The Beat of Safiri Bay (3 page)

“Where did you find him?” she asks with disbelief.

“I just picked him up at the entrance to the estate,” I reply. “Were you looking for him?” 

“He has been missing for two days now,” she says in a high pitched voice “we thought he was picked up or worse, ran over,” The reality of what I just did throws me into a panic and I take a wet wipe from the cubbyhole to wipe my hands. Bessie sheds a grateful tear that her lost pooch has returned. “Oh Lane, thank you so much my girl,” she sobs. “I... it’s only a pleasure,” I say. “I am just glad he is home safe, but he might need a bath, I joke and Bessie laughs a throaty laugh “oh yes he does,” and she rubs his head with her hand. I greet Bessie and get back to my original route. I give the steering wheel a wipe as well.

Chapter 2

As I arrive at the Lodge, I decide to go wash my hands properly and walk down the path to the Lodge bar rest room. That little doggy was very dirty. Once inside I hear two female voices talking to each other each from their own cubicle. “It sure was luck that guy showed up at the beach today, little Craig is still out from all that action.” Cubicle number two speaks: “I am not sure what we would have done if he didn’t show up like that. He could have bled to death with that cut,”

“I’d rather not think of that”. I wash my hands while counting to twenty, over and under and the wrists. I dry them on a paper towel and leave the room. So, Mr Doctor Alex were playing hero on the beach today as well. Oh, why does it matter? Who says it was even him? There are many doctors around. I decide to give it no more thought and to enjoy my evening out with my friend and his cousin instead. I wonder suddenly whether the cousin is male or female. The last cousin I met was female. It doesn’t really matter now does it?

I spot Matt at the bar counter, all dark curls and blue eyes. He sees me and gives a quick wave. I walk straight over. “Hi there,” he says. “Hi yourself,” I smile.

“The usual for you?” he lifts an eyebrow

“Thanks,” He wipes a bar stool for me with his hand and I sit. “Where is your cousin?” I ask and he smiles.

“She’s on her way,” So it’s a female.

“You are dying to meet her aren’t you?” he laughs.

“I like meeting your family” I say trying not to sound over enthused. He smiles and nods. Something’s up with him. “So what is it that bothers you so?” I ask looking into his ice blue eyes. He just stares back at me. Boy, now I am worried. I put my hand on his arm “Matt?”

“I broke it off with Chantel,” My eyes widen. This is serious.

“I am so sorry,” I say it without meaning it. She is a nice girl but they were just so wrong for each other. I move closer to him and put my head on his shoulder. “That’s really tough,” is all I can say. I didn’t know what else to do. “I probably shouldn’t be too upset as I was the one to end it,” he says with a please confirm what I just said voice. “Off course you’re upset, you’ve spent two years of your life with her,” I lift my head, wipe the top of my bottle and take a sip of my cider. I feel a shudder run down my spine. I have never enjoyed the taste of alcoholic drinks or the way they make you lose control; this one tastes like rotten apple, but I will tolerate it just for the sake of not looking like a schoolgirl. One, however, is as far as it goes.

Matt orders two shots of blue liquid he takes one and swallows it down at once. He gives me the other one. “No thanks Matt,” I say and push his hand away. “Just this one, we have something to celebrate,” I take it and reluctantly swallow the sour liquid in one go. I cough and my eyes burn. “To my freedom,” he says and raises his beer. I raise my cider and we clink our bottles and take a sip. I think I want to be sick now but I swallow it down and smile at him. I have no idea what he feels right now. I have never had my heart broken before. For some reason I treat the opposite sex as if they have broken my favourite guitar. Except Matt of course, he is my best friend and my brother and we love making music together. He treats me like an equal. But tonight is not about me. He needs a shoulder to cry on and I will offer mine.

Matt orders two more shots, bright red this time. Oh no, I really can’t stand the stuff and refuse his offer. “Fine,” he seems hurt but I stand my ground. He swallows the one after the other and takes a sip of beer. This is going to be a long night. I think of what to say that won’t include his now ex girlfriend. “I saw this guy at...”

