Facing a New Destiny

Posted on Mon Nov 7th, 2011 @ 7:31am by Melody Johnson

1,644 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Mission 77 - No Time for the Dishonored
Location: SB400 - O'Dell's Tavern
Timeline: current

Melody met O'Dell and his attorney in front of the tavern. They unlocked the door and went inside and the attorney set his brief case on the bar, opened it and took out a PADD, which he turned on and handed to Melody.

"This is just a standard Title Transfer contract," the attorney explained. "You need to initial here...here....here and sign on the last page," he instructed...pointing out where she needed to sign and initial.

Melody took the PADD from him and read the document carefully. When she was finished she picked up the stylus the attorney had laid on the bar in front of her and she held it, poised and ready, then looked up at O'Dell.

"Are you sure about this?" She asked. "I mean we could always come to some sort of financial settlement instead."

O'Dell looked around at the tavern that had been the center of his existence for the past 18 years then he looked back at Melody and smiled. "For 18 years I have lived and breathed this tavern," he said. "When I bet the deed, last night, I honestly believed I had the winning hand. I never thought....not even for a moment....that there was a possibility of losing it. Then you won and I expected to feel some serious regret for having been so presumptuous but when I left the casino and went home....what I felt was a sense of relief," he said and looked around again. "Even now....standing here.....Surprising as it may be....I don't feel sad or regretful." O'Dell looked back at Melody and said, "I loved....still love this tavern. I love the people who frequent it. I love the atmosphere.....the comfortable feeling that you're home and the people around you are your family....not just paying customers." He added as he turned around and removed three frosty glass mugs from the refrigerator in the cabinet under the bar, filled them with ale from the draft tap and set a a filled glass on the bar in front of Melody and the attorney, "I love that I get to meet new people...beings...and hear about new places I might never have had the opportunity to if I had stayed on Earth. I love the sense of community belonging that being a business owner on the starbase gives." He stopped to take a drink of his ale.

"All I'm hearing is how much you love this place and everything that comes with and surrounds it," Melody said. "If I loved something that much...," she said and thought that she did love something that much....her ship, the Blaze...but she didn't mention it. Instead she said, "....you wouldn't be able to pry me away from it," then she took a drink of the cold Irish ale.

"I'm not a young man anymore, Miss Johnson," O'Dell said.

"That's CAPTAIN Johnson," Melody corrected O'Dell. "Or Capt. Mel," she added and took another drink of her ale.

"Sorry," O'Dell said with a chuckle. "I'm not a young man anymore, Capt. Mel," he continued. "I have experienced the challenge of opening a business....of making it into something to be proud of and I have experienced the thrill of watching it grow into a successful establishment...growing more successful each year. I have also experienced the aggravation of dealing with greedy, and sometimes unscrupulous, vendors...the frustration when a water pipe breaks and floods out the kitchen....the exasperation of dealing with employee scheduling disputes. I have experienced the gratification of making a substantial profit and the disappointment and dread during the lean times. I have also experienced....more so recently...complete exhaustion when the work day is over and I lock the doors and go home at night. The kind of exhaustion that you feel all the way to your core so that you are asleep before your head hits the pillow at night." He takes a sip of his ale. "Last night....when I realized that I wasn't going to have to drag my tired and aching body out of bed in the morning so that I can get down here and make sure the bar is stocked before opening the doors for business. And I'm not going to have to worry about vendors raising their prices and cutting into the profits...causing me to tighten my budget....just in case. I won't have to worry about keeping the piece when a couple of blokes who have had too much to drink get into a heated debate about some political BS and are on the verge of turning the debate into a boxing match." O'Dell took another drink of his ale and, finally, set his glass on the bar. He places his forearms on the bar and leans on them...putting him closer to Melody...and looks deep into her eyes. "My destiny changed when you turned over that king of clubs last night," he says softly. "I have a new destiny. What it is I don't know. But it's out there," he said, straightening up, looking out the window of the tavern and pointing in that direction. "New experiences....new challenges are waiting for me." He looks back at Melody. "It's time. And I'm not the only one whose destiny changed with the turn of one card. While it is time for me to move on....to seek out new challenges and adventures...it is also time for you, too. Granted...I don't know you...having only spoken to you briefly the night you were in here. But you can learn a lot about the character of a person simply by watching how they interact with others....and by observing them while they are gambling. Poker is a great revealer. And, from what I have seen....I couldn't have lost the tavern to a better person. You'll be good to her and she will be good to and for you," O'Dell said, smiling convincingly. "So...yes. I'm sure. Go ahead and sign it," he added. He picked up his glass and finished the ale in it.

Melody continued to look at O'Dell for a few minutes then, with a shrug, turned her attention to the PADD and initialed where the attorney had told her to and signed on the "dotted Line" on the last page. When she had finished she handed the PADD back to the attorney.

O'Dell reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a ring with four keys on it. He held it up in one hand in front of Melody and with his other hand he touched one of the keys. "This one is to the storage freezer in the kitchen," he said then touched the key next to it. "This one is to the supply closet in the back room. It's where I store the extra cue sticks, darts and dartboards." He touched the next key and said, "this one is to the cash drawer," and he turned and pointed to the vintage cash register that looked like it came from the 1920s. "And this one is to the safe in the floor of my office which is at the back of the kitchen," he said then handed the keyring to Melody.

The attorney shook hands with both Melody and O'Dell and left the tavern to file the signed papers with the proper authorities.

For the next couple of hours, O'Dell gave Melody the grand tour of the tavern...showing her where everything was and how everything worked. He also took her into his office and briefly went over his method of bookkeeping and briefed her on his list of vendors...who to call for what and when. Then he briefed her on the tavern's employees.....especially the tavern manager....boasting his confidence in the man's ability to assume the responsibility of running the place while Melody learned the ropes and got acclimated. They had just finished up when the tavern manager came in to report to work.

"I didn't realize it was that late," O'Dell said when the manager walked into the small office. He introduced the manager to Melody and briefed him on the situation change. After chatting with the two for awhile, O'Dell got up from the chair behind the small desk and began putting his belongings into a box. Meanwhile, the manager took Melody out and showed her how the cash register worked...along with a few other things she would be expected to know on her first night.

When the box was full, O'Dell gathered it up and walked out into the bar. "Well, Capt. Mel," he said, shifting the box to free up his right hand. He extended it towards Melody and said, "Like I said....she'll be good to and for you. Get to know her....listen to her.....and you'll do fine."

Melody took O'Dell's hand and shook it. Smiling she said, "thanks, Mr. O'Dell."

"Please....call me Liam," O'Dell said as they shook hands. He let go of Melody's hand and turned...heading for the tavern door. He pulled it open and stopped on the threshold. Turning he looked back at his surroundings then looked at Melody and said, "just promise me one thing."

"Anything, Liam," Melody said...quirking an eyebrow questioningly.

"Keep a bottle of Hennessy for the next time I come in here," he said. "And there will be a next time. When? I couldn't say. But I will be back and I only drink the good stuff," O'Dell said with a mischievous wink.

Melody laughed heartily and said, "you've got my word on it."

With that, Liam O'Dell turned and walked out of the tavern.

Melody stared after him long after the door had shut. Then....with a sigh....she turned and looked around at what had become her newest challenge.

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