tales in the city
Hey, I’m Ashton and have I got a story for you. My Orlando nightlife adventures have led me to take a pen to a pad and share them with my fellow Orlandoites. Read on and if you know the people in my stories - you might with ASHTON MORRIS not want to tell them. This drunken tale comes from a Mon Young Man X told us he was from Texas and was in the day night at Redlight, Redlight which is a great army or marines on a short leave from Iraq. He seemed to fit the Orlando bar with a huge selection of draft beers bill and I honestly could not tell you if he was drugged up or sufand a cool staff. fering from P.T.S.D. or both. Young Man X went on to tell us how he was fighting this war for us and not anyone else. During his I was smoking a cigarette out front with story he would randomly re-enact how overseas he would burst my new friend who was chronicling the saga of into a house and threaten the household. This whole time he was her dying tryst with another friend of mine. She high-fiving me (which was reciprocated out of concern for safety), was telling me how she was over him, although hugging us and being very touchy feely - which was creepy. to me it implied that by saying it out loud she really felt the opposite. It was quite the story We eventually found out that he initially came over to ask and made me wonder how come I’m never in us for a ride back to John Young to meet with his friends. We rethese messed up situations with lovers and peatedly rejected the idea, but he persisted with “I can just ride on ex-lovers...I envied it for some reason. This is the hood, I promise I’m not dangerous I’m fighting for you, come only the second time I have hung out with this on.” Eventually, I gave him my undershirt which proceeded to particular girl, but I immediately connected with have him show his appreciation by hugging me and shaking my her due to her kick ass personality. hand and saying “I love you brother.” Then the Redlight, Redlight bar tender came out and told him to be on his way. At one point Anyway, we’re both out front of Redlight, he began to tell the bartender the story all over again then tried Redlight having a cigarette when I spot a shirtto fist bump him (like isn’t that cool). The bar tender looked at less young man who starts crossing the street him and calmly stated, “I don’t fist bump on the [insert paragraph towards us. I whispered to her, “in 20 seconds 5 and 6 here],” which I thought was funny as hell. Young Man X some dude is going to ask you for a cigarette.” was so messed up but for some reason I didn’t feel empathy as I He walks over to us and its apparent he is normally would have and I don’t know why. tweaked out on [insert drug of choice]. To my surprise, he didn’t ask for a cigarette, but pro At this point, I’ve had too many drinks and I’m watching ceeded to spend a hefty amount of time talking this moment in the mind set of “all the world’s a stage,” and thorat us. oughly enjoying it. The bar tender gave Young Man X his socks as a kind of peace pipe to get this gentleman to leave which he This young man, who we will call “Young eventually did. With the exception of shoes, he had more clothing Man X” is about 20 years old with a buzz cut, on from our contributions that when he first arrived. no shoes on his feet and no shirt on his back... and he just walked from Colonial Drive. He pro For the rest of the evening the conversation switched ceeded to tell us his story about how he jumped between Young Man X and talk of my friends chaotic anti-relasix or so [insert derogatory word here] at John tionship salt and peppered in between statements. I feel like I’m Young Parkway (which was miles from where we in a dream, lost in a blurred thought, thinking, wow these are the currently hanging), how he beat them up, was people over there- barely old enough to have a dream of life, running from the cops and jumping in bushes and stuck with nightmares of I.E.D.’s. I know I don’t have enough all the way here to elude their every move. His cojones to do that.” The moment is all crazy and spinning, and I energy was so awkward and threatening that it think, this is an experience to talk about. would make anyone mentally prepare for any There you have it readers, my first tale of many to come kind of crazy or violent act that might occur durin my wild and crazy adventures in Orlando. Till next time, have a ing this meet up all the while trying to act cool, one on me. calm and unaffected by what he was saying. 36