Chapter 40: A Face from the Past (2)

When we finished the main course, the conversation picked up again. Alex asked Dana how long we've known each other, and was surprised at the answer. Turning to me he said, "I hope I'll see you, now that you have a girlfriend that you need to visit frequently."

"My apologies, Alex. I should have kept in touch after the service, but it's been a busy time for me. I have regular off-duty time, but I was on the coast, sight seeing, exploring. I guess I reverted to my old self rather quickly after you left."

"I guessed as much. You never called or dropped by."

"Well... I've spent a day or two a few times, visiting relatives, but to tell the truth those were rare occasions, and I really didn't stay long enough to look anybody up."

Sensing my discomfort, he changed the subject quickly. "What else have you been up to?"

"Not much really. A lot of reading, travel, and photography. The work is quite demanding, but pleasant, and on the rig I usually spend any free time either trying to catch up on my sleep or studying."

"Studying?"

"Just to keep things fresh. I'm supposed to take an exam in a couple of months, and attend a course in Aberdeen."

"Nice."

"I'm not sure. It's in March. The last time I was there, the weather wasn't very kind, and that was in June. Outside the city, it's really nice, but the town itself is very depressing. Almost all the buildings are built with gray granite or something, as if the gray sky wasn't enough. No wonder they have thousands of pubs. The only thing you can do is drink yourself to death. But, the Scots... they are a great bunch, really nice people."

He laughed at my description of the city. "I can imagine. It's definitely not a place for us."

"You've got that right. Give me sun. Anytime."

Dana was listening to our conversation with an amused expression. When I raised an eyebrow, she said, "It's not that bad, Mitch. Scotland, Wales, Ireland. They have some beautiful countryside."

"I forgot. You're Welsh. Sorry."

She patted my arm, and said, "Half-Welsh. I understand, Mitch. Growing up in a sunny country, I know it must have been different. I grew up here, and I know I didn't like the weather when I was visiting my grandparents in the summers. But, each place has its own beauty and quirks."

"I guess that's true. I know it was much nicer outside the city. And, you travel more than I do."

Alex got into the conversation again. "Since you mentioned photography... Gary opened a studio a few blocks away from our office."

"Really? So he quit also?"

"Yes. I guess he was scared he would glow in the dark if he stayed too long in that place," he quipped.

I let out a thunderous laughter, as he expected. Dana and Sarah were wondering about my reaction, and as soon as I collected my breath I noticed that my outburst had interrupted the conversation of others, too.

"Sorry. As usual Alex was being outrageous," I said, then went about explaining. Gary worked in the 'wire-line logging' department of the company, and sometimes he had to work with radioactive materials. The materials were kept in lead-encased and sealed coffers, but they had to be taken out and placed inside special tools-the specific logging tool-to take measurements from the well bore. The radiation was low level, but he had to carry a radiation badge, which was regularly checked to measure the amount of radiation he was exposed to. When Gary came from a logging job, late at night, we would all joke about how he glowed in the dark. When we had a power cut at the dorm, somebody would yell: "Forget about torch lights, where's Gary?"

"Now, it sounds like a cruel joke, not something to make light of it, but somehow we kept teasing him like that, and he took it in stride," Alex added.

"And he paid us back," I reminded.

"Oh, yes! He did," Alex said, with a big grin remembering how Gary had paid us back. Turning to the others, he told the story.

"You have to keep in mind, Chernobyl happened not too long before that time. There were still discussions going on about short and long-term effects of the disaster on the environment. He took us to his office, and showed us calibration records, before and after Chernobyl. The calibration records list the measured natural radiation that is present on ground level. According to the records, there were some spot variations, but the natural radiation levels were three to four times higher. With the nastiest grin he could muster, he said: 'I don't know how much radiation you guys are exposed to, but I know what I'm getting, ' while playing with the radiation badge he was carrying. Like idiots we asked if he had spare badges, and grudgingly he gave us two, in their original packing. We carried them for a month, and then... Well, you can guess the end. He had them exposed to radiation. We figured out the con he pulled on us, but he had a good laugh."

