Ink for the Beloved

by R C Barnes

  “Alright,” Ariel sighed. “It’s my biggest one. But I don’t have time to tell you all about it.” She gave Tina an eyeful, but Tina didn’t notice. In fact, Tina was off talking to Rueben.

  Finally, Ariel loosened the gown enough so that her shoulder was exposed, and I could see the tattoo. It was a large unicorn - about six inches in length. The mythical creature was full-bodied and standing on a skateboard. The unicorn had a sweet face and big eyes, and the mane of the animal was curled in ringlets. The style reminded me of Ariel’s hair. A red arrow pierced the heart of the unicorn, and you could see the pointed tip coming out the other side. If the arrow injured the unicorn, you couldn’t tell. There was no pain in the features or tears around the face. Quite frankly, the vibe of the design was strange. My mother had not created this. The unicorn on the skateboard was an idea dictated by the client. It obviously meant something to Ariel Sanchez.

  “WOW,” I said as I leaned forward to touch the ink. Ariel gave me a discomforted look, but she didn’t push me away. I swept my finger across the animal’s body, running it all the way down to the wheels of the skateboard. I took a deep breath and allowed the story to unfold itself and blanket over me. I got what I needed and looked at Ariel and said, thank you.

  “That’s okay,” she said and pulled the robe back over her body. “Again, I’m sorry about your mom. Maybe I’ll have to go to the other lady there if I need more work done.”

  WHEN you need more work done, I thought to myself. Ariel had dozens of tattoos all over her body. Her arms and fingers were covered. It would only be a matter of time before she moved down to her calves and legs. I knew a tattoo addict when I saw one.

  Rueben and I left quickly. Rueben was happy because he had scored Tina’s phone number. The guests for the party were starting to arrive, and Ariel only had half her face done. She shooed me away, and we grabbed the box of hot sauce packets on the way out. I texted Joanie that we were ready, and within five minutes, she pulled up in the station wagon.

  Ariel’s story had been rich with images and ideas, and I needed to run it past my friends immediately.

  THE UNICORN AND THE SKATER BOY

  Ariel’s Story

  The jasmine trees in the neighborhood were in glorious bloom. The pink flowers overflowed in the branches, and the sidewalk was carpeted with the blossoms. The perfumed scent added a level of princess enchantment to the night. Anticipation was in the air. To this day, a whiff of the flower spins Ariel back to that night. Even the moon in its blinding brightness contributed to the portrait of hope and wonder. It was a new moon signifying a new chapter in Ariel’s life.

  Ariel and her girlfriends, Kathleen and Maya, stepped up towards the house. All the magical components were there: jasmine flowers, a full moon, and being flanked by your best girls, the girls you could trust. Dance music hummed and buzzed from the house. Maya smiled and bounced as she recognized the music of her favorite band. The front porch was decorated with small green and white lanterns. The enchanting moment screamed, “Come in, come in, the party is waiting, and your life is about to begin.”

  The girls were ecstatic to be at their first high school party. As Kathleen kept reminding them over and over, “This was a BIG deal.” They got the invitation from a high school girl they met at the mall. Classes were finished, school was out, and summer was beckoning with its languid open arms. Ariel had been admiring a pair of earrings at the fashion boutique where the older girls shopped at. She and her friends were entering Oakland Tech next year, and they were busy discussing the new styles they would be showcasing in the fall. They planned to do makeovers over the summer and enter high school looking fierce. “Fierce” was Maya’s favorite new word. Maya, the science egghead, practiced and experimented with words she overheard from the fashion plates and popular kids. She wanted to make it sound like they were part of her regular vocabulary.

  Ariel had tried to tell Maya “fierce” was already retro.

  Maya’s advice to Ariel was she should go more bohemian in her look. Ariel could braid her hair at night and take them out in the morning to get the ripple effect, and then wear long skirts with cropped tops and these earrings. Maya brandished a pair of wide, brightly colored beaded hoops that were bigger and bolder than anything Ariel had worn before.

