Cigarette Smoke and the Ashes of Memory
Monday February 12th approx. 2340hrs
A small pool of condensation was forming around the bottle of Carling Lager that sat waiting on deck beside it’s soon to be defective cousin. Some old bar rock lingered absently amongst the smoke-stained and storied rafters of the Lee Hotel; likely drifting up through the poor insulation to the two condemned stories of old apartments above. Joel manned the bar; which was unusual for a Monday. Turns out poor Bobby had been having some issues at home and needed a break. Truth be told he certainly deserved it; but it was still rough to know it likely wasn’t the sort of break he needed.
It’s funny how those sorts of things can coalesce around you when you aren’t paying attention.
I hadn’t really planned on coming out drinking; the need to save money was surely there since the shifts had declined so rapidly in the last two weeks; but when I got to exchanging texts with my old drinking buddy Little Tiffy - well there’s just some things that echo out at you and you have to go do them. Besides, we’d both bought one another plenty of beer over the years and we hadn’t sat down for a few in some time, we were about due!
This fun-sized package of a woman and I use to work together back at the theatre, back when we still had one in town anyway. She even used to serve me beer at this very bar before her own predilection for the drink made that no longer viable. So I suppose we even share some demons too.
We hadn’t been there an hour and we were already matching pace pretty well, can always count on her for that!
“Joel! Yes please!” I shook an empty beer bottle back and forth between her and I, as she tossed her head back with a smirk and downed the last few fingers of hers.
“Here ya go buddy!” The pop hiss of the bottles opening before he set them down in front of us.
“Pair of Fireball too why not!” I lifted my beer to my mouth and pointed one finger towards the wall of liquor.
“Ahh… only have the ‘Light”! Joel threw out the little in-joke of Bobby’s.
“Sounds like someone else's problem to me Joelsy!”
We both knocked back the shot and tossed the disposable shot glasses towards a nearby garbage can. Mine bounced off the rim and skittered plastically across the floor and under the sink.
“Great shot sir!” Tiff laughed.
“And that’s why I don’t play basketball!”
Sometimes you just need to forget about the ups and downs of life and get out. Sitting with Gary had been doing much of that digesting for me lately, but it was still good to get out amongst groups, see some old faces. Forget about life for a while.
Tiff has been in much the same spot as me for the past little bit; laid off from work due to the normal Jan-Feb low periods was one thing; but she’s also been trying to rekindle a proper relationship with her daughter's father… unfortunately for all her trying and best intentions it just didn’t happen.
She had just resurfaced after having dropped off the face of the earth for over 3 months; she was normally more in contact than that but as a by-product of the relationship attempt there were some people she just wasn’t allowed to associate with. Knowing her; that was probably a large part of what eventually broke it all up.
I could still feel the pain in her eyes when she told me she had tried though.
“You can’t blame yourself for trying honey. At least you did and that counts. I say just keep focusing on you. Thats done you a lot of good in the past year or so right? “ I exchanged my empty beer for a waiting cold one and signalled Joel for another for Tiff.
“Smoke time!” I pulled the pack out of my pocket and slid off the barstool. Pulling my coat off the bar as I did so, performing some sort of drunken pirouette to get into it then sidled out the adjacent back door.
Out back under the lone light of the Lee the sky was clear and the moon partially hid behind the new construction project next door. It was about time; nearly 25 years that lot had been empty. I remember when it burned down. I lit a pair of smokes then handed one to Tiffany as she joined me.
My phone cut the silence of the night loud and sudden.
“Who the hell?” I exclaimed fumbling through pockets.
The screen had lots of digits and came from Quebec City. “Well shit… of course…”
Tiff looked confused as I brought the phone up to my ear to answer it.
“Yello!”
“Peter-sonnnn” came the heavily accented voice of my Gal Friday. “I need you!”
“Not a good time unfortunately darlin’ I’m into my cups! Had a few beer.”
In front of me; with a cigarette dangling from her lips Tiffy jokingly started counting out our drink tally on her fingers, but ran out of fingers.
“Well whats the post, and when exactly do you need me? Okay… I’ll call you back.” I hung up, and threw half my cigarette into the can near the door and ducked back inside. “Fuck!”
After getting a paper and pen form Joel I started scribbling the address down before I forgot it; then pulled up some maps. I knew I’d been by the area before, but where was it.
Tiff returned from her smoke. “Whats up? Gotta go to work?” She frowned and picked up her beer.
I was already sipping at mine again. “Well not right now thats for sure.”
Having found the address I keyed in directions then pulled up the weather.
“So far as she told me they need me or someone ASAP for Fire Watch… bout 35 mins from here. Currently its 12 hours at least; they’ll know more once the Marshall clears the scene.”
As much as I needed ANY work at all lately; I was still playing with the idea of just saying I couldn’t do it. I didn’t like the prospects of sitting in my car all day long; nor did I really want to stop drinking, however much the two options were diametrically opposed to one another in terms of solving my current woes. In fact the whole situation really seemed to highlight my issues with the job as of late. I’m always the one they call when they need something… but they sure didn’t have the same expediency in finding something for me when I needed it.
I made the return call after I’d finished another beer and found out that they’d managed to find someone for now; but they’d need me for 11am if I could make it; by that time it might be a 12 hour or less shift depending on the Marshall… the last time they had one of these however it was a week and 12hr shifts so the sound of that money sounded great. So… I agreed to it. The small premium for having to sit in my own car all day didn’t hurt either.
Filling Tiffany in over the course of the ensuing beers; she offered to come along. Despite my assurances it was going to be boring as hell for her.
