Resurrection

Chapter 12 : Perks of Being a Bartender

I woke up in the same state as usual. Pillows soaked in sweat and heavily encrusted eyes. David stood over me and he began to offer some counsel. I could not hear his words, only make out his lips moving, reading them as though everything in my life was starting to distort. The white noise in my ears had covered everything. I felt my dark passenger breathing on my neck, trying to whisper its musings though the message was lost in the distorted translation.

David was polite enough to eventually shake me from my makeshift slumber. As I headed back towards The Rabbit's Foot, I could hear his words echoing through my head.

"You seem normal. Maybe I was half-asleep but I could see you standing over my bed watching me last night. I swear it.... Just take it easy, okay?"

The green hedge of the region kept swirling past.

"Why would I do that, Dave? I don't know. I swear I'm losing it." I questioned.

"You and me both." He replied.

I had no idea what awaited me. I handed over the ten pounds to the over-friendly driver and paced around the dumpsters out the back for a few moments before I finally decided to move into the cool room. I knew that the bar needed to be prepped and ice trays needed to be sorted. I placed my head inside the ice-box and felt around for the scoop.

I barely cast an up ways look before I was greeted by the ever imposing presence of Manager. He mumbled: "You don't look that sick."

As if to emphasise my own frustration, I chopped away at a few bulging chunks of ice before filling up some ice trays.

He is disrespecting you. I think you should pay the same courtesy.

"I'm sorry, what was that, Cockbreath?" The last word I half muttered but I felt as if Manager understood, letting the insult hang in oblivion for a while.

That's more like it. You're living out your role now.

"You don't look that bad. If anything I think you just wanted to have a day off for no reason." He muttered.

"So you're a doctor now?" I asked, failing to hide any sarcasm that had been frothing up at the corners of my mouth.

He tapped me on the shoulder.

"I'm just messing with you Adam. Don't make me get all Bruce Lee on you."

"I'm sorry, what are you talking about?"

He's baiting you. Stand up and be counted. Take this fucker down,

By this point I had raised myself fully upright, cautious as to what could happen. A psychic stalemate of unease was emanating between us.

He held out his fist against my chest.

"Bruce Lee could do a one inch punch. The blow would travel no further than an inch, but he could do some crazy damage."

He shifted his hand closer but was tentative enough not to make contact.

It was at this point that I would care to mention I had maintained eye contact with him without so much as a blink.

"What would you do?" he asked.

"You should find out." I replied.

"What?

"Just try and you will find out"

Manager knew that I wasn't bluffing and promptly withdrew his fist.

Before he moved out of the cool-room he remarked: "You think I'm scared. At least I had her." His volume was no more than a mumble level but enough for me to hear.

The rest of the shift frothed over into its usual misery. I was on auto-pilot washing tray-after-tray of beer glasses before Amy walked in. We could not even speak to each other. She peered towards me once but it was all she could do before she burst into tears and ran up to the staff room.

I continued to clean glasses and get the bar ready before Marius would take over. I felt a quick tap on the shoulder only to turn around and see another executive.

Angus had a most uncomfortable look. Hoisted over no-ones petard, this modest Welshman was almost the polar opposite to the Manager we had all come to loathe. His way with staff and customers alike was pleasant, formal with the hint of fondness tucked away in a comfortable background. I could tell he had bad news for me, though it certainly gave him no pleasure to deliver it. I could look beyond the pockmarks and see hazel eyes of compassion, which softened the news he was about to deliver.

He led me up the stairs to the staffroom. We passed a red-eyed Amy drifting down the stairwell and I tried not to seek out any affirmation. I would let her mascara run like little rivers before acknowledging anything else about her. Manager followed shortly after, murmuring something like "Of course I'd do it myself but I can't" into Angus' pointy ears.

When we reached the staffroom, he shut the door behind us and led me near the lockers.

"I'm sorry to bring you bad news but you have had some sexual harassment claims made against you."

Though I should not have been so surprised the words cut through me and left a bloated abscess sitting in my throat. I couldn't help but react in spite of this sensation.

"That's bullshit. Who?" I demanded.

"I am not allowed to say. Only I need to inform you that as of this moment, you are on leave." He quietly told me.

"Until when?" I couldn't help but ask.

"This is until we have investigated this matter thoroughly."

"Who is we?"

"Manager, HR and another outside party"

"Well that's fucking convenient. Can I still get paid?"

"Umm I'll have to get back to you on that. Though I wouldn't normally say this, but I agree with you Adam, and I'm sorry for all this trouble." He lamented.

"Thank you. I still can't believe this." I exclaimed.

"Neither can I. Good luck and I'll call you when all the shit has cleared."

I shook my head at him one last time before disappearing down the stairwell. I tossed my apron over the bar and made for the nearest exit. David and Suresh ran after me.

Fuck this place. You'll be back on your terms. Not theirs.

David enquired: "What's going on?"

I kept marching out the door. Suresh exclaimed: "Just go on and tell us mate."

I stayed quiet and made my way towards Binfield.

David "Those arseholes... Look we'll go for a beer tonight, yah?"

The best I could manage was a thumbs-up before I headed towards any other type of civilisation. I just needed the hell out of there and anywhere else was good enough. Hell-bound, nose forward, burn down the highway as the crow flies till you crash dive into destination unknown.

I kept going till the soles of my feet formed blisters, my legs ached and migraines pounded at my temples. Before I would give out and implode, I navigated my desperate way into the nearest den of iniquity and found some bottle salvation. It wasn't long before I was gulping down the golden pilsener and sitting back in a cab, heading back towards my favourite god-awful tavern.

Enjoy your drink little drunkie. There's plenty more to come.