A Day Gone Wrong
Chapter 6: The Roof, The Roof is on Fire. We don't need no water let the motherfucker burn. Burn Motherfucker. Burn.
Barry was pulling no stops to get me and Gerry as fast as he could to the dorm. I looked around the car. Bianca was in the passenger seat while Gerry was right beside me here in the back.
"Where's Daphne and Allan?," I asked Barry.
Gerry answered me tensely. "They stayed behind to look after the store. Oh shit no!!!!," he exclaimed out loud.
I looked ahead and saw why Gerry cursed. The dorm was on fire!!!
The whole building was a blazing inferno with fire billowing out from every window and entrance. Around it were a scurrying mass of students, neighbors, firemen, policemen, and the inevitable throng of curious onlookers.
The dormitory was a very old and decrepit structure made mostly of termite-infested wood. I had known a long time ago that it was a very unsafe place to be staying at, but given my limited budget, I had no choice but to stay at the cheapest place available and the dorm was it.
The car stopped and everyone except Bianca poured out of it. I began wringing my hands and thinking desperately of what I could possibly do to salvage my meager possessions that were left upstairs. I was just about to jump in the dorm's entrance when a fireman held me back.
"Whoah kid!!! Where do you think you're going?? Can't you see that the building's on fire?!!!"
My brain was a pounding cascade of adrenaline, tension and panic. I could not think of anything else but the things that I had left behind. I began to babble hysterically, "You don't understand!!! My notes, my clothes, my MONEY are upstairs!!!! I have to get up and get it!!! I have to, can't you see that??? Damn you, let me go you stupid fireman!!!! I have to get upstairs and save my possessions!!!" I began writhing furiously, struggling hard to escape the tight grasp the fireman had over me.
"Dammit kid!!! Your things are gone!!! Stop being stupid!!! I have to get back on my job!!!"
"Then get back to it you stupid jerk!!!! JUST LET ME GET UP AND GET MY FUCKING STUFF YOU ASSHOLE!!! I have to save them... I have nothing left, you hear me??? NOTHING!!!" I began shreaking out and trying my damnest to get back up to my room. I was about to break free when a new set of arms enfolded me and held me down.
Barry's frantic voice boomed out. "Chill Dale!!! Chill out!!! Just calm down, there's nothing you could do!!! Your things are gone!!! Let them go!!"
The fireman let me go and motioned to Barry that he had to get back to his job. Barry nodded and pinned me down on an armlock.
"Barry, let me go@!!! I have to get back up and save my stuff!!! Let me go, damn you!!!"
"Dale quit it!!!," and with that a frustrated Barry punched me hard on the gut. Ooooff! "Listen man, I'm sorry I had to hit you, but you're talking crazy. Now listen up... your things are gone but that doesn't mean that you have to get back up and burn away with them. Don't be stupid you asshole!!! Now will you relax or do I have to knock some more sense into you?"
With that threat said, I began to calm down. Being a tall and solidly-built guy, Barry could punch real bad when he had to. I didn't want another one coming after that last hit. "Okay... okay..." I nodded weakly. Tears started streaming down my eyes as I thought of everything that I had saved and sweated hard for being locked up in my room. Everything I had were literally going up in smoke and there wasn't a damn thing that I could do about it. If only I had not gone out tonight, I might have been there to save it. If only I had not felt hungry. If only I had... damn, all this thinking made my head hurt.
I began taking long, panicked breaths as I squatted down on the flooded street. More and more tears were streaming out of my eyes and I began to sob louder and louder. Barry was eyeing me intently.
'All this water lying around and there's nothing the damn firemen could do to stop that fire,' I thought to myself. For some weird reason, I found that thought deliriously funny. I began to laugh out loud real hard.
"Hey Dale, you okay man?" Barry asked me with much concern.
I looked on up at him and I grinned maniacally. "Oh yes Barry! Never felt better!! Why I am just on top of the world!!"
Bianca had gone out of the car and was standing near us. She finally spoke up. "Barry, let's get out of here. This place is scary."
Barry looked at her and then looked back at me. "Dale, are you going to be alright?" I said nothing and just kept looking at the fire. My hopes, my dreams... all going up in smoke.
Bianca sighed impatiently. "Come on Barry, I have to get home!! My curfew ended 3 hours ago, in case you forgot!!"
"Dammit Bianca, can't you see the man just lost everything he had in the fire??? Stop being such a brat and start thinking about others for a change!!!" Barry spoke out loud suddenly. Bianca winced.
I began to speak. "Barry, I'm fine now. You get Bianca home. I'll be alright. You don't have to worry about me."
Barry let out an impatient huff and grabbed his head. It was amazing how he could still think rationally considering what time of the day it was and what amounts of liquor he had probably drank from partying all night.
"Okay Dale, tell you what... You come with us. I'm going to take Bianca home and afterwards I'm going to bring you to any relatives of yours, how's that sound?"
