Modern Life
Game On
The night sky flittered pink, bright enough to reveal all the details hidden by the dark. Seth stood on his porch, took a deep drag and held it, his eyes fixed on the road. “Come on guys. It’s after eleven already.”
Megumi came outside and handed Seth his phone. “You have a text message from Cruz. There was a large wedding at the hotel over the weekend. They are crowded. I bet he won’t make it tonight.”
Seth blew a stream of smoke high into the cold air, then read the message out loud. “Be there shortly. I’m about to drop the question on Maria.”
Megumi paused on her way to grab a drink from the cooler. “What? He’s going to ask her tonight, at work!”
“He’s going to start the ball rolling.” Seth pointed toward the cooler and leaned forward for Megumi to hand him a drink. “I told him he should talk to her in a park, or someplace quiet like down by the river.”
Megumi shivered while handing him a can. “You’re offering him advice on romance?”
Seth popped open the can. “Hey, my proposal to you was pretty darn good. You thought we were going to take a simple picture on the bridge. Remember it was snowing… Man I love Vail in the winter. After my mom took the first picture I had the stage set. You had no idea it was coming, and my mom had no idea. The look on your face at the moment I pulled the ring out said it all, so I know a little about romance.”
“Well, that was over 10 years ago. Don’t you have anything since then?”
“Sure.” Seth took a long drink to buy some time.
“That’s what I thought. It’s too cold out here for me.” Megumi went inside and closed the door.
*****
Cruz locked the door as the last customer left the Oak Barrel Café. He nodded for Jovel to meet him in the kitchen.
Maria sat at the bar to count money and close out tickets. She leaned over the counter to grab a calculator while Cruz snuck around the corner and sat next to her. He nudged her with his shoulder. “Maria, how much longer do you have?”
She started entering numbers and answered without looking up. “I just have to double check Lucy’s tickets. Did you already finish rolling up all the silverware?”
Cruz folded his hands together on the bar. “Yup, all my side work is done and I clocked out.”
“Even the extras? You know the hotel is eighty percent full, so we will be slammed tomorrow morning for sure.”
“Even the extras. I got it covered.”
“Hey don’t leave yet, okay? I need to talk to you.”
Cruz smiled as Jovel started mixing a drink. Maria reached over the bar and tapped on the metal shaker with her pen. “What are you doing? We’ve been closed for over an hour.”
Jovel placed two chilled martini glasses on the counter and poured the shaken drink. “These are by special request from Cruz. I cleared it with Bruce.”
Maria turned to Cruz. “Okay mister, what’s going on?” She looked back for Jovel, but he was gone.
“Let’s toast.” Cruz held his drink up, watching her eyes sharpen and brighten as the glint of something caught her eye. She found a diamond ring at the bottom of her glass.
Maria started shaking and set the glass on the counter. She pulled her hands to her face, gasping. “Cruz! Is that… you can’t afford that! I love it, but…”
Cruz pulled her hands from her face and held them. “Stop shaking Maria. This ring is exactly what I would want my wife to wear, and I want to be your husband. I want us to get married. You will marry me, right?”
Maria pulled one hand free to fan her face. “I. . . I thought you weren’t ready. This is so sudden.”
Cruz let go and lifted his drink to toast. Maria picked up her glass and held it close to her face, staring at the ring. He laughed. “Get a straw and take it out. I want to see it on your hand.”
Maria slipped the ring on her finger, and held her hand in the light. “When Cruz? When? There’s so much to do!”
“Hold on. We have to be engaged for a while first. Isn’t that how the game is played?”
Maria tilted her head and wiped under her eye to grab a tear. “Engagement? Game? This is our life together we’re talking about.”
“I’m not saying us getting married is a game. I’m saying engagements take time, because that’s how it’s done.”
“Okay… Summer is just a few months away, but September is beautiful in Napa valley. We need a place with a view. Maybe the wine train will be affordable?”
Cruz chugged the rest of his drink. “Um, I was thinking more like when I graduate.”
“What? That won’t be for at least two years, if you make it.”
Cruz put his glass down, shrugging his shoulders. “Hey. We’re together, just like we’ve always been. What’s two more years?”
Maria took the ring off and tossed it on the counter. “I’m not going to have a two year engagement. That leads to three, four, and more.”
Cruz watched the ring bounce and fall behind the bar. Maria’s slap spun his head around the other direction. “Ouch! What was that for?”
“That’s for getting my heart all worked up just to be pushed off two years. It’s not just about you, okay!”
“Maria. We can’t afford a place at the same time I’m in school. It took me a year just to get your ring. Look, I don’t want to argue over this right now. It’s Seth’s birthday and I told him I’d swing by. We can talk about this tomorrow.”
Maria’s mouth dropped open. “That’s it?”
Cruz pushed his chair away from the bar and walked away. He saw her reflection in the window of the door and paused. “No. That’s not it. We’re going to get married, and I’m only giving you one ring, so you better find it.”
Maria stomped her foot. “Cruz! Come back here. I’m not done.”
Cruz ignored her. He walked outside on the porch of the café. The air chilled him to the bone, so he flipped his collar to cover his neck. “Women! She knows I love her. What’s the hurry?”
A hotel service cart passed by. Cruz waived to the driver. “Long night huh?”
The guy slowed down and held up a toilet plunger. “Tell me about it. This is the third time tonight. You guys in Food and Beverage have it easy.”
