Lost In The Memory

Chapter 7: Augustine - You're a Cowboy Like Me

Previously on Lost in the Memory,

Betty got late for the party and James rushed her up to Inez's house only to find that they are way ahead of time. It was all due to Betty's experiment. They lost the brake while speeding up and the car broke down after a while. James dropped Betty at Inez's place and left. Betty helped Inez in icing the cookies and had a  nice chat. Betty was surprised to find someone, someone whom she hadn't met in a long time, someone who held an important place in her heart.

Now...

"So, where are you taking me?" I asked James. 

"Somewhere you can shed all of your worries," he said and whistled to the tune of the song that was playing on the radio. 

"What worries?" I turned in my seat towards him and asked inquisitively.

"You worry a lot," he said slamming the steering wheel.

"I don't worr—"

"I can understand. You have faced a lot this year, and it has taken a toll on your body as well as your mind," he took a pause. "You gotta move on. You can't keep holding on to the past forever. Not at the cost of your future. Look at how many pounds you have lost due to all that worrying. Don't you dare smile at that!" My acute smile transformed into a pout.

He continued, "That is not a compliment, but a serious issue. Weight loss has serious repercussions over time. Staying healthy boosts your immunity and might help you in case you get severe health problems in the future." I kept nodding all along silently. 

He drove slowly. The night was comfortable but a bit warm. I undid my hair and freed them to flow at their will wherever the wind would take them. Unfortunately, one of my hair ties slipped from my hand. I turned around and couldn't see where it fell. There would be no point in stopping and trying to find it. It would be a waste of time to find a hair tie that you can purchase anytime at a low cost. 

James glanced at me and smiled. 

"What's up Mr. Sweetpants?" 

"You look good with your hair undone," he said softly. I blushed a little. I have always hated undone hair. They get messed up easily and call for a lot of attention and care. Pollution is the root cause of it. 

We drove for a while and I enjoyed the scenic beauty of the unseen parts of the town as I was riding shotgun in the front seat of the car. We reached a place on the outskirts of the town. It was quite crowded and looked like a bar.

James parked the car in the parking lot and I was dubious for a while. I looked at him with a puzzled face. James placed his hand lightly on my shoulder and said, "Stay here. I'll be back in a moment." he got out of the car and walked into the bar. I was flabbergasted. Still, I had my doubts. Why did he bring me here? Why did he go into that bar? My mind was flooded with several questions and all of them could be answered when James would return. 

Five minutes later James returned holding a sandbag that had a couple of bottles within. "I know you have a lot of questions within your mind." I nodded slowly. "I am not a drunkard. I only drink when I am at my lowest. It inhibits all our senses and makes us pragmatic." He paused for a while and continued, "It has helped me plenty of times in the past." He handed me the bag and turned the engine on. 

He drove silently around the town. He took a few familiar turns and I knew where he was taking me.

"Are we going to the mall?" I asked without looking at him. I was still trying to figure out everything.

"Kinda," he paused and licked his lower lip, "we are going to the woods, the clearing," he said.

"No!" I yelled.