“There you are,” a female voice interrupts me. I look over my shoulder and see the spitting image of Matthew but a female version and a few years older. I think my mouth drops open. “Karin, join us, we were just getting started,” he grabs his cousin around her middle and gives her a quick hug. “Meet my friend Lane,” he points at me and as Karin sees me her eyes light up and she walks over to my side. “Lane, how nice to meet you,” she says with a heavy French accent and kisses both my cheeks loudly. My body stiffens and Matt cringes. “I have heard a lot about your music,” I instinctively wipe my cheeks with the back of my hand and give Matt a raised eyebrow “my cousin can’t stop talking about your talent,”

“Thanks” I say, it’s all I could think of.

“I can’t stay,” she says apologetically. “I have to get back to the house, Al is exhausted,” Matt pulls a sad face. “We all had a rough day,” I comment and Karin nods.

“See you at the house later, safely,” she says and looks at me. I catch the hint. “We will see you later,” I nod at her. I will not let him drive home like this. His house is about five kilometres from the bar but in his current state, it would be foolish to take the risk. Karin leaves us then and Matt orders two blue shots again. He doesn’t offer me one and drinks them both hastily. “Slow down with the shots,” I try not to sound accusing. “I shouldn’t have let her go,” oh boy, how can he not see that she’s not for him “we could have made it work,” I know it’s of no use to try to reason with him but I give it a go. “Matt, she is just too different, you do not share one single interest and she spends most of her
time two hundred kilometres from here. I am sure you will find a nice girl that at least stays in Safiri full time.” He pretends not to hear me, “I could have gone to visit her more, maybe quit my job and find one there,” what is he talking about? But I know it’s not him talking it’s the blue and red shots. He carries on talking and I decide to just sit and let him get rid of it.

After three hours, I start feeling a bit tired. I had a rough day too. Matt’s eyes are red and half closed. Maybe we could get out of here now. “Want to go?” I ask

“Sure” he says. I grab his Blackberry and keys from the counter. “I can drive,” he slurs

“Don’t even think about it,” and he gives up easily. I hold him steady and he drapes his arm around my shoulder. We walk slowly down the path towards the car park. “I think I am going to ....” bluh, oh gross. At least he aimed for the flowers. I spot his red Dodge Caliber but we can get it tomorrow. I help him into the passenger seat of the Jeep. He slumps forward. I think of putting on his safety belt but dismiss that thought. What if he needs to be sick again?

I stop twice on the way to his house. Geez, if he carries on like this he might dehydrate. As I pull into his yard, I spot what must be Karin’s car under the carport. I grab his keys and press the remote button. The garage opens slowly and I drive in. As quietly, as possible, I turn the key in the door that leads to the kitchen through the garage and all is dark inside. Karin must be sleeping. I switch on the kitchen light and walk to Matt’s room. He is still in the Jeep. I quickly open the covers of his bed and walk back to the garage. Good, he is still awake, but just. He just about falls out of the Jeep and we walk slowly and systematically to his room. “I want to be sick,” oh no, not again. I almost carry him to his bathroom and he falls to his knees in front of the toilet. Okay, I am out of here. As I leave the room, I feel guilty for wanting to leave my friend when he clearly needs me. I grab a glass in the kitchen and go back to his bathroom. He is lying on the floor half-asleep. I fill up the glass with water and help him to sit up “drink this,” and I hold the glass to his lips. Man he is a sorry sight when he is drunk. He sips the water and I help him up. We walk to the bed and I help him down onto his back. I go back to the bathroom and wash my hands and face. 

I sit there in his armchair while he is rolling around on the bed. I wish he would just go to sleep so I can stop worrying. He doesn’t so I pick up his Gibson and start playing softly. Seventh chords have a very calming sound to them and I sing along softly as I play Tracy Chapman’s ‘Baby can I hold you’. He says something but I don’t understand a word. Maybe I should stop, no, he won’t remember any of this anyway. I play a few more songs and at last, his breathing is soft and rhythmical so I stop. My eyes feel so heavy and I walk to the open plan lounge. The couch looks very comfy so I decide to spend the night there. Just in case he needs me. I am too tired to drive in anyway. I’ll text my dad in the morning. I lie awake thinking of everything that happened during the day. Must be the most action packed day I’ve had in a while. Wow, is my life that boring? I need to get out of this village. With that thought, I drift off.