Cruz laughed. “We put up with a different kind of crap.”
“Well I already applied for a transfer. I’d rather flip burgers than plunge toilets. Anyway, I better go take care of this. See ya man.” He sped off into the dark.
Cruz heard Maria tap on the window. He ran his hand across his cheek remembering the sting of her reaction. Without looking back he stepped off the porch and walked toward his car.
His green Z28 Camaro sat alone in the last parking spot along the sound wall under a lamp. Sitting only four inches off the ground on twenty inch black rims, the light made it look like a racecar in a showroom.
He ran his finger across the black T-Top to check for moisture. When he reached for the door he caught his reflection in the tinted window. Maria’s small hand left a pink mark on his cheek. “Isn’t it enough I gave her the ring?”
His anger got the best of him as he got inside and slammed the door.
Cruz started the engine and listened to the deep steady purr only a V-8 can make. His cell phone rang and interrupted his thoughts. He turned up the radio, but it was too late. Maria’s name blinked on the caller ID. He pressed the button to read her text. “We have to talk.”
“Not now we don’t.” He put his phone in the glove box and rolled toward the exit, appearing and disappearing under the lights. Maria stood in the doorway, so he ran his finger along a row of CDs in his visor pretending to read them.
*****
Maria watched Cruz pass by. Her eyes welled up when he didn’t look at her. She turned to the bathroom for refuge, but Lucy came around the corner holding her hands over her heart. “Well, did you tell him? What did he say?”
“I didn’t get a chance. He surprised me with a ring.”
“What? Let me see!”
Maria pointed to the bar. “It’s over there. I have to go find it.”
Lucy dropped her hands. “What do you mean? What happened?”
Maria sniffled and blotted her upper lip with a napkin. “He said he wanted two years.”
Lucy helped wipe a mascara run from Maria’s cheek. “He just wants to be responsible. I am sure after you tell him, he’ll move the date up.”
“He wants to be a cop more than he wants to marry me.”
Lucy grabbed Maria by the shoulders. “Come on now. That’s ridiculous. At least he asked. It’s a start… a big start for Cruz. You could have bigger problems and be pregnant like his brother’s girlfriend you know?”
“Yeah.” Maria sniffled with half a chuckle. “I smacked him pretty good.” vv
“Maria! The last thing you want to do is push him away.”
“I know, but in two years my dad won’t be here. I want my dad to walk me down the isle.”
Lucy hugged her. “Just tell Cruz the cancer is aggressive. Let him deal with reality too.”
“It’s not that simple. My dad has been like an uncle to Cruz since he was a teenager. He’s the one who turned Cruz around and inspired him to be a cop.”
Lucy put her finger under Maria’s chin and lifted it until their eyes met. “Let’s go find your ring.”
*****
Cruz paused at the stop sign, tapping the wheel and debating if he should go back. He smacked the steering wheel, turned west, and floored it down the two-lane highway. The acceleration left a trail of exhaust in the cold darkness, and the force from the engine pulled him deep in his seat. Everlong by the Foo Fighters blasted through his speakers, helping him find his zone.
He tapped the brakes a few times and made a hard right at the signal. A glass bowl Cruz had etched with their future married names flew across the back seat and smashed into the other side, but the music was louder than the sound of breaking glass. In the middle of the turn he shifted gears and punched it. The rear tires broke traction sliding the back of his car sideways through the rest of the turn. Over steering caused him to fishtail at the end. He let off the gas too fast and the car almost went off the road. He took a deep breath from the close call, and accelerated into the night.
Lights from an approaching car flickered behind the trees of a side road. Cruz pushed the pedal to the floor. With only fifty yards left before the intersection the other car showed no sign of slowing, regardless of the stop sign. Cruz turned his lights off and disappeared into the dark. The other car responded by turning their lights off.
Cruz grinned. “Jovel!”
*****
Jovel watched Cruz pass first. He flew around the corner in hot pursuit. All four tires of his black Miata broke loose from the road. The left rear tire spit gravel from the soft shoulder into the dark. With little to no fishtail action and expert technique, he controlled a drift through the turn to stay within a few car lengths of Cruz’s Camaro.
A partial moon revealed shadows, but Jovel could only see periodic glimpses of the road from Cruz’s brake lights. Jovel chased him through the empty silhouettes of the bald vineyards. They raced these roads several times a week. It was nothing for them to dive into a swooping curve going eighty past the thirty-five speed limit sign. The pressure of the turn pulled Jovel deep into his seat until the curve rose and opened to an uphill straightaway.
Jovel moved across the double yellow line for the quarter-mile dash to the top of the hill. Cruz started to pull away in his V-8, but Jovel flicked a switch and his engine screamed, pushing the speedometer over a hundred miles per hour. He rocketed passed Cruz, reaching the crest of the hill going too fast. The lightness of the car bounced around under Jovel’s heavy breaking. He skidded eight-feet drifting to the left, followed by a seven-foot skid toward the right. It took four more skids to slow down to the speed limit.
Jovel turned his lights back on and descended into Napa. He admired the town lights sprinkled across the valley. Their glow reflected off the low valley clouds like a silver blanket covering from one side to the other. In the mirror he saw Cruz following close behind. When they reached the valley floor they crossed the highway, and turned into the first neighborhood on the right. They worked their way to Seth’s, where Jovel squeezed into a small parking spot in front, while Cruz continued to the intersection and flipped a u-turn to park on the empty side of the street.
