*** present day, 1326 zulu ***
KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-BANG-BANG
'what the hell are you doing? there are people waiting! move!' the old man stood in a bit of shock right outside the window, prudently goggling inside through his thick glasses, as the almighty summer sun shrouded his ruffled white hair in an almost saintlike aura. his words reached my brain with a delay of at least a second and a decreasingly muffled volume, while his knuckles repeatedly and tempestuously touched the windshield.
i jolted in the driver's seat and pinned a bloodshot glance in his eyes, as he unwillingly went two steps back in the crowded crossroad. i was probably looking like the worst junkie (still) alive, and i bet that a sight of me wearing nothing but a wavy goa silk skirt, my head tilted back, eyes closed and mouth opened was not one of the sights one could easily forget.
i looked at the stoplights: they had just turned back to red. i opened the window to get some air, a gesture that convinced the old man to quickly return to his car, mumbling something about the country's "sick drunk junkies". to my right, my workmate was still sleeping like a bearded baby, with his seat tilted back and transformed into a bed.
i quivered a bit and decided to stay awake until i get out of the city, then pull over and have some real sleep. which i did, right in the parking lot of one dr. puşcă.
*** one day before, 0710 zulu ***
'hey, dude, this is going to be a good one. we got kayaks, bikes, beach volleyball, football, we'll have a blast!' my workmate was grinning at the thought of all the hot chicks that'll be on the beach that day. as a mountain man, always climbing and setting ropes and strings, this event was more like a holiday for him.
'yep, i'm looking forward to it, myself. though i didn't sleep at all yesterday and last night (as you might have noticed), i sure as hell won't be sleepy today, with all this.'
*** one day before, 2139 zulu ***
'dude, what're we going to do tonight? how does that trip to 2 mai's little gulf sound?' my workmate's eyes were glittering with anticipation. having fun during the event was one thing, but having fun while on a real holiday was absolutely amazing and definitely not to be missed.
'sure, what the heck. let me put on the skirt, first. now let's call the chicks and the dudes and we're good to go. actually, why don't we do it from the car.'
*** present day, 0355 zulu ***
'that's awesome! dude, she's playing mike and the mechanics' "over my shoulder"! on the freaking guitar! i'm gonna get another bottle of wine. gods, gods!' i then took the said guitar and started playing, as well.
*** present day, 0832 zulu ***
'.. look, really, it's ok, i don't want to sleep in a tent, i think i'll try and sleep on the beach, back in 2 mai.' i could feel my five-day shadow ripping through my cheekbones from the outside. i wanted fresh air.
*** present day, 1230 zulu ***
'dude, i can't sleep. i've finished this book, it was pretty good, and i really can't sleep. so what do you say we get our butts in the car and go home.'
i uttered those words with a bit of defeat in my voice. i was already functioning on slow-motion, walking up and down the small beach, eyes below the horizon, trying to wake my brain up for one more day. my workmate agreed, also asking me if i really don't feel like going somewhere with shade and trying to take a nap. i refused, thinking that i'll probably wake up after the sun will have set. which didn't strike me as a particularly good idea.
*** present day, 1324 zulu ***
with some loud rock in the speakers, i managed to get first in line at the traffic lights in constanţa, thinking: 'man, why do they have these 90'' stoplights? is there a ship coming or something?'
p.s. true story.
