T.J.
Chapter 3.
15 minutes later, he returned. “Took your time there, how many did you have, a whole packet?” T.J. joked.
“No, I only had two. What did I miss?”
“Well I’ve sold 3 jazz LPs.” Vince looked shocked. “What’s up? Was that bad or something?”
“Howard was trying to sell those for months. How did you do it?” He asked, amazed.
“I didn’t do much. The customers just came in and asked if we had any in stock. I completely shocked myself as well, didn’t know jazz was so popular.” Vince rolled his eyes. “What? What’s with the eye rolling?”
“It’s nothing compared to electro and punk.” Vince grinned. “Have you ever heard of Gary Numan?”
“Yeah I have.”
“Really?” Vince asked. “Do you have a favourite song then?”
“Cars. It’s a classic song.”
“You like Gary Numan?” Vince asked.
“Well, tolerate more than anything, but one of my old friends played Cars over and over again, I just got used to it.”
Over the next fortnight while Naboo and Bollo were gone, Vince and T.J. got to know each other better. Not that T.J. needed to hear about Vince, he already knew everything about him. And he had already come up with a cover story to tell Vince. And he had a place to live, temporarily at least.
“So, what are you doing tonight?” Vince asked T.J.
“Nothing, just heading home like usual. Why do you ask?”
“I was wondering if you wanted to come down the pub for a few drinks or something.”
“Sounds good. Should we lock up then, it’s just gone half 5.” Vince nodded and threw him the keys.
“I’m gonna go lock the back, you lock the front and I’ll meet you round there.” T.J. nodded and Vince walked out to the back room. T.J. put his arms out above him and stretched. It would take 5 minutes for Vince to get round the front. He knew that he was going to have a fag in the alley first.
5 minutes later, and T.J. waited outside for Vince and saw him come out of the alley, getting a chewing gum out of the packet. “Want one?” He asked, putting one in his mouth.
“No thanks. Here’s the key by the way.” He handed Vince the keys to the front of the Nabootique. “So which pub are we going to?”
“Just down the Hawk’s Wings.”
“What is with that name?” T.J. asked. He never understood it.
“I have no idea. It’s something that Howard and I always used to talk about as well.”
They walked the 5 minutes down the Hawk’s Wing where they stayed, talking for 4 or 5 hours.
“Where are you living then?” Vince asked when they got out of the pub. It was nearly 11 o’clock.
“Just down Wintersbury Avenue, only 10 minutes away. What about you?” T.J. asked, fully knowing the answer.
“A little past there in Donning Croft, I’ve got a loft down there, I share it with Naboo, Bollo and… well just those two.”
“And am I guessing Howard was a part of that?”
“Yeah. Seems empty there since he’s been gone. So I’ll walk with you down to your flat, ok?”
“Yeah, sounds cool.” They started walking down the road leading away from the pub.
It only took them 5 minutes walking, or so it seemed. They were talking the whole time. “Do you wanna come up for a while?”
“No, I should get home. Naboo and Bollo are back tonight and I need to talk to them about something urgently.”
”Ok, should I open up tomorrow?”
“Ok then.” He passed the keys to T.J. “I’ll see you tomorrow T.J.”
“Good night Vince.” He watched Vince walk down towards the loft as he let himself into the flat.
As T.J. came in, he closed the door and walked into the bedroom. It was just a small one bedroom flat he was renting, not as comfortable as the loft where his best friend was right now. He longed to be in front of the TV with Vince, laughing like they used to after they went down the pub. He yawned and threw his keys and wallet on the cabinet.
‘Balabang-mamphor’ Howard looked up, he swore he heard shamanic language. He shook his head slightly.
“You tired?” a voice said behind him. He jumped and turned quickly. He gave a sigh of relief when he saw it was just Naboo.
“Naboo, you scared me there. How did you get in?” He asked, knowing the answer.
“I’m a shaman. I can come and go as I want. You should know that.”
“What do you mean, I should know that?”
“Well, you’ve seen me appear and disappear hundreds of times before.”
“What are you talking about?” T.J. was about to burst into a cold sweat.
“Don’t lie to me, I know your aura a mile off. I know that it’s you Howard.”
“No, I only had two. What did I miss?”
“Well I’ve sold 3 jazz LPs.” Vince looked shocked. “What’s up? Was that bad or something?”
