Chapter 29

On the way home from Auckland he stopped by Bennie’s old bar to see how things were going since the accident. The place had been a wonderful home from away from home for him when he first arrived in New Zealand, and he wanted to revisit a fond memory, however bittersweet. 

He ordered a glass of green ginger wine, a wonderful and medicinal brew that was perfect for a chilly night by the ocean. He settled in a large, roomy chair by the fireplace and sat down. It was a great way to spend a winter’s evening. 

Two glasses later, Sally spotted him and came over to sit. He hadn’t seen her since the funeral, and was glad to see she was holding up okay. He understood her pain of a sudden and unexpected loss, and wanted to help if he could.

“Well hello doctor,” she began. “Thought you might have forgotten about us little people. What the heck are you doing here?”

“Well, I missed you guys! But the real answer is I’m trying to clean up my karma a little bit. And I love this little corner of the world. What can I say? It was the first place I touched ground when I came to New Zealand. My place.”

“Well it’s lovely to see you. I’ve got to tell you, I had no desire to keep this place going after Benny died, but I guess I just kind of carry on out of inertia. I remember your story you know. Your wife. Your daughter. How did you do it?”

“I’ll tell you Sally after I lost them I hopped in my car, grabbed a bottle of bourbon, and hit the road for 6 months. The next thing I remember I was here. That’s the truth. I won’t say I know exactly what you’re going through, but I’ve been in some of the same dark places, I assure you. The place looks wonderful though. I admire your resilience.”

“Well I’ve gotta tell you. His presence is everywhere here. The laughter. The stories. The thousands of guys that come in here on their bikes and share a memory. It’s taught me a lot actually. There’s a lot to life that echoes long past our physical bodies are gone.”

“Well that’s for sure. It’s such a short little dance we have here on this planet. Here today and gone tomorrow. Even the healthiest of us. But those memories? They’re like a torch that gets passed on and gets paid forward in ways our little human minds can’t fully comprehend or understand.”

“You know what doc? I’m sick of talking actually. Would you humor an old lady with a dance?”

And with that she went to the jukebox, punched in the numbers and waited for the song. “Fire Lake” by Bob Seger which was an old biker classic. He grabbed her for their dance and hummed along.

‘Who's gonna ride that chrome three wheeler
Who's gonna make that first mistake
Who wants to wear those gypsy leathers
All the way to fire lake
Who wants to break the news about uncle Joe
You remember uncle Joe
He was the one afraid to cut the cake
Who wants to tell poor aunt Sarah
Joe's run off to fire lake
Joe's run off to fire lake’

He burst into a hearty laugh as he thought about the lyrics. “Joe’s run off to Fire Lake.”

 Pretty in synch with his current situation actually.

At the end of the song Sally went and grabbed the bottle of Green wine and filled both their glasses as they looked at the jukebox together. There was no question of his going back to Auckland. Tonight he would stay in the guest room.

But not before they enjoyed some more music, wine, and the roaring fire.