Chapter-3: A Pledge Accepted
Forty five minutes later, Patricio left La Gata with the information he needed. He extended his arm and hailed a horse and buggy. He climbed up and settled in, and he read the note in his hand and smiled with pride. Esmehraude wrote this note for him as he took her from behind—pounding shock wave, after shock wave, through her smooth cheeks and up her spine.
Marco planned to spend the rest of his night in an upper class night club, Azul Celeste. Hopeful, Patricio believed his search for Marco would soon come to an end.
The burning light from the street lamps flickered in and out as the small carriage hurried on. Patricio relaxed as he rode along, listening to the rhythm of the evening. All around him, Mexico City breathed music, motion and desires of night. And, just as he relaxed to drift in the magic of the night, his ride ended.
Patricio felt betrayed as he looked at the supposed night club. He stood in front of a simple building: two floors, rusty red brick factory, and no windows. A closer look and he found a small faded sign above a solid steel door: Heavenly Blue. To his surprise, the massive door opened smooth, without any noise in his pull.
He stepped inside and hesitated for an odd breath. A strange grey waiting room greeted him. To his immediate left, behind a counter, an attendant looked up and gave a perfunctory smile.
Patricio rushed forward: “I’m on urgent business. Is Marco Riego here; or do you know of his whereabouts?” He frowned and judged the room with contempt: plain gray walls, three gray seats, gray floor tiles, one gray door and two plain oil lamps on gray trays.
The attendant, in his plain gray suit, smirked and coughed twice. “Greetings, señor, I am not at liberty to divulge any information about this establishment.” The attendant gave a quick fake smile and waited for a response.
Patricio bit his tongue and glared at the attendant: “I have a vague description of a counter to your statement. My instructions are to say … I request entry by A Triple or The Triple. Does that mean anything to you?”
The attendant’s smile opened up and his eyes sparkled.
“If the gentleman wishes to enter by way of The Triple, then I may take a message of three words and search inside. Here sir, you may write your message on this paper with this graphite.”
“Of course, by way of The Triple is fine.” Patricio nodded his head with impatience and relief as he etched his message on the piece of butcher paper: Patricio, Urgent, Bank.
“Very good, sir, I shall search,” said the attendant. He palmed the message and unlocked the gray door to his side. And, he stepped through, leaving Patricio alone with his thoughts.
Seven minutes passed away and Patricio snickered with a perverse grin. He lost himself in his private inner dreams.
The gray door opened and the attendant returned.
“Sir, I have a written message for you. And, I have additional instructions after you have read the message.”
Patricio snatched the note up and read his message aloud, and shook his head, “A Pledge Accepted.” Annoyed, Patricio looked at the attendant and replied in a curt tone of voice,
“What in the hell is the meaning of this?” Patricio’s mouth reeled back as though he were about to spit in disgust. Instead, he continued on, “Is this some sort of a game for you? I’m here on urgent business. Stop this tripe at once and let me in.”
All expression dropped away from the attendant’s face.
“Sir, I have been instructed to divulge some pertinent information. First, Marco is present. However, you may not send anymore messages. But, you may enter to speak to Marco only as, A Pledge Accepted. Lastly, Marco intends to stay here all weekend long.” The attendant patted his gray suit and scowled at the interloper.
Patricio’s jaw muscles tensed and the heat around his collar steamed into the gray room. The muscles on his neck twitched as he looked at the gray door the attendant had used earlier. Furious and insulted, his face quaked with his reply.
“Unbelievable, unforgivable piece of … I have money, a good deal of money. How much to enter? I have no time for these idiotic, repugnant, childish games.”
With a contemptuous look on his face, the attendant lifted his chin at Patricio and shook his head in a slow disheartened sway.
“That is not the correct answer, sir. It will cost you, señor. Delaying the process any longer will result in your expulsion from the premises. You now have three minutes to comply.” The attendant retrieved his silver time piece from his upper coat pocket, showed it to Patricio and smiled.
Back and forth in the gray room, Patricio raised his hands behind his head and considered his options. He pulled at his hair.
A minute later the attendant called out, with much zeal: “Two minutes remain, sir. Two minutes.”
Knots ached all over Patricio’s body, tightening him up into slow breaths. He worked on regaining his composure as he turned back to the attendant. No other options came to mind, as he released his balled up fists, and replied in a low defeated tone:
“I … I accept to enter as … A Pledge Accepted.”
Thank You
Thank you for reading. Next Monday I will post the second part of Chapter-3: A Pledge Accepted
Total Consciousness 