One More Notch

The strong pounding in Tyson’s head had not subsided even after sleeping for almost twelve hours. And, he ought to know that. For all his years of drinking, he should be used to the feeling. Let’s face it, sober or not, he would always look as if he had one too many. It’s how he is. But, this night, and this seven too many drinks fell hard on him; harder than any other time. He was alone, he longed for the busy streets of the big city: why he left Los Angeles would ever be a mystery to all. He even convinced his best friend to move with him. ‘I’ll be less lonely,’ he assured, ’if you’re there with me.’

Truth be told, he was selfish, he got to the stage where he did not care anymore; the fact that his friend had a girlfriend she left back in L.A., or that she had to broke up for the sake of Tyson’s mental health, and, because (let’s face it) long-distance relationships are no relationships at all. So Jeannine packed her life and moved to Florida with Tyson.

The room reeked of alcohol fumes and morning breath, but as she walked to the big drapery covered window in the master bedroom, Jeannine could care less. She pulled the drapes apart, allowing the mid-day Sun to enter. Tyson groaned and turned the other way. Sun rays felt like a sunburn on a vampire flesh. It sure stunk that way.

“I made you waffles and you have coffee in the pot ready,” she said walking around the bed and moving covers from Tyson’s body. “I have to go, you clean up, and we’ll go somewhere together later.” She placed a loving kiss on top of his head. Feeling her warm lips on him, Tyson opened his eyes, which were bloody red and smiled. Genuinely. He heard her footsteps echoing away and sighed.

By the time he got up, the waffles turned into stone and coffee was a piece of shit in a mug. He looked around the house looking for something eatable, but found nothing. So, he took a clean shirt and covered his yesterday’s odor with a dash of perfume and got out.

It was a beautiful day. It reminded him of the times he would sit and write and compose. He was happy then. He wished he could do it again.

A person bumping into him and almost spilling the content of the take out cup interrupted his thoughts. He heard a faint ‘Sorry,’ but failed to take a good look on the tiny person collided with him. She took big steps away from him. He just shrug his shoulders and placed an order to the waitress behind the counter.



The first night in the unfamiliar building was hard for Rosalind. Her blood was pumping, she longed to go out, she craved for a drink that wasn’t a freaking glass of water or organic juice. Everything about this place was organic. The wallpapers were teal color with beige bordure at the corners where the walls connected with the ceiling. A single bed beneath the window, little writing desk with two drawers and a lamp with sixty volts lightning bulb. Surely enough, the windows had bars. ‘You can leave whenever you want, my ass,’ Rosalind thought. She had hard time taking all in, the entire place was sterile and she wanted the dirt. She wanted to scream, but the rest of the patients complained.

That first night, she cried herself to sleep.

In the morning, she was given a patron or a chaperon, to talk to her, watch her every move among other things. Being stubborn child she was, she refused such thing and did everything she knew and could to get away from that person. Unsuccessfully tough. The older girl, who was looking after Rosalind, took pity on her and decided to take her out for a cup of coffee. Rosalind accepted, looking at it as a chance to escape from the all seeing eye of the watchful patron. Laura was her name; Rosalind didn’t care.

They ordered a coffee to go and led a forceful conversation. Just as she got her cup, Rosalind hurried outside, not looking in front of her but back, resulting her hitting someone on her way out. She muttered a faint ‘Sorry,’ and ran as fast as her legs could carry her.

If only she knew, if only she stopped to look at the person she hit, she would be facing her savior, but she didn’t. She didn’t knew, and let’s face it, how could any one of two of them might have known what the future holds for them? How could they know that destiny had a plan to bring them together?