Once

A story from long ago.. winter 2003-2004.

After five or six beers and calling the bartender Lou, I drank a few more whiskeys on the rocks with no ice, and we left for toboganning. Some of us made it up to the top of the citadel. The point was to slide down. I tried to put the garbage bag on over my head so as to poke my arms and legs through it but instead it just made me blind and I rolled down the hill. Eventually recovered and looked around and it was just Beth and myself.
We heard people in the distance calling our names but at the time we pretended to be spies and hid behind trees. I think it was a snow storm. We walked about and eventually found a snowy outdoor stable. We entered and declared it the James Bond-rolling training ground. We practiced barrel rolls and also spy techniques. I found a chain for horses and draped it over my neck, she put a pylon on top of her head. These were our 'burdens'. Don't remember why. We then noticed that the little Bobcat snow-clearing machines - the little ones that clear sidewalks, were everywhere. I ran beside one for a while and knocked on his window. He stopped and I asked if he by chance had room for us to get a ride home. He said there was very little room and apologised. Beth asked if we could sit on the shovelling thing on front. He said this was not safe, and apologised, and left. We then tried to climb into a compound to steal horses or something but the police paddywagon came by. They shouted and asked what we were doing, climbing the fence. We just apologised and they let us off. By this point we were by Quinpool and we decided to visit the hospital for some heat and maybe the cafeteria. Unfortunately, and strangely.. it was locked! Must have been a wrong entrance.. but we just kept repeating in wonder, how can you lock a hospital?
Eventually found our way back to Spring Garden road and Beth said we should stop at the Dandelion Cafe. I knew the guy there was sketchy, you know, he's always peering out at people from his window. Anyway, we went because she claimed to be friends with him. He wouldn't let us in because he was starting to paint some canvas, but he said if we stayed inside naked he would let us in. Well.. yep, you guessed it! No, we politely declined and walked home. We made hot chocolate in the common room. I had never done anything like that adventure with anyone. This was before we started going out. I knew she was special. I woke up with no hangover but so many bruises. Later she told me that she wanted to kiss me that night, when we were warming our broken bodies in the basement.