The Lamppost

Did modernism changed love? 
At present we see big changes in human perimeter. The way how conversations are being carried on--the way concern is being given to one another--the way treatment being lend to each other.

Definitely not in love. How it raises its head and heart, no time could ever bring conflict into it--as long as it is true.

The love of Nora and her boyfriend for each other brought mystery and intrigues among those who knew them and to those who contracted late friendship with them. Their untimely demise shocked their circle. Much more, when they frequented the spot nightly, seemed looking for something--after they were dead.

The LQ

So bad! The conversation on the telephone didn’t arrived to a point amiable. My justifications swam in the stinky pond full of shits. The night flew deeper, moonless and chilling. And darkness’ damn suffocating drowned me to find a lighted place. A twinkling one, with frothing glass in the front of me, cold but warm enough to put numbness and to let me swoon to forget. And to part the soul from my system. Thus, oblivion takes charge of everything for just awhile.

“And darkness’ damn suffocating as I was resolved to find a lighted place.”

Dreamy walk to the lamppost

I plowed through darkness with a few hundreds of heedless steps from the condo. my close familiarity of the street, brought me safe to a spot, though, in my dreams or in my daily routine in going out and in from condo, had I realized that there was a place where I walked. My hands dove into my pants back pockets just for a stick and a lighter. The tip glowed. My mouth revived and blood turned lighter much quicker with its soaring to my brain to keep me going. Along the road, traffic poured fast until red and white lights, as it appeared, like stars slowed down in their orbits waited for god to empower more candelas in them. When, lights turned orange so with numbers of broken strings approached to end the count. 
 That was when the hanged lights flashed to green and vehicles speeded-up again. I found myself statue-like peering at the street with a fervent hope I stood in a designated loading line.

I took something like five minutes to figure out. I felt something under my right shoe. I bent and tried to see what was it. I didn’t exactly knew what it was--but, something black. 
The cold thing lie in my palm mangled and lifeless but still complete under the

“At my side to the left, was a monolith lighted in the peak. Lamppost supposedly,...”

moonless night with astonishing ability to fight back oncoming glares by its glitter. 
At my side to the left was a monolith lighted in the peak. Lamppost supposedly, stood passed the end of loading lines—there under it, two persons, as their form suggested—a man and a woman. I was not sure if my eyes were in such in a good health and that my sight served me well; I got what they wore—their hairstyles hinted on me—a man and a woman under the lamppost in my left. They were a mannequin. Weirdest of all their eyes nailed at the base of lamppost. Curiosity caught me tight of what I observed. Since, a soft breeze that prevailed, and the current seemed to take them to the place where the former heeded. The glaring headlights passing thru, threw cast of shadows of objects in the dark made my head spun more. For the two of them threw no shadows at all!

Ride with the ghost

“Screech!” I back-off from road gutter, I looked unto the taxi surprised, which in every way I made no motion to rode or actions that the driver, in any conceivable doubts or certainty, would him think I had such serious necessity I should leave the place ASAP. With no hesitations, I slipped inside. Just enough before I could feel what comfort the taxi would offer and door shut ted closed same way it opened when I mounted. “Pale Resto and Bar” I croaked. And silence. The driver himself wore ash tinged countenance with lips snuggled closed as if a binder wrapped around his jaw, sat as a stub, without even paid a single glance at me; he floored down the accelerator and drove in such a manner that car’s motion was nothing at all, but levitating. I worked off my mind to reclaim the scene when I was in condo. I struggled to ignore the hair-raising things that surround me. Breath deep. Inhale. Exhale. I searched for freshest air I could find within the dead-silent cube where I sat. And what I smelt was a funerary fumes reeking-up from smothering candle.

“Flip the freshener on please!” he reached something indistinct to the sight but I could sense a relief in my lungs. “Thanks, that was good.” My c-phone sounded. Three smileys imprinted in the screen. Jenny had moved on within a short period to make such mysterious occasion comfy than anything else. Supposedly, her tantrums gone, probably she missed me at the moment. It strengthened and empowered my sense of bravery to the point my jumbled thoughts went a little orderly.

