“Sure…” he said with a nonchalant shoulder shrug and a smile, though he had no idea what MySpace was.
Joshua arrived in the next second, and introduced, “Hey Baltor and ladies—this is Rufus, this is Jerome, and this is Carlo. Everybody, this is Baltor…and who are these stunning two ladies with you?”
After Baltor had shaken everyone’s hand in turn, he introduced, “These are my good homies—Reva and Nadia.”
They in turn shook hands and said all the little cordialities…like “What’s up?” or “Not much,” etc., etc.
Only a second after the last handshake had been concluded, Baltor sensed it before he saw it, but he knew that E was now upstairs.
Turning to look, his eyes confirmed his senses, as the man had just rounded the corner with another six-foot-four man by his side. He had silver, buzzed hair, wore sunglasses propped back on his head, and a thin, brown beard.
After waving his hand, Baltor said, “Hey, what’s up E? Glad you and your friend could make it—by the way, these are my special friends, Reva, Nadia, Joshua, Rufus, Jerome and Carlo! The redhead’s Reva.”
“Hey,” everybody said, using that term or a similar term—Baltor observed that Reva was looking down to the ground and that her cheeks were flushed and red. She was feeling shy.
In the next moment, E asked, “I know you Reva…don’t I?”
Suddenly overcoming her fears in that moment, she looked up with red-tinted cheeks, and said, “Yeah, I do—through MySpace. I’m surprised you remember me from nine years back…”
After laughing once, E responded, “I never forget any of my twenty million friends and fans through MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc.—even the ones in the beginning. It’s just they who forget about me…”
“Hmm, I never forgot about you—in fact, I still listen to all your music almost daily,” she hummed aloud.
Nadia added, “She does, which means I do too…I usually listen to country music, but as of late, I’ve become ‘a fan’—especially this song you just performed! I was shaking my booty the whole time…ow!”
E couldn’t help but laugh, before bowing humbly and stating, “Thank you, my lady!”
Baltor had to know, so he asked, “What’s MySpace and Facebook and all that?”
E laughed yet again, before he answered, “Oh…those are internet-websites where I advertise all my music and books to people all over the world…there are now hundreds of millions of members from all over the world on it too.”
“Oh, wow,” Baltor said. The only two words his mind could not interpret were the words, “internet-website,” although he remembered hearing the first word back in the hotel.
Before he could ask what either of those words meant, Reva asked, “Well, can I please get a hug and an autograph?”
Giving her tight hug, E said, “Absolutely—I’ll give you both right now, back to back!”
After the hug had been released, about thirty seconds later, E pulled out a card with his photo, website and signature printed on it, and gave it to her—she took it and put it in her purse.
E was the next to speak as he introduced, “by the way, my friend and manager’s name is James.”
James did not say a word, but waved his free hand and gave a smile—E explained with a friendly smile a second later, “He’s not very talkative, except when he’s handling business…and he’s awesome at it!”
Just then, the tempo of the music had changed, transforming itself into the single most beautifully orchestrated tune Baltor had ever heard in his entire life—in the next moment, everyone around him was forgotten, as his ears relished every single note and drumbeat this song produced!
That is, until two seconds later, Joshua had begun to spin his other pair of glow sticks all around his body on the dance floor, including around his knees, ankles and elbows.
“The fuel had been added to the fire,” and so Baltor said with a whole lot of excitement, “Hey guys…I’m going to go spin some lights in the middle of the dance floor…so if you guys want to watch, go ahead. If not, I’ll be back real soon…”
Without waiting for a response, as the song got only more and more intense with each passing second, he made his way for the dance floor, yet stopped a safe distance away from Joshua or anyone else. There, he took the glow-sticks out of his pocket, and after unrolling them, he noted for the first time that at the end of each foot-and-a-half-long string, there existed a small circular loop—just big enough for his index finger to slide through.
