“Hello there boy, why do I find you sitting beside my lair?”
The man’s voice was soft, enchanting but clear and precise.
“I, I… I was just resting momentarily, sir” I eventually replied.
In an instant I found myself respecting him.
Again the man spoke, this time with interest and affection;
“So, boy, what brings you here? This is a long way from the hustle and bustle of your town. Not often are we blessed with a visit from someone of your age, it is,” the man paused,
“An honour, please…P…Please, do come inside”
At first this invitation concerned me; I was reassured by the fondness in the man’s voice.
“I can’t” I replied, I have to keep moving or they’ll catch me.
“Who dares to chase you, are they your enemies?”
“There just bloody bullies” I exclaimed. This was the last time I remembered using such ‘common’ language as I grew to know it.
“So boy, do you have a name?” the man snarled.
“Well, yes, of course!” I timidly mumbled. “Well sir, Me’ names Jo” I proudly announced.
“Ahhh Jo, yes, young Jo A pleasant enough name” proclaimed the man.
“And, well, if you don’t mind me saying, that is, what’s your name…Sir?”
“An intriguing question Jo, for that you shall be rewarded with the knowledge of my name” the man joked.
At first I didn’t understand this joke but laughed anyway.
“Well, Jo my name is Monty” He said.
Seemed like a strange name to me but then not much that night, or any night after then was ‘normal’.
“Anyway please come in, we don’t want these thugs to catch you do we?”
“No, of course not Monty” I whispered. They where close now, not even Monty could defend me from these savages. I followed Monty into the mansion. An aura and presence lay inside the place. He took me upstairs to one of many pleasant rooms. On the way up I couldn’t help but notice dark figures sneaking and moving amongst the shadows.
“Who are all these people?” I asked.
“Come closer” the man said, “I’ll tell you what happens here” he added. “This is a club, you may call it a night club or even a pub but nevertheless this is a club. A very expensive, very exclusive club. Celebrities, entrepreneurs and wealthy businessmen come here to…err… ‘Unwind’.
At first the thought of all these famous and wealthy people coming here seemed unbelievable; I pondered what they could be doing here for a while. Soon I was to find out.
“Come, come I will show you around” Monty barked. I paused to imagine what I might see, and then followed closely behind him. As we walked further and further the abundance of people became more and more abrupt.
I was shown around ‘the club’ for around 2 hours before I had explored all of it.
I had however, forgotten how and why I came to be here. I was on the run. That night I stayed at the club in one of the many rooms Monty had to offer. I slept in a huge bed, I slept well, this was a welcomed change from my ‘2 up 2 down’ “FLAT!” In the morn I dined with all the guests at a huge elegant table. Clothed with antiquities such as candle sticks, vintage cutlery and ancient place mats this table was obviously designed to impress.
It was inevitable that someone would ask me why I was here… Breakfast was silent, perhaps by rule or regulation or perhaps by hangover. Monty did not know much, in fact, he only knew my name and that I was on the run, and yet, he had offered me all of his possessions at my disposal simply to please and comfort me in this time of stress. He certainly didn’t k now that I was living by myself in a small flat off the gyros that I could still claim from my father (who was dead). I marvelled at the difference between my life here and my life at ‘home’ my thoughts collided and I was left with this strange depiction of ‘home’ some home I thought. I had decided. I was to stay here with Monty.
He had not offered to let me stay here with him for another night, nor for the rest of my visible life. But I was firmly reassured by the friendliness I found in his eyes as he tilted his head towards mine in a fashion that seemed to ask ‘are you ok there?”
Yes this certainly did reassure me I was to stay. That was it.
I spent the day relaxing in the sun this seemed strange for this time of year but yet it was still very warm. I eventually asked Monty if I could stay. At this he seemed angered. He turned his back and walked away.
“Humph” He growled. After an hour or two he returned back down the stairs in a different mood entirely. He welcomed me to stay, and invited me to spend that night ‘on the door’
This I did; I spent that night on the door with Monty and ‘the men’. As we waited for people to arrive I thought what these men might be here for? I eventually considered security, and was reassured by there dinner jackets and sunglasses! After a while guests started to arrive, about every 1 in 5 guests where turned away, this club had no guest list but Monty himself. I was amazed at the sheer number of people he knew. After about 3 hours on the door I followed Monty inside where we accompanied some of the more prestigious guests such as a handful of princes from faraway lands I wasn’t even sure existed.
After 3 months and 4 days exactly Monty’s attitude towards me being at the club violently changed. I changed in his mind from a friend or family member to an instigator of problems and trouble. This was the day that I encountered ‘the chat’.
“Wait here please Jo” Monty huffed. I was sitting on a large leather chaise outside a room with blacked-out windows. Only Monty was in the room and yet he still asked me to wait outside for him to command me to enter. This ‘wait and call’ technique was very useful, Monty had once said. He taught me tricks and secrets of the trade, ways to scare and intimidate people. This was one. “Enter” he directed. I slowly approached the door, turned the shiny brass handle and closed the door behind me. In the room my eyes found 2 chairs a lamp and a desk. One of the chairs was accompanied by Monty standing directly behind it. The other I presumed was for me. I approached the chair and sat down.
“So how long is it that you have been accompanying me here then Jo?” Monty enquired.
“Around 3 months, and a bit” I answered.
“Long enough or too long I would say” Monty boasted.
I paused to think how to answer this question. Before I could Monty interrupted…
“GO” he shouted, “now”.
Without further conversation I stood up, walked out of the room and left the house. As I walked outside my pace quickened, this wasn’t because I was scared, I had become acclimatized to the warmth of the house and hadn’t ventured out much since I had been there. I ran, this time not away but back, back to a home I could now appreciate. I ran and thought of how I had once run up this way away from those thugs. The memory seemed so long ago. Since I had met Monty and stayed at the club my body had endured many advances those that where forced upon it by the fashion and impersonality of the club. I had spent every night and early morning for the past 3 months partying. I was a V.I.P; every night alcohol and various other illegal substances had thrust themselves repeatedly through every cell of my body.
I eventually returned home. The first thing I noticed was the absence of other people; I craved the atmosphere, the drugs and most of all the people. I spent the next few days de-toxing myself. Every day I craved the club more and more, but I knew I could never return.