The taxi slowed down. The array of lights marked the approaches were just a few meters before we pass the curve entrance of building. Thirty bucks lighted in the meter. My right hand groped for my wallet. “oh my God!” I jolted-off and threw myself out from the inside but my last remaining strength afforded me to stay foot outside when a service personnel came. I reached out my left hand for my fare and I heard faint sounds of coins stroked the passenger seat then fell to carpet.

Ghostly affair in the resto

“Happy evening sir!” there was no enough time to respond as I busied myself wiping my face. “I suppose that the air con is out of order, sir on the way.”

I turned my head halfway to the usher, “that was really in my thoughts when I’m still inside.” My hurried gait brought me to the main door quickly with some little amount of sanity left in my head--I looked back. A two persons had just get-off from the taxi I rode!

The resto shaped itself more of an oval than a rectangle. It grew more tables and chairs way back I saw it on my debut visit two years away, that, innumerable visits followed I paid, savored tasty dishes, enjoyed excellent wines. Slowly I regained my casual composure and been aware who’s coming in and out of the place.

“As usual Ken?”

“Huh! much quicker ha—with some black rice this time please.” I befriended Art after a few visits as a customer in the res to. He was a kindly amiable towards me—a creature with deep interests in news and current events with an ability to talk of what he gathered around.

It didn’t took so long when Art marched back to my table with a tray of Chicken Pesto Linguini, black rice and Pinot Noir, scattered them in the front of me. “I was stuck in the third street in going here.”

“Woh, woh don't make joke dude.” Art said with an unusual timbre, and his solemn face sang serious. “That way's bloody cursed. A lot of mysterious accidents were found in its evil chest but one most notable was when two young sweethearts mowed to death due to recklessness, eight months back I think. After that incident there, several happenings on same spot and complaints about apparitions of the sweethearts...” Art had hardly finished relating when a commotion broke out. He speeded off to the scene and gave hands to other two of his peers. It was two young partners having LQ I supposed. The boy wore a marine Supima Pique Polo with earth-tone slacks, he looked demanding in his demeanor. The girl seemed uneasy and almost cried, with her flesh-sleeveless-round-necked Fonteyn dress revealed her smooth desirable neck. That made me a terrible longing and desire that Jenny would ever call or text me again. Goosebumps grew strong all-over.

The black diamond

I swigged each glass of wine to make leeway against unbearable thoughts. “Colors and style didn't made difference in both unsteady lights and sufficient lights.” For my mind the object I picked near the gutter, I pulled it off from pocket and exerted a succinct examination in it, and though; deformed due to incessant passing of vehicles, by natural circumstance or what, bounced to the side of the street. It was an engagement ring for women. Opposite of the gem housing was flattened, with numerous pitting and severe scratches all-over but by what inexplicable reasons, the gem was intact! With three sturdy arms raised as

“It was an engagement ring for women. A black diamond ring,...”

supports to the stone, for all time to come—as I saw it. “A black diamond ring,” I whispered. As I was doing an in-depth ocular to the ring, I caught two partners, who had a quarrel few minutes past—looked intently—their eyes nailed to the thing I fingered.

A brief respite from lamppost affair

It vibrated again. Excitement drowned me more than the four bottles of downed Pinot Noir did, and another one’s coming up. “Hi, pretty eve, what's up?”

“I ringed you in the condo. How I can be sure I’m not talking to a spirit?”

“In our rendezvous, just here,"

“Holy thunder! Getting late now, can you drive now?”

“No I can’t. What I mean is, I leave it in the carport.”

“Okay, stay foot that way just thirty minutes I’ll fetch you up home, scoundrel.”

I toppled five bottles to see her again after the quarrel. If the sixth came in, I would swim home. She arrived two minutes before as said.

