Carousel

Victor was playing his last song of the evening at Aruba's by the beach. His fingers knew every note but his mind and heart were wandering elsewhere tonight. He couldn't stop thinking about that night he spent with Cara; walking on the pier, watching the ocean together, holding her in his arms on the beach til sunrise. The first time he'd ever noticed her was one hot afternoon, when he went to Kilwin's for some ice cream. Vic watched her brush the long blond hair away from her face as she handed him his change and he was smitten. He gained a few pounds during the following weeks trying new flavors of ice cream while trying to get her attention. But eventually he invited her to a gig and they got to know one another. Her name, Cara, he learned was short for Carousel; her mother had been something of a free spirit. So was Cara. Vic loved the way she laughed when she told him amusing tales about her family. She liked to sing, too.

"'Night, Vic", said the restaurant manager as Victor put his guitar into the case.

"Adios."

As it was a weeknight, Victor finished playing early. When he played at bars on Saturday nights, Vic stayed much later; that's why he carried a knife. He needed to know that he could defend himself, just in case. Victor figured he'd been through enough, in the past, having been picked on by 'tough' guys while struggling with his bipolar illness. But these days, his life was fairly stable. New medication helped his condition immensely and Vic was able to work at Publix Supermarket during the day, part time. Often, at night, he liked to hang out with his guitar by the benches along the beach. He would work on new songs or just enjoy the cool night air. However, tonight Victor didn't feel at peace. He kept thinking about Cara. He knew that he wouldn't be seeing her because she had disappeared.
A few days after the wonderful night they'd spent together, Victor had stopped by Kilwin's to see her but she wasn't there.

"Cara's off today?" he asked one of the other girls.

"She quit." Victor was surprised. He called her on the telephone but found that the number was not in service. He was shocked and puzzled, but most of all he just missed her terribly. Months passed yet Cara never returned.

A friend helped Victor to get a gig further north by Deerfield Beach. It was a very popular club and Victor was well liked there. He formed a band with a bass player and drummer that he knew and thought that they might be able to get a recording opportunity soon. One night, when they were leaving the club, they saw a young couple arguing in the parking lot across the street. The other guys were stoned but Vic was watching the couple intently. The girl looked like Cara. The guy was getting rough with her.

"Stay out of it man," Victor remembered someone saying, but he couldn't. The next thing Victor remembered was getting his arm stitched in the emergency room. His knife had ended up in the wrong hands and he'd also suffered a concussion. When the girl from the parking lot came to visit him, he could see that, up close, she didn't resemble Cara at all. Victor felt foolish and depressed.

"Are you seeing anyone?" asked the girl.

"I was", Vic replied and he told her a little bit about Cara. It felt good to have someone to talk with.

"Wait a sec !" said the girl. "I knew I heard that name before; I just remembered. My friend Tina had a roommate named Cara. Maybe I can find something out for you."

"Yeah, whatever", said Vic. "I'm not so sure I want to know any more. I just wanna get back with the band. Maybe you can help us think up a name." So the two spent some time tossing names around; most sounded dumb or boring, but some were quite funny and they ended up laughing.

A few weeks later, Victor was back at the club.

"Good to see ya", said the manager.

"I shoulda minded my own business," Vic mumbled after the manager passed by. But soon he got caught up in the music and his spirits were lifted once again. The drummer thought they should audition some girls to sing with them. Vic thought this was a good idea. Besides, the club was going to be closed for a few weeks for renovation. Practicing with a vocalist would give them something to work on meanwhile. Then they could come back with a 'new' look and sound, though they still didn't have a name. The manager sometimes introduced them as Vic and the band, but it didn't matter anyway. The crowd loved them.

One evening, since he had some free time, Vic decided to stop by his old hangout where he used to sit at the benches near Aruba's. He didn't bring his guitar, just got a smoothie from Zach's. Most beachgoers had left the sand as it was near dark and the restaurants were starting to get busy. The drummer's brother worked at Aruba's now and Vic thought he might stop in for a hamburger later. Victor was looking at the ocean with unfocused gaze as the last few bathers gathered their beach towels and blankets. Suddenly, he noticed a girl walking towards him from a distance. She looked like Cara.

"What the f---- is wrong with me!" Vic thought to himself. But this time, it WAS Cara. Vic's jaw dropped and he though his heart stopped beating.

Cara stared at him with tears in her eyes.

"Where have you been?" they both managed to say, simultaneously. Cara was working at Kilwin's ice cream again but she hadn't had Vic's phone number and didn't know where to find him.

"But where did you disappear to?" asked Vic. "Why?"

"I had to go to Baltimore; my mom was very sick. I didn't know when I'd be back." Cara got distracted for a minute. "What happened to your arm, Vic?" she asked, when she saw the scar.

"Oh, never mind", said Vic as he hugged Cara. "I really missed you."

"I really missed you too." And they held each other for a long, long time.

A few weeks later, the band got together to prepare for the club's reopening party.

"Guys!" Vic announced. "I found a great singer for us! Meet Cara."

"Oh", he added. "And a name for our band - Carousel."