"Good for Gary. You guys earned it," Sarah said, amused by the story, but taking sides with Gary, whom she perceived as the underdog.

"How old were you?" Kathy reprimanded, getting chuckles from everybody, including Alex and I.

"We were old enough to act like kids. In that kind of atmosphere, you try hard to have some kind of fun, and the practical jokes were either very childish or quite inventive and elaborate," Alex replied.

"Yeah. They were. Gary got me in the dark room. We had a spare room in the basement, and he had converted it to a dark room. I bought a box of print paper, and wanted to get some black and white prints. I asked Gary to help me with developing and fixing the prints, because he had promised to teach me. We put on the safe light, turned off all the other lights, and I opened the cover of the box of papers and put the box in the drawer where we kept the print paper. I took a sheet and exposed it under the enlarger. The first print was OK when we developed and fixed it, but after that, it didn't go well. Every print was black. Gary took over and did some prints, and they were OK. Well, almost. The edges of the papers were dark or black, but the actual exposed parts were perfect. When I took over, I kept getting black prints, and when he tried, he got good prints. I was going nuts. Finally, Gary explained the trick he pulled on me. He had a small light fixed in the drawer, with a hidden switch at the side of the table. Before I picked a sheet, he would light it up, so the top sheet would get exposed, thus a black print. The sheets below were relatively safe, except the edges, so that's why his prints had those black edges when we developed them," I explained.

"So, how long did you waste in the dark room?" Dana asked, with an amused tone.

"He messed with me about an hour, then we got down to business, and finished the prints. He was good. I learned a lot from him."

"Yes, he is. He's doing quite well with the studio. I think it was the best decision he ever made," Alex said.

"So you two get together, frequently?" I asked.

"As much as possible. He's married, with a two-year-old daughter. She's a doll," Alex said.

"Wow! I guess I really have to visit you guys."

Alex smiled instead of making a comment. We were interrupted again by the arrival of the waiter, who collected the empty plates, set new plates and cutlery, and gave us the dessert menu. After we all made our choices, he left us.

Sarah asked, "Since you were a bunch of jokers, I'm wondering if you all had nicknames."

Trust Sarah to pick a subject like that!

Alex and I both grinned at each other, but when we didn't answer, Sarah insisted. "Well, it seems you did. Let's hear it."

"Mine was very obvious," Alex answered, and waited for Sarah to take a shot. When she said, "Zorba," he nodded. "Can you guess what was Gary's nick?"

Sarah offered 'torch, ' and Kathy offered 'flash' while the remaining chose to listen. With a grin, Alex mimicked the master of ceremonies. "And the Oscar gooooeeesss tooooo... Kathyyy!"

"You knew it?" Sarah asked Kathy, who shook her head.

"Lucky guess. I knew it was supposed to be something with light, like a torch or flashlight considering the radiation joke, but he was also a photographer," she offered.

"Good deductive technique, Kathy. Now, I understand why Mitch kept complaining about your formidable brain," Alex quipped, earning me a sharp look from Kathy. Before she could say anything, he continued. "But, I doubt you would be able to guess Mitch's nickname. First, a warning, so you don't waste your efforts. It wasn't 'Georgian, ' although I used to call him that a few times."

"That eliminates the most obvious. How are we supposed to take a guess?" Kathy objected.

"Hmm. OK! It's an animal," Alex offered.

While the girls were thinking about it, Dana turned to me and asked, "Were you born before or after February?"

Before I could answer, Kathy offered, "April. I don't think it's Ram or something. I think it's 'condor'."

Dana seemed to mull something in her mind, and received a quizzical look from Kathy. "I think it's 'dragon'," she said, eventually.

"I would call him 'tiger'," Sarah offered, smiling at me, and I knew why she had chosen that nick, after what she had said about the way I moved.

"I think it's 'wolf'," offered Sabine, surprising us by joining in the guessing game.

"Interesting choices. I didn't think any one would guess correctly, but one of you did," Alex said. After a pause, he said, "Sabine guessed correctly."

Without waiting for Alex, Kathy turned to Sabine and asked, "Why did you think of a wolf?"