“Hey Ken, Jen shows up.” Art fetched the mess on table and walked off when heeled footfalls coming to my table.

“Oh gosh, I see a soiled wipe,” I heard her nearer and nearer where my head fell in my arms on top of the table.

“You're late!”

“Woo, who! Firstly please don’t start for another one. Second, let's make thing darn smoother and most of all, it's earlier than said. Okay?”

“Hey, Art black...anything dark…."

“Oi, I saw those damn empty bottles pitiful as you—can't we make this moment romantic?”

“What your saying? Black coffee, Art knows that.”

The sudden shift of scenario took the chilly atmosphere off out of my system. Her warm, caring voice invigorated my frozen soul and thoughts. Improbabilities haunted me hours ago were enough to stole sanity from my dizzy brain. From the moment I stood in the gutter near the lamppost after a dreamy stroll from condo, the two persons stood by the lamppost, the empty driver seat and the two lovers who had quarrelled in the resto were more than enough to sent me flying crazy in the midst of hell—unbearable! I thanked God silently that Jen arrived. She didn’t knew how much comfort I drew from her presence to place myself at once in a calm composure.

We bid goodbye to Art when midnight bells supposed to strike. Jenny drove. The headlights sliced through pitch dark road and I asked her driving without possible passing the third street—the direction where all bad omen had started.

“Its chilly isn’t it, pretty?”

“Not much, feels that way?”

“I feel like saying something that way.”

“Whoa! Don’t play at me dude. I like movies, don’t have the idea yet I enjoy horror-some? I wonder why we have to pass the other way.”

“Well, got an idea about the third street?”

She took moments to say something. Seemed she had already what I asked her, but needed more recalling to bring to mind, before memories made whole.

“Yep, that’s an unforgettable place I think for my best friend Nelia.”

“They lived in there once?”

“Nope her sister and her sister’s bf DOS there together with the drunk driver more or less seven months ago.”

“Do they have strong facial similarities?”

“That I don’t have. I was with my parents in Vienna that time.”

“More queries handsome?”

“That I’ll make my mind up yet pretty.”

Jenny drove already past the third street if she followed the usual route. Hence, the winding road we went along, it’s difficult estimate of how far we’d gone from res to. Four meters past the sharp curve running onto the yield signage, the car jolted, ran off track to right. I grabbed the steering wheel as a momentary loss of steering control turned the car into a derailed bullet train.

Four meters past the sharp curve running onto the yield signage, the car jolted, ran off track to right. I grabbed the steering wheel as a momentary loss of steering control turned the car into a derailed bullet train.

“Curse upon seven hills of Rome! are they blind? Lots of airheads roaming the streets unnoticed by traffic enforcers--are we in the world of insanity?” She foamed and cussed erupted as if she really knew who they were. in my enjoyment she really looked so enticing that way while I chilled again in my cold seat.

“Whoa! Pretty bitch, look on to the road else will meet another one and we’ll wake up covered with white linens in the cold stretchers. Just settle down a little I’ll tell you a story.”

Nothing sounded except mine. As I told and showed to Jen what happened from the condo to the resto. I saw her smiled. She sometimes wanted to add something.

“No, no. if what I told were just make ups, I can make something more agreeable to my taste and so with yours. It happened! Those three were familiar and I’m not drunk.”

“I believed you. Just getting puzzled on what business do they have as far I can get--what in the world they’re looking for something in the cold damn lamppost—so uncanny!”

“something in it.”

“and what’s it?”

“Do you have any pic of Nelia?”

She paused a moment and looked inside her bag.

“In my Drive, I think. Search Menelia Pic.”

“Password?”

“In our rendezvous.”

I tapped back-n-forth like fool. Connection’s too bad.

A romance at last

More or less 20 minutes we’re in my condo. Jen planned to go back home for some serious business the next morning. I couldn’t suffer her to be alone ply the streets in the deep of the night. Much more, my hunch, she was marked to undergo the weirdly experience now she knew something about it. And she liked my idea.

