Chapter 23
Open up
John felt huge weight lifted off his shoulders but he did not think that he might lose his only friend while speaking his heart out.
They were doing so well.
Even though he was attracted towards him and he did not dare admit that it's a tad bit scary not that Danny could ever hurt him but being attracted towards him meant bigger expectations that John had anticipated.
And he'd only mentioned two words
Two words "I lied"
John thought he'd pale at his revelation but he was laughing his ass out, laughing like there was no tomorrow, the laughter that dies with wetness in your eyes.
"John" he slapped on his shoulder "every one lies and if they say they don't, that's the biggest lie."
"Coffee?" Danny showed the café and offered John.
Reluctantly with the lack of money in his pockets and no job thereof John agreed.
They had to sit before Danny agrees to take the truth of his life seriously.
"I was in comma for almost two years" John said once Danny was back after placing the order. He preferred not to beat around the bush. Danny already had waved multiple times to his friends once he entered the café.
Although self-proclaimed nerd he was pretty popular.
John had to finish narrating his story before any of his friends barge in.
"Are you reading some novel?" Danny looked around wondering where this came from.
"Danny you'll have to listen to me attentively" John was a bit loud but that got him Danny's attention.
"I do not remember my past at all. I don't even remember my name."
John could actually lift Danny's jaw form the floor; his mouth was left hanging open.
"You are kidding with me right?" Danny tried to laugh it off "Don't mess with me. I am not showing but I am stressed and homeless too. I cannot take another blow."
He paused and waited for John to laugh with him but his face was impassive.
"All my life has been a lie after that. I am not John." John stated.
"Then who is?" Danny asked "Are you lookalikes, have you impersonated him. You know that is illegal?" Danny was blabbering now and John knew Danny had finally registered his word in his head.
"NO" John said firmly "this was name given to me by cops." He continued casually.
"Cops?" Danny panicked "you mean police. What did you do? Do you have a criminal record?"
He nodded his head "all this is a joke?' he tried to laugh bit it was constricted "you are being funny right? He waved his hand off "it doesn't suit your personality. You look great in your angry young man persona."
'I know this is too much to take but I am telling the truth" John looked square in his yes "and no I wasn't arrested at least not when I given the name john"
'Why would they name you John randomly?" he pause and shouted "What? You were arrested before?"
"Sssh" John hushed him "be quiet I don't want an audience,"
"whoa whoa whoa' Danny was full on stressed mode "you can afford a criminal record but not an audience" Danny stood from his seat.
John pulled him from his wrists chuckling slightly
"Finally you find something funny" Danny folded his arms "what is funny in this situation?"
John nodded eying but Danny was persistent "tell me why you were laughing or I'll leave."
"You might leave even if I tell you." John was reluctant.
"You have to take your chance though" Danny pricked his nail faking bored.
"Okay I am sorry to be a stereotype but" John held his laugh with a cough "you are indeed a gay; melodramatic one."
Danny eased himself into the high-rise chair of the cafeteria.
"You are not offended?" John asked surprised.
"Surprisingly no" Danny shrugged it off. "Since it is the fact that I am gay, I think I should accept and live with it rather than be offended or embarrassed about it."
"There is nothing wrong in being a gay." John stated honestly.
"Tell this to dad." Danny said curtly.
"I intend to" John said as he sipped the recently arrived coffee.
"What?" Danny was beyond shocked "After what happened today, you intend to talk to him?' he lifted his hands in the air "an advice from someone who has spent his entire lifetime with him 'Maintain distance with him even if you go for work for him"
"Work?" it was John's turn to be surprised "you think he'll let me work in the shop?"
"Obviously" Danny shrugged again as if it wasn't a big deal "you are a great salesman, good for business. He wouldn't let you go."
John took a deep breath "that's a relief"
Danny chuckled at that "wait till you work with him."
"It cannot be that bad?" John defended the old man he never happened to have acquaintance with but he seemed to be a man of principals to him.
"You'll see tomorrow" Danny took the last sip of the coffee lifting his head up for the last drop, he knew that was all he'd get for dinner.
"Now the bigger question is where will I crash for the night?" Danny wondered.
"What do you mean I? We both are homeless remember" John knocked on the side of his head for dramatic effect.
