7 Traces Pt.2 (2/2)

'Hey Cline, how's it going?'

'What do you want?'

'Wow, your attitude is different when you want me to do you favours.'

'And you take much advantage of me when that happens. Let me enjoy this.'

'Well, since you can't do one thing P.A. has hired you to do, I wanted to ask if you were capable to do anything else?'

'How deep do you want me to sink this time?'

'One, when is P.A.'s concerts coming to Asia?'

'We're kicking it off from Asia this time.'

'Wow. No Australia or London this time?'

'Your friend wants to push the envelope every time. But it keeps us getting paid, so I don't mind.'

'Give me the date.'

'Let me see…'

After a brief pause, he texted again.

'Its almost end of the summer. So, it would be three weeks deep into fall.'

After mid-October. I guess I can take an extended leave. There are going to be numerous holidays

during the month anyways, so it would work out.

'When is the tour coming to India?'

'Hmm, not until the end of November.'

'That's too far away. Where is the first show?'

'Tokyo. From there to Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and then India.'

I though to myself, 'They are going to cover five locations in barely a month?'

'How many shows in India? And here on from there?'

'Three shows in India. From there the show goes to China for five. We're dropping Russia for the moment because it would be Mid-December by the time we would be done with Asia.'

'I want backstage passes for all the shows from Thailand to China.'

He waited for a moment before replying, 'Yeah, keep dreaming, Mad. I don't have that kind of power and you know it.'

I waited for a second and then started pushing Cline's buttons. 'Yeah, I thought so. If you can't write songs for your artist, you cant arrange something so meager for me.'

No reply from his side.

Its working.

I continued. 'Some songwriter you are. Oh no wait, you are supposed to write three songs for P.A.'s next album, didn't you? How did that work out? Oh, I'm sorry, you asked me to write them. I haven't got money for them, and my pen isn't going to touch the paper before I see the paper in my account, Hitmaker.'

Cline was a good person, just lacking in one thing. Song writing. He always envied me because of my ability with words. One day, he stole my old song and gave it to P.A., which became her first Top 10 hit. He knew what he did and came to be for forgiveness. He took all the credit and threw an apology at me in the end. I was furious at his gesture, because I felt that his hustle to even steal my song was fake. I let everything out on him that day and gave him a nickname to remind him of his guilt. HITMAKER. I was guilty of what I had said and promised not to use that name.

But today, I want to do right by someone, and I won't let anybody stand in my way. Even if I have to rip open the wounds of the past, whether they are mine or else.

There was no reply from Cline for minutes, in the meantime, I explained what was going on. When I was done, I got his reply.

'How many people?'

I asked Mapalla and Trigman, ”Hey, would you accompany me to meet Priscilla?”

I put the phone in my pocket and opened the front door.

”I hope you are happy now, Trigman. I have taken first step towards my past. Geez, talking like makes me feel like a certain mad scientist.”

”I am happy for you. But I don't get it, why did you get only Thailand's and China's show tickets. You have enough money to fly out to Tokyo.”

”I know, but I have a feeling I will have to fly out to Canada in the near future.”

”Oh, is that where Expy lives now a days?” Mapalla inquired.

I nodded.

”I can't afford five tickets if I don't save now. If I would be lucky, I would convince P.A. to let us hang around.”

Trigman crossed his arms. ”What do you want us to do?”

”When the time comes, I want you both to meet me in Nepal. I'm hopeful I will be there with everyone.”

Both of them opened their eyes wide.

”You will write the last page in the city where you etched your introduction, eh?”

”Mapalla shut up. Don't sound so philosophical. I'm already late, and I still must pick up sweets for babe. Imma bounce.”

Trigman and Mapalla gave me the V-Sign and saw me off.

I ran towards my home looking into the horizon.

Now, there is no turning back.