Before doing so, he first ripped off his T-shirt and threw it onto the couch so it would not hamper his movements, which single action drew every single woman’s attention on his very-muscular-and-tanned torso, caused quite a few to gasp in utter delight. One gal even fainted. After sliding his fingers through, he clenched his fist and relaxed his mind.
Using the glow-sticks in the same manner as he would use his swords, he began to spin and twirl those sticks all around his pivoting body using a wide variety of movements. Depending on the speed of the beet, sometimes slow-yet-unwavering and sometimes a million times faster than the eye could see! Instantly everyone in the entire room’s attention remained focused on Baltor, especially those few rolling on drugs…even Joshua stopped his spinning, so he could watch!
No doubt, every single person was “amazed”—even E fervently bopped his head up and down to the steady beat of the music, looking “highly entertained” as he continued to watch Baltor spin…
The second the beat changed—around four minutes later—Baltor concluded “his act” with both sticks becoming trapped and hidden away under his armpits. In the next moment, he bowed.
The crowds, in turn, began to applause and cheer at the single greatest lightshow any of them had ever witnessed! After removing the strings from his fingers, he rolled them around the sticks, and placed them on the table next to the couch, where now sat Reva and Nadia—he henceforth picked up his T-shirt and put it on.
As soon as he had finished this task, the two girls rushed on him like moths to the flame—they then began to kiss his facial cheeks.
Only a couple seconds later, E walked around until he stood in front of Baltor before saying, “Those were some out-of-this-world moves you did there, bro! I’ve never seen anybody spin like that…you’re even better than I am—no doubt.”
While the two men spoke, the two women continued to listen, though both clung tight onto Baltor’s side.
“Thanks, my bro. You can spin?”
E laughed, before he answered, “Once upon a time before I became a rapper, I used to all the time at the clubs. But…it’s frowned on by the music industry, so I don’t anymore…maybe one day. Who knows? What I do know is that you, B, are very skilled not only in martial arts, yet with the sword…right??”
Sounding very surprised, Baltor asked, “How did you know?”
“Your moves said it all…only a martial artist can do such moves.”
“You’re right…are you a martial artist, as well?”
“I won’t lie and say that I am ‘a master,’ but yes, I know quite a few moves…all my art-forms focuses on ‘peace’ anyway, and fighting is only ‘a last measure,’ if all other measures have failed.”
“Me too,” Baltor smiled with complete agreement.
“So, where are you from?”
“I’m from Mississippi,” Baltor answered.
E’s left eyebrow scrunched just a bit, before he hummed, “Hmm, you don’t sound you’re from Mississippi—no southern twang there whatsoever in your voice. In fact, your accent is far different from any accent I’ve ever heard…a little like middle-eastern but not quite. You definitely have the complexion and the hair color to be from the Middle East.”
“That’s because I’m from the city and not the swamplands, is why,” Baltor answered right away, though he was starting to worry that he might soon get caught up in “this ruse!” This very worry became confirmed, as his telepathic thoughts only then heard E’s brain think, “I
should ask him what city? ”
Baltor purposefully interrupted, “So how about you—where are you from?”
Baltor’s ploy obviously worked, as E answered right away, “Umm, California, originally…born and partially-raised, though I traveled about a lot as a kid because my father was a soldier in the Marine Corps—we were stationed all over the U.S. As an adult, I served five years in the Army, first as a signalman-paratrooper and later as a tank driver/commander, traveling all around the world and meeting new peoples.”
“Sounds like both you and your father are tough warriors…”
“I got tough on my own without his help. Anyway, I want to ask you, as I need to get going here in a minute: Why don’t you and your two lady friends come to my show tonight…for free? If you want, during all my dance songs of which I have two out of six, you can even spin some far-cooler lights on stage in front of tens of thousands of people—electronic LED lights that change color every second…yeah?”
Before Baltor could answer, the girls replied simultaneously, “Yeah!”
