2 What’s Your Name? Wednesday, 31 July 2019

Apollo was in his room, constantly peeking through the window; one hand holding the curtain away from his face, the other hand had his mobile phone attached to his ear. He'd been calling Gabriel, his best buddy, who was taking too long to answer the call. After more than 10 rings, he finally picked up. "Gab, come over. I need to tell you something and I can't wait." Apollo was still peeking through the window, hoping to get a glimpse of the new neighbor.

Gabriel responded with a grunt then started talking gibberish. Apollo realized that he had woken him up so early in the morning and he didn't sound happy about it. But then, who would? He'd been too excited to see such beautiful face in the neighborhood that he'd lost sense of time. It was only 6am - clearly, not the time to call anyone, even your closest friend. Or at least, it wasn't a good idea if the person wasn't a morning person. Gab said, "Wahdafakaryakohlinmiforsoerleeee…" followed by a yawn. "…indemohneeen."

Gab's hoarse and garbled voice prompted Apollo to move his phone away. After looking at it with an annoyed expression, he put it back to his ears. "Dude, I can't understand a thing that you said."

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU CALLING ME FOR SO EARLY IN THE MORNING?!" Gab sounded a bit like a girl squeaking with a croaky voice.

Apollo let out a silent laugh. "Okay, that was very clear. VERY CLEAR." He paused and listened to Gab's grunt then continued. "Come over. I want to tell you something. Do it or I'm not going to any of your gigs anymore."

"It's six in the morning!" He said, respiring so distinctly like he was short of breath; it almost sounded like he had asthma. But of course, he didn't. Gabriel was just a healthy impatient boy.

"You need to help me with something. Come over here now."

"You're overbearing."

"Yes. Come over in here or our friendship is over!"

"You're such a child!" He hung up.

Waiting for two hours was the longest wait in Apollo's entire existence. But it didn't matter now because Gab was right outside his door with a choleric expression on his face. He had anticipated the reaction, so he was ready with a little enticement on hand. And so, with a magician's "Tada!" gesture, he flashed a business card. Apollo did this with his most radiant facial expression.

As expected, the card quickly changed Gabriel's bad mood. "You got me a gig at Dulcimer?" He suddenly looked excited. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

The business card was handed to Apollo by the owner himself. His name was Luke, owner of a famous music joint downtown. He had been admiring his mom from a distance, but there was no way he was going to bring them closer because his mom didn't need another man in his life. Apollo was enough. The business card had been in his wallet for quite some time and he never expected to use it.

"Yes." Apollo lied. He didn't talk to Luke, but he would. He planned to talk to him later after completing his main goal for the day.

"Holy shit, dude!"

"I know." Apollo's arrogant look came out naturally.

Gab's momentary excitement ended when he sensed a motive behind Apollo's fabricated statement. "This is not why you bugged me to come in here. This is a bribe." The suspicious look lasted until he landed on the crimson red beanbag chair. Apollo's entire room consisted of only three colors: black, white and red. It had a feel of a Kawasaki motorcycle…or Coca Cola.

Apollo parked himself on his own bed facing Gab about half foot or 15 centimeters away. "We have a new neighbor and I want her." He said this so casually.

"That's it? That's the emergency?" Gab was slack-jawed and he uttered each word with emphasis.

"If I had told you I saw a beautiful sexy woman right in front of my house because she's our new neighbor. Would you have come and treated this as an emergency?"

"Wow, dude. All these years and you still don't know me." Gab shook his head in disbelief. "You would've had me at sexy." Gab showed his evil grin the way Jim Carey did it in The Grinch.

He was right. Apollo should've just told him. He probably would've scurried towards his place without even brushing his teeth. "So, our goal for today is to meet her. But it has to be a coincidence."

"But you're his neighbor. How can it be a coincidence? She's just right across your house." Gab gestured his hand, pointing at the window.

"I know. It just feels awkward to go there and introduce myself as her neighbor. Plus, where's the excitement in that?"

"Then how do we plot this right without being obvious?" Again, Gab's contemplating expression looked exactly like The Grinch. But Apollo liked that Gab's mind was starting to process like a detective.

For almost an hour, they monitored the new neighbor's house. Apollo wished he had the ability to see through things so he could just find out what she was doing. Gab, as expected, started to lose his patience. "Are we going to be like this for the rest of the day? We've listened to Puddle of Mudd's entire Come Clean album twice and she's still not coming out of the house. Maybe she's not even home."

Gab preferred current releases over old albums. Apollo should've known better. He stopped the CD player and plugged in his cellphone to the speakers to play random songs in Spotify. Gab was a whiny dude, but it was very easy to please him. Sure enough, he was singing to Post Malone's Goodbyes. "And don' tell me to shut up when you know you talk too much but you don't got shit to say. Say."

