'The Abyss,' was a movie he had watched back in the 80's, when going to the drive-in was still all the rage. The plot, as he recalled, surrounded a rescue operation in deep sea to recover a stricken nucleal sub. It ended up with the lead character played by Ed Harris, going down to depths never before explored. Going to a level most would not return from. The back & beyond of human limits, the point of no return, The Abyss.
On his return to Lima, he was to fall into his own personal Abyss. He remembered being back in Mexico all those months ago. He remembered sitting on abandoned desert roads with the deafening sound of silence as his only companion. He remembered the brothers Gallagher immortalize themselves into his mind while he walked in the mid-day blaze. He remembered the black beaches of El Zonte. He remembered 'The Bridge' in Costa Rica, the sit down with Bobby Escobar. Those memories where now being shelved into the back, replaced by the engulfing darkness of his Abyss. He always knew this day would eventually arrive. The day the smiles stopped. He was so close, but yet so far from his ultimate dream. The means of achieving that dream had filtered away. From the darkness he could not see the light that was his dream. Everyone at some point in there life arrive at this destination. When all attempts, all solutions, all alternatives are met with responses that where not wanted. 'How did I get here? How could it have all gone so pear-shaped so quickly?' At that point even the strongest of the strong find it hard to put there one foot in front the other. His feet felt like they had cement shoes on. He thought he was made of tougher stuff. We all think that. When the situation arrives to test that resolve, only then do we see what we really made of. It was another gloomy day in Lima that greeted him as he woke. All the days seemed the same now. The gloom reflected his thoughts to the tee. He took the short walk to his private sanctuary. From his vantage point he could see the ocean all scruffy & cold. He sat & watched. His sanctuary was filled with the laughter & tears of the future. he could care less. He sat & watched. There was wagging of tails from pets given breathing space from there keepers, he could care less. He sat & watched. The sight & sound of young love released venom from his eyes that he sent in there direction. He sat & watched. He loved his new family he worked & stayed with though. But these moments of solitude which he cherished so much, had become polluted, polluted by dread & despair. The late afternoon joggers came cantering by, that was the signal to return to the madness. It was also his signal to return to the man everyone knew. He would put the mask on everyone wanted to see. He would become the voice everyone wanted to hear. 'The show must go one.' The fun times ticked over, & the fun times were epic times. Foot races at 3am where classic, but watching fellow runners going down in a heap after pulling hamstrings, now that just was pure comedic GOLD. Seeing on coming traffic turn around swiftly at the sight of the blue ribbon event coming charging there way, was one for the ages. Late night laughter, getting a room full of men doing there rendition of Uma Thurman & John Travolta's famous dance scene out of Pulp Fiction & even getting time to do an interview *, was all part & parcel of his time in Lima. He met really good people during his stay. It's not often that one can say you meet people you would genuinely want to stay in contact with for years to come. Yea, people say that, but how often do we actually get in touch with these 'amazing' people we meet on our journey's. The once constant messages inevitably fade into a haze of 'Pokes' & ' hope you having an amazing birthday.' But there are those rare, very rare occasions you meet people who add substance to your life & you add to there's similar stimulants. Those are the people who will be there to crack the shits & giggles with when you 60. Good things are rare. The darkness weighed heavy on his once sculpted shoulders. He chatted away one night with one of those people. It was strange, he was usually the one that others confided there dreams & fears to. Was he changing. The man who confidently proclaimed to be an island, was allowing visitors to he's once isolated shores. They spoke well past the witching hour. He went to bed with a weird feeling, that feeling would come calling in the morning as well. He woke up on Wednesday with that strange feeling, but there was something extra that was added. Something that he hadn't expected to see. Something was happening. He went about his normal business. He had his spit & polish followed by the normal terrible breakfast. Something was different though. The breakfast was still shite, but something was different. Outside things got even crazier. The sun had decided to pay him a visit as well. 'What the ....' Something strange was definitely happening. Maybe it was the new voices in the compound that had reaffirmed his faith, the old voices of loved one's * from back home telling him, to not just do it for himself but for them as well, maybe it was the bird making bumble bee from Swansea, maybe it was the boys from 'Monty Python' telling him to 'Always look on the bright side of death,' or maybe it was that voice in side him that came alive, telling him to 'Live without regrets.' To 'Not die wondering.' Nobody said it would be easy, 'You will never be here again. Live the MYTH.' 'YOU will NEVER be here again. Those words echoed throughout that sun drenched day in Lima. 'The sweet is never as sweet without the bitter.' The plot indeed had thickened. It would take him to Arequipa. The road would take yet another unexpected twist. Lima had done it's job in more ways than he could possibly have imagined. He would always remember Lima. He went once more, one last time to his sanctuary. From his vantage point he could see the ocean, all majestic & beautiful. He sat & watched. His sanctuary was filled with the laughter & tears of the future, it was music to his ears. He sat & watched. There was wagging of tails from pets that were given breathing space from there keepers, he rolled around in the grass with some of them. He sat & watched. The sight & sound of young love drifted through his sanctuary, he smiled. 'You will make this work. Hell or high water, you will make this work.' 'WE will never be here again. Live the MYTH.'
Until that day ......
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