{"id":963,"date":"2017-04-08T14:05:13","date_gmt":"2017-04-08T18:05:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/takethepatience.com\/?p=963"},"modified":"2017-04-08T14:17:08","modified_gmt":"2017-04-08T18:17:08","slug":"963","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/takethepatience.com\/?p=963","title":{"rendered":"96 America Street, Chapter 6"},"content":{"rendered":"

May 6th<\/sup>, 2012<\/em><\/p>\n

Terrence and I stood in front of The Geek<\/p>\n

\u201cIs there some way for The Geek to patch into the community center\u2019s security camera network?\u201d I asked Terrence.<\/p>\n

Seeing he was so outnumbered by the rest of the team and partly because he felt bad for Ripps\u2019 recent trouble, Terrence, right at that moment hung his head and conceded to the majority\u2019s chosen name for his computational creation, \u201cNo, The Geek<\/em> does not have that capability.\u00a0 The center\u2019s network is a completely isolated TV network with no link to the outside.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got to find a way to get those tapes.\u00a0 I think Lily actually takes the tapes home with her every night.\u00a0 She claims they were stolen but I think she\u2019s lying.\u201d I thought for a moment.\u00a0 It was time to use Barry.\u00a0 I hit a button on The Geek to page Barry\u2019s cell phone.\u00a0 He picked up in mid-scat. \u201cBarry, could you please come down here for a second?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShaboom!\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not sure what that meant but I assumed it was Bermudian for \u201cokay\u201d.<\/p>\n

Terrence was curious. \u201cWhat are you thinking of doing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBarry has certain romantic methods of data collection that surpass that of The Geek.\u201d<\/p>\n

Terrence was mildly offended. \u201cWell at least The Geek will never have herpes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGeeks rarely do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barry entered wearing a knee-length black velvet robe with no pants.\u00a0 Thankfully, he had the decency to wear socks and shoes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell Barry, no need to tell you to get comfortable.\u00a0 Anyways, at the center, there\u2019s a lady\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Barry\u2019s mustache immediately rose at each end.\u00a0 \u201cStop right there, hombre.\u00a0 You need not say another word.\u00a0 This body is in motion.\u00a0 Soon, two<\/em> bodies will be in motion!\u201d With that nugget of a line, Barry started to walk back to the staircase.<\/p>\n

\u201cBarry, you don\u2019t even know what you have to do.\u201d To say I was put off by Barry\u2019s quick exit was not accurate but his overly strong display of confidence did annoy me for the briefest of moments.\u00a0 But how could I get mad at Barry for such a thing?\u00a0 It\u2019s this very confidence that would win the day.\u00a0 You don\u2019t forge a sword and then get angry when it cuts you.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis lady has something she won\u2019t give you which is why you called the sensual spy\u2026the heart-breaking hush man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes\u2026.security tapes.\u201d I increased my volume one notch for every step Barry took away from me.\u00a0 \u201cHer name is Lily! She has dark straight hair and blue eyes!\u201d<\/p>\n

He was nearly at the top of the stairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cShaboom.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Lily locked the front door of the Franklin Holmes Community Center.\u00a0 As with most days, she was the last to leave.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t realize it but Barry Tattle was off in the distance, his red silk-covered legs straddling an ultra-quiet moped, one that his father helped him design years ago.\u00a0 Lily walked down the street and Barry remained a safe distance behind.\u00a0 A man dressed in a burgundy silk suit, creeping along on a moped at a drunken snail\u2019s pace – what a great thing.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Had I known Barry was going to stalk, I would have told him to leave the moped at home.\u00a0 He sometimes forgets that mopeding in the states isn\u2019t quite what it is in Bermuda which causes him to stick out like a steak in a vegetarian restaurant.\u00a0 I was in Bermuda, once.\u00a0 I was 12.\u00a0 My father took us on a company trip.\u00a0 One thing I remember was all the mopeds.\u00a0 I can\u2019t remember if their combined sounds were like a flock of humming birds or a nest of bees.\u00a0 I just remember a buzzing.\u00a0 I remember men going to work on mopeds, wearing Bermuda business shorts with dark socks and dress shoes.\u00a0 Barry tells me there are even those that play polo with mopeds (instead of horses).\u00a0 I have promised Barry we will all try this before we die.<\/p>\n

