I really wanted to leave Austin on the 13th of July, early Monday morning. I had spent a week there and spent too much money. Staying longer could have been dangerous. I had told Chris that I wouldn't go to Dubstep at Barcelona on Sunday night early the previous week. I had been searching for a job that whole week, popping into every restaurant and speaking to everybody I came across about any opportunity, but nothing had shown up by Saturday. Accordingly, I planned to be out on Monday and keep moving. But Chris kept pushing me to stay for Sunday night. I had gone to dubstep at Plush the previous Wednesday and it was a good time, but he kept saying that Barcelona was alot better. At the same time Tommy and Dorian from Sundae Skate told me that they would hook me up with griptape and some used wheels. The problem was that they were in a garage race in Houston and wouldn't be back until Monday. I had to wait until then to get the gear from them. So I thought, fuck it, I'll stay until Tuesday morning. On day couldn't hurt. That way, I could get the gear and check out Barcelona.
Sunday the 12th came and I decided I would have another Barton Springs day and so I did. I spent about 5 hours that day laying out in sun, diving into the cold fresh water, until about 3 or 4 or so. When I was heading out I noticed a tall attractive brunette with hula hoops and a skirt walking in. I was looking, she was looking and smiling, then she waved. I smiled back, made nothing of it and kept walking, thinking about how sexy she was.
Eleven came and were pregaming at Josie's, Chris' girlfriend. Then we headed downtown to Barcelona crammed like sardines into Alyssa's Altima, four in the back and two in the front. The music was awesome, I couldn't stop myself from stepping. Slowly the place crowded. When I had got there there was no more than 20 people, now there was around a hundred. Among the crowd, I noticed a pretty hot girl dancing. She still had that bikini top like the girl I saw at Barton Springs earlier and a similar skirt. It was too dark to recall the face, but I had my hunch.
Anybody who knows me, knows my game can be pretty weak with random girls at a bar. I can dance my ass off and conversate, but initiation is pretty hard for me. For some reason, that night was a lucky one
"Hey you were the chick with hula hoops at Barton Springs earlier"
"Yeah!" she nodded excitedly while still dancing
"I saw you walking in, I had the skateboard"
"Yeah"
"What was your name?"
She answers but I was to busy thinking about the next move, it didn't even process "What's yours?"
"Omar"
I move closer to dance with her. She does too but then extends her arm out, as if to say I shouldn't get closer. Normally I would have backed off but I approached again. This time she walked away. Fuckin ay, I thought. I kept dancing, loving th dubstep. From the corner of my eye I noticed her coming towards my general area and then dancing, her back facing me. I got a second wind and remembered the back to back dance that always got the women. I started backing up on her and moving with it to the music. Sure enough, she turns around with a smile on her face
"You just won't give up"
I just raised my arms and rolled my lip as if to say, "I don't know"
"Im just here for the music" she said
"So am I"
The next thing I know is her grinding up hard on me and us making out. When Chris comes up to me and tells me its time to go, I respond and tell him Ill find my way home. At 2 the lights come on and the start to kick people out.
"What was your name again?"
"Ciara and you're Omar"
"Word" I can dig a name like Ciara I thought
She had to get the key from her friend Paul and we ended up going to his house for a bit. From their conversations, I gather that they worked at the same place. When I asked her what she did, she told me she was an executive chef at a place called the Daily Juice. She was very passionate about this place, and the kind of food that was put out. It was refreshing to see. But she kept speaking about how she healed people with her food, I took it figuratively, but she was saying it literally.
"I heal people with my food, you are what you eat. Everything is processed somehow in your body."
"Yeah but what do you mean heal?"
"Like I healed a guy with a brain tumor with my food"
I didn't really ask about the details. I knew she must be a little crazy but I didn't want to find out how crazy yet, I just wanted to end the night right. After smoking a bowl or two, we headed out. When we arrived at her spot
"By the way I'm taking you to my place"
"Cool, just don't kill me"
We went inside and made out a little more.
" You are such a beautiful boy, I see this energy around you"
I didn't say anything back, but I was a little freaked by the energy comment.
"I noticed it at Barcelona, and its this halo around you" telling me while she stared into my eyes sitting on top of me.
I didn't have time for this shit. I wanted to get to business and that was the bottom line, although in the back of my head I couldn't stop telling myself that there had to be some meaning to me being here with this girl. However, all the dick thoughts, easily conquered the brain thoughts. By the time we were done and ready to sleep it was 6 in the am, Monday morning, still dark, but the sun's light was coming through.
I couldn't sleep that night although I got some good loving which would have usually put me to sleep like a baby. Instead I stared at the ceiling, thinking about how I was supposed to be getting up at that point in time, getting ready to hit the road to my next stop. Instead, I was laying next to this chick. I remembered that night on July 4th, walking through the city coming down and randomly running into the group of girls from Alfred, NY. The girl whose eyes I stared so deeply into warned me that Austin has its own way and may be sticking around. I told her that I doubt it, but I was wrong. The only thing I could think of, was maybe there was a reason for me to stay in Austin. I didn't know what it was and it made it harder for me to convince myself to stick around so I tried to absorb myself in my surrounding environment. There was graffiti on the walls, pretty paintings of some trippy shit. There was a drawing of a flower hanging down, but all kinds of stigmas, pistils and petals were arising from the middle. There was also a life sized drawing of what looked like the dancing shadow from the ipod commercials, except that it was an alien with different shades of green circles filling the inside. Above me, there was yarn hanging down randomly. And the wall next to me had a map to find oneself. I knew I could learn alot from this girl and I couldn't stop thinking who this crazy girl was that just popped into my life and changed all my plans. I managed to close my eyes to that thought and get some rest. I had to, the sun was already out in full force at that time.
"I can't believe there's a beautiful boy laying in my bed! I love my life!"
My sleep was interrupted by her enthusiasm for me and life and her massaging my back. For a couple more hours we hung out, knowing that at two she had work. I decided that morning that I should stay in Austin and see how it would work out. One more time, I would try and find a job. At about 130 she dropped me off back at Chris'.
I decided to give downtown one more shot and if it wasn't meant to be then it wasn't meant to be. From St. Edwards drive I skated to MLK to the Jimmy Johns Adam first picked me up at in Austin to check if they were hiring. Sure enough, at the spot I first landed in Austin, they gave me an application and take it to the downtown location; they were hiring. On 6th and Congress, I walked into the Jimmy Johns and asked for the manager. He looked at my application and told me he could start me the next day if I memorized the menu. And just like that, the first place I stepped into, I immediately got offered a job. Again I couldn't find the reason of me being here, but I went with the flow. I went home and memorized the menu.
It was a Monday and Monday nights were ALC meets. That night was no different, and again I couldn't wait to go skate around downtown Austin with 30 other people.
Skating is meditation for me. It cleans out my mind; drains it of every thought. When I skate, I focus on nothing. I'm just skating. Nothing comes to my mind, the only thought is blank. The next push is not a thought, it is a feeling transmitted to my mind
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