“Oh, darling, if I told you the story of my life, electrifying though it might be, you wouldn’t believe it. And if you did, you’d get a shock—a zap that would make you run away. So I won’t, for now. Let’s take one disaster at a time, little bird, yes? Maybe some day I will write a tell-all book about it, and ask you to proof-read it first,” replied Arturo.
“All right. So, now where to, ‘Empress’?” asked the man, as he signaled Arturo to jump in, opening the scissor door on the passenger side.
“No, dear; let me now be just Arturo. Venezuela finally killed the ‘Empress’. May they both rest in peace! Now I have to visit my brother at his condo on Manhattan Beach. Then, if you want, we can go to my house in Palos Verdes, and there, you can help me plan my new moves, in bed and as an environmental advocate. How’s that?”
“Sure. I know a lot of moves I’d like to try with you,” said the man as the scissor doors closed and the seatbelts wrapped themselves around Arturo and him.
As this was happening, Arturo glanced from the man’s crotch to the car ignition and back. “Nice key chain,” he casually commented. “Can I see it?”
“Of course,” the man replied, “and touch it as well.”
“You know what it is this symbol?” Arturo asked, realizing he had in his hands a Valknut, the symbol of Wotanism—the one and same on in the fourteen gold rings he had harvested from the lopped off hands that had in the end paid his escape to Colombia.
“No idea. I found it in the car when I bought it. I thought it was pretty, so I kept it. It seems it’s made of real gold; and those three stones, I’d say they don’t look like just colored crystal,” the man replied.
“Interesting,” Arturo said. “Maybe my brother can help you find out a bit more about this thing. He’s such a geek for weird stuff. And if he doesn’t know, his friend Severian, who’s visiting him now, will surely know if this is of any value, artistic or material.”
“Fine. Let’s go visit them,” the man said. “But why the funny face? Did you see a ghost?”
“No. I told you I’m weird. I just had an idea. Let’s drive a little further…to the Manhattan Beach Pier,” replied Arturo.
“Fine by me. Do you want to have a bite?” asked his new flame, stepping on the gas.
“No, darling: I want to show you my fortress…”
“Your Fortress of Solitude? Are you Superman?” joked the trainer, flashing an ear-to-ear smile, glancing to meet his eyes.
“You won’t be my kryptonite, will you?” replied Arturo, with puppy dog eyes.
“Most definitely I hope not. If you let me, I’ll try to make you even stronger, so we can enjoy that strength together,” replied the trainer, looking for a parking spot. “So…where are we going?”
“I’m all for that, dear. We’re going to the Roundhouse Aquarium,” explained Arturo.
“So…the Aquarium is your fortress…? Are you a Triton, a Mermaid, a shark…?” Daniel said, laughing and he told the car to self-park
“No, I’m none of those. I’m just Arturo—but I lived for years in a fortress on stilts, surrounded by water. That’s why the Aquarium feels a bit like home, only better. For some reason, to me it’s like an old acquaintance, one of those things in life so reassuring it seem I’ve known it for a few thousand years…”Arturo said, as he kept walking on the pier, towards the sea, holding Daniel’s hand.
“Did anyone ever tell you that you have a most delicious ‘posh’ London accent, my dear?” teased the other man. “Even stranger, it doesn’t sound contrived…”
“Shut up! Don’t be daft, Daniel!” joked Arturo, faking a strong Cockney accent. “I lived there too, in RBKC, the Boltons, South Kensington, that part of London. You know the area, sweetie?”
“Indeed I do. Nice taste, mate. You’re not only sexy but with a flair for good things— an all around well rounded chap,” teased Daniel.
“You have no idea how rounded,” scoffed Arturo.
“I do remember last night very much indeed, Milord!” replied Daniel.
“You are a pig; but you know my boar, so I forgive you,” retorted Arturo. “There I was called Arthur, though. Anyway, that’s just divine. You like nice places, no surprise there. I have to introduce you to a French Countess, friend of my brother who’s a true riot. Three times we spoke and three times she has insisted I must absolutely go visit her and stay at her condo in Plaine-Monceau, in Paris…” Arturo commented.
“Ah, mon Dieu! RBKC, Plaine-Monceau! How am I going to impress you, ‘Empress’?” asked Daniel, winking.
“The ‘Empress’ is dead. Long live Arturo. But if you really want to impress me, don’t lie to me. Nothing would impress me more—or better—than that,” Arturo replied as he started circling the Aquarium, followed close by Daniel, his face lit up like a child in a toy store.
“That would be a great starting point. You don’t do that to me either, and we shall be amazing together,” retorted Daniel.
“Amazing suits me just fine. See, this place is putting a display for us tonight, all this beautiful lightning and thunder, and a frolicking sea that looks made of crimson and gold silk. Isn’t it pretty? No pirates, no bombs, no oil spills, no malaria, just open sea and us,” admired Arturo, his eyes roving around every cloud and wave and city light and lightning flash in the horizon.