A sign in front of the Milky Way read \u201cLive Jazz Tonight!\u201d.\u00a0 I say the Milky Way but the name of this establishment might be Bella Luna.\u00a0 I\u2019ve never been sure.\u00a0 It causes me great discomfort when a place has more than one name associated it with it.\u00a0 Perhaps Bella Luna refers to the restaurant part and the Milky Way refers to the lounge part.\u00a0 If memory serves, the distinction was much more distinct when this place was located in Hyde Square.\u00a0 Bella Luna was upstairs and the Milky Way lounge was downstairs.\u00a0 They left Hyde Square because if they had wanted to stay, they or their landlord would have had to pay thousands of dollars to install a sprinkler system.\u00a0 This regulation was brought on in the wake of The Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island which spurred on Rhode Island and Massachusetts lawmakers to write legislation that forced any bar with a capacity of 100 or more to install a sprinkler system.\u00a0 The Milky Bella Way Luna or whatever it wants to be called decided to move right next to the Sam Adams\u2019 brewery.\u00a0 The old location was a unique setting.\u00a0 The lounge part used to be a bowling alley which they kept half of and turned the other half into a bar\/dance floor with a stage.\u00a0 They even managed to find a little room for the US vs. USSR rod hockey game which brought me great delight.<\/p>\n

The new space is also nice.\u00a0 Big tall ceilings, lots of brick walls.\u00a0 It looks like it used to be some sort of mill.\u00a0 So once upon a time, I\u2019m sure poor workers were toiling away in a miserable existence but now we get to drink there and reflect on how cool old mill spaces are.<\/p>\n

The bar was located in a big open area with lots of tables surrounding it.\u00a0 To the right, in the corner of this main area was a small bottleneck entryway that one had to pass through to enter a square room.\u00a0 In this room was the jazz.\u00a0 In this room was Lily after she bought a drink at the bar and walked over.\u00a0 Thank God it was jazz night in JP or Barry might have really stood out.\u00a0 Barry took hold of a glass of Chardonnay and followed Lily.\u00a0 Once in the room, he stood against the back wall and saw Lilly sit in a chair next to a friend only six or seven feet in front of him.\u00a0 Barry in his regal silk set against the old brick wall looked like a magnificent, priceless tapestry hanging on the wall in an old mansion or castle.<\/p>\n

The band was not really a band.\u00a0 The drummer, guitarist and bassist remained on stage at all times but other musicians were welcome to come and go throughout the evening.\u00a0 This explained the collection of men and women in the edges of the room that were holding trumpets and guitars and saxophones and many other jazz-making devices.\u00a0 As long as you knew what you were doing, they were happy to have you sit in for a song or two.\u00a0 Barry knew what he was doing.\u00a0 Barry had rendered his vocal services here before so Franny, the guitarist that ran this jam, allowed Barry on without hesitation.\u00a0 Franny always remarked that Barry created this vibe or energy that could not be learned.\u00a0 It felt that it was something in Barry that existed in him before Barry even existed, like Barry was born around this special, ancient, lusty force and made it his own. \u00a0It was something that could not even be described.\u00a0 Barry would call it his \u201cduende\u201d.\u00a0 Duende is a Spanish word that is often used when talking about a stirring Flamenco performance or upon seeing a powerful piece of art.\u00a0 It is a Spanish word that has almost no translation in English yet it describes something beautiful and vital.<\/p>\n

Barry walked past Lily and approached Franny as he finished a song.\u00a0 This was the first time Lily saw Barry (the back side of him anyways).\u00a0 Franny saw Barry which caused a smiled and a laugh in that order.\u00a0 Barry pointed and said a couple words to Franny and the band members.\u00a0 They nodded and started playing one of Barry\u2019s most often used standards: Lady Love<\/em> by Lou Rawls.\u00a0 Barry loved Lou Rawls and it could be said that Lou loved Barry.\u00a0 Before he died, whenever Lou performed in Bermuda, he would make sure Barry either opened for him or least joined him on stage for a couple numbers.\u00a0 Imagine that, Lou and Barry on stage together.\u00a0 Such moments must have inspired cologne.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

One of the most desirable elements of Barry\u2019s performance of Lady Love <\/em>is that the lyrics he sings, just like his suits, are custom.\u00a0 Lou Rawls claimed to have loved Barry\u2019s version more than his own (Lou was supposedly heard saying this to Barry during one of his epic \u201cBermuda Dunes\u201d parties that happened in the sand dunes of Bermuda).\u00a0 Barry\u2019s response to that was simply, \u201cThat\u2019s so heavy.\u201d\u00a0 Barry wanted to say much more but he couldn\u2019t put it to words.\u00a0 The fact that one of jazz\u2019s finest creations preferred Barry\u2019s lyrical take over his own was something more than walking on the moon; it was deciding to keep flying past the moon and opting to dance on Mars.\u00a0 This was Barry\u2019s life.\u00a0 These were his achievements.\u00a0 These were the things he would have put in a trophy room if a scientist had invented away to hang a moment on the wall or turn it into a shiny golden figure you could hoist above your head at some sort of award ceremony.<\/p>\n

