Waiting In The Wings

Turned Upside Down

"I imagine death so much it feels

more like a memory

when's it gonna get me?

If I see it comin'. do I

run or do I

let it be?"

Yes. Yes. I would let death get me, because 2020 sucks. Many of my thoughts for the past three months have been morbid. The only thing that could get me out the funk was watching Hamilton.

It was just released Friday on Disney+ and I watched it nonstop til Sunday. (That pun was totally intentional). 

"You have to get out the house, Jordyn." Asia, my best friend, says leaning on my door frame. "Let's go swimming." She was wearing a gold bikini and a sarong around her waist.

"In a pandemic?" I scoff. Asia walks into the room snatching up the PlayStation controller and switching the TV off.

"Steve said we can use his pool whenever." Asia's little arms were now ushering my feet into a pair of flip-flops and pushing me out the door.

"You could at least let me change out my pjs." I protest.

+

Thirty minutes later we were walking in the backyard of Steven Kerkovich's. I was dressed in jean shorts, green bandeau and matching mask. Migos "Stir Fry was blasting.

Steven greeted us shirtless, a football under his arm and a open beer in the other.  Water -which I hoped was from the pool-dripped from his chest and disappeared under his trunks.  "Welcome ladies, refreshments are in the cooler. Party favors are in the guest host."

"Wheres your mask?" I ask taking a step back.

"The heat kills the virus, J." He hands Asia his beer which she brings to her lips. "You're safe here."

I was safer in the comfort of my home. Steven leads us to the side of the pool, "Girls are here." He says to the group of shirtless boys in the pool. A chorus of wolf whistles and howlers follow.  Steven throws them the football which makes a huge splash in the pool.  "So, what have you been up to?" Steven says eyes trained on Asia.

I zone out from the conversation wondering how I can make a clean break back to my house in time for Act II of Hamilton for the fifty-11th time without anyone noticing.

"Heads up!" One of the guys shouts.  I look up blinded by the sun-too late to notice the spiral coming straight at my head.

SPLASH

My body submerged in cold water totally numbs me. The more I fight against the water the further I seem to go down. The sun is fading. I give up trying to bring myself above water. I let it be.

+

Salt water. It tastes like salt water. My eyes ache and pain is shooting through my entire body. When my eyes finally focus-I notice I am on a beach and the sun is going down.

What. The. Fuuuuu.

Not seeing any street signs or many buildings I begin to walk the streets in search of a phone or assistance. I follow the music in the distance. I follow it all the way to a bar. At least I think it was a bar. It didn't have a name on the front. I chalk it up as being one of those hipster retro "cool" bars that go nameless. 

It was a colonial theme going, people were dressed like the guy from the oatmeal box plus they used lanterns for lights.

"Hey, you got a phone I can use?" I ask the bartender. He gives me a once over, looking down at my attire which makes me feel uncomfortable. "I got separated from my friends. I just need to call someone to get me a Lyft."

"I have ice and Sam Adams." The bartender says slamming down a metal pint so hard the beer sloshes onto the counter.

"Thanks." The bartender walks away to take orders from the other people in the bar. I was being pranked by Steven and his dumbass friends. It wouldn't make sense though for Asia to go along with this plan especially without my mask, or phone, or money.  Or any idea on how to get back home.

"Two pints of Sam Adams but I'm working on three."

I perk up to the remarkably familiar lyric I've grown accustomed to. This retro bar had a Karaoke night. Now the décor made sense it was Hamilton night.  In the middle of the bar three men sat around a table. A skinny one with freckles, one with a curly ponytail, and one with a hat.

They looked oddly familiar.

"Oui Oui, mon ami,"

Oh my gawd! Was I-Am I trippin'?

"Je m'appelle Lafayette" The one with the ponytail chants with theatrics. They were familiar. I knew these guys-I've watched them religiously. I watched this exact performance of this song a numerous amount of times for the past three days.

"If you stand for nothing, Burr." Alexander Hamilton says making himself known in the circle.

"What will you fall for?" I finish making my way to the circle as Laurens, Mulligan, and Lafayette ask who Alexander is.

"Stop, Stop, Stop." I say holding my hands up before the next song begins. "I'm trippin'.

All eyes are on me now, Burr moves closer to me, eyeing my clothing. "Excuse me Miss, Shall I show you home?"

"I think I'm in Hamilton."

The men cut their eyes to Alexander who looks bewildered.

"Pardon me?" Alexander says taking a loose strand of his hair behind his ear.

John. Lafayette, and Mulligan begin to wolf whistle.

"Not in that way. I mean its 1776, right? You guys aren't actually the guys from history but the actors portraying the guys from history."

The room goes silent.

"Way too many pints." John says.

"No such thing as too many pints." Mulligan adds.

"Lets have another round tonight." Lafayette sings. The three dismiss my accusations and make their way over to the bar.

Alexander watches them go, contemplating following them. Burr still has his eyes trained on me full of worry.

"I time traveled-I guess. Its sounds crazy-but I'm not crazy." I plead but even to myself I don't believe what I'm saying. "The beach." I say sprinting for the door and not checking if anyone was following me.

+

It was gone. The beach where I woke up before was now filled with men in red coats guarding ships.

"This wasn't here before." I say turning to Burr. He was the only one who had followed me out.

          "The harbor is full of the British soldiers."  Burr removes his coat and drapes it around my shoulders. "We have to get you into some clothing that's appropriate."

"We have to get me back to 2020." I say then realizing what I just said, "Then again 2020 has been a very shitty year. Maybe being here wouldn't be that bad."