“Pirates, bombs, oil spills, malaria? Did you live in the Niger Delta?” asked Daniel.
“Close enough!” answer Arturo, inhaling deeply while facing the intensifying ocean breeze, shaking his head and joyfully splaying his hands.
“Yes. The view is delicious, especially in good company. I don’t even mind the drizzle, although seems we might be getting a good soak soon…” warned Daniel.
“Neither do I,” said Arturo, “here the water is far cleaner, the air less foul, life so much safer…”
“Your logic eludes me, Art. If you call the air in L.A. clean, and life ‘so much safer’ you probably were living on the Niger Delta, or Mogadishu…or some Gulf state, or something like that….” commented Daniel.
“It sounds crazy to say that, doesn’t it? I know it makes no sense. Now, as the saying goes: if logic were your sole master, your life would be a sore disaster. So I look at the mural, not the plaster. Worry not: I will tell you all about that smelly toxic ugliness some day—but not now. This is too pretty to ruin it. On the other hand, that’s probably why now I’m working with two brothers to clean up the world…”
“You are? What sort of business?” asked Daniel.
“They build net zero energy houses and farms, and buy land to plant redwood forests, that sort of ‘green’ thing…” explained Arturo. “I like it. It’s also easy to work with them. They know my difficult past, and they don’t judge…”
“Funny you say that. The husband of one of my clients has a company with his brother that does that sort of thing too. And she told me they recently started to work with a Venezuelan friend…” commented Daniel.
“Your client’s husband’s name is not David, is it?” asked Arturo.
“Yes. David is her husband; and David’s brother is Jethro…” answered Daniel.
“Wow! Your client’s name is not Debbie, is it?”
“Yes, it is. What are the chances!” chuckled Daniel.
“I thought you a bit…pricy for them…so to speak….” commented Arturo, instantly regretting what he just said.
“No worries. She came one day with her boss’ wife, which then was my client. Debbie and I hit it off as friends and she became a client. Then when David came to pick her up I admired the specimen…I assumed he first thought my admiration was too forward; but then he began suspecting Debbie and I had a fling… It was all quite funny. I then explained to him I have no interest in teaching legless camels how to swim or finless fish how to climb mountains, we all laughed, and the matter was closed,” explained Daniel.
“I know. Pointless flirting. I did that to him too, just to annoy him. But he was a good sport. No harm, no
foul. In any case, you sure know how to roll. And you’re so adorable I’m scared. Scared we put our hopes so high up above the clouds we might disappoint each other and fall off like Icarus flying too close to the Sun with an anvil in his necklace…” said Arturo.
“Did I say something that put you off? Are you backing off on me?” asked Daniel.
“No, fool. On the contrary! This lightning tonight, this wonderful display I’m sharing with you. It makes me so happy, so hopeful…too happy, too hopeful, maybe…”
“So what’s wrong if you’re happy? I’m happy you’re happy and that’s just great!” Daniel said bringing Arturo closer to him.
“Nothing wrong, dear. Now that I found you, I’m happier than a vampire with the munchies let loose on the biggest bloodbank in the world,” replied Arturo kissing him. Behind them lightning intensified, waves roared louder and louder, the coruscation and the drizzle turned to downpour now thoroughly drenching the two lovebirds. “It’s time to go home, I guess,” said Arturo as they started slowly walking back to the car, ignoring a few passers-by now running for cover wherever they could find it.
Slowly, soaked, and smiling, they kept walking towards Daniel’s car. But then Arturo suddenly stopped, turned around and stood for a long moment, watching the electric spiders crisscrossing the skies near the horizon, listening to the sound of the rain, and the ocean, and the wind, their song merging harmoniously with the beating of his own heart, silently crying and firmly clutching Daniel’s hand.
“Is there anything wrong?” asked Daniel, feeling the jolt on his hand.
“No, no. Absolutely nothing is wrong. I am giddy, paralyzed by joy. I know they say a hurricane is coming, but I can only see the beauty of the storm. My head is swirling, but I only can imagine the rain will more stop fires than the winds will destroy homes. I told you I’m weird,” confessed Arturo.
“I love it when you smile. You have a beautiful smile, you know?” said Daniel.
“Now I do. A dentist in West Hollywood spent three weeks in Bora-Bora on just the cost of rebuilding this smile. But I’m happy I had it done. I’ve been given another lease on life. That’s why I fear so much life might be about to hit me with another ton of bricks. No, no. Just kidding. Hopefully, everyone who’s been through the fire for as long as I was will someday get a second chance, learn to love again, to understand again, to accept that everyone can think whatever they want about everyone else but nobody has any right to terrorize anybody else, and not be forced to carry marshmallows or a fire extinguisher just in case. I also think asking for that may be insane,” Arturo replied.
“You might be a bit bonkers—in a captivating way. So, what now?”
“Well…now I need you, more than I desperately need a towel and a giant coffee. So, unless you object, let’s go home. Tomorrow night we’ll show Tony your keychain.”
THE END
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Quest for the Ark Page 45