I suddenly have this eerie feeling that someone is watching me. I open my eyes and a pair of ice blue eyes are drilling into mine. What the hell? I sit up faster than I thought is possible. “I see your foot is better,” what? Why is he in Matthew’s house? Oh no, Matthew, is he all right. I get up quickly and stumble over my own feet. He catches me and frowns “had a bit too much last night did we?”

“I don’t drink,” I say through gritted teeth and take his hands off me. He walks to the kitchen. “Coffee?”

“No thank you,” I will get it myself but I need to check on Matt first. As I walk into his room, I hear the shower running. Ok good, at least he is awake. I hear Karin’s voice and turn back to the lounge. “Lane, good morning,” she gives me a hug and kisses both my cheeks. Geez she is so affectionate it makes me nauseous. “Have you met my brother Alex?” Have I met him? What a question.

“Not really no,” I say without looking at either of them. So Matt has two cousins visiting. Did he say cousin or cousins? I don’t know. It doesn’t matter; they are both here now anyway. “Lane this is my baby brother Alex, Alex this is Matthew’s friend Lane,”

“How do you do?” he holds his hand out for me. I take it reluctantly.

My stiff hand freezes in his. His hand is so warm it almost burns. He looks at me with his luminous blue eyes. He releases my hand and smiles at me. Boy, he is hot. I need to get out of here. As I am about to leave I hear Matt. “Good morning everyone,” I turn around to find him looking as fresh as ever. “Good morning,” we all say together. “What are you doing here? He asks me.

“Lane brought you home safely last night and by the looks of it stayed to make sure you are okay,” Karin scowls at him.

“Oh. Well thank you Lany,” he says and winks at me. I nod and walk to the coffee table to collect my keys. “I better get going, don’t want my dad to worry about me too much,” and I need to wash off your two invading cousins, I think, as I walk to the garage door in the kitchen. “Wait, have some coffee first,” Karin asks and before I can decline Matt chips in, “Al makes the best coffee ever.” Al? Oh yes, that’s who she talked about at the bar.  I didn’t want to offend anyone so I nod and sat down on my sleeping place of last night. Karin starts chatting to me but I’m not listening. I just smile and nod but my mind is working over time.

“But you can say baby, baby can I hold you tonight,” Matt sings softly as he packs his bag for school. I smile and look at him. “What now? Did I say something?” he asks me.

“No, I just wondered why you are singing that song,”

“Donno” he says and carries on packing his bag. I smile at myself. “Where’s the Dodge?” he looks at me

“Still at the Lodge”

“Right, Karin I might need a lift to school if you don’t mind?”

“Off course Matty,” she winks at him. We sit around the coffee table and sip our coffee, I pretend to anyway. I prefer de-caf, in my own mug. Everyone chats happily but I just sit with the mug to my lips and stare into space. Why is this man affecting me so? A part of me wants to know more about him and another part tells me to steer clear. I look up and he is staring at me. Gosh, I need to go home right now. 

The rest of my Wednesday goes by with nothing much happening. My music lessons are on Tuesdays and Thursdays only, so I spend the day catching up on a shower, some much-needed sleep and thinking of the weird feeling in my gut caused by that blue eyed angel-look-alike. I’ll have to go to gym at three. I grab my Blackberry from the bedside table and open bbm. I scroll down to Lin’s name.

Me: Hi, we still on for three?

She never reads her messages right away. I get up from my bed and peek out my window, such a lovely sunny day. I smell the salty sea breeze and suddenly have the urge to go to the beach. It will have to wait. Its two o’clock already and I don’t have enough time.

Lin: Sure thing. See you in an hour.

Okay good. I need to get ready. My feet drag when I walk and I know it is going to be a difficult session.