Missed Rendezvous – A Global Perspective

Concealed under the door, Josh scowled at the door across the hall. While angry at Julian’s failure to return, he hoped the cynic hadn’t suffered an accident or some misadventure.

At the appointed time for pick up, there was still no Julian and Josh watched as Faith hurried down the hall and crouched near the door.

Scurrying out, he climbed into her hand, lying back and waiting for the gut wrenching sensation of rapid elevation as the enormous girl rose to her feet.

Glancing back at the space under the door then at Josh, “Julian?” she queried, voice soft, though still loud in his little ears.

“Get me back to your room and I’ll tell you,” he replied.

Hesitating a moment, she shook her head and rose to her feet, returning to her room and closing the door.

“Where’s Julian?” she asked, tone firm as she held Josh in front of her chest.

Clearing his throat, Josh found it hard to look directly into her bright eyes, “We were trying to get back to the door for pick up and Julian took a spill, hurt his ankle pretty bad. Your sister’s room is a disaster area not to mention she has some very dark proclivities,” Josh explained, prevaricating and hoping it sounded plausible enough.

Shaking her head, Faith frowned. “Why didn’t you bring him back like you did with Bohdi?”

“Bohdi?”

“The little you rescued from Julie’s room,” she clarified.

Josh raised his hand, “There were two of us and we had a fair bit of time to get him back. All I could do was try and get him stashed in order to make it back for pick up. He said he would be okay and remember you knew we were here and had trouble finding us. Julie has no clue he’s hiding in the sea of garbage she calls a room,” he added, mendaciously weaving more elements into his story.

“Unless she goes looking for Bohdi, right? Because now she is not supposed to take any more for a week, she will probably look for him,” Faith said.

“Won’t matter if she does,“ he assured waving his hands like an umpire declaring a runner safe at home plate. “She can search all she wants, she’ll never find him.” That part was true.

“She’ll be back soon. Maybe you should go back and bring him to the door,” she suggested.

“He said he didn’t think it was broken and wanted to wait to see if he could weight on it. If he can, he said he was going to sneak back here when he thought it would be safe,” Josh stated. The lies were beginning to pile up and to make matters worse, he and Julian had not established any type of back story in case he did return and was put to the question.

“I don’t like it,” she said, walking to the desk where the aquarium was situated. Setting him in the glass enclosure, she exited her room.

Carver appeared, looking at Josh, “”Where’s Julian?” he asked, expression on his round face brightening.

Shaking his head, Josh frowned.

“Ah shit,” beamed Carver, “not going to lose any sleep over that,” he chortled.

“What about the new guy?” Josh inquired.

“Bohdi? He’s in the hut. Poor bastard is in pretty rough shape. I did what I could to set his leg but it was mangled up something awful. He’s a tough SOB though. I thought for sure he would pass out, but no. C’mon, I’ll introduce you,” offered Carver, obviously buoyed by the fact Julian was no longer in their midst.

Going into the cardboard box that Carver referred to as the hut, Josh saw Bohdi.

The man was seated with his back against the wall, a broken popsicle stick with a looped elastic band around his left leg. He was dark, body well-tanned body and athletically lean with sculpted musculature. Blue eyes bright and short blond hair on his head.

“Bohdi, this is Josh,” Carver said, indicating the other man with his hand.

“Guess I owe you a heap of thanks there mate,” Bohdi said weakly, voice thickly accented.

Raising his hand, Josh shook his head.

“New Zealand?” Josh asked.

“No, Aussie,” Bohdi replied, smiling feebly. “You? American?”

Josh shook his head. “Canadian.”

“You’re Canadian?” Carver asked.

“Yeah, you?”

“American. San Francisco,” he replied.

Josh frowned. He had been in Halifax at Dalhousie when he got grabbed. Julian had mentioned being from Philly and now Carver was from California. That meant a whole lot of travelling in a very short amount of time. Turning to Carver, “Did you know where either Henry or Ham were from?” he asked.

“Henry said he was walking Winston in Canine Cove, Boca Raton,” Carver replied. “Ham got grabbed at Fitness Planet in Jersey City. I don’t follow,” Carver shared, a confused look on his face.

Looking at Bohdi, “You? Where were you grabbed?” he asked.

“Bunch of us waxheads just got back in after catching some serious swells out a Surfers Point in Prevelly Park, you know,” he shared, wincing as he shifted his weight. “I hung back to grab a rollie and spotted this Sheila, gorgeous little bluey. I figures I’d give her a gab and that’s all I remember. I come to, and she’s all big,” he answered.

“What are getting at?” Carver inquired.

“They grabbing us from all over the world,” Josh said. How could they? Julian had said turnaround time was around five days. How on earth could she be collecting specimens from all over?

“What do you remember after that?” Carver asked.

“Dunno, I’m lying there all gobsmacked and the ranga is grinning like a shot fox. My leg hurt and then she tapes me up and put me in her grundies,” Bohdi replied. “It gets a little hazy after that. You and your mate, then I wake up here and Carver is holding the splint while this giant blonde Sheila is fixing a rubber around my leg. That’s about it,” he answered, making an apologetic face.

Josh shook his head, “It’s all good,” he replied.

“I just wanted to say thanks,” Bohdi stated, nodding sharply.