Carmela’s Dream
Based on a True Story
By Robert Batista
Copyright 2013
Author's Note:
Although 'Carmela's Dream' is based on a true story, it is a work of fiction. This author invented the characters and storyline and the story is not based on any one event. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely accidental.
Carmela Matthews was excited. Finally, she was going to have some real fun. So far, the summer vacation had been quiet and boring. She knew there wasn’t that much to do in the way of excitement; she understood that even before she decided to come down, but she didn’t think she’d be falling asleep with the Eleven O’clock news every Friday and Saturday night either. But yesterday, the boy across the road, Austin, invited her to a party that night at the Round-The-Way Club and she couldn’t wait to go. It was summer’s end; right before she was to leave for State University, and she had longed for some fun before she got down to the rigors of college life.
Carmela chose her outfit carefully, deciding on a yellow pantsuit, with matching low heel shoes. She eased herself into the soothing bubble bath and listened to MFSB’s ‘Summertime’ on the radio; enjoying the luxurious warm feeling the water gave her. She had surprised her family and friends when she told them that, instead of working for the summer, she wanted to spend it at her grandmother’s house down south. Granny May was happy to have her. Carmela was one of her favorite grandchildren and she welcomed the company. After Granddaddy Paul passed away a few years before, the house was nothing more to her than shadows and memories. Her granddaughter’s visit was a Godsend.
At 8:30, Carmela stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror and smiled. The pants suit fit her to a tee and her hair came out just the way she wanted. Though she didn’t know much about Austin, she always thought he was real cute and had heard he was one of the most popular boys in his school.
“What time you coming home, child,” Granny May asked as the doorbell rang?
“I really don’t know, Granny,” she answered. “But I shouldn’t be home too late.” She opened the front door and saw Austin standing there, grinning.
“Hey, girl,” he said cheerfully. “You ready to go?”
She nodded. “Sure am,” then turned her head and shouted, “see you later, Granny.” She followed Austin to his car and noticed two guys in the back seat. Austin opened the passenger door, waited for her to get in, then swung over to the driver’s side. Before cranking up the engine, he introduced her to his friends, Raymond and Larry.
Carmela shivered involuntarily and hoped they didn’t notice. She didn’t appreciate the fact that there were two other guys coming along. It made her feel uncomfortable being the only girl. But she just smiled warmly and greeted both of them with a sweet, “hello.”
Raymond asked her how she liked the country and she told him it was okay to visit, but she didn’t think she would like living there.
“I know, too boring, right?” Larry said.
She nodded. “Something like that.”
They drove in silence a while, then Austin turned on the local soul station and Earth Wind and Fire’s ‘Sing A Song’ came on. Carmela loved EWF and had all of their albums. She hoped the Round-The-Way Club would be alive and popping when they got there. She hadn’t danced in a long time and was ready to completely let go of herself. She was daydreaming about partying up a storm when the car pulled into a liquor store parking lot.
“You want something from the “el-i-que”? Austin asked before stepping out of the car.
“No, not really,” she replied. Then she asked, “don’t they sell that stuff at the club?”
“Yeah, they do”, Larry said before getting out. “But we always like to have a taste before we get there.” Raymond followed him out and the three guys entered the store.
Carmela sat alone in the car, thinking that she should have made Austin take her to the club first before they started drinking, but then thought the better of it because she wouldn’t have known anybody there. Then she realized she really didn’t know anything about Austin; she didn’t even know his last name. As far as she was concerned, he was starting out on the wrong foot big time. First he brings two other guys with him on their date and then they have to have a drink before they even get to the club. She contemplated telling Austin to take her back home as she watched them come out of the liquor store.
Instead of heading back to the car, they walked down the road a ways and disappeared behind some trees. Carmela was getting more frustrated by the minute. This is not the way she had thought the night would go. She reached over and turned the radio on, hoping it would play without the car being started. To her delight, ‘Disco Lady’, by Johnnie Taylor came on. That’s what I want to be tonight, she thought as she listened. The dancing disco lady.
In a short time, the guys came back to the car and were laughing and talking loud.
“I hope you’re not too high to drive,” Carmela said to Austin as he started the car.
He turned his head to her. “Girl, you must be tripping. Don’t you know I drive better when I’m a little stoned.” He let out a roaring laugh and the other two in the back cracked up as well.
When ‘A Fifth Of Beethoven’ by Walter Murphy and The Big Apple Band came on the radio, she allowed herself the distraction of the funky sound and grooved on it until they reached the club.
The first thing she noticed was the big ROUND-THE-WAY CLUB sign over the entrance. There was a crowd of young people milling by the door, smoking and chatting with each other. The excitement in her began to boil over as they reached the entrance. Carmela noticed a sign saying it was ten dollars to get in and reached into her clutch bag.
Austin grabbed her hand. “I got you covered, baby.”
She laughed to herself. Oh, now it’s baby.
After they paid, she followed them through another door and down a short flight of steps. As she got closer to a big, red door, she heard the unmistakable sound of people jamming to the beat of loud pumping, thumping disco music. She walked into a great big room with a gigantic disco ball in the center of the high ceiling. The dance floor was packed and jumping to the sound of ‘Love Hangover’ by Diana Ross. Austin immediately grabbed her hand and led her into the mix. It didn’t take her long to become one with the other dancers and start to party hardy. Her dream of letting go and having a great time was starting to come true.
They stayed on the dance floor for over an hour. One of the things she noticed was that neither Larry or Raymond seemed interested in dancing with her. Both of them sort of free-lanced around the club; dancing with girls occasionally or talking together. Then she saw them go into the Men’s room with an older guy, dressed in a red leather suit.
She was just about to tell Austin she needed to take a break when the DJ played ‘Just To Be Close To You’ by the Commodores. “Finally,” Austin said, pulling her closer, “a slow jam.”
They did a sensual slow dance, which Carmela would’ve enjoyed if it wasn’t for the strong odor of alcohol on Austin’s breath. When he said to her--“so when are you leaving to go back home?”--she had to force herself to keep from gagging.
“Next Friday,” she answered.
He seemed to contemplate her answer a while, then asked, “what are you gonna major in?”
“Pre med.”
“Wow! You gonna be a doctor?”
She nodded. “That’s the plan.” Then she added, “my cousin, Beverly, is interning at a hospital in Miami. I’d like to follow her there when I finish school. I know I have a long way to go before that happens, but it’s something I really want to do.”
“A doctor,” Austin repeated.
After the record ended, Raymond and Larry ca
me up to them and Larry whispered in Austin’s ear. He grinned, then turned to Carmela: “Let’s go outside for a while and cool off.”
They stood around Austin’s car a few minutes later and watched him go in the trunk and pull out two bottles of seltzer water from a small cooler. Then Larry reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out some aluminum foil. After cautiously looking around, he opened the foil and Carmela noticed it held four small pink pills.
“What’s that?” She asked.
After Larry handed one each to Austin and Raymond, he answered, “strawberry mescaline.”
“Mescaline?” She practically spat the word out. “Isn’t that like LSD or something?”
Austin smiled. “Nah, girl, its way more mellow. And you don’t have a crash like you do with acid or angel dust.”
Raymond nodded as he took the water from Austin and dropped the pill into his mouth. “This makes everything around you more clearer and sharper: colors, music, sex.”
The guys laughed.
“I got two extras,” Larry said. “You want one?”
“I don’t know about giving her that,” Austin said, looking uncharacteristically serious. Then he asked her, “you ever trip before?”
“No. I never tried anything like that,” she replied. “I tried weed once, but I didn’t like it.”
“Then don’t even think about dropping any mesc,” Austin warned.
“Hey, Larry,” I