I still had a hard time with logic as I still was reeling from the shock of my loss. I grunted. I might as well go with Barry. It's not like I had anywhere else to go to.
Barry tried to take Bianca's hand, but she slapped it away and refused to go near him. Barry sighed and just walked on ahead towards the car. Bianca followed him and walked with much indignity and patience that she could muster. I trailed right behind like a zombie and followed them into the car.
It was nice and warm inside. Barry and Bianca were still not talking to each other. I had the back seat all to myself, so I began to lie down and close my eyes. All the weariness, all the frustration, and all the tiredness of the emergency and the late-night studying began to seep in. There was nothing I could do to stop the wave of blackness overcoming my consciousness.
The last thing I heard before I zonked out was Barry pleading, "I'm sorry baby. The guy needed help and we were the only ones who could... "
Chapter 7: Tea and Sympathy
I woke up when the car made a stop. I groaned. My head was still groggy and my view was spinning around and around. I felt like puking.
I hurriedly rushed out of Barry's car before I puked all over it. There was grass everywhere where I was standing so I began to bend down and flushed out all the tension from my body. I began puking like there was no tomorrow.
"Oh great, now he's puking all over my lawn!!!" Bianca's irritated shriek broke out from behind me. My body convulsed one more time and one more wave of nausea passed over me. I began puking my guts out all over again.
I could hear Barry chuckling from behind me. "Damn, that's the third passenger who's puked tonight. Must be the car." I was too miserable to laugh.
"Hey Dale, you alright?" Barry asked as he walked on up to me. I nodded and waved my hand weakly. I really was beginning to feel a little better.
Barry looked on over to Bianca and called out, "Listen baby, do me a favor and get Dale some water and some aspirin or something, please?" Bianca shrugged and walked on up her house. "Whatever Barry."
I began perusing my surroundings as dawn's light began to peep in from the sky and lighting everything. I was in a very ritzy compound somewhere, from a rich neighborhood no doubt. I looked down to where I was standing. I had just puked all over this nicely manicured lawn. Damn.
Barry began stroking my back. "Listen Dale, it's going to be alright. You're going to be okay."
I looked on up to him, as sanity and rational thought began to seep in my poor tired brain. It just hit me.
"Oh shit Barry... man... I'm so sorry!!! I'm so sorry you had to get dragged into this whole mess... I'm so sorry you had to get all dirty and all, holding me down back there.. I..." I was going to say more when Barry interrupted me.
"Uh-uh... don't worry about it. I'm glad to lend a hand. You just relax in there and don't worry about a thing."
A uniformed maid stepped out of the house carrying a tray. She was bringing a pot of tea, a couple of glasses of water and some aspirin. "Senorito Barry, here are the things you asked for."
Barry nodded. "Thanks Inday. Tell Bianca I said thanks, okay?" He took a glass of water and handed me an aspirin. "Here Dale. Drink up."
I took the aspirin and helped it along with some water. I was beginning to feel a little better.
"Uhm... miss.. could you please tell me where I could find a broom or something?" I asked the maid. She and Barry began to look at me quizzically. I pointed meekly at my puddle of puke. "Err... I wanted to clean that up."
Barry chuckled as the maid spoke up, "Oh no senorito!! Please don't!! I'll do that for you."
I was going to argue when Barry held my shoulder. "It's okay Dale. Come on, we've got to be going now. The maid will take care of it."
I was so embarrassed. I was brought up to always clean after my own mess. I was going to ask the maid once more when Barry began to walk on to his car. "Let's go Dale!"
I looked apologetically at the maid but she was already scurrying back to the house to get a broom. I followed after Barry and got into the passenger seat in front. Barry turned on the engine and eased out of Bianca's driveway.
"Okay Dale... where to next?" Barry asked me.
I blinked twice and looked quizzically at him. "Huh?"
"Your relatives... where do they live? I'll drop you off at their house."
I looked down and meekly told him, "I don't have any relatives in Kanluran City. My family is way back in Sitio Maringgit and I have nowhere else to go right now." I wanted the earth to swallow me up right then and there.
Barry kept quiet. "Okay... well... okay then, tell you what, I'm tired and hungry and my place is not far from here. Why don't we just get there and we'll figure everything out once we get some grub in our stomachs and some sleep into our brains. Does that sound fine to you?"
"Uhm... Barry, I appreciate all the generosity you're giving me but I'm already imposing too much on you. You know what, I think I'll just get down now and get a ride to school or something."
Barry looked me straight in the eye and said, "Man, stop being such an asshole and just accept my offer. You've got nowhere else to go and you seriously need some sleep. Just come with me and we'll sort everything out once we could think properly."
I was too weak and embarrassed to argue. I nodded. I had no choice. "Barry?"
Barry looked up. "Yeah?"
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
And with that said, his car sped along towards whatever venue his home happened to be in.
to be continued...
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