ALWAYS BRING A FRIEND TO THE RAVE, OR ELSE

 Another dodgy and mischievous month came to a close, and my ears still rang with complaints, from my seniors, within the past two months. It seemed the only thing keeping me sane, was spending my salary with my friends for a good time. Unfortunately, it was still the same reason I ended being hounded, at the work place on Monday mornings and probably my groggy self through the week. 

For about an hour, people's subtle chatter in the pavements below the building, hummed through the air, and the slow breeze of wind flung the curtains open from time to time.  The never ending, staircase chatter played like a cassette on repeat, not to forget the neighbour who makes their in-house concert with the newly bought stereo they are proud of. The evening breeze, washed it's cold temperature, on the skin of my face, printing goosebumps, as I popped my head through the window to check if I could recognize anyone from above coming into the apartment building. Unfortunately, I only ended up feeling the cold. I clicked the power button on my phone for the tenth time, but neither an SMS or missed call came through, from the illuminating brightness from the phone's screen that was only brighter from the encroaching darkness of the night. 

The evening news could be heard starting from every television set within the vicinity, as the rumble of old engines of the public transport vehicles began to fill the night with passengers and conductors arguing about prices and overloading the vehicles' capacity. My phone buzzed, and not even the speed of light would challenge my attempt to check who it was. "Mr. Buzzkill" The phone screen read. I saved my seniors that way, so that I could know when to ignore. At this point, I decided, I would attempt a night out of fun alone. A dab of cologne, and a quick fresh fit that had idled after being planned for the whole evening had found purpose. Today, I threw caution to the wind.

Bright lights of buildings decorated the window of the bus and my view, as I slowly began to approach the road filled with clubs and bars to a revelers galore. The ever building clouds of light grey smoke from numerously lit cigarettes, fumes of freshly opened alcohol and burnt matchsticks, stuffed the rims of my nose, when making my entrance, to the ear drum rattling music from the towering speakers at the DJs booth that shook the drinks in people's glasses and bottles at the club. I already felt labelled as the "lonely guy", when I sank myself at the chair near the bartender. Friend group after friend group passed by the bartender suffocating their bubbling camaraderie down my lonely space. Laughs and shrieks of surprise muffled themselves from crowds around me, like pillows propped up for a sleepy person, from the tables filled to the brim in deep intoxicated laughter and drunken dances from people who couldn't pass a test for a DUI. The brightness from clicking my phones screen passed its timing and dimmed on my face, in my last attempt towards hoping a contact would reach out. "Yeah, that cocktail, I forget it's name" A lady's voice called out with the bartender.

Rosy perfume wafted through the air of my lonely company, displacing the scent of my cologne and beer. Dressed in a red dress that seemed to stick on the body without the need of any adhesive due to the enlarged curvature, and a neatly groomed afro, had my eyes arrested in a gaze, for a couple of minutes. She took a sip of her drink, leaving red lipstick printed on the straw, as the circular ear rings jingled. "Mhhh, yeah, that's the drink I need!" She said. Silence filled the distance of three chairs between us, before she slowly danced a little bit to the music playing and holding her head now and then as her phone continually kept buzzing. "Arrrgh! Just.. argh! men!" She said. I fiddled with my beer, that was still somewhat full and looked up at the ceiling, but continuously kept peeking from time to time at the irresistible beauty and also what the fuss was about.

In a moment of distraction from the enticing music, I began to hum to the lyrics and dance a little. "Ahh! Wh.. Wow, oh gosh phew!" She said. "Ah! Haha! Oh sorry, didn't know you were there!" I said. Silence got back to the fray as we calmly continued minding our own space and business. She took more sips of her drink, as the phone continued to buzz a lot more. "Ey! Another! Another!" She said. She tried to dance and drink a little bit more,as her phone kept buzzing but her eyelashes seemed to be dabbed with the wetness of tears swollen in her eyes about to burst, while she sniffed a little bit. "Hey what's your name? Wanna dance?" I asked. She slid her phone away, covering her face and taking another sip before looking at me. "Haha! Uhm Jane! Yeah Jane, and uhm you are?" She asked. "Ah Victor, that's my name" I said.

