Higher Than Hope

That night, Anna and Ryan and Nail and Larissa found themselves at O'Byrne's, the huge Irish bar in downtown Edmonton. It was starting to get busy with the after-work crowd filling the bar for happy hour, the TV's above the large bar playing highlights from the last Edmonton Eskimos game that Sunday. A jukebox played Crazy Town by Jason Aldean as the bartenders were busy pouring beers and whiskey for the various punters, a trickle of people gradually coming in: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDtqMwbVXdI

Roll into town step off the bus,
Shake off the where you came from dust,
Grab you guitar walk down the street,
Sign says Nashville Tennessee,
But I have found,

It's a crazy town full of neon dreams,
Everybody plays everybody sings,
Hollywood with a touch of twang,
To be a star you gotta bang bang bang,
Bend those strings till the Hank comes out,
Make all the drunk girls scream and shout,
We love it we hate it we're all just trying to make it,
In this crazy town,

Pay your dues and you play for free,
And you pray for a honky tonk destiny,
You cut your teeth in the smokey bars,
And live off the tips from a pickle jar
Till find a cool new sound
And you smile when the record man shoots you down,

One year they reposes your truck,
And the next you make a couple million bucks,

It's a crazy town full of neon dreams,
Everybody plays everybody sings,
Hollywood with a touch of twang,
To be a star you gotta,
Bend those strings till the Hank comes out,
Make all the drunk girls scream and shout,
We love it we hate it we're all just trying to make it,
We love it we hate it we all came here to make it,
In this crazy town,
It's a crazy town.

"This is one of the best things about Canada, we have a lower drinking age", laughed Ryan as he ordered a round of Big Rock for the table.

"I can't drink too much, I try to avoid getting drunk", said Nail.

"Good for you, coach Renney didn't like it when we would show up drunk or hungover. Reckon the new coach is the same way", said Ryan.

"I'm Muslim and we're not supposed to drink, but everyone I know does. If you're surrounded by Russians, you know what I mean", he laughed.

"Huh, aren't you Russian?", asked Ryan, puzzled.

"Sort of, I was in born in Russia and I am a Russian citizen, but I'm actually a Tatar. I am Muslim but we're pretty laid-back, I drink and all. I do try to attend mosque but I'm not hardcore, that isn't fun", he chuckled.

"Okay, I suck with geography and shit", joked Ryan.

The waitress arrived with the beers and set them down, taking their orders and going back to the kitchen. The jukebox played Turkish Song of the Damned by the Pogues as an idea came to Larissa, an amused look in her blue eyes. Nail was amused when she took his hand and led him towards the small vacant dance floor and tried to get him to dance. "You only had a sip of beer, you cannot be drunk already", he teased.

Larissa gave him a look. "I am very far from being drunk, Mr. Yakupov", she retorted.

Nail just laughed and he placed a hand on her waist and led her in a waltz, smiling at the startled look on her face. "It is always a pleasure to dance with a pretty girl, moy devushka myet", he drawled:

I come old friend from Hell tonight
Across the rotting sea
Nor the nails of the cross
Nor the blood of Christ
Can bring you help this eve
The dead have come to claim a debt from thee
They stand outside your door
Four score and three

Did you keep a watch for the dead man's wind
Did you see the woman with the comb in her hand
Wailing away on the wall on the strand
As you danced to the Turkish song of the damned

You remember when the ship went down
You left me on the deck
The captain's corpse jumped up
And threw his arms around my neck
For all these years I've had him on my back
This debt cannot be paid with all your jack

And as I sit and talk to you I see your face go white
This shadow hanging over me
Is no trick of the light
The spectre on my back will soon be free
The dead have come to claim a debt from thee

Larissa relaxed in his embrace as he led her in the dance, feeling tiny and delicate compared to his bulk. Both his hands were now on her waist as the jukebox now played These Exiled Years by Flogging Molly, the slower song a perfect excuse for him to take her into his arms:

It's four in the mornin'
Battered and numb
A loaded room, an empty gun
I whistle a tune, I heard years before
The clock started tickin'
Where did the time go
I danced to the mornin'
She called out my name
The wind was a howlin'
And down came the rain
Her arms they caressed me
Sweet was her brow
She opened my eyes
To banish the doubt
Wash me down in all of your joy
But don't drag me through this again

I've heard all your sad songs I can hear
It's in with the whiskey and out with the gin
I've heard all your sad songs I can hear
It's another day older
In These Exiled Years