  “Oooh, those would look fabulous on you,” cooed a voice behind Ariel. The word “fabulous” had sounded like it had been sung, and it sent a warm shiver down Ariel’s spine. She turned around and saw an olive-skinned beauty with a mass of dark curls piled high upon her head. The girl’s green eyes sparkled as she smiled at the younger Ariel. Her gaze swept over Maya and Kathleen, who were standing nearby, going through the skirt rack.

  “You guys going to Oakland Tech next year?” she asked. Ariel nodded her head. At least, she thinks she did, she was too caught up in the trance of being spoken to by a high schooler.

  “Hey, there’s a party tonight at my girlfriend’s house - end of school type of thing. Since you guys are going to be at Tech, you should go. Meet a couple of folks.” The girl jotted down some information on a piece of paper and handed it to Maya. Before leaving, she turned and looked at Ariel. “You should wear those earrings.”

  As soon as the girl cleared the store, Ariel took the earrings and marched up to the cashier. “I’ll take these please.”

  Kathleen was stunned at their good fortune of being invited to a high school party, and they weren’t even in high school yet. “This is a big deal,” she gasped. “It’s a sign of things to come. It’s like we are already in.” They worked out the logistics of attending the party. It turned out Maya lived three blocks away from the house where the party was being held. If they all told their parents they were spending the night at Maya’s home, it would be easy to sneak out and walk to the event. Maya’s parents were a cinch to handle as they were constantly distracted by the escapades of Maya’s older brother, Craig. Craig was already at Oakland Tech and was “a micro inch away from juvey,” as Maya liked to say. Maya snickered when she mentioned they were going to a party her brother was probably not invited to. Kathleen nodded her head, exclaiming, “This is a big deal!”

  “We know!!” All three of them laughed because they were sharing so much. This was a life event, and they were best friends. No better than that, they were sisters.

  Now the girls were standing outside the party, excited they were launching their lives as mega high schoolers. They held the moment and shared beaming smiles. Their eyes glowed. Maya whispered to Ariel, “You look great.”

  “Thanks,” Ariel responded. “You do too,” she whispered back and squeezed her friend’s hand. And with that, Maya, Kathleen, and Ariel entered the house. But it was Ariel’s life that would change forever.

  She knew she was in trouble when the boy first approached her. He came up from behind and spoke softly into her ear - through the waves of hair she had painstakingly unbraided and finger-combed. His deep voice resonated and made her tingle.

  “And who are you?”

  She had never had a boy stand so close to her. “Ariel,” she replied. She held onto the giggle erupting within her as she knew it would make her sound childish.

  “Like the mermaid?” Ariel hated when people referenced the Disney princess. Not that she didn’t like the movie, but the cartoon Ariel had been so silly. She started to turn around to see this boy and tell him she wasn’t a stupid mermaid, but he held her shoulder, keeping her with her back to him.

  “No, don’t,” he said. “Let’s talk this way for a while. I love your hair. It’s so wild and tempting. Are you wild and tempting, Ariel?”

  Ariel was frozen in the moment. She desperately wished to move her head and see if either Kathleen or Maya could see her. Ariel had lost track of them about twenty minutes ago. She had gone to the kitchen to get more punch or whatever the sweet raspberry-colored drink in the large tub of ice was, and they were gone.

  Where were her girlfriends? She could hear loud laughter coming from the stair
case near the dance floor. Was that them? She wanted to turn her head and seek them out, and she also wanted to urgently turn around and see the face of the intoxicating male voice behind her. The face of the boy, no man, who was making her feel like a sexual being. Yes, that was it. She understood what was happening and the firecracker feeling popping through her body. She was warm and flushed, and it wasn’t just the raspberry punch talking. She didn’t want to disobey him. Play the game the way he was setting up the rules. His hands were warm and firm on her shoulders. She wondered if she was going to be kissed tonight.

  “Are you wild and tempting, little Ariel?” The deep voice quivered in her ear.

  “No,” she answered. A smile escaped.

  “Ahhh, but your hair says you are,” the boy whispered.

  “How can hair say I’m wild and tempting,” she asked. And then the giggle escaped. Darn it. But he was making her feel light and free inside.

  “And your eyes say it as well.”

  “My eyes?”