“All right,” Baltor said a second later. After laughing a couple of times, he added, “Sounds cool…”
After E had pulled out three paper tickets wrapped in plastic out of his side cargo pocket, which plastic had three black cloth cords wrapped around them all, he extended them out, before informing, “Perfect. When you guys get to the set of black-and-gold-colored steel doors in the back of the building, once again called Oktyabrsky Big Concert Hall, knock on it five times, wait thirty seconds, and then only twice more—even if you’re late…”
After taking a deep breath, he added, “One of the doormen posted inside, after seeing these tickets wrapped around your necks, will escort you to my dressing room. If you do want to spin, we’ll have a pair waiting for you…just ask my assistant James. These same tickets also allow you backstage after the show is over, for the ‘after show party.’ You’re welcome to attend that also…if you want.”
“Cool, E,” Baltor said, while extending his hand out. “Real nice to meet you, homie…”
“You too, Baltor,” E said, while shaking it.
Though Baltor’s eyes remained open the entire time, E’s did not as they closed. In the next moment, his eyebrows and forehead creased, but that look only lasted a single second.
On the next, E’s eyes were once again open, although he still had those slightly furled eyebrows.
While still holding onto E’s hand, just in case he passed out or something, Baltor asked, “Are you all right?”
Releasing the handshake, E answered, “Yeah, I’m fine, B…there’s more to you than meets the eye, isn’t there, my friend?”
“Yes, there is, but I cannot talk about it right now, other than to say it’s not a bad thing why I’m here, but a good thing.”
“I see, good,” E stated with a nod. A second later, he looked over at James and asked, “James, you ready to go?”
“Yes, boss—whenever you are.”
The girls leapt like cats from Baltor to E, in order to give him a hug, and also a kiss on each cheek—Reva even planted an extra kiss on E’s lips right after, and said, “I always wanted to kiss the lips a world-famous rapper and author…and now I have! Thank you for all your wonderful art!”
“Author?” Baltor asked.
“You’ll see me tonight,” E laughed. “We’ll talk more later, B.”
Reva laughed. “Oh, ya, that’s right…I’m a little buzzed.”
After E had laughed, he looked over his manager, and said, “All right guys…let’s roll, James.”
“Yes boss. Later everyone,” James said. The two men, after still another final wave of the hands, departed.
Only seconds later, Joshua and his group of friends came up—in turn, they began to chitter-chatter about “world views and politics,” which views were “mainly negative.”
For the most part, Baltor remained silent about his opinions, except when asked a direct question on his thoughts about this leader, or that country—he always replied something to the effect of, “I honestly don’t know…nor have an opinion at this time.”
From what he gathered, most people in this world had not ever been happy with his or her financial situation—whether socialist, communist, or even democracy—even the girls were not happy.
Inevitably, Nadia revealed that she and Reva were “just barely scraping by” as they made five rubles over minimum wage—eight rubles an hour! After paying the bills and buying groceries, they were left with very little money. Furthermore, they weren’t happy because the Russian government condemned gays and lesbians.
It seemed as if only a half-hour had passed when Alexandra arrived, interrupting their conversation by saying, “Mr. Elysian, you and your guests have fifteen minutes left. If you would like more time, then that is great. What would you like to do?”
“Umm,” Baltor said, “Ring me up for two more hours, but as for me and my two lady-friends, I can tell when enough is enough…you need my card again?”
Neither of the girls objected, as they were shaking their heads.
“Yes, sir,” Alexandra answered, right away just before she took the card and turned to leave.
She was just about to leave, but Joshua tapped her shoulder before stating, “Actually we’ve all got to get going ourselves…my classmates and I have class within the hour at St. Petersburg University, but thank you.” He released her elbow.
She looked at Baltor with uncertainty as to how much to ring up on the card—he asked, “Did you get a tip for yourself?”
Alexandra answered, “Um, no sir…how much should I ring up?”
