DRUNK AND COLD
Ethan gulped down glass upon glass of alcohol. He thought about everything that was happening. He was required to come home next month with a bride, his mom had gone back proud and his heart had settled with a woman who doesn't even see him. It was painful that he had to fall for the wrong woman. Wrong in the sense that she wasn't ready yet, she couldn't even see him.
He motioned for the barman to give him another glass. The man poured him another drink.
"Thank you," he said and gulped it down again. When he dropped Faith at home that morning, he had gone straight to Axel's since Camelia wasn't in town and they had spent the whole day by his pool, having wine and discussing the issue.
Axel had advised him to give it some time or look for someone else. He had been about getting him another woman from Camelia's agency if he didn't mind. Ethan had been there until evening and he had decided to go home. While driving home, he kept thinking about what Faith said in the car he wasn't ready to be confronted, he couldn't face her that day, so he had stopped by a bar to have a couple of drinks and while away time.
He had been in the bar drinking since that early evening and now it was night, but he kept drinking. Like she had said that night, he needed to temporarily forget his problems and sleep. After the incident and rejection, he had been finding it difficult to sleep.
Faith didn't want to admit even to herself that she was worried. She didn't want to show that she cared that much. She wondered why he left the house since morning without returning up till that hour. Was he okay? He had been quite upset in the car. She looked at her phone and pondered whether to call him or not. When she became more agitated, she dialled his number, it rang but he didn't answer.
She didn't know why she was that worried. Was he also avoiding her? What was going on? She dialled his number again, but he still didn't answer. She thought of calling Nora, but she would have to convince Nora that it was just a neutral worry, she had neither the time nor strength to do that. She went to her drug cabinet and took two large gulps of Maalox liquid. Her stomach problem seems to have come back to torment her again.
For the past few days, she had woken up with her stomach hurting badly and she was scared of going back to her doctor for a checkup, if something was wrong with her, her doctor would surely confine her to bed. She didn't want that, so she had decided to at least stay away from the foods her doctor had directed her not to eat, but it got worse by the day.
After taking the drug, she went back to the living room and laid down on one of her couches to rest a little, but once she laid there for a few minutes, she slept off.
The bar was empty now except for Ethan, but he cared less, he was wasted and had started talking gibberish. The barman was getting worried for him and refused to pour him another drink. It had infuriated him so much that he started throwing curses at the man and making a scene. The man tried to calm him down, but since he was drunk, he burned with anger. He had been a regular customer there since the man didn't want to embarrass him, he took his phone.
"I want to use the toilet, right away," Ethan said. "When I get back you would give me another bottle of drink, bitch!" he said in a slurry speech.
The barman pointed towards the west end of the bar where there were two doors adjacent to each other. Ethan stood from his seat, his vision was doubled and whirling around. Before he could tell, he was on the floor. The barman came up to him used his finger and placed on his phone fingerprint sensor and the phone unlocked.
"Good," said the barman as he dialled Faith's number, which was the first number on his speed dial.
Ethan scampered up and made to grab his phone from the barman. "Give my phone back to me!"
But the barman had already dialled Faith's number. Ethan tried to grab the phone from him, but he took a few steps back and Ethan missed him and almost fell face flat.
"Come back here," Ethan said and made to follow him, but his stomach rumbles and he felt queasy. "Where is your bathroom?"
"I'll take you there," said the barman.
Ethan scowled. "Keep your help to yourself, I will be fine," Ethan said and attempted to go to the bathroom again but he found himself on the ground again.
Faith arrived at the bar in a few minutes. The road was monotonous now and only a few cars drove past. She looked around and saw the barman who was cleaning tables and overturning chairs. He waved at her and she walked up to him.
"Faith?" the barman asked.
"Yes, where is he?" Faith asked and tucked her hands into her coat pockets. She had forgotten to wear gloves in her hurry. It was a cold night.
"He has been saying your name since I called you," the barman said and pointed towards the west end.
Faith stared at him for a while and followed his finger. She saw Ethan sprawled on the floor.
Ethan's head kept spinning even as he closed his eyes and he promised himself that he was going to confront Faith when he gets home, he kept saying it to himself, but when he opened his eyes, Faith was standing there, hands in her pocket and staring down at him. He blinked twice, maybe his eyes were deceiving him. Her image was blurry and it could just be a figment of his imagination. Faith can't be there in flesh.
When her image refused to disappear even when he had blinked severally, instead, she became clearer, he said her name.
"Faith?"
She stooped and took his hands, but he was too heavy for her to lift off the ground. She didn't say anything. Ethan felt he might be dreaming and he smiled.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
Faith tried not to twitch her nose at the smell of alcohol in his breath. "The question should be what you are doing here."
"Did you worry that much about me?"
Faith sighed and stood up, beckoning to the barman to give her a helping hand. The barman came over, while Ethan grunted and groaned on the floor. They lifted him to his feet and he hugged Faith so tight.
"Why are you so close, yet so far away?" he asked.
Faith was surprised at first and he held her so tight that she felt her breath leaving her. Even though she knew he was drunk, she felt electricity bolt through her. The barman left them and went back to his work. Faith tried to wriggle out of Ethan's embrace. He suddenly pulled away wavering, unable to stand on his own.
"Do I repulse you like that?"
"I should be asking you that." Faith moved closer and hung his one heavy arm on her shoulders. "Let's go, I hope you can walk?"
But Ethan lifted his hand from her shoulders and hugged her again. "You smell so nice."
Faith pushed him away. "What are you doing...?"
But Ethan was throwing up and before Faith could know it, he puked on himself. Faith heaved a sigh of frustration and twitched her nose at the pungent smell of alcohol that waved into her nostrils. She walked over to him, made him sit on a chair and removed his shirt, leaving him in his vest and went towards the bathroom. Ethan hugged himself.
"You are as cold as the night, Faith," Ethan muttered.
Faith stopped abruptly and glared at him. One voice asked her to lash out at him, but the other reminded her that he was drunk. She ignored him and took his shirt to the bathroom to wash away the puke. As she washed, she looked at herself in the mirror. She was obviously angry. Why would he say that to her, after risking her life to come and take him home?
She let the cold water run even after rinsing the puke away. She put her hands under the tap and let the water pour on them as if it was going to cool her growing anger. She would confront him tomorrow, she would lash out at him tomorrow.
When she came out of the bathroom, Ethan was head bent on the table. She stood there and watched him for a while. The barman came over with a mop and a bucket and Faith made to take it and mop off Ethan's puke, but the barman signalled her to stop. He helped her, they lifted Ethan and took him to the car, while Ethan said things Faith considered stupid to her.