Free Redemption by Danny Dufour

millions of droplets.
    “Ok, I understand… I’m going to look for them, stay here!”
    She laughed and gave him a spank when he left the shower. He went to find two towels and he hooked his fingertip on the panel of the closet, which made him bleed. He opened the medicine cabinet and looked for a dressing. In pressing down the bottles of the cabinet, a sachet containing white powder fell in the sink. Curious, he examined the texture. The powder was beige and granular. Opening it, a light odour of ether seeped out. He knew then that the powder was cocaine. Incredulous, he replaced the sachet where he’d found it. How was it that Chandra had drugs in her apartment? He was incapable of believing that she could be taking it. This would have come up . He returned to the shower and she took his heck.
    “You took long enough.”
    “I cut myself on your closet,” he said.
    “Oops.”
    “I love your shower. It’s big.”
    “So it must be that you come and take so many at my house,” she said in embracing him.
    He enlaced himself around her hips. He couldn’t erase the image of the white powder from his head.
    *     *     *
    “Can you explain this to me?” Danny demanded in pointing to the bag of white powder that he had taken care to place on the table so that she would see it when she entered the room.
    “What do you want me to say, I don’t understand!” Chandra retorted.
    “Well… these drugs… why do you have them in your cabinet?”
    “You’re going through my things now!? And more, it’s not drugs, its medicine I have, because…”
    “Please stop, I opened the bag… it’s cocaine. Why do you take that crap!?”
    “I… I don’t take it often. When things aren’t going well, it helps me… forget.”
    “You put that shit up your nose… you believe it helps you? You don’t help anything Chandra, you’re not solving your problems!”
    “You can’t understand!” she retorted angrily with eyes full of tears.
    “So, tell me...because you are right, I don’t understand,” he said advancing on her, sitting on the sofa. She cried and she looked at the floor. She avoided his look.
    “You think I’m proud of it? I’m… I’m ashamed, but I’m not capable of forgetting my past, Danny. I’ve made a lot of progress, but there are moments when you could say my heart’s about to explode. I take it when I can’t endure the pain… I haven’t taken it in two weeks. You help me a lot, you know… I’m going to stop all this, don’t worry.”
    “When will that happen exactly? You know that you can tell me everything, we’re going to find a solution together,” he said, taking her hand.
    “Listen, I know… but I want to do it myself. Don’t worry, it’ll be fine. I’m going to get help. I don’t want to get you mixed into this, please. I must myself learn to forget my past and live in the present.”
    “Ok, I can understand that. I love you and you’ll see, things are going to be better, but not if you keep taking this shit.”
    “Yes, you’re right.” She took the bag and with a jerk threw the contents in the toilet.
    “I’m proud of you,” he said, embracing her.
    “I love you, you know it. Hold on – I’m so sorry for all this,” she whispered, wiping the tears from her eyes.
    “It’ll all be fine, you’ll see.”

 
     
     
    CHAPTER 9
     
    The harsh winter was coming to an end. There had been tons of snow. Immense snow banks lined the bogged streets of the provincial capital. Danny continued his studies, his work at the Lotus and his training in Pak Mei. Sammy and the rest of the students were impressed with his abilities. He had begun to learn the principal forms of Pak Mei, such as Jik Bo Kuen , Sub Gee and Gau Bo Tui . The choreographies of movement that they practiced in solitude hid the movement patterns of Pak Mei. They practiced combat sessions between students as well to test their abilities. The combats were ferocious and with contact, but controlled