He'd been Apollo's best and only friend and they went to the same school. Gab majored in music and there were a few classes he and Apollo took. They got along on almost everything, but if there was one negative thing about him, it was his lack of patience. He hated waiting and he whined about things that weren't worthy to whine about. The good thing about him was the fact that he could easily get over anything with a simple distraction…MUSIC.

Big Data's Get Some Freedom was playing when a thought popped into Gab's head. That thought was triggered because it was a soundtrack to an Adam Sandler movie that featured his long-time-crush. Apollo also recognized the song as the soundtrack for the television series Lucifer, one of his favorites. "Dude, have you watched Murder Mystery? It's trending in Netflix. My girl, Jen, has become really old but she still got it just like her Friends days." Right. He was obsessed with Jennifer Aniston which Apollo thought was creepy because his mom looked a lot like her.

At last, after almost two hours of listening to Spotify and reminiscing hilarious moments from Friends, the beautiful sexy neighbor's garage opened. Apollo instantly saw her in jeans and white top. Her long black hair dangled freely to her waist and he thought, whomever invented the handy microscope he was using to see her cleavage should be rewarded. "There she is. Let's go."

Ears glued to the garage door, Gab and Apollo listened very carefully to make sure that the neighbor already took off before they followed. Apollo opened the garage then swiftly but quietly got into a 2014 white Acura after hearing a creaking sound. "Did you tell your mom we're using her car?" Gab asked with a concerned look on his face.

"Nah, I think she was in the shower, so I didn't bother." He responded in complete haste.

"Wow, really?" Gab seemed interested.

"Oh. You wanna go back inside the house?" Apollo asked, hoping that his sarcasm was very evident.

"Yes."

He threw a box of tissue to his face. Unfortunately, his reflexes were good so he managed to dodge it.

"Hey!" Gab yelled with a questioning look.

"You are never going to be my stepdad! Not in this lifetime!" Apollo said in a confident and friendly tone, trying not to laugh.

"Oh, so there's still a chance…"

Apollo punched him on the shoulder and took off. They got on the road smoothly, without a clear sight of the new neighbor yet.

"Alright, alright! Your mom doesn't even see me as a man, so why are you even bothered?"

"That's good then. That's her." They spotted the midnight blue Hyundai Tucson they saw earlier.

"Her car is bad ass. It could pass as an SUV." Gab looked impressed.

"Yeah. Almost."

"Where do you think she's going?"

"It's almost 9am. Maybe she's going to work. Most work starts at nine. I think."

"What do you think her job is?" Gab suddenly looked curious.

"Wow, I couldn't really think of one."

"Let's guess what it is. Winner gets a treat at the movies."

"What are we? Girlfriends?" Apollo said, trying not to lose sight of the neighbor's car ahead of them.

He gave out an ugly chuckle. "Man, you're too serious. And focused."

"I don't wanna lose track."

"I bet she's a nurse." Gab guessed.

"Maybe. Or she's probably a model or fashion designer." Apollo quickly gave Gab a suave look then returned his focus back on the road. "I mean. Judging from her physical looks."

"That's a good one. How about a teacher?"

"Oh, that's even more sexy and I'm willing to go back to school for that." He giggled, still focused on the road.

Gab let out another chuckle. "You're really into this girl and you don't even know her."

"That's what this mission is for." A big signage of Samgyeopsal (Korean restaurant) gave Apollo another idea. "Maybe she's a restaurant manager." To his surprise, her car slowed down to park right in front of the restaurant.

"You know she might just be there for breakfast. Or maybe she's a cook?" Gab said.

Two cars away from where she had parked, they saw her approaching a different path. Instead of heading towards the restaurant, she went inside the pharmacy right next to it. Gab and Apollo looked at each other inquisitively. "She's having her period and she's probably there to buy tampons?"

Gab threw a disgusted look and asked, "Should we go inside or just wait here until she comes out?"

"Let's wait. I'm sure it'll take just a few minutes for her to buy what she needs."

After 15 minutes of total silence, Apollo got taken aback by Gab's sudden exclaim, "Is she buying the whole pharmacy?!"

"Dude, patience is really not one of your virtues." Apollo uttered in dismay. "Oh right. You don't have virtues." He was obviously just kidding but Gab scowled at him. "Alright, let's get out now and take a peek."

After stepping out of the car, they watchfully took their steps towards the transparent pharmaceutical glass door. They were feeling a bit like the Boston private detective Patrick Kenzie in Gone Baby Gone except they looked like dorks. Gab easily spotted her as he peeked. "Dude, none of our guesses were right. She's a pharmacist." They looked at each other and Apollo grabbed Gab's arm before someone saw them like psychos peeping on people buying medicine.

They discreetly stood at the far end corner which was four cars away. The entire building was a commercial place called Daylight Avenue because it closes earlier than most establishments. It was a cross between an assembly and mercantile building with restaurants, stores, and market. The second floor had a food court, a theatre and exhibition halls. The parking area could only accommodate a dozen vehicles for perpendicular parking, but they had a space for motorcycles at the other side of the building. Apollo then realized it was easier to get a closer look at the new neighbor, knowing that she was a pharmacist. It would be a lot easier to interact as well. "I got an idea." He said in the lowest possible sound but more than a whisper.