"Oh you have two girls head over heels for you. You can pick either." Danny waved his hands in the air. "You are a lucky b@stard"
"I can't be with either of them. But you too have a girlfriend" john remarked.
It was now Danny's turn to knock on side of John's head "I broke up with her. You forgot so soon" he made a disappointing face at John.
"I cannot go to either of the girls either." John stated seriously.
"But why?" Danny asked "Liz is hot and Kathie though clumsy but is sweet and I am sure she's a keeper."
"Exactly why I brought you here. You are too stressed and not paying attention to what I said earlier" John said "I am a dead eye. I have lost all my memory of around 28 years of my life. I don't remember about my home, relatives, job, friend anything. I remember nothing." He sighed, "I always feel lost. How can I commit to a relationship when I am not sure that I am already in a relationship or not? I might end up cheating on both."
Danny smiled a genuine smile this time "you are a nice man John" he patted on his hand that was laying on the table "No wonder I was attracted towards you. So are Liz and Kat." He winked "how can anyone not love you?"
John squirmed in his seat uncomfortable with the compliment all of a sudden.
"What does your doctor say? You do go for counseling sessions right?" Danny was all of a sudden concerned about Jon.
"My doctors discharged me from the hospital once I was out of comma and all the grants and aids were stopped." John mentioned "and about counseling my job doesn't allow with time and money to visit the psychiatrists. I did meet one once but she was a dupe?'
Danny coughed at John's indirect complaint but he ignored and curiosity getting better over him "Dupe?" suddenly remembering something he asked "but you had been visiting a lot of places lately and again you miss your work too, where exactly do you go?
"I had been occupied. I have been tumbling upon accidents."
"Tumbling upon accidents" Danny raised an inquisitive brow.
"First time when I came across cops is when I saved this guy from being kidnapped." John said not mentioning that the boy was son of a filthy rich business tycoon. "It was there they named me John."
"But why John?" Danny asked. He was startled by new revelation of John. He had so many questions to ask and curiosity was actually hurting him at every level
"Because apparently the cop believed that most of the people in this city are named John and naming me John would be convenient." John said slyly making Danny laugh his heart out.
"Just like this?" Danny chuckled "since majority of the population in our city are named John he named you John?"
John simply nodded
Danny maintained his laughter "then?"
"I came across you. You wanted to recruit some one with knowledge of ammunitions and I needed job although I have no clues how do I strangely and surprisingly remembered everything about guns and bullets."
"And that to precise and accurate!" Danny added.
"I was shocked too." John said honestly "but I needed that job badly. I hadn't eaten since days and then you were the godsend to have offered me free boarding"
Danny turned crimson "couldn't help it: he scratched the back of his neck "I was smitten by you"
"But you covered yourself pretty well" It was John complimenting Danny "I wouldn't have guessed in million years that you were gay and Cynthia thought I was a security intelligence agent."
"Who is Cynthia?"
"That is another story to tell." John waved it off.
"For now we have to look for a place to crash in the night."
"Where do you suggest Kathie or Liz?" Danny smiled raising his eyebrows playfully.
"None" John denied flatly.
"The community garden has nice stone benches." Danny joked.
"I know and they are not very comfortable." John dismissed "I have had the first hand experience I can say."
Danny formed an o' in his mouth finally getting that he had actually spent his nights at the garden.
"What do you suggest?" Danny asked.
John hesitated but spoke nevertheless "I know this place"
John was reluctant but Danny was all ears "this is a shelter home. I have registered a few people couple of days ago there."
When John noticed that Danny wasn't offended at the proposal he continued
When John noticed that Danny wasn't offended at the proposal, he continued.
John was half way through explaining Danny about the shelter home and his friends yes they were now his friends when the café was attacked by a small mob.
A group of four masked men dressed in camouflage prints loaded with guns entered the café and they did not shoot anyone but they started kicking people who blocked their way and threw benches and tables looking for something.
John stood to take charge when the mob located him and they targeted him
John tried to fight them, Danny too fought but they fired one bullet and Both John and Danny lifted their hands up.
They gave one hard kick to Danny who fell on the floor and held John with both of his hands taking him away....