Attacking Aggressively

Journal.txt(4)

This "New Place" is a small bar in the centre of the city. I am not very enthusiastic about the concept, which involves crowding and frequent noise. I feel a little dizzy as they turn on strong lights by a dance-floor, and make the beams of light move around. All outlines of the bar, such as edges and corners, are illuminated with neon lights. The dance floor full of people, all dancing to a loud, repetitive song. it feels exhausting to listne to, but no one else seem to experience this. Aesha's eyes rest upon a box with two microphones on a stage.- Mohan, look! They've got karaoke! she yells to the apathetic Mohan next to her. She then drags him up to the stage, while the man in the blue cloak and I sit by a long table in front of some shelves filled with glass bottles. Each bottle is labelled with a word like "VODKA", "ABSINTHE" or "TEQUILLA". I look at the menu, which seems to indicate that they serve something called "cocktails".

- What's cocktail? I ask the man in blue cloak.

- Basically booze with taste, he answers, before taking a peanut out of a nearby bowl and eating it. This explanation does not really say anything, as I am unaware of the term "booze". After a while, the bartender comes to us. He is a short man with grey hair and an apron. He cleans a glass with a piece of fabric, and then puts it away. I can see that he has a scar on his forehead, but I do not mention it.

- Why if isn't Rasheed! he tells -or asks- the man in a blue apron.

- Wow, it's a surprise seeing you here, the man in a blue apron, Rasheed, answers.

- The ol' place shut down, remember? But this guy I know recommended me, so I got a job here, he explains, and then looks at me.

- We haven't met yet, have we? he asks me, and I shake my head.

- This guy just started at the restaurant, Rasheed explains. The bartender does not respond to this, but goes in for selling his merchandise.

- The usual for you, Rasheed? he asks, and Rasheed agrees. The bartender then looks at me.

- And would the new guy want? he asks me, and I remain silent for a long time. I do not have a single idea of what I could order. To be honest, I am not even sure I can consume any type of fluid at all. However, there is a chance that Jolly Lemon grants me joy upon contact, and then consumption will not be necessary.

- Got Jolly Lemon? I ask the bartender, whom laughs at me at first, but then tells me he respects me. I get a 33 cl can of Jolly Lemon in an instant, but Rasheed's drink takes a little more time. Once we have gotten our drinks and Rasheed has taken a few sips of his, he glares at the stage, where Mohan and Aesha are singing a duet.

- So freaking obnoxious, I hear Rasheed comment as Aesha and Mohan draw closer to each other, but I cannot find any reason to share his opinion on this point.

- So, for how long have you known those two? I ask Rasheed, who shines up for a short while.

- Actually, I have only been hanging out with Mohan and Aesha since I started at the restaurant, he explains.

- About that, I begin. Sai never asked about my name my name or anything, I then mention. Rasheed explains that Sai has been kind of desperate recently, and then he glides into a long story about how Sai used to be an employee used to be an employee in the restaurant, just like his son is now. Sai was not really a good employee or anything, but his brother was the owner of the franchise. Aesha worked there, and was the cleaner. She hated it, just like Sai hated to serve food. They had a secret promise that if Sai ever inherited the place for any reason, he would promote Aesha to alloq her lifelong dream of being a chef. Surprisingly, Sai's brother was deceased in a car accident the very next day. Rasheed adds that it is actually his name on the big sign outside of the restaurant, "ARJUN TAMASHAN". This explains why I have not met him yet, despite him being addressed as the proprietor.