*****
Cruz grabbed a plastic palm comb from his visor and combed his short black hair straight back, checking his face in the mirror. “Still a little pink.” He climbed out of his car and crossed the street as Jovel turned off nozzles and flipped switches. “What the heck did you do to your car?"
“I installed Nitro this week. That’s only the second time I tried it."
“Nitro? You got me with that one, and almost got yourself."
Jovel continued unbuckling his harness system. “I got you with parking too. Those Camaros are too big."
Cruz smarted back. "Yeah, but Miatas look like peanuts.“ He reached in to help pull Jovel from his seat, chuckling while he tried to lift him. “Gravity is not your friend."
Jovel squeezed up and out of the car. “Gravity is my best friend. What do you think keeps me on the road in the corners?"
They walked up the driveway to Seth's. Cruz waved to him through the window, but Seth was pounding away on the drums, engrossed in a song.
Jovel laughed. “He must be really into it. He didn’t even see us.”
Cruz reached in his pocket. “Maybe he’ll last long enough for me to have a quick smoke.”
Jovel pulled a lighter from his coat pocket, flicked his bic and cupped his hand around the flame for Cruz. “I thought you’re quitting those things?”
“Hey, Maria wants me to quit. And I will… just not tonight."
Jovel put his lighter away. “From the looks of your cheek, you better listen to her. I heard that smack from the back of the kitchen.”
A couple of other cars parked in the background. Cruz and Jovel watched the driver’s silhouettes do the secret band handshake when they met in the street. Cruz flicked his cigarette. “Let’s go. It’s time for band practice!”
Cruz reached for the knob, but the front door opened and Seth came out. A swirl of smoky fog followed close behind him. “Grab some beer and come on in boys. I have the light and fog machine all hooked up and ready to go.”
Jovel grabbed a few Coors Lights from the ice cooler on the porch and handed them to Cruz, who gave one to Seth. “Where’s Aizu?"
“That dog is in trouble. She ate raw chicken while it was in the sink defrosting. Now she’s in the back room with Megumi. She got a bunch of Japanese drama videos in the mail today.”
Jovel closed the cooler. “All right then, let’s get started.”
*****
Seth loves playing Rock Band with his friends. He built a hardwood platform that is illuminated underneath around the edges. It sits in the living room like a stage. The Rock Band fog and light show kit generates special effects, and everything is hooked into a surround sound stereo system. Just turn the lights off and the room becomes a rock concert experience from any position in the band, or the audience if you’re watching.
Jovel coughed at the abundance of fake smog.
Seth sat at the drums. He backed the game to the point where the others could join in.
Cruz put his beer on the table. “Hey man, hand me my axe.”
Seth reached behind himself to a stand holding three Rock Band guitars, a pair of drumsticks, and a microphone. He grabbed two of the guitars and handed them to Cruz, who gave one to Jovel. Cruz turned back around to Seth. They did the secret band handshake: a light open hand slap, back hand, forward slap, and finish with a soft knuckle bump.
Jovel put his guitar on and reached to Seth. They did the same handshake.
Cruz and Jovel turned their guitars on and logged into the game, but Cruz struggled with his guitar strap. “Hold on… Okay, I’m ready. What are we playing first?"
Before Seth could answer, the screen door opened and Cammy walked in. “What’s up with all this smoke?”
Marcus stepped in. He closed the door and coughed. “I thought you cut back Seth?” Everyone laughed.
Cruz turned to Cammy and Marcus. “There’s a couple of Silver Bullets on the table.” He picked up his can, and tilted it toward them. “Cheers.”
Cammy took hers, but Marcus declined because of a stomachache.
Seth got up to get him a different drink. “Do you want water, or soda?”
Marcus sat on the couch. “Water, please.”
“Straight, on the rocks, or with tablets?”
Marcus titled his head, squinting. “Tablets?”
Cruz nodded to Marcus. “Hey. Plop plop fizz fizz…”
“Oh yeah… That’s what I need.”
Seth grabbed an Alka Seltzer from the bathroom. On his way into the kitchen he tossed it to Marcus. “What did you eat today?”
Marcus rubbed his stomach. “I grilled oysters on the half-shell.”
“No wonder…” Seth came back and handed him a glass of water. “I told you oysters will take you down. That’s why it’s a health law. Man, you should know that. Besides, I don’t know how you can get those things down your throat? They’re gross!”
Marcus’s round face shed a painful smile. “I know, but I can’t help it. I love them as much as you love steak.”
Seth climbed back behind the drums. “Steak is clean Marcus. Oysters are part of the process that clean the toxins from the planet, and you’re popping them like M&Ms… Of course you’ll get sick.”
Cruz asked. “Isn’t that why you don’t eat crab?”
Seth shivered. “Dude, those are just as gross. You’re eating a giant sea spider. You can have them.”
Cammy turned to Seth with her hands on her hips. “Come on Seth, how many times have I put bacon on your hamburger? Isn’t that a health law too?”
Seth shrugged his shoulders. “More than once, I know… I didn’t say I was perfect, and the thought of pork grosses me out just as much as shellfish. You know, you might as well be eating the bag from your vacuum cleaner.”
