The Brave, The Scared and Death

Alberto Jackson Carter



The Brave, The Scared and Death.



"When are they going to turn the street lights on, Mack?" George, the barman said.



"I don't know." Mack faintly said.




"You are a city electrician for goodness sakes. How do you not know why the street lights don't work?" George said angrily. 




"Come on George get off my back."




" Then tell me why the lights don’t work. Business has been going down these last three days because don't nobody want to come to a bar when it's this dark. I mean guys come in still but it’s just the ones who hardly have anything and can only buy a couple of beers. Men with good business don't want to come to my bar when its pitch black out. They are afraid of what could happen in the dark."




"Well, George, this is just a rumor and I probably shouldn't even be telling you this but there's a rumor around that Joe 'Black' Hart is keeping the lights off."




"What?" George spoke with a righteous indignation coming out if him. "What in the hell would he do that for?"




" I don't know."




"So that's what it has come down too. One man with all the power is going to set our little town into darkness. I tell you what that just ain't right of a man. I don't care if he is the most powerful person in this town. That just ain't manly. I've kept this bar a clean well lighted place so men could drink and be happy and forget their troubles at work or home for a while. Joe ain't thinking about the men who need those street lights to feel safe to come to a place like my bar."




"Yes that's exactly it. George you sounding like a preacher man. I bet you could stand up to Joe "Black" Hart."




"Get off that talk, Mack. I got a wife and kids. I run this bar which has been in my family for a long time. You know why they call Joe, "Black" Hart. If he wants something he will stop at nothing to get it. He has no sensitivity and no feelings. He is a man with nothing holding him back to kill a man for what he wants." 




"Ohh." Mack sighs. " So I guess the street lights are going to be off for a couple more days."


" I guess ..."





The door opened to George's bar. A slender man of average height walked through the door. He wore a nice black suit with a dark red tie. He surveyed the bar. It was empty except for George and Mack. He slowly walked to the counter and sat down next to the other two men. 




"What would you like, sir?" The barman asked. 




"Water please."




George looked at him strangely and asked, " All you want is a glass of water?"




"Yes, that's all I need." 




George looked at his customer closely. He had a handsome face but with cold grey eyes. His hair was jet black. “Do I know you, man? You look awfully familiar." 




"Yes, you do. I came here four days ago. There was a big business party for one of my co-workers."




" Ohh, yes I remember you." George said excitedly. Mack this guy.... Excuse me sir, I forgot your name."




"Bernard Ernest."




" Yes, Bernard was great at the party. He was the funny guy and boy I tell you what he had a hot date with him too that night. What was her name?"




"Mina Gudren." 




Mack coughed violently forcing him to spit out the beer in his mouth. "Did you say Mina Gudren.?" Mack asked suspiciously.




"Yes, I did." Bernard said firmly.




"Do you know her." George asked.




"No, no, I mean I have heard of her, but no i don't know her." Mack said tensely.




George gave the electrician a look of curiosity. Bernard took a big gulp of his large glass of water.



“George asked Bernard, “Do you not drink beer." 




"No, I do not." 




"Not even once?" Mack asked.




" I did once by myself because I was feeling low. I thought I might try it to make me feel better. I got a stomach ache and ended up throwing it up everywhere that night."




" Well that's the problem you were drinking by yourself. Come down here sometime with your business buddies and drink. I promise this is a great place to leave any troubles at the door, come in, drink, laugh and have a great time. Ain't it Mack?" 




“I say amen to that. I spend lots of nights here having a good time. I avoid my wife's showering of non sense conversations or wait for my kids to end their rambunctious rants." 




“I see." Bernard said smoothly. "Well, this sounds like a great place George, but beer makes me sick to my stomach. Now, water has always been good. It keeps my heart well." Mack and George nodded their heads in agreement, but not acceptance that water could do what beer only could. 




"And water also makes you have to go to the bathroom often." Bernard chuckled. " Where are your bathrooms?" he asked. 




"Their over there to the right of the register." The barman said. 
Bernard in his slow smooth walk went across the room to the restroom. 




Mack began to talk to the barman quietly, but in an urgent rapid voice, " George it's him. He's the reason the street lights are off. "




"What! You can't be serious. How is he the reason for all this darkness?"



" I remember, now. People in my department were saying that Joe turned off all the lights because he was looking for somebody..."




“So what he could be looking for anybody." George interrupted. 




“No, they are looking for Bernard. Four nights ago Joe was out of town. On that same night Mina Gudren was with Bernard at the party here."




George looked at Mack while he was in deep thought and finally came to a conclusion. "So Mina Gudren is Joe's girl."




"Exactly and Mina Gudren is the only girl Joe is associated with." 




"Wow. I would never imagine a smart business man like Bernard would get caught up in such a foolish affair. But what can you say. An attractive woman will bring even the best men down." 




“Yeah, well at least he tried..." 




George shushed Mack because Bernard was coming back from the restroom. 




"What's up with the silence? I thought this was a lively place." Bernard said in a cool relaxed tone. 
No one answered his question. Bernard began drinking another big glass of water. 




"Well, I'm going to go on and head back home." 




"Good night, Mack. Be careful out there." George said.




"Yeah, I will be." Mack turned towards Bernard to shake his hand good bye.




" It was nice meeting you Mack." Bernard said.




"It was nice knowing you. I mean meeting you too Bernard." Mack said tensely. 




He left the clean well lit bar and hurried off into the growing darkness. It was just George and Bernard in the bar. 

Bernard continued drinking his water. George grabbed a beer and started drinking in large gulps. The silence in the bar was eerie and made George uncomfortable. 




"So what do you think of the street lights being turned off."




" The dark doesn't bother me."




"Ohh really? I wish it didn't bother more of your business friends. But have you heard why they say the lights are turned off?"




