer. I could hear voices inside, with Eddie's being the loudest. I pushed the door and it swung open, so I quietly entered. There were now about 6 or 7 people in the room and a haze of cigarette smoke hung at eye level. I made my way to the room and quietly shut the door.
Inside I set to rolling my clean clothes for packing and checked that the load was symmetrical, so it would sit evenly on my shoulders. I sat on the bed and listened to the voices. I caught snippets of dialog here and there, but nothing intelligable.
There was a lull in the conversations and I took that moment to put myself back into the fray. As I came out, Eddie waved my over and patted the sofa, telling me to sit. I looked around at the furrowed brows and the overflowing ashtray that there was serious topics afoot.
"Seems I've fecked the poodle, mate," Eddie roared in my ear. "Got everyone in a right tizzy." He laughed loudly, which drew looks or ire and concern from the others in the room.
"You're a bleedin' nut, you are," Michael said.
Sheila just stood quietly near the kitchen, ready to retreat to her domain if necessary.
Just then, there was another knock at the door. Sheila quickly scurried to the door.
"I'll get it," she said.
The door swung open and a policeman was standing there, tall, wiry and neatly pressed in his uniform. He had a fluorescent yellow vest on and wore an odd looking hat with a checkered band around it.
"'Allo dear, come in," Sheila stood back to make way.
"Frankie, you old dog. Been waitin' on ya, we 'ave," Eddie bellowed as he started to stand.
"'Ave a seat, mate. I wouldn't make too many sudden moves," Frankie said, stepping into the room. As he did, I noticed two armored figured behind him, all in black with helmets. One had a German shepherd on a tight leash, and the other had an M-16 in the ready position.
My heart stopped. Just my luck to wander into a terrorist situation on the wrong side.
Frankie looked around at the people in the room and settled on me.
"I don't know you," he said starting a hole through the back of my skull.
"Rex," I said. "Rex Greathouse. I'm a house guest."
"A Yank," Frankie said, with just a hint of distaste. "'Ave you got identification?"
"Yes, sir," I said, "in the bedroom."
"Would you bring it out, then?"
I stood up and started for the room. As I did, two red beams pierced the smoke and settled on my left shoulder. I looked out the door and saw and additional two snipers on the roof of the building across from the door. The lasers followed me across the room. I went in and Frankie moved around to watch me as i fetched my passport out of my pack.
I brought it out to him and he thumbed through it, checked the photo, looked at the visas, and paused on one of the pages.
"What were you doin' in Ireland, then?" he asked. My heart sank. Not the IRA thing again.
"I lived there for about a year, working in the theatre and picking up various gigs."
"Why Ireland, specifically?" he pressed.
"I had an internship at the Gate and stayed on for a while to get a bit of culture," I explained.
"What are you doin' here?"
"I'm on my way through to Munich for a gig. I met Eddie the other night in Liverpool and he brought me back to stay with him for a couple of days."
Frankie looked at Eddie, who shrugged and smiled. The policeman handed my passport back to me and I noticed the lasers switch off. My heart started beating again, but I froze in place, not daring to move a hair.
:Alright, Eddie, let's have it," Frankie said sternly to Eddie, who was still sitting on the sofa with a bemused look on his face.
"What's that," Eddie said, grinning. Oh God, I thought, don't make a game out of this.
That Frankie hadn't asked for the gun first thing led me to believe he knew it was a prop or knew Eddie's antics well enough that he wasn't concerned, but now was not a good time to push matters.
I saw the next few moments happen in slow motion. Eddie jumped up off the sofa while simultaneously pulling the pistol out of his belt. The cop outside the door shouldered his rifle, the dog went nuts trying to jump off his leash, the laser beams shot through the room onto Eddie's chest and I heard the distinctive sound of safeties being clicked off.
"Damn it, Eddie, you're going to make a bigger mess than you already have," Frankie said. He hadn't flinched or batted an eye in all of that. Eddie flipped the pistol around and held it out by the barrel. Frankie strode over and took the gun, checked it and saw the welded hammer, then pulled a plastic bag from his pocket and dropped the gun inside.
The lasers switched off, the safeties clicked on, and the cop outside the door returned his rifle to the ready position. Even the dog returned to parade rest.
"Come along then," Frankie said to Eddie. "We'll go down and have a little talk at the station."
"Oh, come off it Frankie," Eddie almost sounded serious now. "It was just a harmless prank. Those feckin' bastards never give a thing to my boys," he laughed. "Well, until today."
Frankie walked over and took Eddie by the shoulder and began guiding him to the door. "Not today, mate. This is a bit more serious than your usual stunts," Frankie said sternly. "Where's the money?"
"I left it down at the club house," Eddie lied. I could see the can sitting on the counter across from me. No one else said a word, either.
"Right, then, come along," Frankie ordered.
As they walked out, I could hear Eddie saying, "You're a right nitwit, Frank. You were a lot more fun in high school..." And they disappeared around a corner. The two armors cops followed close behind, and when I looked up, the two snipers had vanished, as well.
As Sheila moved to close the door, the woman in the business suit said, "That boy's going to be the death of us all."
I retreated back to the room and closed the door. I collapsed on the bed as my heart restarted for the second time that night.
There was no doubt about it. I would be off to Munich in the morning.