  “Yes, I’ve been watching you ever since you came through the door with your girlfriends.”

  “That’s kind of creepy.”

  “What’s creepy about watching an enchanted creature? You are beautiful. The most beautiful girl I’ve seen for I don’t know, ages. I have wanted to get you alone, so I could talk to you. But…” He laughed. His laugh was smooth, and the warm breath on her neck comforted her. “You’re not a mermaid. You’re a unicorn. I’ve snared a unicorn.”

  Ariel admits those were the magic words. He called her a unicorn, and she melted, leaning back into his embrace. He held her tight, and after a beat, he said: “let’s dance.”

  And Ariel went onto the dance floor and the boy who thought she was a unicorn followed. They danced to the song in their own personal embrace with her back to his chest. His face buried into her wild and tempting hair. They rocked to the music, and Ariel didn’t care if Kathleen or Maya could see her or not. The moment was magic. The moment was hers and hers alone.

  When the dance was over, the boy whispered into her hair. “Can I kiss you?”

  Kathleen nodded her head. Of course, he could. “But I have to turn around.” She slowly pivoted to face her suitor. For a fleeting moment, she was worried he would be ugly. How shallow you are, she scolded herself. But it did cross her mind. It would be her luck the boy who called her a unicorn, the boy who wooed her to the point her nerves sparked electricity and dissolved like jelly at the same time, was a dork-faced troll.

  But she didn’t need to worry. The face gazing into hers was attractive and kind and framed with hair that could only be described as wild and tempting. Kathleen had never liked long hair on a boy before, but her previous tastes suddenly flew out of her mind and ceased to exist. His hair was spectacular, and her hair was remarkable. A foolish thought flashed into her mind - our children would have fabulous hair.

  The boy, whose name was Milo, (she would learn that later). Milo, the skater boy, was a rising junior at Oakland Tech High School. He was a bit of an outsider but admired by his peers for his reckless bravado. Milo cupped Ariel’s face with his hands and kissed her on her forehead, where her unicorn horn would be if it existed. For a second, Ariel wondered could he possibly have meant that type of kiss. A chaste kiss on her forehead. Symbolic, yes, sweet and tender, but I thought he was going to really…

  Bam. Her thoughts were abruptly cut off by soft, intense lips pressing onto hers. This kiss engulfed her deeply, pulling up levels of wanton desire she didn’t know was possible. Her heart flew into the sky, arched into the air, and broke apart like a dazzling firework. Warm lights blazed and crackled, and Ariel felt herself melt into the boy’s arms. At that moment, in that time, all she wanted was for him to surround her entirely with his solid body. His hands were moving down her body and the kisses didn’t let up. He smelled like peppermint and cedar. She tasted the peppermint in his mouth and knew he had somehow prepared for this encounter by freshening his mouth with a mint. Knowing she was actively being seduced made the desirous kissing and sexual embrace even more enthralling.

  The boy pulled back and Ariel’s eyes flew open. She saw his beautiful face staring intently at her, soaking her up as if she were a mouthwatering sauce, and he was a slice of bread. She wanted to extend the moment and make time last forever. She loved him in an instant.

  “I have to have you”, he whispered into her ear. “You are so delicious. You are a delicious unicorn.”

  All Ariel could do was nod her head. Yes. Yes, of course, he could have her.

  It happened so quickly. But in Ariel’s mind the moment was pulled tight like a memory swelling and breathing inside her. Later, when she would hear the stories from Maya and Kathleen and other girls about their first times with fumbling neophytes, she was thankful Milo knew what he was doing. Ariel’s first time was filled with girlhood giggles and teen passion and no other sexual experience in her life would ever match it.

  Once she had nodded her agreement, Milo led her down into the basement of the house. Ariel felt so lightheaded she thought she was being carried. There was a tingling excitement within as she knew what was about to happen – this was it. This was happening, and it was going to be marvelous with this dreamy boy with spectacular hair under a starless night and a moon glowing like embers that will never die.

  There were other teens downstairs, coupling quickly on bean bag chairs and in dark corners. Milo navigated Ariel to a vacated loveseat and skillfully took her virginity.