Exhaustion because of ghosts thing, didn’t stopped us to find leverage for our past quarrel, instead, we felt we needed more each other than before. The chilly experiences became warm for both of us and the night became hotter and hotter—only closeness of our skins would quench the delirium and fever. We passed the night contented and happy.

I woke up with a black coffee by my side. She’s there sipping latte while eyes glued at her s-phone.

“The chilly experiences became warm for both of us and the night became hotter and hotter—”

“Here she’s.” She held it closer.

“O, Christ! Didn’t you saw her in the resto? She was there with...I understand her boyfriend. They were just two tables opposite us. Didn’t you?”

“Nope. I saw the surrounding tables when I entered and sat beside you.”

A false positive?

I quickly groped for my phone and ringed Art. I knew he’s still in their house that time. He’s more reliable to say something than the both of us.

“Hello Ken this’ much too early, feeling good yet?”

“Nice morn, yeah, I’m okay. Would you describe the face the girl who had a quarrel with her companion last night in the resto?”

“Girl who!? I mean there’s no girl. They’re two salesmen who quarreled about one product subscriber. Wo, wo my soap rolls onto the sink!”

“Are you sure of that?”

“Very. Just take a shower and have plenty of hot chicken soup Ken. On shower bye!”

“What he said?” Jen asked

“Much similar with yours.”

“Would you call Nelia for me?”

Encounter with ghost in the flesh

It never occurred that hallucinations got the best of me even when particularly I drink too much. Here Nelia's participation would close everything to its finality. So fortunate she was available, and she sorely missed Jenny for long time after when both of them got job.

We arrived at Nelias house within thirty minutes drive from the condo. The Victorian masterpiece plumped with fragrance exuded from various multi-colored flowers I’d seen. The path went from the gate to the main door was enough to accommodate two cars but before reaching the round fountains midway from gate to main door, was a short causeway and a tiny stream loaded with fancy and gold fish. Someone welcomed us at the main door who at that instance, I stepped back, for she truly was, that I saw in the lamppost and in the resto except the dress she wore. She was of same age as Jenny. They hugged and kissed each other while I stood and wondered as a true stranger among the two sisters. She made us seat in a three-seater Duncan Phyfe sofa and lost in the long alley when an occasional surge of the wind drifted the long saber draperies as she walked. Nelia came back with glasses of pomegranate and loaves of brown bread. Jenny opened and would, most conversation, as agreed.

“Nel this' Ken my hubby to be.”

“My superb friend Ken, this is Nelia.”

Her warm smile broke the seriousness of the meeting. I felt her warm enthusiasm that someone added to her circle of friends which in my observation, even for that short period of seeing her; she needed it to have such companionship without intention of getting enjoyment from it--but, another friend whom she trusts her miseries and the burden of her soul. I shook hand with her and took interests in knowing whats up after the terrible accident.

“Glad to meet you Nels.”

“Its a pleasure Ken.”

“How’s everything’s going after….” Jen seemed in a hurry to ask much early which Nelia grabbed the opportunity to reveal why she sorely missed Jenny. Nelia’s eyes glowed with fervent interest that her actions showed of perfect willingness to Jenny’s earnest curiosity.

“The sorrowful tragedy? she still lives in my mind that many instances I sat in our favorite place in the garden conversing,  walking, sometimes running and teasing with no other one’s around but her. Most of the times I found myself awake and crying in the middle of the night. I dreamed of Nora. Not only her…”

“What does it means?”

The conversation began as if I was there hearing play of dirges in the background. I pulled out a tome from the center piece to relax, and to evade unwanted detractions upon my hearing  and kept busy, scanning carefully whatever I could intuitively find in its stiff pages. There I saw a photograph taken one year ago. It was a casual photo taken in a mode when there is fondness or playful scenes at a comfortable time existed, among close relatives or friends at home. How fortunate that Nelia dressed same dress in the photograph I was looking at and I could perfectly point at who’s in her side smiling. I kept it to myself what I saw and slowly returned the album where it peacefully rested. By what power, or hypnosis or telekinesis my hand dig deep into my side pocket and fingered something like what I picked near the lamppost. But, would never bother paying attention to what I'd felt while hearing the conversation of the two ladies

“I saw Nora right in my sleeps. she’s showing her left hand, and she was asking for help. I could read her lips. The two others, who were men, stood in the background.”