Marcus rolled and pushed himself up to go to the bathroom. “I’ve heard enough.” He’s pleasantly plump from countless hours in the kitchen pursuing his love for cooking, and he loves to cook at the Oak Barrel Café. The kitchen is open and up front with the people, and they like him because he has fun when he cooks. When he first started at the Oak Barrel he was a little unsure of transitioning to a kitchen where everything is on display, but Cammy held command, and she ran the kitchen with military precision and respect.
Cammy’s slender figure made her appear taller than she really was. She had dark skin and a beautiful face. She announced the food ticket orders to the kitchen in clear and sharp commands. With each one there was a crisp chorus of reply. “Yes Chef!”
Marcus loved taking the orders, and Cammy appreciated the effort he put into listening and carrying them out. Her level of discipline gave Marcus a structure to shine within. She was hard as nails in the kitchen, but a warm friendship developed as their mutual respect grew.
Cammy usually changed clothes before leaving work, and she always dressed to kill. Her hair pulled back tight and knotted in the back for work was now released from the confines of kitchen etiquette, and she had every bit of an 18-inch thick black curly globe. Casual, but sexy, her jeans and jean jacket fit like a rock star, and she knew it. The whole band knew it.
After a handful of their favorite songs, they took turns choosing as they rocked the night away. Jovel and Cruz alternated between bass and guitar, Cammy sang a couple times, and Marcus sat half asleep on the couch.
Seth read the band’s score at the end of a song. “A hundred and fifty thousand. That’s a new record for us, and five stars. Okay Jovel, your turn to pick.”
Jovel scrolled through the list of songs, looking for their next challenge. “I’m going deep down the list this time.”
Seth shook his empty beer can. “Hey, I’m going to grab another, but I’m going to take a quick smoke break too.”
Cruz took off his guitar. “I’m with you Seth.” He handed the guitar to Marcus. “Come on man, you have to play at least one song.”
Seth handed the drumsticks to Cammy. “You too girl. You have to at least try the drums.”
Cammy looked at the sticks. “I don’t know. . . I can’t play drums.”
Seth nudged her toward the drum set. “Sure you can. Drumming is like chopping veggies. Rhythm is all you need. Besides, one good thing about a Rock Band is you get to play at your own skill level. Even if Jovel plays on ‘hard’, you can play on ‘easy’.”
Cammy sat down behind the drums as Seth selected her skill level and gave her a few pointers. “Check it out. The drums have four color-coded pads. The dots on the screen tell you what pad to hit. When a yellow dot reaches the bottom of the screen, hit the yellow pad, blue dot is blue pad. That’s it.”
Cammy tapped a couple pads. “What about the foot pedal?”
Seth pointed to the television. “When the fret bar is lit up bright yellow it’s for the bass drum, you step on the pedal when it hits the bottom just like the dots. Using the foot pedal is a little like rubbing your stomach and patting your head at the same time at first, but after a few short songs anyone can play a basic beat.”
Cammy hit a symbol. “Hey it’s just a game. What’s the worst that can happen?”
“A lot!” Cruz explained. “You can get the band kicked off the stage if you don’t keep up with your dots. If you fail we all get fired.”
Seth shrugged his shoulders on the way to the front door. “I know it’s only a game, but it’s because of this game I fell in love with the drums. I started practicing until I could play a lot of the songs on expert, and almost any song on hard. I love this game.”
Cruz laughed. “Okay drummer.”
Jovel found a song to play. “Hey guys, let’s try this one.”
Cammy started to struggle at the beginning of the song, but soon was able to get the hang of it. Cruz patted Seth on the shoulder, and they stepped out for a smoke. Outside on the porch Cruz grabbed a couple of cans from the cooler, handing one to Seth. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” Seth opened his and drank half. He shook his head thinking to himself how stupid it was to mix beer and wine, but a long, deep, yet quiet burp interrupted his thought. He looked around to make sure nobody else heard.
Cruz tipped his can toward the reflection of the Napa lights bouncing off the cloud cover. “I love it when the clouds do that.”
Seth shrugged his shoulders. “The clouds sure came in fast tonight. It was clear before you came.”
The sky flickered behind the clouds, illuminating the blanket into soft pinks and blues.
Cruz looked around the sky. “I wish I knew what that was all about.”
Seth lit his cigarette and blew the smoke high into the cold air. They stared into the night sky until a shiver from the cold reminded Seth how long they had been outside. He toasted to Napa and finished his beer. They both squeezed their cans and tossed them in the bin under the cooler. Cruz grabbed another round and handed one to Seth. Inside, he set the other beers on the coffee table and opened one for himself.
Jovel turned his head to talk to Seth, but kept his eyes glued to the television. “Hey guys look, I bumped Cammy to ‘medium’.”
It proved to be a little too big of a jump for her. It didn’t take long for her laughter to turn to focus, followed by frustration, and finally her fret started glowing red. She hit the pads totally out of sequence. “What’s going on?”
Seth saw her energy meter dwindle. “Don’t panic just because the red glow starts. The trick is to calm down and relax in the music… and don’t forget to breathe. Besides, it’s just a game, right?”
Marcus leaned back. “Don’t worry, I got this one.” He tilted his guitar like a rock star, saving Cammy, and returning her energy meter to normal.
Cammy started back in the song. “How did you do that?”
Seth pointed to the power meter at the bottom of the screen. “Other players can save you and give you new life if they have enough energy stored up.”