"My father used to go hunting. I remember him talking about wolves. Even though they have a highly evolved social structure, and travel in packs, there are also lone wolves. Listening to Alex, the image just jumped into my mind," she replied, which earned her an appraising look from Kathy. I almost missed Dana's reaction. I had been paying attention to her out of the corner of my eye, but it was very small.

"I see," Kathy said, a bit distractedly, then she turned her attention to Dana, who knew what was coming.

"I thought it might be his birth sign in Eastern astrology, since he mentioned Buddhism. He was born in the year of dragon. Why did you pick condor?" Dana responded before Kathy said another word.

"I was tempted to say eagle, because I know Mitch likes eagles. But later, he was more interested in condors, and I never heard him mention eagles after that," Kathy answered.

Both of them looked at Sarah expectantly. With a flush on her face, Sarah said, "I was taking a shot in the dark." Knowing Sarah well, Kathy realized there was more to it, but she let it go. Dana also sensed Sarah was hiding something, but didn't say anything.

The waiter arrived with the dessert and coffee. Alex and Sabine conversed with Mark and Kathy, while the girls and I listened to their conversation. Mark had been quiet initially, but now he was more talkative. I guessed the few drinks finally helped him to relax, after a stressful and busy week. Alex inquired about their plans for a formal engagement, and Kathy told him she hadn't yet talked with our parents, and explained what prompted the pre-engagement celebration; Mark relocating here.

As we all finished our dessert and coffee, I checked my watch. It was almost eleven. Alex caught me, and asked if we had plans. I told him Sarah and Dana would be having an early start tomorrow, working. He mentioned he and Sabine would be catching the 8:15 flight tomorrow; the only flight they were able to get after their meeting ran late. Dana inquired about their flight details, and told them she would be on the same flight. Promising not to stay up too late, Alex invited us to a bar. We all agreed, and Kathy suggested a nearby bar. I signaled the waiter for the bill. After I paid, we left the restaurant, and walked the short distance to the bar. Alex discreetly tried to pay their share, but he knew it was a futile effort, since he was visiting my hometown. In the end, he settled for a promise of a visit and a dinner.

The bar was quite small, and dark, and already crowded. We found a small table, and after arranging for a few extra chairs, everybody was seated. There were only three people behind the bar, acting as the bartenders, so all the patrons had to get their drinks themselves. Alex got our drink orders. Kathy and Mark opted for cognac, Dana for a single malt, and Sabine for gin and tonic. Sarah asked for coke, mentioning she would be driving.

Turning to me, Alex said, "I'm going for Ouzo," with an expectant smile, and I nodded.

Kathy quipped, "At least they aren't going for red wine," getting some knowing smiles from everyone.

"You haven't mentioned the times we got drunk on Ouzo?" Alex responded, getting a groan from me. He was trying to bait Kathy.

"We never got drunk on Ouzo."

"Let's say we never got wasted," he retorted. His eyes were on Kathy, but she refused to be baited. Instead of a reply, she fluttered her eyelids at him, drawing a laugh from all the girls.

Mark, Alex and I went to the bar to get the drinks. As we were waiting for our order, Alex turned to Mark and said, "I only knew Kathy for a short while, but she really left an impression at the time. I hope you won't take offense, but I wish I had met her later. She's changed in some ways, and I believe it is you. You're a very lucky man, Mark."

Although a bit surprised, Mark replied, "Thank you. No, I wouldn't take offense. I know I'm a lucky man."

Alex smiled in appreciation, and offered, "And she's a lucky woman," with a sincere tone. "Mitch and I may be friends, but we both know Kathy doesn't need a rascal like me," he added.

"I don't believe you're anywhere near being a rascal. I doubt Mitch would be friends with a rascal," Mark responded, before I could say anything.

Alex nodded in appreciation. By then the bartenders had our order ready, and we returned to the table with the drinks. I offered a toast to Mark and Kathy, and Mark followed it with a toast for friends, old and new. As Alex and I clinked our glasses, he said, "To the good old days."