“Had anything she said before the accident? Most likely, those with significant meanings that any of you would not expect her saying.”

“Before she leaves to met her boyfriend that day we talked, and I teased her because I know it was expected that he would give her a ring for their formal engagement. In that place in third street, bystanders saw that her boyfriend gave her a small box while he was getting something from his pocket—what was it is just hazy.”

“Where was that in the third street?”

“If you could see a newly repaired lamppost that’s it.”

Think tanks brainstormed

“Seems she’d an important message to you and she won’t be release from burden if no one could help her. Are you sure you get it right she asked for help?” 

“Yes. It puzzles me she shows her hand while opening her lips. I believe that what her saying about is in conjunction to her hand.” 

I listened intently to the discussions of Jenny and Nelia. Only what I’m sure of, that Nora was in desperate need for help—she tried to communicate her sister asking for it which in due course presented in a dream. Nelia didn’t have a strong facility in interpreting the message just like anyone of us present in that moment.

I offered my help to such purpose of gaining little good deed in one instance, and for the other, I was definitely involved, and the soul of the dead wasn’t communicating me while sleeping but on time when I was awoke. We paid much time re-enacting upon the various angles, openings and closings of the lips and positions of the tongue—what would be the words or word correspond to it. At last we perceived that Nora’s spirit was in distress and needed a rescue. But, what help she needed?

I tried to persuade Nelia that we go over the hands actions of Nora. Through careful analysis how she moved her hands it showed that her left extended with a slight angle to the right while her right hand point not onto other parts  but on the left fingers.

“Spirits don’t have physical pain nor concerns with carnal affairs anymore. Spiritual or emotional—yes. Spiritual pain, aww! We can do nothing about it. But in the emotional aspect we may be of help to let her free out of it whatever it is.”

Jenny nailed it secure. Her analysis of Nora’s flight carried a glittering hope to nail the stake of the foundation where Nora was grounded and eventually with hopes to iron-out ruffled edges.

“… and so, this is it--‘emotional’ I think we’re in the edges now and can see whats up down under.”

Nelia’s eyes glistened to what I’ve said. Her sank eyes, though beautiful, portrayed pitiful condition by nightly waking as her sister’s apparition came mostly by midnight since her death. “What involved the fingers with emotions?” I asked

“It’s something memorabilia or ostentation s that starts connections between heart and brain, maybe; a symbol, a reminder appealing to the eyes, provides a message—something would exist forever.” Nelia found some of her lost natural thinking ability.

“There is no other than…. a bracelet! or a ring?” Jenny’s logic much sharper.

“I vote for a ring. How about you two?” I asked.

“I go with you.” said Jenny.

“Why ring?”

I knew what was in Nelias mind. She needed facts. With all the realities I experienced which started when I leave from the condo, when I stood half conscious in the gutter near the lamppost, the two lovers who had an LQ in the resto, the three persons who suddenly crossed the street—made her wonder the gruesome life after an impending break-up with Jenny.

I showed her the ring.

“Oh my God! This is almost destroyed.”

“what we’ll gonna do now?” Jenny asked.

Encounter of the true ghosts

We decided at once to leave. I drove while the two of them poised as passenger. We were there in the car because we needed to leave but none of us said where we’d be going to. We passed by the Pale Resto and Pub. We alighted from the car and entered the place which environment was deathly silent at daytime. I knew Jenny and Nelia needed something to nibble. Almost four hours we labored with our minds in a single focus, to arrive an agreed solution. Art wasn’t there since he had a night shift the whole month.