In spite of their efforts, the band failed again. Cammy laughed at the folly. “I’ve played enough.” She placed the drumsticks on the coffee table and checked her watch. “It‘s almost two… I need something to eat. I’m going to Denny’s for breakfast.”
Marcus gave the guitar to Cruz. “I feel like some pancakes. You know, something to stick to my ribs.”
“Okay then, time for the last song.” Seth grabbed the drumsticks and sat behind the drums. He scrolled down to ‘YYZ’ by Rush.
Jovel passed the medium setting for hard. “I love this song. If you take even half a second to look and see who is in trouble, you will be next!”
Cammy took a handful of empty cans to the kitchen. “Okay, but after this I’m going to eat.”
At the end Cruz waited anxiously for the score. “I know I got a hundred percent… Watch. Here it is…” But ninety-nine appeared on the screen. Cruz’ sigh against Jovel's teasing made everyone laugh.
Seth turned off the game. “When you hit a hundred percent you have to bump up to hard with us. We can’t be a medium band forever.”
Cruz stared at the blank television in disbelief, ninety-nine percent burned into his memory. “I had it. I know I had it.”
Seth turned the living room lights back on. “Hey. Who wants to make a fire in the back yard?”
Cruz and Jovel liked the idea, but Marcus opted for breakfast with Cammy. She reached for the front door, but a pounding from the outside made her jump back into Marcus.
“I’ll get it.” Seth leaned and reached around Cammy. “We must have been a little too loud this time. It’s probably my neighbor.” He opened the door to find Rick, the General Manager of the Oak Barrel Café. “Rick! You always come at the end of the party man.”
Rick stepped inside and closed the door. He always kept a smile from ear to ear, offered a generous handshake, and he spoke in a soothing voice comforting guests into their favorite glass of wine. “I had some receipts that didn’t add up, so I got out late. I thought I'd swing by and take a chance you guys were still here."
Cammy and Marcus scooted past Rick. “Not me and Marcus, we’re going to Denny’s.”
Rick laughed. “Denny’s, really? Good luck with that.”
Cammy shrugged her shoulders. “It’s fast and it’s cheap, and it’s the only thing open.”
Marcus flipped his collar up. “It’s not fine dining, but how bad can you mess up breakfast?”
Rick reached to shake Seth’s hand. “Happy birthday man!”
“Thanks. We’re heading out back to start a fire. Grab a beer and join in. Better yet, can you push the cooler around to the side gate? I'll let you in the back."
“No problem. I’ll meet you there. Can I get anything from the quickie mart down the street?”
Cruz patted Rick on the back. “You’re not at work anymore. You better slam one of those beers and relax a bit man.”
Everyone laughed.
Rick followed Cammy and Marcus out the door, smiling at Cruz. “Customer service is a practiced art… once you get past the J. O. B. and into the profession that is.”
Jovel nudged Cruz. “Oooooo.”
The door in the hallway opened and Seth’s dog, Aizu, ran into the room to see everyone. Megumi followed her. “I thought I heard Rick?”
Jovel grabbed Aizu just below the ears and picked her up on her hind legs. “What’s up monster! You want some of this?”
Cruz gave Megumi a hug. “Rick’s pushing the cooler around back, we’re going to start a fire. You coming?”
Megumi looked at the clock. “Sure, for a little bit.”
Seth turned to go through the kitchen. Cruz, Jovel and Megumi followed, but Seth stopped halfway through and pointed to a fish tank against the wall. It covered the full width of the dining table. Inside, a fourteen-inch fish paced back and forth. "That sushi has been with us for ten years."
Megumi sighed. “They know Seth. You tell us every time we go through here."
“Yeah but I saw on the news where a guy caught one of these in a local lake… San Pablo dam I believe. It weighed fifteen pounds.”
Cruz tapped on the tank. “He’s outgrowing this tank you know.”
Seth grinned. “Could you imagine his perspective if we released him into a real lake? He would have a whole future ahead of him, and a never ending salad bar."
Cruz patted Seth on the back. "Or he’d take the first shiny lure dragged across his face… It's a fish man."
Seth sighed as he continued into the garage and turned on the light. “No lures man, he looks like a piranha, but he’s a vegetarian.”
Megumi opened the cupboard for Aizu’s snacks. “I’ll be out in a minute.”
Cruz saw the weight bench in the garage and quickly slid into place. It’s always setup with a forty-five pound plate on each side. “When are we going to start lifting again Seth?"
Seth walked by and snickered. "Tomorrow." He paused. “Oops. I forgot the tunes. Hold on."
Cruz started to lift the weights as Seth ran back to his computer in the office and loaded up a chill mix in iTunes. He returned to the garage to find Jovel benching with Cruz spotting him. Seth turned on a stereo connected to the computer, filling the garage and back yard with music. “I'll get the fire started. You two take your time."
Seth turned and walked toward the back door. “Rick! Oh man… I forgot.” He hurried outside and across the grassy area to the side gate. “Hey Rick, here I come.”
He opened the side gate to find Rick struggling to get between the recycle bins and the house. Rick gets frustrated pretty easily. You can pick it up from time to time if you know him. On the floor you never see him flinch, but in the safety of friendly privacy he holds little back. Sometimes it’s fun to watch because it’s so trivial, but the thing that makes Rick great at his job is his ability to make sure those on the floor paid attention to what others might call trivial.
Seth moved the recycle bins to help him. “Long day huh?
