Uki - Daredevil

a new feeling

FRANKIE AND HER NEW FRIENDS gathered in the small apartment, after finding out her next door neighbour was Matt. She felt relieved and safe. She didn't feel like a lone woman anymore.

"Care for a glass of wine?" Frankie pulled her shoes off, pulling her silky black hair into a quick pony. She glanced in her cupboard only to find two glasses. Sighing, "I've got two glasses only."

"I've got a collection at mine." Matt volunteered, and without an answer from Frankie, he slid out quickly.

Foggy seemed confused, "Frankie - is that a Canadian thing? Taking off your shoes in the house?"

She laughed, "Yes. Anânaga wouldn't approve of dirt being tracked in the house."

The two white friends were curious as to what she meant.

"Mom." She corrected herself so the two would understand. "Mom wouldn't approve."

Before they could react, Matt slid back into the apartment.

The four then situated themselves with a glass of wine that was dated from 2010. After gracefully sipping on the red wine, they finally organized themselves between boxes. Frankie was worried they'd judge her, though she was glad she only had a few.

Matt took care of Frankie's art supplies, Foggy had her sentimentals such as pictures and decor, and Karen had her clothing. Frankie felt as though Matt would need some help, so she sat beside him and helped him organize her things onto a shelf in her room.

They quietly conversed about Frankie's hobby while putting away different sketchbooks, and she was amazed at how Matt was able to guess what she used in her drawings.

"This one is with a fountain pen, isn't it?" He smiled, showing off. "I can tell because of the indents on the page, and how the ink feels on my fingers."

He grazed over the drawing of Sedna and her sea animals. "There are a lot of lines." He continued.

"It's a drawing of a goddess, Sedna." She replied, watching him understand her art. In this depiction, Sedna stood majestically - eyes closed while her nub-for-fingers poured out sea animal spirits ranging from seals to whales. Before he could flip through any more pages, she gently held his shoulder to show she was close behind, took the sketchbook and placed it neatly onto the shelf.

He turned towards her and shifted onto her bed. "It's impressive how you can guess like that." Frankie added, still organizing her shelf.

"It's not hard," He lifted his head, "It just takes a lot of practice."

As they wrapped up their section of boxes, Karen came in with all of Frankie's clothes on hangers. "Did you want any of your jackets in the entry way closet?"

"Sure," Frankie pulled away from her and Matt's gentle conversation, taking a few jackets and putting them into the entry way closet.

Foggy didn't know where to put any of her belongings, as he didn't want to intrude on where she wanted them exactly. Though, some of her pictures were placed nicely onto the corner of the kitchen bar, and her guitar was sitting under a window.

"I'm sorry, if you wanted anything anywhere else, I can move it." Foggy said.

"No, no, Foggy, it looks nice. Thank you."

All of Frankie's friends had finished their parts of the boxes, and collectively sat themselves on Frankie's couch. Each taking a sip of the dated red wine.

"So Frankie, you play guitar?" Foggy noticed the guitar when he was unpacking it, but only questioned it now, as they were relaxed.

"I used to, now it's just kind of a little keep-sake." Frankie didn't want to talk much into her love for the guitar, she used to play for Sam, but since the Battle of New York, the trauma made her depressed. She lost interest in it.

"Show us a song, Frankie." Matt asked politely, pouring himself another glass. She couldn't say no to him, but she was hesitant. She looked to the other two, and with the look of interest on their faces, it was hard to decline.

She looked at the ground for a moment, but brought herself towards the guitar.

"Frankie, play me a song, sweetheart." Sam drunkenly said, smiling and kissing Frankie's cheek over and over. She giggled, and reached for her guitar happily. She'd been working on learning Between the Bars by Elliot Smith, and played just that for him. Sam's brown hair was messily in his face, but before she started the melody, she swept his hair away.
She started to sing, "Drink up baby, stay up all night...

with the things you could do, you won't but you might...

the potential you'll be, that you'll never see,"

Frankie played her song she liked to serenade to Sam. The three friends relaxed into the couch, quietly listening to the soft sounds.

Once the song was over, it was about time for everyone to leave, they all said their goodbyes and Matt told her to give him a shout whenever she needed. She felt happy with this new feeling Matt gave her. Though, as soon as she closed the door, silent tears slid down her cheeks.

She knew it was hard, how could she torture herself with finding new friends when she knew it would be hard to maintain? She found her bed, where she hugged her pillow and cried some more.

She was staring at the ceiling, with the dim yellow lights flowing through her bedroom. She couldn't be quiet - Sam was on her mind.

Sam: i love you, francine, i don't know if I'll make it out here. the streets are flooded...

Frankie: baby there has to be a way, right? where are you exactly?

Frankie: I'm almost there baby, I'm coming. Please stay somewhere safe.

Frankie called and called, but the line was dead. It went straight to voicemail. But she finally got there, a little too late. Buildings collapsed, stone and cement were everywhere. Not a soul was seen.

Frankie then heard a knock on the door, and a voice followed, "are you okay, Frankie?" The familiar voice on the other side of the door said.

She got up, with her heart beating out of her chest. Probably out of embarrassment, or maybe she was just happy Matt came to check on her.

She let Matt in, leading him to the couch, where she wrapped her throw blanket across her shoulders.

"I don't know," Frankie started. She hadn't even noticed he was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt.

"That's okay, you don't have to tell me." He got up and made them both tea.

She looked over to him, watching his figure move, his muscle memory serving him. He felt around the kitchen and familiarized himself with how Frankie organized her kitchen.

She quietly got up and walked behind him, she touched his shoulder to let him know she was there, grabbing the only two mugs she had. They were painted, one with a flower and the other with a bear on it.

She let Matt pour the boiling water into the mugs, as she watched how he functioned. Surely, as an adult who was blind for all of his life, he knew how to do day-to-day tasks.

She looped her arm into his, and guided him to the couch while he was holding the two prepared teas.

They were silent, but it was comfortable.