Disclaimer:  Berusaiyu no Bara & all characters © ® All Rights Reserved Ikeda 
             Productions 1972-1973, Tokyo Movie   Shinsha Co. 1979-1980.
	     Except faux Oscar	


"I was happy and content then,
basking in the mellow light of of my innocence--
never recognizing that which
stared at me squarely in the face,
but treasuring it subconsciously all the same"



Bottle of Brandy 
by Aria (crune@coqui.net)




part 2: The Resolution

	If Granny had seen Oscar, she would have had a fit to end all fits.  
First of all she was drinking alcohol, period.  Second of all she was 
drinking straight out of the bottle.  Chugging it down like a common worker.
  
	So much for the manners Granny had painstakingly tried to teach her.

	According to their agreement the first one to fall would be the 
designated loser, but the way she was drinking dashed any thought that she 
might last more than Jacque--she was bolting every mouthful as if there was 
no tomorrow.
	
	I had already given up hope of ending the charade in a civilized way 
when both Jacque and Oscar threatened bodily harm if I interfered.  The 
competition would not last much longer, though.  Jacque's eyes were already a 
bit glazed and Oscar's balance is suffering. 
	
	I didn't know whether that was good or bad.  If she would just hurry 
up and fall, the whole thing would end right there.  Then again, if she lost 
she'd never live it down.
	
	If she lost *I* wouldn't stop hearing about it either.
	
	I sighed and continued watching.  I had to give them both credit.  
To be quite honest Jacque might be tall, but very thin.  Oscar, though a lot 
shorter had a healthier-looking frame.  She clung to her balance stubbornly, 
actually coming close to falling, but not doing so. 
 
	Apparently Jacques realized that she wouldn't give up easily and went 
back to his original tactics of intimidation.

	"I'm gonna win...I'm a man," he slurred, "You are going to lose..."

	He took another drink. 

*****

	Right.  If that ape-moron actually thought that I would dignify his 
drunken ramblings with a response he was clearly out of his minuscule mind.  
Besides I had more important things to worry about.  Like why were there two 
of him and why the ground was suddenly unstable...

	I stumbled a bit, but managed to get back my balance.  Barely.  The 
two other spectators laughed.  Ape-morons.  I couldn't lose.  My reputation 
was at stake and besides, I really wanted to put the ape-morons in their 
place.  I could not wait to see their faces when the ape-moron in front of me
fell.  I looked towards my right, the two Andres were wearing a grim faces.  
I tried to smile at them, but they just looked away. The ape-moron gave me 
the bottle.

	I brought the bottle to my lips.

*****

	Oscar was doing a swell job, in spite of the occasional laughter of 
the guys, but it was pretty damn clear that Jacque would win.  He already 
had a smug grin plastered on his face.  His own balance, though, was slightly 
less than perfect, if he were to get a small, barely noticed shove he'd fall 
like a ripe apple...

	I had to get my thoughts back into place, Jacque was my friend and 
it would be cheating...

	Then again Oscar was my friend too and she was just twelve years old.  
It was hardly fair to make her go against a boy a year older than her.  It 
was my job to take care of her...
	
	I had no idea what to do.  On one side, I had my loyalty towards 
Oscar and on the other my loyalty towards Jacque--and I knew what was fair, 
or did I?
	
	Jacque took another drink from the bottle Oscar passed him, quite a 
bit of it landing on his shirt by accident. 

*****
	
	It was getting harder and harder for me to stay upright.  Everything 
was so fuzzy...

	The ape-moron was babbling nonsense, which I ignored--I could hardly 
understand him.  Meanwhile, the two Andres beside me had their brows 
furrowed in concentration.  I wanted to ask him what he was thinking, but I 
couldn't get my attention of my balance.  One small step could certainly cost
me and I had no desire to pay.  Not with my pride.

	But everything was so fuzzy...

	I fumbled with the bottle my opponent passed me.

*****

	The bottle was carelessly thrown in the grass near Jack and Oscar's 
feet.  Oscar had dropped it after taking her drink.  I had no idea whether it 
was full, half-full or empty, but I doubted it was empty.  Either way, Oscar 
would clearly fall, in a matter of moments she had come close twice already. 

	I made my decision then.

	Pretending I was going to pick up the bottle, I managed to shove 
Jacque a bit.  It was barely noticeable or the guys would have reacted--in 
any case Jacque was too drunk to notice and the mentioned guys were busy 
making fun of a wavering Oscar.  In less than five seconds Jacque fell, 
swearing as he did in frustration.
	