“I’m sure we will think of something to keep us busy!” She smiled all bouncy and happy at the prospect.
“Hell; could always read the Hitchikers Guide!” I offered.
“I couldn’t read for 12 hours!” She exclaimed.
“No! Course not, I’ll read it TO you!” I slammed the bottle down next to my tab and it’s accompanying monies, waved to Joel, let Tiff take an elbow and proceeded to walk her home.
Tuesday, february 13th, 2018 - 1037hrs
Arthur Dent stil has some miles left in him… how many I couldn’t be sure. (That’s what I call my white 01’ Buick Century; full of dents, little bits of it keep passing out, and never could get the hang of Thursdays). As we rolled down the highway the day greeted our tired and sleep filled eyes. Following my GPS’s directions we were headed for a stretch of backroad about 35-40 mins from town. We’d left in such a hurry I forgot to get my copilot a coffee so we shared mine; she also had to toss my cigarettes out the passenger window because mine was still broken from when I slammed it angrily a month or two back and broke the hydraulics. She’s a trooper though so she didn’t seem to mind.
“Sorry about the coffee," I said. Pulling the Buick down another side road that the GPS neglected to inform me of until I was right on top of it.
“S’okay… but how are we going to get more coffee later… not like we can just walk into the house and borrow their power right?” She asked.
I gestured over my should into the chaos of my back seat, amidst the pile of boardgames books and cd’s. “There a power inverter back there; and I’ve got a one cup coffee maker; plenty of coffee.”
“You think you’ll get in trouble for having me along?”
“Maybe? If anyone complains that is; hell I’ll just tell them I haven’t had a load of sleep and you're my guarantee of staying awake!” I shrugged.
We made our way down the road; past huge modern homes; large lots and tracks of land. Some with those huge gaudy stone pillars at the front of the drive ways. What was clearly a Horse stable too; at least 20 of the beauties trotting about the yard with their winter jackets.
“Jesus we’re in the money out here aren’t we.” Tiffy laughed.
“You can say that again; maybe thats why they’ve got security for a fire watch. Hell I wouldn’t be surprised if someone comes out and tells us we cant be snooping around the properties driving a beater like this!” I agreed.
Some ways up the road I knew we’d arrived before my GPS could inform me. I saw James’ the Older’s Cadillac poking out of a driveway and pulled my car over to the side.
Told Tiffany to wait and hopped out.
Crossing the road I took a quick look in both directions; lots of land between homes out here; not so much traffic either. The red fire marshals truck sat in front of a rental car which likely belonged to the insurance agent. James was climbing out of his car as I walked up.
“James.”
“Chance.”
“So what’d’ve we got…” I’d always wanted to say something like that. I gestured to what was left of the house and looked back down at the GPS on my phone.
Just yesterday there had been a 2-3 bedroom modern bungalow; with lovely front porch and picture windows standing here. A nice sized garage adjacent and beautiful landscaping with full trees and front gardens; was now only one standing wall; or something that could pass for a wall if you were being kind to it.
“We’ve just got to be around while they’re finishing their investigation.” James said. “Did the office get ahold of you?”
“Looks like they tried to.” I replied flipping through my phone to the missed call.
“Well; they’re almost finished up here, aren’t going to need me anymore than another half hour at most so no need for you to stick around.” James said going over his notebook.
“Here I was looking forward to hanging around for 12 hours.” I frowned; still staring at the remains of the home.
“What kind of people get security for their burned out homes? I mean you’ve just lost everything why PAY us?” I wondered aloud.
“Arson… It was the fire marshals who called us in. “
“Like suspected of arson, or until they verify that it wasn’t as a standard check?” I looked back down at the picture of the home in my hand and back up at the destruction I stood in front of as a woman climbed out of the rubbled and dusted herself off and made her way over to us.
Several cars slowly crept by; their drivers and occupants rubbernecking as they went.
No matter whats going on in your life you have to slow down to watch someone else’s burn.
“Gentlemen.” The patches on her coat identified her as the Fire Marshal. “We’re about wrapped up here; I take it you’re the relief?” She reached out to shake my hand.
“Would have yes.” I shook it. “So… do you normally hire security when you’re doing these things… I mean I could see if you were afraid for safety of the family coming to try and find their things.”
“Not quite.” She frowned. “But when we’re sure it wasn’t an accident… we like to have you guys with us.”
James and I shared a nod as a dusty and harried looking man in a suit ambled by us pulling out his cellphone. He climbed into his car behind the Fire Marshal and immediately craned the seat back and rubbed his eyes putting his phone to his ear.
The Marshal said her thanks again and headed back towards the remains of the house. James leaned on the hood of his truck. “So; they get you any more work at the other locks?” He asked.
“Keep hearing about it; but nothing yet. Just that one night; was hoping for this 12 hour thing.” I checked over my shoulders and backed towards my car.
“Well at least you get 4 hours for showing up; make sure they give that to you!” James gave a wave as I reached the car.
“4 hours for a half hour drive ain’t that bad… hell. Could be a lot worse!” I gestured one last time at the remains of the home; then climbed back into the car.
“So whats up?!” Tiffany put her phone down and looked up.
“Turns out I’m not needed.”
“Hmm…” she frowned. “Well do you want some lunch? I made you a lunch!” She produced a Tupperware container from her bag and opened it. Never before had a pile of veggies and dip, sliced cheese and a sandwich looked so great.
“Oh you keep this up and I’m bringing you to work more often!” I helped myself to a half of the sandwich and pulled away from ashes of someones memories.
Hey, I got out of jail yesterday and I just posted two of the finest posts you ever saw.