(a soap opera)
Simza nursed her drinks while Cindy filled cocktail orders for the servers and tended
to the needs of her bar crowd. Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of a familiar face jogging by out front. It was Sky Bingham. Sky had been a beloved regular at the V.I. for a few years but she hadn't seen him for several weeks now.
"Where has he been?" she muttered to herself as she waved in an effort to catch his attention but he just kept going; he completely ignored her.
"That's weird," she said as she ran from behind the bar, through the front door and out onto the sidewalk. Spotting him she called out, "Sky!"
He stopped abruptly and sheepishly turned around.
Cindy put her hands on her hips and demanded, "What are you doing? Get over here, you!"
Slowly he began the half block walk back toward her and as he approached she flung her arms wide open and squealed, "Hey sexy! Where the hell have you been?!"
She embraced him tightly and could tell that he was not reciprocating. She pulled away and looked at him but he avoided eye contact.
"So, Sky, what's up? I've been wondering what happened to you. You haven't returned my text messages and everyone says they haven't been able to get a hold of you . . . what's going on?"
Finally looking at her, he smiled, "Hey, Cindy."
She took a step back and gave him a visual once over from top to bottom, "Damn, dude - you're looking good! Have you been working out or what? You're so fit and trim - it's great! Look at you!"
He laughed and timidly answered, "Yeah . . . well sort of. See, I've found the 'New Way' and now nothing about me's the same and it never will be ever, ever again."
"New way, what new way? What are you talking about?"
"Cindy, the most amazing thing has happened. A few months ago I met this guy, Zoltan, he's the guru of the 'New Way' and he showed me how messed up my life was; how awful my world was and he showed me the awesome 'New Way.' Now I'm one with everything that is and ever will be; isn't that beautiful? Cindy, you really should come follow the 'New Way,' you'll never be the same.
"Why would I do that? I'm happy with the old way. I don't understand this; you're really freaking me out, Sky . . . really freaking me out!"
"Oh and by the way, I don't go by Sky anymore."
"Really."
"No. I go by my new 'New Way' name."
"And what might that be, pray tell."
"Well . . . it's Hank."
"HANK?!"
"Yeah. Zoltan picked it out especially for me. Do you like it? - he said it was perfect for me."
"HANK? Are you kidding me? Sky is like the coolest name EVER and you're gonna let some guy named Zoltan go and change it to something lame like Hank?"
"Zoltan said you people wouldn't understand. You don't have a CLUE about the 'New Way'."
"I guess I don't but let me ask you this. Don't they let you eat in the 'New Way'? I mean, why are you so thin?"
"Oh we eat all the time; mainly algae, plankton and we drink a ton of yak's milk."
"Yak's milk?"
"Lots of it!"
Spencer came running out the V.I. and onto the sidewalk. Spotting her, he called out, "Cindy - DRINKS!"
Without looking back she yelled, "Yeah. I'll be right there."
She stared at the stranger standing before her and gently placed her hand on his cheek, "I want my Sky back."
Pulling away, he looked down then back up at her and responded, "He's gone. Sky's gone for good. It's Hank now and it's the 'New Way' all the way!" and with that he turned and jogged off down the street.
Cindy was beyond speechless.
..........................................................................................................................................The "O
ld Way"TUNE IN NEXT TIME FOR ANOTHER EXCITING EPISODE OF MY V.I.