To my knowledge, Barry never won any sort of major award yet he is monstrously respected by his peers and his fans.\u00a0 Barry is a moment hunter.\u00a0 That\u2019s what he cares about.\u00a0 He doesn\u2019t do shows for the money or for the glory of playing in a sold-out arena or for some hope that in the audience there might be a big industry type that will turn him into a big star.\u00a0 Barry does the shows he wants to do.\u00a0 As long as there are ladies to charm, a genuine audience, and of course, duende<\/em> in the air, Barry considers it to be a great success.\u00a0 In an industry and in a society that concerns itself greatly with the ability to quantify your achievements by standards drafted by someone that you\u2019ve never met and that has never seen your art, Barry naturally drifted to the position of living, performing and creating in the moment.\u00a0 He is the one that determines what success means within his world, not some soul-less statistic that counts the number of views of a video on the internet.\u00a0 Barry never understood the allure of the internet, much less the allure of watching performances there. \u00a0\u201cIf you can\u2019t smell the sweat on my body, how can you truly enjoy my jazz?\u201d<\/p>\n

Per usual, the musicians didn\u2019t go right into the song.\u00a0 They knew better.\u00a0 They riffed while Barry surveyed the audience and made tender chat with the ladies.\u00a0 He called this \u201cjazz foreplay\u201d.\u00a0 What use is a tender song if you don\u2019t know who to sing it to or what wonderful little details define your target?\u00a0 Barry took the time to know his audience so that when he launched into a song, it felt like the first time.\u00a0 Barry approached Lily.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s your name, dear lady?\u201d<\/p>\n

Lily looked at her friend and smiled incredulously.\u00a0 She cleared her throat and spoke into the mic that Barry placed before her, \u201cLily\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut of course it is! You only name a flower after a flower!\u00a0 What do you do during the daylight hours, Lily, or are such details not for public consumption?\u201d<\/p>\n

The crowd laughed.\u00a0 Lily felt embarrassed but also safe with Barry.\u00a0 She smiled and cleared her throat again, \u201cI work at a community center.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, that is VERY MUCH for public consumption.\u00a0 Well if YOU work at this community center, I want to be the center of your lovely community.\u00a0 I know that\u2019s asking a lot so for now, please allow me to sing a song for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The crowd giggled again.\u00a0 Barry dropped back a couple steps and up on to the stage as the band crisply moved into the song.\u00a0 With a voice matching the heady grandeur of his suit, he sang his own special Lady Love.<\/em><\/p>\n

Lady love, your breath is fresh
\nLike a Bermuda breeze
\nMy lady love, with a lovely figure
\nThat\u2019s sure built to tease
\nCruisin\u2019 on my moped
\nTo a high school prom
\nYou’re my queen, lady love <\/em><\/p>\n

Lady love, My Little Pony
\nWish they had your hair
\nMy lady love, with a face that\u2019s delish
\nLike a juicy pear
\nAnd you know I need to make
\nA little synergy
\nJust with you, my lady love <\/em><\/p>\n

You know, you could have stayed home or gone to a discotheque
\nLooking for a lover to kiss and maybe neck
\nIt\u2019s so jazzy, just to love someone like you
\nI want to thank you for comin\u2019 around,
\nTo let the Tattlesnake love you down<\/em><\/p>\n

My lady love, I need to take you
\nTo the Bermuda sea
\nMy lady love, a midday cocktail
\nJust to set us free
\nAt the beach all day
\nAll we need is romance
\nAnd a little Bain de Soleil, my lady love <\/em><\/p>\n

You know, you could have stayed home or gone to a discotheque
\nLooking for a lover to kiss and maybe neck
\nIt\u2019s so jazzy, just to love someone like you
\nI want to thank you for comin\u2019 around,
\nTo let the Tattlesnake love you down<\/em><\/p>\n

Barry finished to robust applause and a few scandalous but welcome whistles.\u00a0 If smiles were sunshine, everyone would have left that night with skin cancer.\u00a0 But no one would have complained.\u00a0 All they would have remembered was an unexpected moment that made them feel good, better than the drinks they were enjoying.<\/p>\n