“Yeah. I’m beat.”
“Thanks for bringing the cooler around. We can leave it right here inside the gate. Grab a drink and have a seat while I get the fire going, or if you want you can lift with Cruz and Jovel.”
Rick nodded toward the back door. “Looks like they’re already done.”
Seth turned to see Cruz and Jovel on the back deck. “Hey Cruz. Can you reach inside the garage and toss me a Fire Starter? They’re right behind you on the left.”
Jovel came over and sat on the bench, watching Seth set up one of those copper fire pits you see at all the hardware stores. Cruz brought a Fire Starter brick and joined Jovel on the bench.
“Not so fast…” Seth set the Fire Starter inside his miniature teepee of kindling. “We need the lawn chairs on the other side of the grill.”
It only took a few minutes for the fire to spread through the dry wood, at first drawing everyone near to escape the chilly air, but becoming hot enough to sting your face if you stayed too close. The abundance of wood raged for five minutes before settling in the warm backyard, making every seat comfortable.
Seth held his hands to the fire. “Even a cold beer sounds tasty again.”
Cracks, pops, and the smell of a campfire took center stage. Shadows flickered against the old redwood fence. Everyone stared into the fire, lost in thought.
Cruz got up and grabbed a few beers from the cooler. He passed them around before holding his can up to toast. “Here’s to the band.”
Rick chuckled. “You guys need a band name. Something like the Oak Barrel Band.”
Cruz offered. “How about the Silver Bullets?”
Jovel suggested. “What do you think about Napa Grapes?”
Seth held his finger in the air. “Grapes? I got it… How about the Bud Break Band?”
Cruz looked at him puzzled. “What’s that?”
Rick answered. “Bud Break is the first stage of the growth cycle each season. It’s when you see the leaves start to show on the vines.”
Seth nodded. “Yeah, and we are in the first stage of our growth. We’re not even playing with real instruments yet.”
Jovel laughed. “I like it. The Bud Break Band.” He held up his beer.
“To the Bud Break Band!” Everyone replied in unison.
Cruz tried to drink the entire can in one long drink. He almost made it, but enough of it ran down both sides of his face to wet his shirt. During the final gulp he couldn’t hold it in, and sprayed the fire with foamy beer.
Everyone laughed loud enough they realized they might disturb the neighbors, and without missing a chuckle they brought their volume under control.
Seth pointed toward the fire. “Just toss your can near the pit. I’ll get them in the morning… Hey, Cruz, are you okay man? You’re drinking more than you usually do. What’s up?”
Cruz tried to cover for himself. “I’m just taking a mental vacation from someone right now.”
Rick offered consolation. “Sorry she didn’t take it well. She loves you man. She wants to get married.”
“So do I, but you know how Mexican families are man. I can’t just up and do this on my own. My family has to be involved. Her family has to be involved. Some are here, some in Mexico. There’s just too much to take on when I’m trying to get my career started. I have to focus. I want to focus.”
Rick leaned forward. “Maybe with all this flickering-light stuff in the sky, and all the movies about end times, she might be worried you will miss your chance?”
Cruz shook his head. “No. It’s got to be something else. I just can’t put my finger on it… Anyway, you’re right Seth, Rock Band is just a game. This summer I want to start playing real instruments. Why can’t the Bud Break Band be a real band? You have drums. Megumi has a keyboard. I have a guitar. I think we can do it.”
Jovel jumped in. “I have a guitar too, but there’s a big difference between reading dots in a video game, and trying to read notes on paper.”
Rick added. “Don’t forget about the difference between pushing a toy button that’s always in the same place, and trying to find a note on a real fret that can be anywhere.”
Seth sighed. “And you have to hit the right string instead of the one master string your Rock Band guitars have.”
“Okay, okay.” Cruz got up, heading toward the cooler. “I’m not saying we’re going to play YYZ, but it wouldn’t be Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
Seth tossed a stick into the fire. “Yes it would, but I like your idea and think we should at least try.”
Megumi and Aizu joined them by the fire. “What idea?”
Jovel turned to Megumi. “You’re just in time, Cruz is starting a real band and nominated you to play keyboard. We’re starting this summer.”
“I think you guys should stick to Rock Band.”
Seth clinked his can on Megumi’s drink. “Cheers. We even have a band name. The Bud Break Band.”
Megumi shook her head. “I don’t even want to know what that means.”
Cruz sat down and leaned into the fire. “Maybe I’ll start to bring my little brother when we play. I need to spend some time with him. He’s giving my mom an ulcer with his machismo crap.”
Megumi slipped off her chef shoes and held her feet to the fire to warm her socks. “You mean Nico?”
“Last week I caught him in the garage with a friend, and they were loading their own bullets!” Cruz rubbed his hands in front of the fire. “I told him he was crazy. If our mom saw it she’d have a heart attack on the spot, and if dad caught him he’d use them on him.”
Megumi slipped her feet back into her chef shoes. “Is he a Napa gangster now?”
Cruz stared into the fire. “Our parents worked too hard for us to have a chance to become what we want. I know we can’t go to school and act like we’re local Saint Helena bred white folk, but we don’t have to go the other way and wear colors, or stop our own people from reaching their dreams.”
Rick cleared his throat. “Don’t be so hard Cruz. We’re a small town. I’m sure he’ll grow out of it soon.”
