FRIDAY THE 13TH , PART II

You know if it wasn't for bad luck
I wouldn't have no luck at all
-Cream

I see something of myself in everyone,
just at this moment of the world
-Joni Mitchell

So, Laura and I caught the last Metro back, said goodbye in the Metro at Iglesia, and I went to the local. No work, only 1 am - it's a no brainer.

JJ was there. It was a babe - fest! Usually, Jueves night is all guys - a regular sausage festival. There were chicks pulling their shirts up to reveal more mid-rift and dancing like their cooch itched. It was amazing. Last call came at three and I was ready to go.

"Let's go!" JJ said.

"Where?"

"Karaoke?"

"Vamanos!" said my friend, Rosey.

Have I mentioned her? She's a cook at the restaurant, next door. She rolls in every niht at 1 PM, or most, and they immediately pour her a shot of tequila. She's great. Light black- so full of life- outstanding mid-rift. Doesn't speak a centimeter of English. But she talks so fast! I am always asking her to slow down - mas despacio!

I didn't have to go to work. This I had to see.
------------
The place was really close and JJ drove Rosey and I. There were all sorts of folks there: suits, gang bangers, hippies - young and old.

"I love to sing Sinatra," JJ said.

Everyone there knew him and sais high. I recognized a few faces that had also come over from the Mural Bar.

Rosey was drunk like I had never seen her. "Tu un hombre muy sincerio y encantada."
"Tu tambien, Rosey."

And then it hit me. Hadn't she just called me sincere and charming? This is maybe the third night she had said something like that to me. Did she like me? 'Fuck!' I thought. I need to learn more Spanish. She could have offered me a hummer in the servicios (bathroom) and I wouldn't know it.

Then JJ took me by the arm and led me to a table upstairs. He introduced me to a lady he knew. She was pretty, but she wasn't awful. She was his age and you could see the lines in her face in the harsh light. I can't remember her name.

JJ sang a Spanish song that was short and sweet. He wasn't bad. Some of the other folks were! God awful. One dude sang 'Piano Man' in Spanish. Ay Carumba! Awful.

Then JJ took the stage again to a chorus of cheers. He's got to be a mafia don or something. On come's Sinatra's 'Strangers in the Night.'

Strangers in the night
exchanging glances
strangers in the night
what were the chances

strangers in the night
perfect strangers

He was kind of awful but got a rousing ovation. It was hysterical.
It was 5 AM and I needed to go to bed.
-------------
11 AM

"Jay, wake up. Don't you have to go to GES to get your money?"

I poked my head out from under the chaotic covers. "Yes."

"What time did you get in?"

"5:30."

"Hoder!"

"And don't even get me started about the tranvestites, the little people and JJ singing Sinatra."

"How is it that you always step through the looking glass everytime you go out?"

"I have no idea."

"Well, I met someone who also works for GES. Sorry to start off your day badly, but she said we're not getting paid today."

"Muther fucking sons of flea-bitten whoors!"

"Well, I'll go with you anyway."

I brushed my teeth and ot ready to go. I never even put a brush through my hair. I wanted to look scary.

I got some water and dug through the tool box. I was going to get paid, one way or the other. I found a nice screwdriver.

"What's that for?" Kristen asked.

"I figure if this guy Luis says he's not going to pay us, I'll drive this screwdriver through his hand. Nail him to the table til he pays us."

Kristens eyes went wide. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Probably not, but they owe me for two months of work. I'm an illegal alien and I have no recourse. So, you do what you gotta do. Hopefully just the threat of violnece will be enough and I won't have to do it.

I went and took my morning meds and got my coat. "Vale. Vamanos" I said. "Hey where's the screwdriver?"

"I hid it."

"Fuck."

"I really think it's a bad idea."

"Really?"

"Yes!"

"Alright. We'll do it your way. But I just want to be on the record as saying that a person is justified in nailing their employer's hand to the desk if they stiff you on your salary."

"Duly noted."
------------
Fucking Luis wasn't there. Lyndsay, the office manager from Pittsburgh who is really anal, yet as unorganizedas hell, was there. You'll be paid in Monday in cash, I swear."

As soon as I get paid, I am quitting. I do very little with them now anyway.

Lyndsay explained that Celia (who I knew) and Luis are getting divorced (join the fucking club!) It's her company, but in his name, and he stopped the payroll. Jack ass!

So I was very nice to Lyndsay cuz I knew it wan't her fault. Kris sat across from me and said she had the toe of her high heals pointed at my shins the whole time in case I acted up.

I'll save my violence for Luis on Monday if I don't get paid. There's a balcony right off of the main room there. I'll just hang the fucker by his ankles til he pays.

"You're a fat fucker, Luis. Not sure how much longer I can hold you."

Oh well.

Here's the other kicker. Lyndsay's last name is Buckingham. I swear, like the Fleetwood Mac guitarist! Except he's a guy and spells his Lyndsey.

So then we used the Internet there. And that was wehn I got the emails from Pat and Kev, saying Annie was born. I was floored that Darth hadn't told me. I had emailed her on Sunday and given her my phone #, again. She had last told me she had a doctor's appt. on Monday and would tell me what the scoop was as to when she'd have the baby.

I emailed her again on Tues. No reply. Today is Sunday. Still silence.

So I wrote her an email. I congratulated her and said I was happy they were both well.
Then I said that I could only interpret her not notifying me as her last attempt at mental torture before we find out once and for all who the padre is. I also told her 'Shame on you. Haven't you done enough to me?"

I then added that her mental torture does not work anymore because I am free of her.
Then I told her to hug Annie and Fripp. I also asked her when she was taking Annie for the paternity test.

