TWO WEEKS - Episode 10

7:00am
The clock was reading when Wayne woke up that morning. He went over the events of the previous night in his mind; his terrible nightmare: attempt to drug himself: his father’s call: his leg’s piercing and his phone shattering.
Nothing was going right. And now, he was lying on that bed on precisely the time when he should have led the jog team, got the plastic bags for his friends and got ready to submit his assignment.
He lived such a terrible life.
He twisted his head at the thought, turning around to face the waiting couch at the end of the room and Vicky sitting on it wearing a pink blouse and dark trousers.
She rose at the glance of his and just then he noticed that, she begun to get slimmer and her curves became more distinct.
But, that was not as important as this, “Get me coke".
She paused, making a queer face. “Wayne. You are awake that is great. Are you alright?”
He tried to sit up and held his right leg in agony.
“Let me help you.” she offered, drawing closer to the bed.
He reluctantly allowed her to support his back as he sat up, stuffing some pillows behind him.
“I’m so sorry.” She said, sighing.
“It’s okay.” He said, turning from his leg to her. “Get me coke.”
“Is that a soda?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No. It’s gin. Now, please get me one. I’ll pay you back.”
She frowned. “Wayne. Sorry but, I will not get you that.”
“What is wrong with you!” he shouted, making Vicky feel the room shaking around her. “I am not like you! I am not happy, joyous, spiritual or, all that stuff!” he added, very aggravatingly. “I’m suffering! I am in agony and I can’t live with it. Get me gin!”
Vicky trembled afterward. She thought that she was out of wisdom to respond to his torturing words.
Just then the door opened and she turned to embrace the sight of the yellow haired boy in his usual dark leather outfit. He carried a bottle or wine in hand.
“I hear someone say, coke.” He greeted, laughingly.
“Mike. Thank you.” Wayne said, gladly.
Vicky took in a deep breath. She did not know what to do but, the thing upset her.
Wayne received the bottle and glanced at Vicky. “Why are you still standing there? You want some?”
“Wayne.” She begun. “Alcohol is not the answer.”
He chuckled, removing the lid and taking large puffs.
She sighed deeply.
“I think she likes you man.” Mike said, eyeing Vicky with his lazy eyes.
Wayne broke into a laughter. “Good one, Mike. Don’t you say that, we should welcome her to our hood?”
“Enh she’s too ugly.” Mike replied rudely.
Vicky sighed again, looking for the right way to approach the situation.
She turned to Mike. “He needs breakfast alright? Coke, or whatever you call it, is not breakfast.”
Mike narrowed his eyes at her. He expected that she would reproach him for getting him the drink on the basis of religion.
“Yes.” Vicky said to Mike. “He must be hungry.”
“I’m hungry for this.” Wayne interjected and Mike laughed at that.
She turned to him. “I don’t drink but, I know that, people don’t take wine in the morning. Please, let him get you coffee and sandwich.”
Wayne was silent, thinking. He turned to Mike afterward. “Do you have cash?”
Mike nodded. “Yeah.”
“Get me Five Guys Hamburgers then, I am starving.”
Mike shrugged and nodded. “Right on," he said and left.
Vicky turned to Wayne. “Can I put that away for you?” she asked, glancing at the bottle in his hand.
“Why should I trust you?”
“Can I trust you?” She asked instead.
“I haven’t asked you to help me with a drinking problem, I love this. It helps me calm my nerves.”
“But, you don’t need any nerve calming.”
“What makes you think that? You haven’t got into my head to realize what I am thinking. I am-” he begun and paused, hesitating to go on.
“There’s a time when we think that problems are heavily weighing over our shoulders but, the Word says that; for every matter there is a time and way though man’s troubles lay heavily upon him.”
He puffed his drink again. “So, you also have words for everything.”
“I don’t. God does.”
“Cut, the crap. You ain’t going to get me to be like you.”
“I am not struggling to make you a Christian Wayne.”
“So, what are you doing?”
“Convincing you to try out a better solution for your problem.”
“Okay. I don’t like admitting that, I have problems but, I already have so, we will go on this way. What solution are you offering me? God? Some beliefs?”
“Let’s begin with hope.” She asked, occupying an empty seat beside his bed.
He watched her closely for a while. The alcohol, which already got into his head, transfigured the images he was seeing.
She noticed that, first. “That thing you’re holding is a lie. You’re being eluded into thinking stuff that do not exist. The devil doesn’t want you to be in your sober mind to comprehend all the great things that, God means for you to do.”
“That is crap.” He said, breathing alcohol on her face.
“What isn’t to you, Wayne? Your problems or the gin?”
He turned to the bottle and held it a little far from him. “Maybe both.”
“What has been the way to fix things?” She asked again. “The gin?”
He turned to her. “No.” he replied, a little earlier than she expected. He waved the bottle to her. “Please put it aside.”
She grunted before receiving it. Was he coping that quickly?
He got the bed sheet off himself. “You are right. I haven’t been taking this the right way. Maybe, I have also been so rude to you.” he added, struggling to get his legs off the bed. “I have to face my problems like you said. I have to go to Ohio.”
She swallowed, getting a bit off guard by his decision. “Wayne, you are still not well.”
“No. My mom is…” dying. But, he hesitated to say so. “I have to see her. My father was calling me last night. Something must have happened. I have to go.”
Vicky was lost. She did not know whether to support him or to decline from doing so.
Oh God please give me wisdom. What do I do? Are you already done with him? Is that what he must do? She asked herself inwardly.
He turned to her. “Vicky. I’m sorry for behaving like a jerk toward you. Really, drinking in the morning is ridiculous even I should have known that.”
She was silent, lost in her own thoughts.
He supported himself on the rail of the bed, padding his feet forward.
“Where are you going?” She asked.
“Back to my apartment and then I’ll request a leave to travel to Ohio.”
“Wayne. You are not completely well. Ohio must be far from here.”
“Yeah. That’s why I’ll take the plane.”
She sighed.
“Okay. See you around or something.” He said and left, in her watch.

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