The dew on the ground
Blankets the face
Cold was the night
Gone her embrace
For your land of the free
Now prisons me
To rot in this jail
Of lost liberty

Wash me down in all of your joy
But don't drag me through this again

I've heard all your sad songs I can hear
It's in with the whiskey and out with the gin
I've heard all your sad songs I can hear
It's another day older
In These Exiled Years

Walk away, watch me as I wave
One foot here, but sure the other's in the grave
Walk away, walk away

I've heard all your sad songs I can hear
It's in with the whiskey and out with the gin
I've heard all your sad songs I can hear
It's another day older
In These Exiled Years

Ryan drank his beer and watched them, frowning slightly as Anna raised an eyebrow. "I hope Dad doesn't freak, he doesn't like Russians and he doesn't care for Muslims either", she said.

Nail led her back towards the booth while Ryan and Anna tried to look nonchalant. "Anyways, the first couple of days in training camp are going to be a bit easy, but if you goof off you have to do suicides and with the bag", said Ryan as the waitress arrived with their food.

"It sounds like the same thing we had in Sarnia for training camp, I have practice with that", said Nail with a chuckle.

"If anyone plays a prank on you, whatever, it's a rookie hazing thing. They did that to me last year and Taylor and Jordan the year before. Just shrug it off and you can torment the rookies next year", teased Ryan.

"Da, I remember that from my first year in Sarnia. You have good advice, Ryan", he chuckled.

They finished eating as Ryan and Anna excused themselves. "What are we going to do about your dad?", he asked.

"I have no idea, Dad is really not going to like Rissa dating Nail. He barely tolerates you because you're a Christian and Canadian, imagine how he is going to react with Nail", she said.

Ryan sighed and pulled her close, giving her a quick kiss. "Now let's go wash up and get back to the table before everyone worries about us", he chuckled.

Nail and Larissa were talking softly in Russian, her little hand in his big one one as she laughed at something he said. Ryan forced a smile on his face as he walked back over to the table, Anna reaching for her little black purse. "We have to drop off the girls, Nail", he said.

"Da, okay", he replied, both him and Ryan splitting the bill and leaving a tip for the waitress.

The drive back to the girls' house was a pleasant one, lots of conversation with the radio tuned to a country station playing I Use What I Got by Jason Aldean:

Nobody ever thought I'd make it in this town
They all said i should leave my truck, pack, and turn right back around
They said I didn't have what it takes
I needed money and a pretty face
But I just look at them and say...

I use what I got
Take what I get
Until I ain't got nothin' left
Then I give it some more
Keep on climbing up that mountain
Keep truckin along, work up a sweat
Pass every no, after no, after no, till i get a yes
I don't worry about what i've done
I use what I got, yeah

I still got big dreams and a strong heart
I got a lot of real good friends who helped me get this far
I still got a lot of miles to go
It's a winding, uphill road
And I'll get there the only way i know

I use what I got
Take what I get
Until I ain't got nothin left
Then I give it some more
Keep on climbin' up that mountain
Keep truckin' along, work up a sweat
Pass every no, after no, after no, till I get a yes
I don't worry about what I'm not
I use what I got, yeah

Keep on rollin' along, doin' my best
Past every no after no after no til i get a yes
I don't worry about what i'm not
No, no, I don't worry about what I'm not
I use what i got, yeah

Nail watched from the passenger's side as Ryan led the girls towards the front door of the house. The door opened to reveal a tall, gray-haired middle-aged man with a full head of silvery gray hair, his back ramrod-straight with the bearing of a king. He could see the older man glance in his direction and scowl, quickly ushering the girls inside just as Ryan was about to say goodbye.

"What happened?", he asked as Ryan got back inside the truck, a thunderous look on his face.

Ryan drove away from the house as he tried to compose himself, his hands tightly gripping the steering wheel. "It's their dad, he saw you and freaked out. He's kind of, um, racist. He doesn't like Russians or Muslims at all, he's not going to like you seeing Rissa", he said with a sigh.

Nail said nothing, his mouth in a grim line. "Da, ya paneymat. I had the same problem in Sarnia with my ex-girlfriend, her parents didn't like me and it was too much so we broke up", he said bitterly.

"I'm sorry, Nail. Maybe I should have dropped you off first", said Ryan sadly.

"It is not your fault, Ryan, you had nothing to do with this. But when there is a will, there is a way", he mused aloud.