Chapter 2-4

"Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young." - Baz Luhrmann, Sunscreen. This good bit of advice served me well, you see I had kept in touch all these years with Chad and Morris, through letter and phone we had never lost touch. Our friendship had grown and grown over the years and often, quite sadly, referred to ourselves as "The 3 of us", sad? Yes, but we were young.

"No, I won't do it" I said firmly, "it is probably illegal." Chad rolled his eyes in that, 'you woos' kind of attitude. "Don't roll your eyes at me!" I snapped, "I'm just saying, it will spoil it if I end up getting arrested, or worse." Chad got off the bed and walked to the window, "Well if we don't it's gonna be kinda pointless." he said. Morris, being Morris, was sitting quietly on the floor. We balanced each other perfectly as friends, I was the muscle, although I hadn't hit anyone since school, with a long term steady girlfriend, Chad was the good looking loud one, with a different girl every time we saw him and Morris he was the quiet gentle one and he was single. We sat in silence for a while trying to think of a solution or alternative, it was Saturday and the 3 of us had been racking our brains trying to think of the perfect way for me to pop the question to Jane, we had 4 more hours left before she was home. Suddenly Morris broke the silence, "There is an alternative." he said knowingly. We both turned to face him, Morris didn't speak much but when he did he liked the dramatics, he slurped his coffee and rested his head back on the wall, Chad made a circular motion with his hand to get him to hurry. “AND!!” both Chad and I said in unison. “We could always do it above board and just get permission.” He said. Chad and I looked at each other in a knowing but strained way, Chad was the first to reply, “We would never get permission for something like that, people might get hurt.” I nodded in agreement. Morris stroked his beard and smiled, “You say that,” he said in a cocky way “but I know this bloke.” Ah, there it was, Morris always knew a bloke, he never talked about it, but if you wanted to find someone to do something Morris knew him.

After finalising a few details we rushed off to Chad’s car, it was the usual set-up Chad driving me shotgun and Morris stretched out across the back seat. Chad drove a fully restored 1978 4 litre Tickford Capri, it was fast but there was not much room in it, but it suited Chad’s style. We arrived at our destination with only 2 hours before Jane was home and rushed into the building. Morris disappeared into one of the offices while I waited outside with Chad, after a while Morris appeared with a man from the company. “All sorted.” He said with a smug grin on his face. The man walked over and shook my hand, “I’m pretty sure we can help you out son.” He said smiling, he put his arm around my shoulder and guided me to the big window that looked down onto the main floor, he continued “So you give me a date and a time, and I will clear it with security, sound good?” I pointed to the most central point, “There!” I said with conviction, “That’s perfect.” The man smiled, “No problem.” We started chatting about what I was proposing when Chad piped up, “Sorry to interrupt guys but have you seen the time.” He said tapping his watch. I grabbed his wrist, we had 20 minutes to get back and make it look like nothing had happened, then it dawned on me, I had left the ring out on the side. We made our apologies and ran to the car, like a mad man Chad got us back in just under 20 minutes, as we pulled around the corner I spotted Jane walking up the steps to the front door. “Stall her!” I screamed, Chad slammed the car into the kerb and we all jumped out, Morris ran to the front door calling Jane, she stopped and turned, just missing me and Chad running around the back of the building. Morris thought quickly on his feet and had picked up a packet of smokes from the car. “Hi Jane.” He said casually, “Hi Morris” she replied “What you up to?” Morris waved the packet of smokes back and fore, “Oh just popped to the shops for the lads.” He smiled and offered to open the door for her, “You really shouldn’t let them boss you around you know, let them get their own smokes.” She said in a motherly way. He continued to delay her as Chad and I franticly climbed the fire escape to our window. I dived in the room and grabbed the ring, throwing it to Chad he stuffed it in his pocket, I threw myself on the bed and he grabbed the kettle, just as Jane and Morris walked through the door.

The deed was done and the scene was set and she didn’t have a clue...