Nadia was the first to answer, “Five rubles.”
Instantly, Alexandra threw “a very sharp and irritated look” at Nadia, and was about to speak her mind, but changed her mind at the last second.
Baltor—seeing that “trouble could be lurking around the corner”—said right away, “Give yourself one hundred rubles.”
“Thank you, sir,” she clipped before walking away.
“Hey,” Reva asked in irritated tones, not even caring if the bartender heard, “Why are you rewarding that bitch for her awful treatment toward us?”
Baltor sighed, “Listen, girls, both of you. We’ve had nearly ‘a perfect time’ so far, so let’s not ruin it now…I was thinking that if you girls wanted, you could stay with me at my hotel room, and later, we can go to E’s show together, especially since I don’t know my way around here just yet, and you girls have the night off…yeah?”
“Yeah,” they both sighed, no longer mad.
Just then, Alexandra returned with card, slip of paper, and pen in hand—after he signed his name, she gave him back the card and the bottom half of the slip, and said, “You still have twelve minutes until your time is up—have a great day, folks.”
Without another word to anyone, she departed—in turn, the farewells were exchanged between the new group of friends, whereupon Joshua pulled out a hand-held device, opened the lid that revealed light, and said, “What’s your digits, man?”
“Digits?” Baltor asked. His mind had interpreted digits to mean numbers…what it couldn’t interpret was what numbers Joshua wanted, and why? His face instantly looked confused.
“You don’t have a phone?” Joshua asked.
“Oh—no I don’t. I should probably get one, today,” Baltor said, lightly bopping his head with his hand.
“Here,” Nadia suggested, “here’s my number. 001-2217-24-52321-1. Got it?”
Joshua replied heartily, “Yeah, I do. Nice to meet you all!”
“You too, Joshua,” Baltor said with a smile, just before he and the two ladies made their way down the stairs, and out the front door of the club that revealed the summery sun beating down on top, as well Butch and a long line of people waiting to get inside. It was then that Reva and Nadia gave this doorman a tight hug, before they grabbed a hold of Baltor around his elbows and paraded down the street to the left.
Al
ong the way, just as they were about to pass by a woman’s accessories store to their left—obvious by the dresses, pants, shirts, jackets, hats, shoes, jewelry, and even sunglasses portrayed through the large-glass window next to the door—Reva stopped them all in their tracks.
She asked, “Listen…neither Nadia nor I mind staying with you in your room, but she and I will need to disguise ourselves with hats and sunglasses, especially because of all the video cameras, and we will need to go through the side entrance. Know what I mean?”
“Yes, I do, all too well,” he said—in unison and chuckling all the while, the three spun around until facing the door.
Reva immediately took the first step, still holding onto his hand all the while—she used her free hand to open the door, which action caused the sound of a little bell to tinkle.
Only ten seconds after entering, an elderly woman—possibly in her early fifties—walked up and asked, “Can I help you all?”
Nadia answered, “Umm, yeah. Where do you have all your hats and sunglasses at?”
With a point of her index finger and a smile, she said, “Hats are behind the glass counter…and sunglasses are inside it. Would you like assistance now?”
Reva answered, “Yes, please.”
“Follow me, please.” With that, the woman headed for the counter. After stepping behind it, she turned around and said, “Just let me know what you want, and I’ll get it for you.”
“Okay,” Nadia said while pointing her index finger, “I want to look at that thin-green-and-white hat hanging off the third row, and umm, I want, umm, those white glasses in the second row, please.”
“No problem,” the woman said, just before she retrieved both objects and set them down onto the glass counter.
While Nadia picked them up in order to put them on, Reva said, “And I want that red hat two rows up and three down—yeah that one. And I want these red sunglasses too…please and thanks.”
“No problem.”
Only a moment or two after Nadia had donned both items, she asked aloud while looking in the mirror, “What do you think?”
The War of All Wars Page 35