My last sentence was this:
And if she starts drumming on stuff, you know she's mine!"
----
Friday the 13th, 12:15pm

My head was spinning. Sue has a baby. It could be mine. She could be mine. She could not be. I wanted to see her, but needed to stay away. Darth was playing games, again. Evil to the core. How did I ever love you so?

"You alright?" Kris asked.

"Yeah, it's kind of heavy, is all."
"Fuck yeah!"

We went to a nice little place and had a pizza and a Mahou. It was nice. We just talked and I unravelled my brain.

"And I have a hot date with Patricia tonight." I had asked her out to dinner. "I can't really get my brain around it right now."

"You'll be fine, she likes you. And she's gorgeous, nice and normal."

"Yeah. That's true."
--------------
3:15pm

I was going to sleep, but had to hang laundry and all. Had to try and post a blog to let all know too. So much to say!

Kristen was watching 'The Door in the Floor," with Jeff Bridges and Kim Bassinger. I got sucked in. Brilliant movie, based on John Irvings "A Widow for One Year." Wrong movie for me to watch at this time.

It's about a famous child's author who lives in the Hamptons. He is always off having affairs as they are seperated, but they still live together becuase they somehow need each other. The wife is just a basket case, gripped in grief over the death of their two teenage sons. They have a young daughter and the daughter knows everything about every picture of the 2 boys. Creepy!
The author takes on an intern who winds up having an affair with the wife. Great stuff! Tender, heartbreaking and beautifully done. In the end, the wife decides she can't stay any longer, or be a mother to their little girl. She's just too torn up inside.

The author comes up to her when she is in the car, packed and ready to leave. She and the intern had plotted so that she would be gone before he even knew, but it backfired, and he has seen her. He kneels down against the car and she takes his head in her hand in this amazing scene.

The author later tells the intern that their marriage just couldn't survive the tragic death of their sons. The author tells him that he looks like their one son, and that he was his 'gift' to his ex-wife Marion.

It ended. I was just staring at the blank computer screen.

"The loss of our first daughter was the beginning of the end of our marriage."

"I thought of that the minute it ended. Fuck Jay. I'm so sorry."

"It's alright."

For those of you who don't know, Darth was pregnant in 2002, but we lost the baby in an awful way. She was a trisomy 18 baby (chromosones) and had no chance to live anyway.
Darth never really rebounded. I eventually got on with my life. She never got pregnant again. Til now!

I was floored. Too much information. Too much happening at once. It was all so unbelievable. And then this crazy movie that echoes my life.I was dizzy. I was a basket case. I was going to be late for my date with Pat if I didn't get my ass in gear.

8:55pm

I met her at the Gran Via metro stop. We went to a Spanish place. I had veal meatballs. Oh yeah!!!

We talked for three hours. She plays guitar and sang in a band that did a lot of Beatles stuff. She can play bass too (she pronounces it bass, like the fish, so cute!). So hopefully we'll jam some day.

She also likes football (and ran down a list of the 12 best Argentinians and what club they were playing for). Unbelievable!

Her favorite film makers are Coppola, Scorcese and DePalma, who are mine as well. Crazy!
Originally it was going to be a short date becuase she had to meet a friend and go to work on Saturday. We wound up talking til 12:15am.

"Ooh, it's late. I better go. I'm not going to meet my friend."

"What time is it?" She told me.

I had survived the 13th. Thank Jesus shadow boxing Christ. It was the 14th. We said good-bye, did the kiss on both cheeks, Spanish style, and then I caught the Metro.
-----
"How'd it go?" I met Kris and Stuart at the Local around one.

"Great. She plays guitar, likes football and all the same film makers I do."

"Outstanding!" said Stuart.

"Awesome," said Kristen. "What is it? You don't seem so excited."

"I am."

"She's gorgeous," said Stuart.

"So what is it?" asked Kristen.

"I don't know. She's so normal."

"That's because you've been hanging around with psycho bitches. Darth, the Lauras, the Russian bird."

"Mental women," said Stuart.

"Yeah. I'm just not sure if there's that spark. I don't even know how she feels."

"Jay, women do not talk with men they aren't interested in for three hours." said Kristen. "And blow off their friends."

"That's a good point." Why couldn't I see these things?

"Maybe you're just not ready to go out with a normal person yet?"

That hurt.

"Maybe."

"You daft cunt," said Stu. She likes good music, plays guitar and likes football. Are you kidding me? And she's a knock out! And finally someone your age!"

That hurt too.

"I really don't know what I'd do with a a normal woman."

"Try it, for once." Kristen said.

"I will. I intended to call her and ask her to see "The Departed " this week.
"Good man!"

So I sent her a text message on her phone and we're going out this week to see "Los Infiltradores" - which is Scorcese's "The Departed."

So I went on a real date, with another yet to come. I will keep you posted.

A normal woman. I don't know how to act. What to say? Well, we seem to have no trouble talking, at least. But what's the protocal? I have no idea what the rules of engagement are. When do you introduce the riding crop into the bedroom?

Have I ever dated someone normal? I can't remember back that far. I once thought Darth was normal!

Sunday April 15th

Happy tax day! It's 3 AM and I need to teach tomorrow. I stayed in and expected to go to bed early. I'm in bed, and have been for three hours. I just typed and typed. So much to say. So much to wonder. In my future path lie a hot Argentinian Doctor and a baby on another continent who may be my daughter. Oh well. Never boring. I hate being bored. Buenos noches, mis amigos! See you on the next go round. And may the force be with you!

Monday