Tramps Like Us

Sign of things to come

Angie returned in time to witness a tumultuous scene as she made her way back to her table. With a toss of her head, she joined the crowd in singing the only words she knew, 'bamboleo, bamboleo.' She had composed herself. Now she attempted to display a carefree attitude, one that she did not feel. Her mood lifted when she looked up at Sera. She saw him look back at her, and as she sang along with the crowd, a glow spread across his face.

Angie thought she knew how Sera felt when he sang about not being understood. It was as though he had tried to sum up everything that had happened to them, and placed the blame on himself. The tears came because she saw the pain in his need to explain. She could not sit there any longer, because she could feel the sobs make their way from deep in her chest to her throat. The escape to the bathroom had been her only recourse.

In her refuge, she leaned on the washbasin, eyes glued to the sink. She raised her head with effort, and met a haggard figure in the smudged mirror. What she stared at did not please her. She winced when she saw sorrow and despair. Damn! This couldn't happen. Sera is my friend. The thought weighed heavy on her mind. She only wanted to enjoy herself while catching up on old times with him.

She pursed her lips and directed a purposeful nod to the reflection in the mirror. She made the decision to take things as they came. Angie cared so much for Sera, but how far should she let things develop? The question mixed with other thoughts and made her mind fuzzy, so she splashed water over her face to clear her head. A disheveled image now faced her in the mirror, so she dried her face with paper towels, and ran her fingers through her hair. Her shoulders lifted. She regained a sense of control. Then, when she thought she was presentable, she made her way with determination to her table, singing with the crowd as she went. When Sera looked down at her, she gave him a big smile to let him know everything was okay.

Sera finished the number to thunderous applause. He stood to face his audience. Copious sweat coursed down his face, and his shirt stuck to him as his diaphragm expanded in time with his deep breaths. The crowd called for more, but he looked spent. He addressed the audience with the words she had heard before. "I'm all done, I need a drink." His shoulders sagged to emphasize the point. Once again, she saw the positive effect this had on a Spanish crowd. They were quick to identify with the need for a drink.

He came to the table and slouched deep into his chair. His head rested on the back of the chair. Then he let out his breath in a long, slow exhalation, before he sat up to pour himself a glass of wine. He gulped it down, as if making up for not drinking enough before the performance. The glass drained in two long swallows. This gave him the excuse to fill it again.

"What a wonderful performance," she offered.

"Thanks." Sera uttered the word between gulps of wine.

Angie noticed he would readily accept compliments on his performances. Yet, at any other time, he affected a position of humility whenever offered praise of any kind. It was as if he lived a schizophrenic existence. Strangely enough, Angie liked that.

Sera sated his thirst; then reached for the food and started to compensate for what he had renounced earlier. He looked around the room while he ate. Again, it gave Angie the impression he wanted to gauge the effect of his performance on the patrons. Some of the patrons smiled at Sera, acknowledging him with a nod or a wave, and he nodded back. Angie looked on this as an extension of the show; an affirmation of the bonding they had undergone through music.

The buzz about Sera made his eyes wide with excitement. If she hadn't been with him all along to know different, she may have believed he had made use of alternative substances in order to reach this apex. He could still have done so without her knowing, but she felt the high was the result of his performance, and the effect on the crowd. After another tour of the room with his eyes, Sera brought his attention back to her. He must have seen her looking at him with a gaze of admiration.