StickyMangoRice

Matt leaned forward and squinted at the clock on the dashboard through red, hazy eyes, stinging with fatigue. The yellow digital numbers danced at him as he yawned; 4:00am. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and looked outside the window of the taxi.

A sign flashed past, ‘Brooklyn Bridge’.

Matt yawned again. They say the city never sleeps, but Matt needed to. Derrick had been reported missing months ago and Matt had tracked him here. The Big Apple, The Metropolis, Empire City, New York.

Derrick had been leaving a trail through the city. Matt arrived at one place only to find Derrick had just left, he was continually haunted by a lingering instictive feeling that his friend was one step ahead.

The last few weeks grooved to the rhythm of dark, jumping jazz clubs painted with cigarette smoke and wailing saxophones; cocktail lounges of black, red and silver crammed with movers and shakers, hip cats and squares, smelling of youth, bourbon, and money.

Green grass, rollerblades, joggers, all under the shadow of skyscrapers; brick walls and basketballs and music halls; flowing rivers of red brake lights, dull white headlights, amber, red, green, go, go, go; Madison Avenue, suits and ties, cell phones and hurry.

Tunnels, trains and stairs; billboards shouting out fast food, TV and fashion in loud, neon voices; Yankees fans wearing Yankees colours; homeless prophets; talk show hosts; graffiti artists; beat cops; hot dog shops.

Exasperated, Matt slept in the back seat. He didn’t know how long he slept, but when he awoke, a man was shaking him. The driver. The same one as in the picture, hanging above the rear-view mirror. Impossible…how had Matt not noticed until just now?

He looked familiar, like an old friend he was trying to find, although his beard had grown long and tangled. “Matt, You son of a bitch, it’s really you”, said the driver through a sly smile. “You think i’d miss this party?”, Matt croaked in reply. Derrick held out his hand and Matt met it with a huge handshake.

Last stop before home: New York City!! I’ve been looking forward to this city for a long, long time! Then home! See you all soon, blog readers!