Cruz took a drink. “Some do and some don’t. I’m telling you there is a sub-culture here, and I don’t like the direction it’s taking. I don’t like the fact it’s sucking my bro in. It takes us all backward.”
Seth stoked the fire with a stick. “Hey Jovel, toss me another log. Cruz, I know your heart. I’m sure your brother can feel it too, even if he acts like it isn’t important… you just need to know it is, and don’t give up on him. Don’t be afraid to step up and guide him. Rebels take guidance from those they respect. Be the man Cruz.”
Rick lifted his beer. “Be the man Cruz.”
Everyone raised their can and took a drink. The fire crackled and sparks shot into the dark. A little trail of smoke rose from the pit, winding up into the winter sky.
Jovel leaned back in his lawn chair. The nylon fabric stretched and the metal frame creaked. “This summer I’d love to get a Kart racing license. You never know? I might get discovered.”
Rick tossed his beer tab into the fire. “Dude! That is so cool, but isn’t it expensive? You must be getting some real good tips behind the bar?”
Jovel shook his head. “I wish. That’s why I have to get discovered. I can’t afford that sport beyond what I’m already doing. Sears Point has a reasonably priced program where you can take courses and run the track. I have to start at the entry level and work my way up, but the teachers are real racers and driving is something you feel… maybe they will feel me if you know what I mean?”
Rick toasted to Jovel. “I know exactly what you mean. I’ve been in your car more than once where I didn’t think we would make the turn. If they let you loose on their track I’m sure you’ll get somebody’s attention.” He paused for a moment, looking into the fire. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do this summer? I’ve been in the restaurant business all my life, and frankly, it doesn’t do anything for me anymore.”
Seth got up and pointed to the others. “Who needs a beer?”
“I do.” Rick murmured. “Man, I’m about ready to quit that place.”
“And then what? What would you do?” Seth asked.
“That’s the problem. I have no clue.” Rick’s face hung low. “You guys all have things that you can fall back on. I don’t. This is all I know. I’m almost forty years old, and restaurants are all I know.”
Jovel patted Rick on the back. “The way I see it, even if you wanted to get out of the business, you’re too good at what you do. The business probably won’t let ‘you’ go. You’ll always be managing somewhere in the valley. That’s where my money is.”
Rick leaned back. “Thanks guys. I’m not trying to be a downer, but Seth has his contractor’s license and is writing, Cruz is within reach of becoming a CHP, Jovel is going to become a racecar driver on television… and Megumi is a secret up and coming star in the kitchen. You guys have something.”
Seth leaned back and sighed. “Rick, we all have something. Specially you. By the way, construction isn’t something I started as a kid with my dad. This is something I was thrown into to make ends meet when I lost my software company. I had to start from scratch in my thirties. I even slept on the floor of a friend’s office for three months until I found a place to live. So even if it looks like I’ve got it going on, I promise you we’re struggling like crazy, and we’re only one paycheck away from not paying the rent.”
Jovel nodded his head. “Tell me about it. I hate bills.”
Seth put his arm around Megumi. “Being self-employed there are two things I know for sure. The first thing is there are no benefits. A few years ago I was in my back yard, in Saint Helena, working on a really cool terrarium for a customer.”
“A what?”
“A home for lizards and snakes. This one looks like a yellow cabinet with glass doors. It’s pretty cool. I used green slate for the interior. The top section was only a little over a foot high. It held a snake. The middle section was almost three feet tall. Half was a water pond and half was dry slate with branches for the lizards to climb on. The bottom part had wooden doors to hide a pump, food, and all the maintenance things.”
Cruz shook his head. “That’s a lot of work for a fancy cage.”
“A lot of work, and most for free. When I was preparing to install the slate I cut my arm deep enough that I didn’t think my painter’s tape would keep it closed. The stupid hospital up valley took five hours to put three little tubes of super glue on it, and I got a bill for more than fifteen hundred bucks. That’s fifteen Benjamins man! It hurt more to hand those over than it did to get cut.”
Megumi looked up at Seth. “Those guys are ridiculous. What was it? Two hundred and fifty bucks just to get signed in?”
“Now we have benefits, but Megumi pays almost five hundred a month for them.” Seth looked up into the sky and took a deep breath. “Things are different these days. Sometimes I wish I was born a generation or two earlier. Different time, different game.”
Cruz quipped. “Five hundred bucks for benefits! That’s a weeks work right there.”
Megumi laughed. “And that’s just ‘incase’ something happens.”
Seth lifted his arm off Megumi’s shoulder and leaned forward. “The second thing I know for sure is I’ll be working until the day I drop. There is no retirement, or company to continue on. I’m a one-man band working on small projects. I can’t afford to advertise, there’s barely enough to pay bills. We’re even behind on a couple of them… and don’t get me started on taxes.” He sighed staring at the fire, before looking up with a smile. “However! Like Jovel, I’m hoping something I do along the way gets discovered. It might be construction, but I doubt it. I wish it were writing. That would be awesome.”
Megumi lightly nudged Seth in the side with her elbow. “You will Seth. You type all day long, all night long. Your writing will hit.”
Seth gazed straight ahead. “Someday it could.” He moved his hand across an imaginary space in front of him. “Then we’re going to have ten acres with a little bed and breakfast. We’ll have a handful of cottages, and a main house. We can live upstairs, and downstairs will be an open kitchen like the Oak Barrel. It will have a small bar for the locals to mingle, and we will always have full stomachs.”
