26. Saved by Mandy

This time I had to go out for a cigarette and thankfully Juha didn’t follow but Leena followed me. She obviously doesn’t smoke but I suppose she was trying to be a good hostess. “Thank you very much for coming!” she said quietly and suddenly I realized that despite to what I thought she wasn’t drunk, obviously it wasn't her cup being refilled with whisky! “I don’t drink because I have to go to work later but he likes some alcohol in his coffee, you know how authors are, and I pretend that I do the same!” Blimey, I had no idea that part of becoming an author was to be alcoholic but the same time I felt good with her confession.

In general I’m not any kind of square person, I accept other people’s passions and ethical handicaps as I expect them to accept mine but there are certain lines I cannot cross, for example a nurse that enjoys a couple of whiskies before going to work is just too much for me and even though I smoke I have never smoked in a room where there are kids even when smoking was fashion and nearly everybody smoked every where. Actually everybody thought I was weird when back in early eighties I was always booking seats in the planes in the non-smoking part. Back there the non-smoking part was a small section in the front of the plane! “I have another five hours until my shift starts!” she added while we were walking inside.

Juha was standing in front the balcony door looking outside obviously nervous playing with his blood ring. I thought it had come the time to ask about that ring, it was a good chance to change the conversation that obviously making angry but before I start he looked at me and said, “I suppose there is nothing philosophical in children books, they are harmless!” fine, that was a straight hit and obviously he was trying to provoke some kind of reaction from me. Kids need books as well! I tried to answer quietly. “Yes but what books, no fairy tales I suppose, they need books that will educate them!” I would never give Clausewitch to kid if that’s what you mean! He didn’t like my answer, “but you would want the kids to be aware of what is going around them.” Juha, I have no idea where you drive this conversation but kids have needs and I have no idea if my books are good or bad but there hundred of books out there for kids that are good and they should be more, books that entertain and educate kids. You cannot dismiss Winnie the Pooh because is not intellectual enough and after all I don’t understand what you expect from a kid’s book!

“You see? You don’t understand! How would I expect anybody to understand and publish my book!” have you heard the phrase saved by the bell? Well I was saved by the bell, well his name is Mandy but he really saved me. Juha seemed totally drunk and he was obviously driving the conversation to an argument, I suppose he was feeling some kind of male competition or threat, I’m not sure but this conversations was getting bad. Mandy didn’t want anything particular, it was the usual Mandy complaining about nearly everything and trying to teas me to start a conversation about Greek politics and ignoring that I was trying to tell him that this was the wrong time and I could not talk to him.

Mandy has this talent, calling always the wrong time and start the weirdest of the conversations you can not reply but this time I was grateful for the call, so grateful that I arranged to meet him soon in the big mall where he owns a restaurant. Juha was looking at me and Leena at him! I finished the conversation and I smiled at them, sorry, is a strange obligation, I said. “In my world is called connections!” right man, spend a couple of hours with Mandy and then I will ask you if you consider him a good connection! This man is obviously full of conspiracy theories! Leena smiled at me and I nearly run out of the house without saying goodbye and not sure if I will ever come back again!

I made sure that Juha was not out when I stepped out in the balcony for a cigarette, half an hour after. That was short of scary, I had to check before I step in my house’s patio that Juha was not anywhere around, that was a new situation I didn’t like! The conversation was so stupid so I couldn’t do anything, I sat for a bit in front the computer browsing the internet but nothing could calm me down and then tried a book but that didn’t work either. I was going to meet Mandy in a couple of hours despite the fact that I had used him as an excuse to leave Leena’s house immediately and now I was in my house I was somehow angry and sad the same time.

Leena looked so nice and now I had met her she looked nicer but this Juha person had made me so angry. I never understood why nice people always pick the wrong people. I mean I have a couple of friends that are really nice, I mean really nice the sort of girls you think that they will be the perfect wives and the perfect mothers and then you get them find the worst scams you can imagine who torture them and destroy their lives. Its like some men and women are wanker-magnets! Unfortunately Leena seemed to be in the same category.

I had another couple of hours to meet Mandy but I owned him, he had just saved me from the worst and I wasn’t in the mood to spoil the rest of my day because of a wanker like Juha, so I decided to go to the mall earlier and walk a bit around, check the latest DVDs, not that I was going to buy any, and just be around people and calm down; so I got ready quickly and I headed for the metro.

All characters and events depicted are fictional, and any resemblance to persons living, dead, or fictional or situations past, present, or fictional is purely and completely coincidental.