Chapter 8 - Prayer

“So, still want to go in?” Ben points at the Sagrada Familia. I nod “Yes I do. And you?” Ben stands up and offers me his arm, I hook my arm through his and head to the unfinished church.
We pay the admission fee of 14 Euro for the audio tour and take the headphones. Ben puts them on and starts playing the air guitar right away. People are looking at us and the crowd gets bigger when I join in with my air drums. “Great music this Gaudi” Ben says while he bangs his head. I have to quit playing the air drums because I can’t keep standing, I fall on my knees with my hands pressed to my tummy, tears are rolling down my cheeks from laughter.

Ben puts his ‘guitar’ down and pulls me up from the floor. “Let’s go take this tour.” he grins.
“With or without music?” I snort.

“You snorted!” Ben laughs. “Yes I certainly did. You made me snort. I blame it on you!” I reply.

“I thought you blamed it all on Jackson.” Ben replies.

My mouth falls open. “You know?” I ask. “Of course I know. We all blamed it on Jackson since we found that out.” He grins.

“So, that’s why he left the band.” I joke.

A shadow appears on Ben’s face. “Not really.” he replies and put his headphones back on.

End of fun

Well done Lynn.

We walk the tour in silence, the only thing I hear is the soft female voice of the audio guide in my ears.

I am fighting the tears. It’s so beautiful in here, overwhelming.

Ben wraps his arm around me and pulls me close. “Are you okay?” I slowly shake my head and press my face against his chest. I grab the back of his shirt in my clenched fists and let the tears run.

Ben strokes the back of my head and lets me cry. It seems like a long time, but finally the tears stop running and I only sob softly. I pull away from Ben’s chest, look at it and giggle.
“Look what I did.” I point at Ben’s chest.

He looks down and laughs. “Well, we can always say that Maria was crying, if people ask.”
“Yeah or that she was drooling because you walked by.” I giggle.

“Feel relieved?” Ben asks. “Yes I do, it’s so overwhelming in here, and….” I mutter
Ben shushes me. “It’s okay, don’t have to explain.”

He takes my cheeks in his hands and wipes the tears away. “It’s all gonna be alright. I promise.” he whispers.

“Thank you Ben, thank you.” I hug him tight.
I leave Ben behind in the crypt while I am taking the elevator into the towers. I will not force him to come with me, but I needed this to be done, at least one time in my life. It’s beautiful, but even I, who had never been afraid of heights whatsoever, have trouble to look down and enjoy the view.

I take my time to look around, I left my camera in Amsterdam, so I take my time to print all the images in my mind.

30 minutes later I go back down and tell Ben everything about the view. Even the thought of me being high up there, made his face turn pale.

I look at my watch. 8pm. I left Amsterdam only 5 hours ago, but it seems like forever. It’s a good thing.
“Let’s go find a bar.” Ben suggests. I shake my head. “No, I have to find a hostel, remember.”
“I told you, you can sleep in the room with me.” Ben replies.

“Dude, do you really think I’ll fit in that chair? That I will be comfortable sleeping?” I ask.

“I can sleep there, I sleep anywhere if I am tired enough. Even up straight, in a chair. Or on the floor, I don’t care.” He shrugs. “I’ll just ask for some extra blankets and create a bed on the floor.”

“Suit yourself.” I say.
I am not arguing with him anymore if he want’s me to sleep in the room with him, I shall sleep in the room with him. Not that I mind, really.

“Now that is sorted, can we go to a bar now?” Ben asks me. “Yes please.” I smile.

My phone is vibrating, and I check. Ricks’ name appears on the screen. I press the red button. Not going to talk to him.
Phone flashes again, I press him away for the second time.
Phone vibrates, voicemail.

“Ben, Rick called me.” I look up at him. His eyes are worried. “Want me to answer?” he asks. I shake my head frantically.
“I have to listen to the voicemail. I want to know what he has to say.”

I press the call button and hold the phone to my ear.

‘Lynn, where did you go, Lynn come back home, I think we need to talk.’ I look at my phone, mouth wide open. I expected much, but not a crying Rick.

“I need to call back.” I mutter. Ben takes my phone away. “Maybe you should wait, till we are at the hotel.” he says. I can’t do anything else but agree. Ben shuts off my phone and puts it in his pocket. “Now, let’s have some fun.”

He holds the door to a nice and cozy restaurant, and I step inside. It’s a little bar, very Spanish, but I hear a lot of English and even Dutch speaking people.
A tourist bar. Never mind, it’s good enough for me.
“Care for some alcohol?” Ben asks. I grin, I still picture him, as the beer drinking guy on stage, taking a swig out of every bottle he passes. So I am quite surprised when he ordered a Sangria for us.
I never ever drunk this before, so I am curious. “This is the real deal.” Ben says. “Mixed with lots of rum, and fresh fruit.”

We find a quiet spot in the corner of the bar and sit down. I take a tiny sip from my drink and cough. “Damn, that’s a lot of alcohol, my throat is burning.” I grumble. “Not used to so much?” he smiles.

“No dude, I am a beer girl, or wine, but that’s about it. But it’s not that I don’t like it, but you might have to carry me to the hostel.”

“That sounds like fun.” He grins.

I take another sip. It tastes really good. I can handle a lot of beers, but I am not sure about drinking something filled with rum.

Three glasses of Sangria later, and I am already light in my head. Ben keeps telling lame jokes, and I can’t stop laughing.
“HA, I made you snort.” He laughs, while showing his guns, as if he’s a winner.

“That’s not a hard thing to do, I snort all the time.” I snort again. It’s hard to regain my breath with all this laughing I am doing, but I can’t stop.

More glasses of Sangria are brought to the table. “No more, I can’t take it anymore.” I sigh.

“Last one then?” Ben asks. I look at my watch. Nearly midnight. “Yes please, I’m exhausted.”

We finish our drink and walk back to the hotel. Well, walking, it’s more like swaying through the streets, It takes me double the distance to get back to the hostel. “You promised to carry me.” I remind Ben’s promise.

“This is way much more fun to look at.” He grins, while giving me a little nudge. I lose my balance and tip over. Falling, butt first, on the ground.

I sit there, laughing so hard, that I can’t get up. Ben reaches out to me to help me back on my feet, but I am like dead weight and he gives up.

“You should see the look on your face.” I stutter from laughing, nearly out of breath again.

I crawl back up my feet and grab Ben’s arm. “Now help me.” I demand. He offers me his back and I climb on.
“Can I make you sparkle, and put a horn on your head? Than I have my own unicorn to ride on.” I grin while I wrap my arms around his neck, and my legs around his waist.

We both chuckle and find our way to the hostel.
Ben throws me backwards on the bed and turns around to me. “Gonna get some blankets, be right back.”

“Hmkay.” I mumble while turning on my belly, grab a pillow and close my eyes.

I only wake up when I feel the soft lips of Ben on my forehead when he tucks me in. “Goodnight miss.” He whispers softly, like a breeze.

I wake up. My head pounding, my mouth dry and with a taste as if I ate a dead cat last night.