Journey of a Lifetime

Metal Bars of Hell

Sunday comes, I head to the park with the guitar and meet up with Joe. We do the set together and it sounds great. Patrick listens in on a few songs with a big smile on his face. "You start in 5 weeks time, Saturday at 5 o'clock, just before the dinner rush. See you two then" Patrick says after listening for about 15 minutes, heading back to his pub.

"Sweet" we say as he leaves

We finish the set and go our separate ways until next Sunday to do this together.

The week goes in a blur of late nights at the office until Friday, I arrive home to an intervention. I've lost count of how many I've had by this point. I walk into the house to Sera, Kim, Ashley and Phil, sitting, waiting for me. Kim and Ashley are going out later on a first date, meeting at a bar earlier in the week.

"Woah, hey guys. And Phil" I greet as I walk into the living room, wearing dark glasses with a brownstone joint between my lips and bottle of Jack clenched in my hand.

"We've got to talk" Sera starts

"Your drug taking is getting out of hand again" Kim says

"You're going to rehab" Phil tells me

"Oh, really now. Ha" I respond and scratch my chin, thinking.

"Yes, we don't want another scare" Sera pleads

I turn around and walk back out the door, attempting to close it behind me as I rush to my car below.

"Zoe!" Sera and Kim yell running to the door, watching me slide down the stair rail.

Phil follows me, running fast down the steps.

I quickly get into my car, start it up and drive away, before he can catch me.

"Fucking hell" he screams and kicks his car in anger.

I go speeding down the highway, brownstone joint on its final puff, Jack Daniels on its final gulp. It wasn't long until I was pulled over by the local police force.

"Ma'am, do you have any idea of the speed you were doing?" he asks, the officer wearing his uniform with hat, shades and mustache.

"No officer, I don't do speed. Tried it but never my thing" I answer, looking up at him from my window

"2 times over the speeding limit"

"Oh, speeding limit. No, I lost track of what my car was doing, officer"

"Please step out of the car, ma'am, and bring your driving license with you"

"Yes, officer" I say and reach over to the glove compartment for my driving license and then step out of my car. I hand him my driving license.

He pulls out a breathalyzer. "Have you seen one of these before, Miss Barnes?"

"Yes, officer"

"On the count of three, would you please blow into this tube until I say stop?"

"Okay"

"1, 2" he instructs, holds it up towards my mouth. "3"

I blow into the tube. It's the same old routine.

The seconds past. "And, stop" he says as a beep comes from the device

We wait and I smile at him.

"Just as I expected. Please put your hands behind your back, you're being arrested under the suspicion of possession of illegal substances, driving while intoxicated and speeding. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you?" he explains, putting my hands into police cuffs.