"Yeah. Me too." He rolled his eyes because Gab beat him to it. "I noticed your mom has occasional headaches because she's writing all day so why don't we buy her pain relievers?"

It was brilliant but Apollo had to give him a peeved look. "Gab, stop thinking about my mom. It makes me sick."

He turned his face away with a frown. "It was just a suggestion."

"I didn't say I didn't like your idea. I just hate that you suggested it because you were concerned about my mom." He meant every single word. "Anyway, I think we're bound to know her name without any efforts because they have nametags."

"They do?"

"Yeah. I think so. Let's go." He took a deep breath but before Gab pushed the pharmaceutical glass door, Apollo grabbed his arm.

"Now what?" He asked, impatiently.

"Can you make it seem like I'm a sweet, trustworthy, decent guy who loves my mom?"

Gab's expression was blank. "Whatever." He finally went inside.

Apollo found himself in front of the feminine hygiene products like female wash, tampons, and napkins that he once experienced buying for his mom though he swore not to do it again.

"Dude, seriously?" Gab looked at Apollo as if he had committed a crime. "What are you doing here? Let's go to the counter."

"Let's wait for those two lovebirds to get out of there. They're probably buying a pregnancy kit." Gab breathed heavily at the sight of a couple with their arms wrapped around each other's waist. Apollo punched his left arm to get a brief relief from his annoying lack of patience.

"Awww. What is it?"

"Why are you so in a hurry?"

"Because this mission is taking too long." Gab responded with exasperation all over his face.

"I'm just taking up all the courage I can get, you jerk." Apollo whispered. Feeling half-ready, he sauntered towards the counter, acting cool even though he was going to die any minute. He was finally facing the beautiful new neighbor in white coat but couldn't seem to utter a single word. He was clearly flabbergasted by the smile on her face.

"Anything I can get for you?" She asked, sounding like an angel sent from above.

Oh my God. I forgot my lines. Apollo thought with a slight panic. He had discreetly memorized it before coming in, but his mind went blah.

Gab made up for his being impatient by rescuing him. "He needs something for his mom."

How can he act so cool and natural and I cannot even breathe? Apollo thought, finally having the courage to speak. "Pain relievers."

Gab subtly pinched his right hand.

"Oh, and can you please recommend the safest painkiller for everyday use?"

"You're such a mama's boy." He liked Gab's comment. He was playing it as they had discussed earlier. In Apollo's own opinion, girls liked mama's boys which was contrary to what most people think.

"Just making sure it's safe. You know how I worry about my mom." He smiled but Gab was clearly holding his laugh, so he discreetly frowned at him.

"That is so sweet. I can give you acetaminophen." She said.

Apollo and Gab looked confused as they stared at each other. With their eyebrows slowly raising, it was hint enough for her to distinguish that they had no idea about what she said.

"Tylenol. It's the safest painkiller that adults can use for as long as it doesn't exceed 3,000 milligrams per day."

She sounded like a doctor and that easily impressed Apollo. "Yes. Of course. That would be it." He was back to his sweet smile until he realized she didn't have her nametag. "I think you forgot to put on your nametag."

She looked at her left breast. "Oh my gosh. Thank you for reminding me." She disappeared through the white door in between display shelves and quickly got back with the painkillers but still no nametag. "It's twelve dollars and forty-five cents for 50 tablets."

Apollo quickly reached to his pocket then handed her a twenty-dollar bill. "You still don't have your nametag."

"Yeah. I'm so forgetful. I think I left it at home since it's not in my purse." She answered.

"What's your name?" Again, Gab to the rescue.

"Betha MacSweeny." She said.

"Nice to meet you, Betha. Your name sounds a bit foreign." Apollo responded gratefully.

"Yes. Irish," said Betha.

"You don't have accent though." Apollo responded.

"I migrated at such a young age."

"Cool. You know what? I have a gig at Dulcimer and we're inviting as many people as we can. Here." Gab showed her the Dulcimer business card. "I'm a singer and I have a session there. If you can give your number to Apollo, he can include you when he blasts the invite via text message. Of course, only if you're interested."

"Sure. I love music and I'm new here in town." She responded.

"Well, that's nice. At least there's one more supporter for my friend here." Apollo said, slightly tapping Gab's shoulder. "I'm Apollo. And this talented musician right here is Gabriel."

"You can just call me Gab."

Apollo took out his mobile phone from his lose jean's left pocket, unlocked it then handed it to her.

She took the phone and added her number. "Did you know that Apollo is a god in Greek mythology?"

Is that a sign of interest in ME? Apollo thought, feeling optimistic. "No, but now I do." He responded with a smile, his cheeks a bit rosy and his heart was fluttering.

She gave the most beautiful smile anyone can get.