	Oscar fell exactly about six seconds later...and promptly passed out.
	
	My friends (including Jacque who was still as aware as any drunken 
boy could be) were stunned speechless.  They were still in shock when I left 
with a knocked-out Oscar slung from my shoulder like a sack of potatoes.  

	Thank God for her small frame.
	
	Better out cold than roaring drunk they say.
	
	Either way, other problems remained--how to get Oscar (1) in to the 
Jarjayes house without anyone noticing her condition and (2) how to keep it 
that way until she was sobered up.  These took less time to solve, though.  
I entered through the servant's door along the back, pausing to cover Oscar 
in some white sheets I found near by much to my luck.  It would not help for 
other servants to see me carrying Oscar around.  By looking carefully, I 
managed to slip into her room and deposited in her bed white sheets and all.
  
	I was now in problem two.  So far no one had noticed Oscar had left, 
but by dinner I was sure, someone was bound to notice that Oscar's place was 
empty.  After thinking a while, I decided to let her 'sleep it off' and tell 
the rest of the family she was sick.  

	It sounded plausible and besides I could say she was sick AND cranky,
therefore having no one bother her at all.  

	Congratulating myself, I slipped out of her room in time to hear 
Granny yell:

	"Andre!"

******

	I woke up with The Headache From Hell.  It didn't help much that the 
light was blinding me and hurting my eyes which, of course, sent the pain 
back to my head, the current center of my being.  After turning to my side 
and blinking a couple thousand times, I more or less began to see that I was 
in my room.

	The headache was probably a souvenir of my contest with the ape-moron.
Speaking of which, I had no idea who won.  I tried to sit up, but abandoned 
the effort when I saw that my body refused to cooperate.

	Closing my eyes, I took deep breaths willing the headache to 
disappear.

	I heard the door open and a familiar voice say:

	"Good morning, how do you feel?"

	I wanted to say, "What's good about morning?" but what came 
out was: "Waoomohin?" which led to the discovery that my mouth felt as if it 
was full of dry sand.

	Wait a second--morning?  I had that contest in the afternoon...

	I valiantly tried again:

	"It's morning?"

	Well, I was *somewhat* coherent--give me points for that.

	"Yeah Oscar, you were out cold all of yesterday," said Andre.

	"Who won?" I asked.

	He sighed, "It really doesn't ma--".

	"Who won?"

	"Uh, you, I think."

	I finally opened my eyes.

	"You *think*?"  

	Andre shrugged, "You fell about a couple of seconds after he did."

	That thought made me laugh which, my head informed, me was *not* a 
good idea.  I sighed, feeling horrible, and closed my eyes again.

*****

	Oscar looked horrible--her eyes were bloodshot, her skin was sickly
pale and a bit yellowish--she reeked of brandy too.

	"Um, Oscar?" I said.

	"Yeah?" she mumbled/growled.

	"You should get cleaned up."

	"Oh I'm sorry have I offended your tender sensibilities, Andre," she 
said acidly as she turned to glare at me.

	"Aw, come on Oscar, I didn't mean it that way."

	"Do you think I don't notice the mess I look like?"

	"Uh..."

	"Do you think I don't know I stink?"

	"Uh..."

	"Just shut up and go 'way Andre!"

	I wish I could have mumbled 'women', but that seemed *hardly* 
appropriate.

*****
	
	After taking a bath I felt better, but just barely.  The headache 
receded and it's current location was the back of my head.  I could live with
 that, I told myself.

	I went to look for Andre in the stables that afternoon.

	"Feeling better?" he asked.

	"Yeah, sort of," I shrugged.

	"It's not that great to get drunk, huh?"

	I rolled my eyes. "It's not as if you are years older than me, Andre,
don't try to start a lecture," I snapped.  Instantly, a wave of shame passed 
over me.  "I'm sorry, that has to be the headache speaking," I said putting 
one hand on my temple.

	He smiled at me kindly, "I read some time ago about this technique to
help headaches."

	"What was it?"

	"Give me your hand."

	He pressed a spot in the middle of my palm.

	"Did that help?" he asked.

	It didn't, really.  The headache was still there just as it had been 
moments before.  I started to reply, but then I looked at him.
	
	"Yes, it did.  Thanks Andre," I smiled at him.
	
	"You're welcome," he left the stable and we began walking towards the
 house.

	"So Andre, wasn't it obvious I'd beat your friends?"

	He stopped and looked at me, "I knew you would."

	I smiled teasingly, "Since the beginning?"

	He smiled back, "Since the beginning."  

END



(crune@coqui.net)