Jovel crushed his can. “I’d go there.”
Seth smiled. “Hey man, I’m counting on you to work there. And it gets better. Breakfast and lunch will have a wide variety of choices, but dinners will always be a fixed menu served family style in two services: the first for the elderly and families with children, and the second for those of us who might stay up late. We might be playing a song or two, or having a drink or two. We’ll even keep one cottage vacant for those who drink a little too much.”
Cruz stared through the fire into Seth’s vision. “Could you imagine a calendar with Megumi’s cooking on it?”
Megumi leaned back and kicked her feet in the air. “Curry night, Sushi night, Suki Yaki night, Kara Age night, and a whole list of others. Whatever you want.”
“Steak tacos…” Seth rubbed his stomach. “I could go for those right now. I can’t wait to have a place where we can share these things with others.”
Megumi leaned forward against Seth and held on to his arm. “Go for it Seth. Show me something!”
“I’ll show you how to finish one of these bullets.” Seth started to slam back his beer.
Cruz and Jovel looked at each other and started to drink as fast as they could. Megumi laughed and sipped her drink.
Seth couldn’t help but notice the cloud cover toward the south starting to part, coming up valley. It looked like the view of a passing boat from underwater, but with no boat.
Megumi started laughing at the beer pouring down the side of Cruz’s face, only this time it was because he stopped drinking, his eyes fixed on the opening in the clouds. Megumi followed his stare to see something moving toward them. Whatever it was, it made a hole in the clouds with a clear view of the stars. The trail faded back into the thick cover as the hole approached them. It stopped directly overhead, and blinked a few times, flashing between a bronze glowing metallic object and its cloak from sight.
Jovel pointed at it. “Is that a…”
Megumi got up to run, but Seth grabbed her.
Rick dropped his can and made the sign of the cross over his chest with his right hand. He slid off his chair to his knees, repeating the cross several times.
A low subwoofer like thump resonated through everyone’s body. It was soft, but penetrated to the bone. The craft blinked a few more times, and completely disappeared, leaving only a hole in the clouds.
Jovel gasped. “I can see the stars behind it.”
The craft started moving, parting the clouds in a westward path until it reached the edge of the valley, heading directly for Sonoma.
Megumi dropped to her seat. “Seth? Tell me something Seth. Tell me!”
Seth looked into the fire. “Tell you what? You saw the same thing I saw. You can’t hide a truth once you’ve seen it, unless you’re crazy. Nobody here is crazy.”
Cruz wiped his chin. “Was that a UFO?”
Seth looked at Cruz. “I knew something was happening when the skies started flickering a few months ago, but I’ve never seen anything like this in my life before.”
“You’re scaring me Seth.” Megumi pulled him beside her.
Seth put his arm around her, and pulled her close. “Okay, let’s relax a bit. I don’t think there’s anything to fear yet. A lot has to happen before we see the things written about. Besides, what can we do? Nothing. Whatever is going to happen is going to happen until it’s done, so just roll with it.”
“I don’t want to be done. I want to live and have a family.”
Seth shook his head. “Don’t worry, we will. It didn’t do anything to us, right? Man, I’ve been studying this for years, but never thought I’d see it for real.”
Rick got up from his knees. “Why is it here?”
Seth turned to Rick. “This is Bible stuff. Don’t worry man. These things are just part of the game.”
Rick brushed the grass from his knees. “What game is that?”
Seth tried to smile. “The game of life. We may be dreaming of our futures and wrestling with the present, but there’s a lot more going on than most people want to believe.”
Cruz looked to the clouds. “What does that thing in the sky have to do with us today? Why are they coming now?”
“Come on man. You’re just seeing them today. Those guys didn’t just get the latest UFO model off the showroom floor this week. Don’t you think they had that technology for a long time now, all the way back. Mankind may be just over a hundred years into flight, but these things have been reported for thousands of years.”
Jovel’s eyes opened wide. “I never thought of that?”
“I think it’s stupid for us to believe we are alone just because we can’t see what is watching us. I really don’t think we are alone, but I don’t think these are some distant race either. I think some of them enforce what was written, and some are trying to disrupt what was written.”
Rick ran his fingers through his hair. “Are you talking about that Ancient Alien series or whatever?”
“Yes and no. There’s quite a few of those shows. I agree that these things exist, but I disagree with the speculation of who they are and why they are here.”
“Come on man. We know nothing about them. How can you?”
“There is plenty written about them if you know where to look. A lot of misinformation is out there too. These things were in the Bible a long ago, and so is the plan.”
“I’ve never heard them talk about this in church?”
“The church has a different focus Rick. First of all they want your money. Second, they serve milk. I’m talking about meat. Look. There is a plan outlining the events that will happen. It’s there, I’ve seen it. If you know the plan you’ll be fine. Mankind is only afraid of what they don’t know. Just like you guys are now, but I’m actually cool with this. A little shocked, but cool.”
Cruz leaned toward Seth. “So what do you know?”
“I know enough that even though it scared me a bit, I’m not afraid. Not like that anyway. We still have to go through the events, and we still have to reconcile our positions, but everyone on the winning team gets a ring my friend.”
The fire faded and the coals turned a soft powdery gray. A cool breeze picked up just enough to make the wind chimes send a chill down Seth’s back. “Let’s call it a night.”