If I already had a sip from my glass, I could have easily choked on it. Still, I couldn't keep from bursting into laughter, drawing quizzical looks from everybody.

"You might want to revise your perception of the good old days, after hearing the little story I have for you," I said, and told him about Manfred 'Pops' Reinhard, giving him a verbatim account of what he told me about 'the good old days.'

"Sounds like my kind of guy. He's got it right," Alex responded.

Both Sabine and Kathy shook their heads at Alex. I noticed Dana was watching our interaction very closely, with an amused expression on her face. When I raised an eyebrow, she said, "What other stories do you have?"

"Oh, no! If you let Alex and I start, we'll still be here tomorrow afternoon."

"He's right. Every time I open my mouth, I usually end up with the short end of the stick," Alex said. Looking at Sabine, he added, "I want to leave a good impression."

This time, it was Sarah's turn to comment. "Has anybody told you how incorrigible you are?"

"Umm. No. But what gave you the idea, my dear?" he asked, flirting with Sarah unabashedly.

"You're terrible, Alexei," Sabine said, with a soft smile on her lips.

"I'm not terrible. I think of myself as a gardener. I love all the flowers and try to attend to their needs," he replied with a serious tone. "I said something wrong again, didn't I?" he added with a grin.

Mark must have been getting warmed up to Alex, because he quipped, "You can't win 'em all."

Hitting Mark on the arm playfully, Kathy retorted, "He doesn't need to win any."

"Have a heart, Kathy. You have a good man there. Everybody needs some loving," Alex joked.

"Oh, you, poor baby. You need some TLC, don't you?" Kathy teased him.

"TLC?" Sabine asked, not getting the acronym.

"Tender loving care," Sarah answered, and giggled when she saw Alex's expectant look at Sabine.

"Isn't it the gardener's job?" Sabine retorted.

"Didn't I just say I always get the short end of the stick when I open my mouth?" Alex quipped, drawing more laughs from the girls.

Trying to help him out Kathy turned the subject to the past, and got Alex to tell more stories about our time together in my previous company, the places we had visited, things we had done...

"... Gary and I were driving back from the rig to town, and about a kilometer before the junction to the highway we saw Mitch's car parked on the side of the road. To tell the truth we didn't expect to see him, since we left before he did. But, he knew the roads well, and had taken a short cut. When he waved us down, we stopped to check what the problem was. It turned out, he had locked himself out of the car, with the keys inside," Alex said with an amused smile.

I grinned sheepishly at him. "I had forgotten about the door lock when I stepped out of the car. I needed to relieve myself in a hurry."

When Mark asked how that could happen, Alex explained I was driving an old model Renault, and most of us set the doors in the locked position after unlocking them.

"So, there he was, standing by his car, in the middle of the night, shivering in the cold. It was mid January, around minus fifteen, and he was contemplating whether he should break one of the windows. We tried Gary's keys, since he was also driving a Renault, but of course that didn't work. Mitch was looking around for a stone with the intention to break a window, but Gary told him he could take out the back window without breaking it," Alex continued.

"Yeah. It was a neat trick. The rubber strip that held the glass had a sort of a locking mechanism. It took him sometime, but he managed to take the glass out without breaking it, and I crawled into the car from the opening. Next day, I visited a garage and got the glass put back. It sure saved me some bucks," I finished the story.

"How did Gary know how to do that?" Dana asked.

"He had a similar incident himself, getting locked out of his car. And he hadn't been as lucky as I was. He was couple of miles away from a village and there usually were vicious dogs near villages. When he heard the dogs, he had to break the back window in a hurry to get into the car and drive away. Gary was scared of dogs. When he was getting the glass fixed in the garage, he saw how they took the remains of the broken glass out, and fixed a new one. It's rather simple, after seeing how Gary took it out, and how they fixed it back at the garage," I replied.

"It sounds like all of you had some interesting times," Sarah commented.

As usual, Alex was quick with a quip. "It's not just a job. It's an ad-ven-ture!" he said.

"Yes, Sir, Drill Sergeant, Sir!" I responded, which drew some amused smiles.

"That sounded like both of you were in the army," Sabine said.