  A month later, he would leave her weeping on the front porch of her parent’s home.

  That’s why the tattoo of the skateboard riding unicorn, beautifully inked by Terry Wynters, has an arrow through its heart.

  MONTEREY BAY

  Joanie had a theory, and I agreed it was a good one. It’s a good one, but I had no idea as to where this theory could lead us. Joanie suggested the lyre from Willingham and the arrow with Ariel’s unicorn were clues pointing to the Greek Gods. In particular, the twins of Zeus, Apollo, and Artemis. All the Greek gods have multiple symbols associated with them. Apollo has the lyre as the god of music, and Artemis (also known as Diana) was a huntress who used a bow and arrow. This seemed very significant to me. I remember my mother working on a Trojan War-themed crossword puzzle a while ago. I had corrected her spelling of King Priam.

  I got very excited until the cow popped up. Xtina’s tattoo was a cow. A cow wearing a pink bomber jacket, but a cow just the same. In all the reading I had done on the Trojan War and Greek mythology, I don’t remember there being a cow on Mount Olympus.

  In fact, the cow paired up with the lyre had produced a lively discussion about Jack and the Beanstalk. For half a day, I was convinced we had it. The clues were directing us to this fairy tale with the boy giant killer. The cow was what Jack sold to get the magic beans. The golden lyre represented the singing harp he steals from the giant. And the arrow was the direction up, as in up the beanstalk.

  I felt euphoric for a few hours until I got home from school and took a good look at the other images my mother inked that day to make up MAXINE. There was the word “Howl,” and then the words “Mouse” and “Crab.” Now “howl” I could argue (poorly) that Jack howled with glee when he defeated the giant. But try as I might, I couldn’t come up with a plausible way to work in a crab or a mouse into the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. I was resigned to the notion I needed to see all the tattoo designs to figure out this puzzle.

  My next step in the Maxine investigation involved the crab, and the crab was the design belonging to Ian Kramer. Ian was going to be a challenge. Not logistically like Ariel and her pole dancing, but Ian was a musician, and Ian was always on the move.

  I had Ian’s contact information and called him under the pretense of follow-up tattoo care. He didn’t mention anything about my mother when I called, which told me he hadn’t heard about what happened. When I first talked to Ian, it was hard to listen to him because of the noise in the background, so I had to call him
back. The second time there was a bad cellular connection because of where the band was traveling. Despite my requests, Ian had said he couldn’t come into the studio. Finally, I was able to create enough chit chat between Ian and myself to get the name of the band he was with - Purple Medfly. I would have to go to him.

  With the name of the band at my fingertips, I tracked the progress of their tour and checked to see if venues were coming up that were close enough for me to convince Joanie to drive us to. Looking at the website, I was able to discern two things. One, whoever oversaw the Instagram account, and updated their web info was meticulous. There were changes made to the band’s info every day. New pictures were posted, the song lists were added, and the webmaster individual also liked to list what the best moment of the day was for the band. Even if the best thing was eating scrambled eggs with bacon and salsa for breakfast. The second thing was this band was clearly a 70’s cover band, and Ian was their bass player, which meant he got a lot of action, and I don’t mean James Bond action - well, actually I do.

  My mother loved music from the seventies. Whenever she talked about these bands, she always mentioned the bass player along with the lead singer. There was something very cool about the guy or gal on the bass. Pink Floyd had Roger Waters. Gene Simmons in KISS, Larry Graham with Sly & The Family Stone, and of course, Bootsy! I think Sting and Flea were bass players as well.

  Anyway, I could tell by the pictures posted on the Purple Medfly website that Ian Kramer was the hot one in the group. He had the most photos of scantily clad festival worshipers hanging off him. There were tons of pictures of Ian with bright-eyed girls wearing crop tops, Daisy Duke shorts and floppy felt hats with flowers fastened to the band. Posing with hand gestures as if they were street or something. They stuck their tongues out and pouted duck lips. The only thing that was different from girl to girl was the color and the length of their hair. In all the pictures, Ian flashed a dopey grin with glazed eyes, which made me believe the guy probably drank on stage.