I spun around, in a goofy attempt to quell the rampaging nervousness attempting to fumble my movements in front of such beauty to impress and hopefully get a dance to break our my boredom and maybe save a damsel in distress. Jane broke a smile as a tear rolled down her cheek, and wiped it immediately. Straightening her dress in the chair and still holding her drink she looked back at me. "Haha! Is this your best move? Out here on a lonely night?" Jane asked. "Maybe we could try and find out? Haha trying to make the best of it" I said. I slowly began to dance and feel free to the music, and Jane cracked a few more smiles and peeked my way. As her phone buzzed, she left her seat and the clicking of her heels on the well polished floor, approached closer and felt her silky smooth palms, still a bit wet from wiping her little drops of tears, fit into the space of my palms.

"The song seems to get me, lets see your moves" Jane said. With no hesitation, I immediately got into my stances and held her by the hand and led her to the rhythm of the dance. The rosy perfume was ever so strong as she brushed her large afro around my space and elegantly made her moves, from her thin waist and tapping of her heels now and then. It felt like a garden that could be in a bar and not affected by all the pungent scents of alcohol and cigarette smoke. Enthralled into the natural rhythm that we both had, I felt like sending this to friends who I was envious of and possibly my seniors, but I didn't want to spoil the moment. "Haha wow! This is fun!" Jane said. She strutted her way in a dance and made her moves in her space as she moved back into my arms and made a smile while looking into my eyes.

"Thank you, Victor! Are you sure you are here alone?" Jane asked. "Yes, yes, I'm sure! Why?" I asked. "Gotcha! And you aren't going anywhere this time!" A coarse loud voice shouted from a distance. Jane's happiness and joy dissolved away quicker than rain water on salt, and her eyes were painted with fear and shock, as she tugged onto my jacket tighter than a toddlers arms on their mothers apron. "No! No! Not again! Help me!" She cried out. "Don't..." I said. Before I could finish my statement, my jacket crumpled at the collar like old newspaper to be thrown, as Jane's grip loosened and she ran away towards her phone and bag. "So you think you'll just get your way with my girl huh?" The coarse voice said. Attempting to get away from the grip, was as helpless as trying to mop the ocean's shore, when I suddenly began being dragged away by another hand. "No! Jonathan, I'm tired of this! You don't respect me!" Jane shouted. They voices of Jane and Jonathan arguing, seemed to be slowly fading as I was dragged and things faded.

I opened my eyes to complete darkness and scents of petrol, having my hands and legs tied. "Get up! Useless!" Jonathan said. I was thrown to the grass which had patches of soil, and kicked around like a pebble on the ground. "You're the one who thinks you can take what belongs to me? Do you know who I am? EH! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?" Jonathan shouted. The darkness of early morning and the cold of the morning dew captured me, as I stood there speechless trying to find the words to speak. Three other bulky men, stood behind me and pushed me around like a maize bag in the market, while they kicked and punch me now and then as I kept silent. "Boss, should we do it like we do it to others?" One of the men asked. "Haha, even worse! Do your best job guys!" Jonathan said. I was pushed towards a rocky area, and steel pipes and baseball pats were being gathered as I stood and watched the three men approach me.

The rocks near me were crushed as the rubble and dust dropped down on my face. "Haha! That'll be your face at the end of this!" One of the men said. Suddenly, through the ruffling of the bushes and the rocks, Jonathan and the men unfortunately disturbed the home of some wild animals. In their disruption and trying to protect Jonathan, it gave me some room to open out and make some strides away and disappear as they also fled in their car. Littered with soil and mud patches on my clothes and face, I made my way to the bus stop trying to find my way home while trying to remove the ropes tied on me. A few more long hours and I dropped on the ground of my home apartment after gaining the many stares of the neighbours on the staircase. Within a few minutes, my phone suddenly buzzed again. It was my friend, Thomas. "Bro! Can I come crush at your place? You didn't appear today at the club? I'm sooo hangovered!" He said. "Next time we go together, let me know when you arrive." I said.