"No, I have been away from town these last three days."




"Well, they say that Joe 'Black' Hart is looking for a guy. They say this guy was with his girl. Ohh what was her name?" George knows the name. "Yes it's Mina Gudren."




Bernard's face tensed. He put down his glass of water and looked at the barman seriously. George grinned because he knew he struck a chord in Bernard. 




“Why did you do it?" George said with fiery anger in his voice. 




“Do what?"




" Why did you go with Joe's girl, Mina Gudren?" George asked forcefully. 




Bernard didn't answer. He looked out the window facing the darkness. He thought about that night four days ago after the party.





“Bernard you know we can't do this." Mina said softly.




Bernard looked in Mina's beautiful bright brown eyes and asked "Do you love me?" 




"I love you terribly so. But you know Joe will find out. He has eyes and ears everywhere around me."




"That's okay. I love you."




"He's going to kill you if we do this."




" I need to know you love me."




Mina was sitting down next to Bernard on her bed. Tears filled up her eyes. 
"Bernard you know I love you. I'm freed when I'm with you." Mina said sweetly. "



"But I'm afraid for you."
She said.



"Why are you afraid for me?"




"Because Joe loves me and you love me. But Joe will never let me go. I am his prize and he will kill anyone who tries to take it." 




Bernard looked out the window of Mina's bedroom at the street light that lit the room poorly for a moment. Then he turned toward her.




"I love you and I'm not afraid of Joe. I will face him when it's time. But right now I need to know that you love me."




All of Mina's tears began to fall and she gently placed her head on Bernard's chest. Bernard smoothly took her right hand and put it on the left side of his chest. She could feel his heart's beat beating harder and harder. 




"We need to do this." Mina said. 
They slept together for the first time that night.



"There's nothing but darkness out that window Bernard. Now answer my question why did you mess with Joe's girl." George asked.




Bernard calmly turned towards George and looked him dead in the eyes and answered, "Because I love her."




"Because I love her." George said mockingly. "Come on, man, there are plenty of good women to 'love' if that's what you want." George says love sarcastically. 




"I don't want plenty of women. Mina is all I need."




" But you don't understand you can't have her. Joe is not going to let you take her away from him." 




Bernard didn't respond. He looked at George intensely.




"So, why would you want to pursue a love that you know is impossible."




"Because I know our love is real and it keeps me from being like you and every other scared man in this town." Bernard said strongly. 




George just stared at Bernard with a dumbfounded look. He gave up trying to reason with him. Bernard took out his wallet to pay for the two large glasses of water.




"I don't charge a price for water." Mack said. 




Bernard put the wallet back in his pocket and walked toward the door of the bar. 




"Hey, Bernard where are you going this late it's almost 12."




He turned around to face the barman. "I'm going to Mina's apartment."




George looked at him with an astonished and grave look. 
"You know Joe is going to kill you." 




"That doesn't bother me." Bernard said calmly and then walked out of the bar into the dark. 





Mina's apartment was five minutes away from George's bar, so Bernard decided to take his car. There were a lot of cars by her building so he had to park a block away. He walked towards the light that he could see from Mina's third story window. He moved slowly, but not with the same smooth ease as he usually did. He quickly turned around once to see if there was anyone behind him, but only saw more darkness. It was a cool night with a little breeze. He was halfway to the building door when he began sweating a little on his forehead. He finally got to the door of the apartment building. Bernard began twisting the door handle. He opened the door barely an inch before he mumbled too himself, "Should I let this all go?" 




Out of nowhere a strong wind took the little crack that opened the door and threw it wide open making a loud noise. 
Bernard's heart began to beat fast. He walked into the building. He closed the door. The apartment was in complete darkness. He had to feel for the stairs. He started sweating profusely. The stairs made an eerie sound with every step he took. He could feel his heart pounding on his chest. He felt Mina's calm hand over his heart. The wind banged the door violently against the wall several times. He knew his legs were locking. He felt Mina's warm body moving against his. The hall way to Mina's door seemed longer in the dark. He walked with a slow smooth ease through the dark hallway. He could hear Mina's deep long breaths of content in the back of his mind. Bernard felt his heart calm down. His face had stopped sweating. When he knocked on the door, no one answered. He firmly turned the door handle and the light from the room was very bright and made the hallway seeable. Bernard saw Mina on her bed. 
"Oh my God. Your tied up." Bernard shouted. 





Mina had rope tied around her ankles, wrists and mouth. Bernard untied all the rope. 




"Are you okay?" Bernard asked tensely.




Mina lunged to hug Bernard. She had tears in her eyes. "Thank you for freeing me. I don't know what I'd do without you. “ She said warmly.




Bernard just held her in his arms for a moment. 
"How did you get like this?"




"Joe knew you were in town, tonight. He knew you would come to get me. So he tied me up to keep me here."




Bernard's face grew to anger when he thought of Joe. "Where is he right now?" He said with righteous anger. 




“I don't know, but we need to leave." 




Mina and Bernard were sitting on the bed. Bernard stood up and turned towards the door. He saw a man dressed in an all black suit, with a black tie and a black top. He had a gun pointed at Bernard. It was Joe "Black" Hart. 




Mina screamed, "Joe don't do it." She jumped and latched onto Bernard. 




Joe looked at Bernard in the eyes and pointed his gun to the bed. Bernard pushed Mina to the bed. He looked straight into the cold bitter grey eyes of Joe "Black" Hart. Joe began to put weight on the trigger. Mina latched back onto Bernard. Joe saw she would die with Bernard if he fired. That didn't bother him. He pulled the trigger. The shot went through Mina Gudgeon and into Bernard Ernest's heart. They died together. 





The next night all the street lights were back on.