At the end of the show, Barry went over to the bar to order another glass of chardonnay.\u00a0 He felt and smelled the presence of a lady arrive next to him.\u00a0 It was Lily.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re a very good singer, Barry.\u201d Lily spoke with a look in her eyes that only a woman in her 40\u2019s can have.\u00a0 Barry saw her send her friend home 20 minutes earlier and knew it was only a matter of time before she approached Barry.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it\u2019s Lily the lady flower!\u00a0 Thank you, my dear.\u00a0 The high quality of my singing is merely a reflection of the high quality of my inspiration that I find in my audience.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I inspire you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut of course you do. This is one of the many delightful reasons that God made lovely lady flowers: to inspire.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lily may not have been Barry\u2019s first choice for an evening lady mate but there was work to be done.\u00a0 Besides, Barry had the uncanny ability to focus on the parts of a lady that pleased him and while Lily may not have been in danger of taking the blue ribbon at a country fair lady contest (if such a thing exists), she had some sexy confidence that would come in handy later on.\u00a0 The deception part of all this didn\u2019t bother Barry for a few reasons: 1) he would authentically enjoy himself, 2) Lily would authentically enjoy herself and, 3) Barry sensed some badness in her.<\/p>\n

Lily clung to Barry from behind ever so tightly as they drove along Amory Street.\u00a0 The trees that stood along the narrow strip of grass known as Southwest Corridor Park were giving off a an aroma that only helped the situation.\u00a0 Barry knew it would have been quicker to cross over New Minton Street to get over to Chestnut Avenue where Lily lived but Barry was a veteran.\u00a0 He was a four star general in the Army of Sensuality.\u00a0 He knew the power of a late night blast of spring essence.\u00a0 It would make her feel young and careless yet pure.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

For Barry, the moped ride home with a lady was almost the best part of the evening experience.\u00a0 This is why he made sure to design a moped that had heavier duty shocks and a more powerful engine.\u00a0 What if the lady had a little extra love like Lily?\u00a0 What if the lady lived on top of a hill?\u00a0 What if a lady could not wait another moment and needed to bring Barry home as quickly as humanly and mopedingly possible?\u00a0 Barry wanted to be ready for any situation.\u00a0 He would never forgive himself if a romantic situation evaporated due to substandard moped mechanics.<\/p>\n

Her hands instantly became a fan of the silk that covered Barry.\u00a0 Without realizing it, her hands began to wander.\u00a0 Other men might falter in this situation and crash their moped but Barry had the nerves of a surgeon performing open heart surgery on the President.<\/p>\n

They pulled into a small dirt parking lot.\u00a0 Barry weaved around a few puddles and stopped so Lily could disembark.\u00a0 He then found a hidden place behind a couple dark blue recycling bins.\u00a0 Unless someone decided to do some midnight recycling, no one would encounter Barry\u2019s two jazzy wheels.<\/p>\n

With arms interlocked, two people walked into an apartment.\u00a0 A few hours later, only one walked out.\u00a0 It was subtle but there was indeed a triumphant air to his step.\u00a0 He had successfully navigated a lady boat through the often hard to navigate lady seas.\u00a0 The cost of this experience for Lily was a black VHS cassette that was now in Barry\u2019s hand.\u00a0 Depending what was on the tape, the cost may be small or quite large.\u00a0 Unless Lily planned on watching the security camera tape, she would never know Barry peeled the label off the real cassette and placed it on the dummy video tape he brought with him.\u00a0 Barry actually made the swap while they undressed. \u00a0He could have waited until she used the bathroom to make the exchange but he wanted a challenge.\u00a0 Barry sincerely hoped she watched the tape he left her.\u00a0 It was a video someone made years ago in Bermuda.\u00a0 Barry and his friends attached some simple chariots to some mopeds and had a Ben Hur-themed race along a hard sand beach.\u00a0 There was a driver on the moped, a person in the chariot, lots of action, and no rules.<\/p>\n

It was Barry\u2019s first official Jambassadors success.\u00a0 It would be the first of many.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

May 6th, 2012 Terrence and I stood in front of The Geek \u201cIs there some way for The Geek to patch into the community center\u2019s security camera network?\u201d I asked Terrence. Seeing he was so outnumbered by the rest of the team and partly because he felt bad for Ripps\u2019 recent trouble, Terrence, right at … <\/p>\n

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