Strings Attached

~Chapter 4~

The stupid man is about to yell again when thankfully, Molly comes to my rescue. Well, more to my ears' rescue. They were beginning to go red with all his screeching. I'm not afraid of him anymore. He is no match for my strength. I could take him down in one blow. And he knows that. No surprise for his frustration then. Heh!

"Tame that boy, woman," my father says to Molly, making me snort heavily in reply. She comes up to me, swiftly dragging me to the privacy of my room. "What's the matter, Danny? Couldn't you come down for a minute?" the woman snaps at me, lightly hitting my arm. "No, I couldn't." I don't know how I'm gonna ask her for help. I've never asked her to do anything for me.

"Hey... um... I... could you... I need you to fix this for me," I finally state what I want her to do, indicating my bruise with my index finger. There! I gulped my ego and said it. She raises her eyebrow but doesn't mock me.

"Oh, alright. Sit here, and I'll be right back," she tells me softly, leading me up to the bed.

After my head and stomach are fixed up with bandages and food, respectively, I put on my shoes, grab my guitar, slip on my biker gloves and head out of my room. "Where're you going?" my father asks me. "None of your concern." "I demand you answer me right now, young lad!" he hollers at me, and I just shrug my shoulders. "What have you got to do with me going out?" "We'll be having visitors in an hour." "So?" "So you need to have lunch with us." "Not interested. Get your golden boy and her mama to do that."

"This is a business dinner, boy. And you need to attend it." "Why? Would your two cronies embarrass you? Take it easy, old man. It'll be fine." I tell him in a sham cheering voice. "Besides, if you so wanted me to be there, you should've told me beforehand. Guess your cronies would have to do." "I'm not talking about them! I want you here and that's it!!" "Sorry. Not gonna happen. Gotta go," I tell him, getting to the front door. "Have a great time though, and I forbid you to miss me too much, my darling old man." And saying thus, I'm out.

"Daniyal, if you do not get back right away, I'll take your motorbike back from you!" he shouts from the door, and something blows off inside me. What did he just say? He wouldn't even try! That bike is the result of my hard work, and mine only. 

I've sung around in bars all these years, and bought that bike. I clench my teeth, in order to stop myself from barking a retort. But... who am I kidding? I'd say something anyway. "That threat won't work anymore, daddy dearest!" I tell him and then proceed to laugh at him scornfully.

I get my motorbike out, and just as I'm about to take it out of the front gate, dad comes in between. "I've told you stay, and you will stay!" he tells me, his eyes narrowed into slits. "Like hell I will," I retort, and start the bike. "Then you'll be giving up your bike the moment you come back," he answers smugly. And that's when I go wild.

"This is my bike, you fu**ing old man! I bought it with my own money!!" "Don't you shout at me about money, Daniyal Hasan! It's got my money on it too," dad tells me, placing his hand on the headlight of the motorbike as if to stop me. "You put in what, like, 50 pounds, okay! That's nothing. So don't fu**ing go around bragging and displaying your authority, get it?!"

"Now move!" Thankfully, he does move, or I'd have run him over. I breathe a huge sigh of relief when that drama gets over. I don't like dealing with him at all. But the moment I catch a glimpse of my friends, my anger eases up a little. I wave my hand to them, my guitar securely strapped to my back. And feeling complete, I go out with my friends to enjoy the getaway we'd planned.

When we reach the outskirts of the city, we pull aside at a small bar cum inn to take a break. I strap my helmet to the bike's handgrip, and go in to have a coke to cool myself down. The heat is intense over here. And my tee-shirt is literally soaked through. Nevertheless, I sling my jacket over my shoulder and get to the counter.

There's a very cute girl standing across from me. Not bad, man! Not bad at all!! And when she looks up, I throw her a wink. She returns it with a cute smile of her own, proceeding to ask me what I want.

"I kinda came here to get a soda, but I'd be glad to get your number along with it, sunshine!" I tell her, throwing another wink and she chuckles lightly, her voice like bells chiming in a faraway church. "Right away, gorgeous!" she answers, still smiling at me, flashing her perfectly white teeth that seem like a ray of light to the dark corners of my mind.

And just like that, my day becomes perfect.