“Howard was trying to sell those for months. How did you do it?” He asked, amazed.
“I didn’t do much. The customers just came in and asked if we had any in stock. I completely shocked myself as well, didn’t know jazz was so popular.” Vince rolled his eyes. “What? What’s with the eye rolling?”
“It’s nothing compared to electro and punk.” Vince grinned. “Have you ever heard of Gary Numan?”
“Yeah I have.”
“Really?” Vince asked. “Do you have a favourite song then?”
“Cars. It’s a classic song.”
“You like Gary Numan?” Vince asked.
“Well, tolerate more than anything, but one of my old friends played Cars over and over again, I just got used to it.”
Over the next fortnight while Naboo and Bollo were gone, Vince and T.J. got to know each other better. Not that T.J. needed to hear about Vince, he already knew everything about him. And he had already come up with a cover story to tell Vince. And he had a place to live, temporarily at least.
“So, what are you doing tonight?” Vince asked T.J.
“Nothing, just heading home like usual. Why do you ask?”
“I was wondering if you wanted to come down the pub for a few drinks or something.”
“Sounds good. Should we lock up then, it’s just gone half 5.” Vince nodded and threw him the keys.
“I’m gonna go lock the back, you lock the front and I’ll meet you round there.” T.J. nodded and Vince walked out to the back room. T.J. put his arms out above him and stretched. It would take 5 minutes for Vince to get round the front. He knew that he was going to have a fag in the alley first.
5 minutes later, and T.J. waited outside for Vince and saw him come out of the alley, getting a chewing gum out of the packet. “Want one?” He asked, putting one in his mouth.
“No thanks. Here’s the key by the way.” He handed Vince the keys to the front of the Nabootique. “So which pub are we going to?”
“Just down the Hawk’s Wings.”
“What is with that name?” T.J. asked. He never understood it.
“I have no idea. It’s something that Howard and I always used to talk about as well.”
They walked the 5 minutes down the Hawk’s Wing where they stayed, talking for 4 or 5 hours.
“Where are you living then?” Vince asked when they got out of the pub. It was nearly 11 o’clock.
“Just down Wintersbury Avenue, only 10 minutes away. What about you?” T.J. asked, fully knowing the answer.
“A little past there in Donning Croft, I’ve got a loft down there, I share it with Naboo, Bollo and… well just those two.”
“And am I guessing Howard was a part of that?”
“Yeah. Seems empty there since he’s been gone. So I’ll walk with you down to your flat, ok?”
“Yeah, sounds cool.” They started walking down the road leading away from the pub.
It only took them 5 minutes walking, or so it seemed. They were talking the whole time. “Do you wanna come up for a while?”
“No, I should get home. Naboo and Bollo are back tonight and I need to talk to them about something urgently.”
”Ok, should I open up tomorrow?”
“Ok then.” He passed the keys to T.J. “I’ll see you tomorrow T.J.”
“Good night Vince.” He watched Vince walk down towards the loft as he let himself into the flat.
As T.J. came in, he closed the door and walked into the bedroom. It was just a small one bedroom flat he was renting, not as comfortable as the loft where his best friend was right now. He longed to be in front of the TV with Vince, laughing like they used to after they went down the pub. He yawned and threw his keys and wallet on the cabinet.
‘Balabang-mamphor’ Howard looked up, he swore he heard shamanic language. He shook his head slightly.
“You tired?” a voice said behind him. He jumped and turned quickly. He gave a sigh of relief when he saw it was just Naboo.
“Naboo, you scared me there. How did you get in?” He asked, knowing the answer.
“I’m a shaman. I can come and go as I want. You should know that.”
“What do you mean, I should know that?”
“Well, you’ve seen me appear and disappear hundreds of times before.”
“What are you talking about?” T.J. was about to burst into a cold sweat.
“Don’t lie to me, I know your aura a mile off. I know that it’s you Howard.”
♠ ♠ ♠
So, did anyone think it would be Naboo that figured it out first? And who thought that 'T.J.' would tell Vince the truth?And I had to put Cars in there, it's actually the only Gary Numan song I listen to, and I can play it on guitar! Yeah, I'm just that cool.
Comments are always welcome, as I am a comment whore.
Much love until next update.
D!ATD xoxo