A Clockwork Orange: Chapter 8

Chapter 8

     Hello, old friend. It's been awhile since we last talked; almost a year to the day in fact. Since then, I've decided to clean up my act a bit; no more "britvas" and "dratsing" for your old droog and Humble Narrator, Alex. Besides that, I've decided to speak in a more sophisticated goloss to leave a nice impression on women, though every now and then the familiar words of nadsat slang will slip out.
I kept up the act until I met the most beautiful girl I'd ever laid my eyes on, O my brothers. When I first met her, I was taking a stroll down the better kept streets of London and I only saw a glimpse of the back of her dress glide into a bar selling chai and coffee. I made haste to get to her before anyone could get in my way. Upon opening the door, there she was, dressed in the heighth of fashion. Suddenly, a vivid image from the old Alex appeared in my mind of me giving this girl the old in and out. The temptation of the idea only made me more eager to go to her.
     The rest is history. We talked and shared a pot of chai until the street lamps shone through the window. Every day we met at that bar until I asked her if she would like to make things official, and all that cal, to which she agreed. Once I got a job, we saved up our money and moved into a small flat on the edge of town. I work in the mornings at the chai shop we met at while Claire, my lover, stays at home.
Tonight, I plan to propose. Before coming home, I will get a rose to give her and then get on one knee.
     Before leaving the chai shop, I pluck a rose from a vase sitting on the pristine table I had just cleaned and feel for the ring in my pocket to make sure that all the money I spent on it hadn't gotten lost or stolen. Once my fingertips touch the cool diamond, I'm relieved as I march out the door to the empty street. The cold winter wind invades my body, chilling me to the bone. I wrap my overcoat tightly around me, turning down the street to my complex.
It might be the nervousness I feel over proposing, but I get the alarming feeling that I'm being watched or followed. Unmoving, I peer over my shoulder to see the same empty street I had just walked past. I keep my guard up and reach for my pocket knife in my front pocket just as a voice echos through an alleyway to my left, "Oi, lewdie!" I swivel my head around to the stranger's direction, "What do you want, lad?" I ask cautiously. "My droogies made a bet on how much I could slash you up real horrorshow until you started blubbing," he pulled a razor out of his pocket, "I say five minutes, but they say two." He grins maliciously. Anger immediately rises in me. How dare they make such a bold claim on a gentleman as I! My heart starts to pound, "I'm not going to fight you." He steps closer to me, I grip my knife tightly in my hand, "That doesn't matter." In the blink of an eye, the teen lunges at me. My old instincts take over as I dodge him and slash the across his ear and cheek. He cries out in pain, clutching his face; I laugh at his weakness. In his bent position, he tackles me to the ground, making my gulliver hit the ground with a great crack! My thick skull, though throbbing, can handle a lot, and I could tell this would be no different than the times I had been hit over the head back in the starry days. The nadsat rummages through my pockets before I could say a word, snatching the ring and making off to his droogs, no doubt. Forcing myself up, I try to chase him, but my body said otherwise, making the world around me spin.
     Defeated and achy, I stomp home, finally reaching the doorstep. I buzz into the complex and up to the flat where my soon-to-be-wife awaits. Upon opening the door, Claire wraps her arms around me, "What took so long, I've been waiting for you! I have exciting news!" Forgetting the incident outside, I ask, "What is it?" She backs away from me and puts her hands on her stomach, "We're going to have a child!" Her dull green eyes light up. My eyes widen as a gasp escapes my lips. Without hesitation, I pull the small, slightly crushed rose from my pocket and take her hands, "That's excellent! I've been wanting to ask you," I bend my knee to the ground, "will you marry me?" She practically leaps with joy, shouting, "Yes!" and jumping into my open arms. Upon asking if I had a ring for her, I explain the story as she coos over my injuries and praises my bravery. We embrace for what seems like ages before going to bed, settling on going to the shop and getting a ring in the morning light.
     So at that, my friend, I will have finally fulfilled my desire to have a wife to hold and love forever and ever, amen. And now, I will have a son; someone that I will teach all of my knowledge to, good and bad. I couldn't be happier.