“Hey Ken, why don’t you eat something aren’t you exhausted?”

“Just enjoy yourself here with Nelia, I must go for thirty minutes I’ll be back then.”

“Careful Ken.”

“Thanks Nel.”

I checked the ring in my pocket. I could feel the burrs caused by being trodden by all kinds of vehicles for months. The two ladies seemed to not interested why I should leave them in the resto and walked myself.

The shop looked abandoned. The silence that contained the whole premises was unnatural. My skin felt the same way I did in the lamppost as with in the taxi that night. As I approached the shop's entrance I heard someone there did something, and I was thankful that the jewelry repairman I knew, still there. “Good day. Still accepting repair job? I have here a ring. I need this ASAP.”

“Wow, you're too fortunate to be my only guests this day. Yesterday I can’t almost touched my lunch. The place was jam-packed.”

He looked into the ring. Run his fingers around the barely recognized body.

“Twenty-five minutes get this. I’ll right-up the flattened portion and make, well, two thicker plating s would suffice to smoothed hardy burrs.”

While, repairman explained how he could restore the ring, I heard a car stopped, a wispy opening and closing of doors. “I’ll be back buddy I wanna see our needs out there.” I approached the exit door feeling weirdly and cold. I could almost stepped back and run inside when when I saw the taxi and driver with Nora; her boyfriend looking at me. They stood in front of the shop stiffly. But the fact I had nothing to do with their death and what I did was to helped them, were enough to be proud of me and to never panic or ran away in that deathly encounter. Most of all, they’d that kindly looks with some lines of joy and gratitude oozed their transparent faces. Six seconds were just too long to bear standing, eye to eye the with dead ones, till they slowly disappeared like smoke from my sight.

Bought one sweet solution

I hurried to a nearby department stores and bought something to make the dead happy then retraced my paces into repair shop. I claimed back the ring then returned to resto.

“Oh, God! See Jen, Ken’s so sweet.”

“What a bouquet of plastics! Aren’t they?”

“No, this isn’t for you. Your alive. This’ for the dead.”

we leave the res to right away.

“Where we are now Nels?” I said.

“Don’t know where.”

“Where was Nora now, Nels?” Jen said.

“Ah yeah. Sky Clouds… Sky Clouds Garden. Make a swing to the left to that street—a 20 mins. drive from the junction.”

“Ah yeah. Sky Clouds… Sky Clouds Garden….”

In the resting place

We stood at the tomb of Nora’s peaceful place. I laid the bouquet with ring embedded within stems. All faces fell to a deep somber and melancholic ambiance matched the fragrance of funerary smoke exuded from flickering candles stood by the tombstone. We also lighted candles for his bf beside her. We never forgot the driver who caused their deaths, fifty paces away from them. For the sake of peace we muttered prayers that a peaceful rest be granted for them.

We turned our back from the garden with light hearts. We felt that the dead were glad for what we’d done to helped them. There would be a true RIP for them, we didn’t sensed their presence anymore and we’re relieved to live without interventions coming from other dimensions.

Remaining puzzle

“What business the other man’s doing with my sister and his bf?” Nelia said.

“He was the driver. I saw how Nora’s bf pissed-off in the resto. He looked for the ring which was accidentally thrown-out by Nora because of the strong impact on them. The two bothered the driver the day they died. I believed that he took the responsibility to helped them until that night I picked up the ring few paces from the lamppost. Actually, when I was on board inside the taxi, Nora and her bf were there with me because I'd sensed their presence inside.”

“I’m puzzled what they gonna do with the ring you found under the lamppost. I don’t think they could bring it with them anywhere else they go.” Jenny said

“I have an idea" Nelia said "that—spirits got emotions. They wanted to recover the sole memorabilia that connected them their love and they were resolved to continue that love forever and the lamppost is one of last witness of their true love to each other.”

Kindly do understand that this story is a work of fiction. All persons their names and places involved including incidences are fictional and imaginary.