Sometimes Suddenly 1

With a breath of fire, the young protagonist rears his shaggy head. Grinning bigly as he scurries aboard a plane headed for Istanbul. Where old boats and strong coffee await. Cuddling up with a little old Indian man and snoozing for the next thirteen hours. Awoken suddenly, by the ding of a bell and the screech of rubberized tires touching down in Turkey. Stretching his gangly frame in the cramped fuselage. Loping through gates and watching stamps mash into his passport. Fred exits the airport in a hurry. Stopping only for a great big hug from his crazy Uncle Pinky and a chilly ice cold freezing redbull from the nearest freezer box. 

Fred shouts over the whir of taxis, “I’ll see you in a few days Uncle Pinky! I gotta get to Istanbul right now.” 

“Alrighty, let’s talk nirvana when you get to the boat.” Uncle Pinky says mischievously as they part ways.

Fred hails a taxi and plops his duffel in the trunk, Zooming off to Istanbul a moment later. Sipping his redbull coolly as the Turk swerves and lurches through traffic. Making the little motor whine in delight as he devours the highway. 

Reaching the Galata Quarter with a frenzied spray of gravel. The Turk requests a crisp fifty-dollar bill for his services. Which was awfully steep. But, the Turk arrived in Galata thirty minutes early without spilling a driblet of redbull. So, Fred paid the Turk and grabbed his duffel out of the trunk. Watching the Taxi roar up the block and around a corner into oncoming traffic. Standing for a moment, listening to horns and woofs and the wonderful buzz of the city for the first time.

Peeling off sweat drenched shirts and wildly scrubbing himself in a steamy purple porcelain shower. Fred steps out and smudges a clear spot in the mirror, polishing his teeth to a vigorous sparkle. Shaving a wispy little mustache he grew on the plane, and swiping long lasting lavender stink blaster deodorant beneath each of his armpits. Fred slips back into his all-terrain rambling boots with rubberized soles and reviews a scribbled message from his lovely and wildly scrumptious girlfriend, Snizzy. Which directed Fred to meet her a few blocks north of the Galata Quarter. Leaving his room with a cheery Jingle, Fred trots up the street lead by unctuous wafts of Kebab smoke and sweet honey drizzled delights.

Spotting Snizzy sitting outside an alleyway café with Cindy and Jenny. C&J keep Snizzy distracted as Fred launches into a giddy creep down the alleyway, zigging and zagging through the warm Turkish night air. Until suddenly the jig is up. When Fred pounces across the alleyway, wrapping Snizzy in a bigly hug. Feeling her slim frame press against his, staying there for a while. Before popping back into frame to greet C&J and clink glasses with gusto. 

The group all balance little twisted iron chairs on cobblestones and devour pita bread in a hurry. Followed by dollops of mashed artichoke and hummus. Pickled onions. Then, the waiter plops down a platter of jiggly chunks of meat. Which is first admired, then devoured neatly while Fred and company sit lounging in the alley like a bunch of happy anacondas. A drunk Turk squawks a strange and beautiful tune. Snapping and clacking her long red nails as the alleyway stomps their feet and hollers for more. Fred finds Snizzy’s head resting on his shoulder and joins in the hollers for encore.