It was almost eleven o’clock and we were walking towards the hotel location, although we were a bit dizzy from the drinking before, we made it safely to the front door. We found a big guy just standing there with not the most friendly look. When our time arrived we passed inside, they asked us to please leave everything in the wardrobe, including phones, and follow to the next stand where they had to tell us more instructions and they also gave a poker card to each person. Starting with the fact that they got us separated from the beginning, and the low lighting in the building I was starting to feel scared -You know, with the Halloween night thing.
After we went throughout the dark hall and crossed to the waiting area, which is a bar that makes you feel like you were transported to the 30’s. You can wait while you enjoy some cocktails and watch a lady sing the blues. As the time passes, the host comes every 15 minutes to announce when is your turn to go inside. Once there, is when they give you the instructions and your white Venetian carnival-style mask (that you have to keep on for the entire performance about 2.5 hours) and then they just let you loose into one of the floors of the hotel as you start pursuing the artists.
As I don’t want to spoiler the readers about the show because is some sort of a cult like you have to go a see it by yourself before people can talk to you about it. I’ll just tell some comments about my waiting before the show. As they call the groups for the poker card each has, is easy to be in a different group from your companions. When my friend left and I was still there waiting for my turn, another lady approached me to sit at my table, which I happily agreed without knowing it was a big mistake. She was telling me about how amazing it is to live in The City. Then she continued to tell me about how hot the host was. I was feeling a little uncomfortable when she started to elevate her voice more and more and yelling stuff like “Come on, baby! I’m from Texas, I know how to ride you!” Every time the host was on the stage. Unfortunately, she had the same card as me so we were called together. When the guy was giving us the instructions she just kept flirting with him, with me in the middle of course, and just out of nowhere she kissed him. I always ask myself why do I have to be in awkward situations like that most of the times. After the kiss, she just turned around and told me “You see, that’s how you do it in NY”.
When the show ended, my friend and I arranged to meet outside the theater at 2 am. We were both so excited talking about everything we saw. It was amazing how we were there at the same time, and still, we have a different storyline from our experience. When we realized that we were walking to no destination, I said that we needed to take a cab to the Madison Square Garden train station so we can go back to the hotel, at Newark. Lucky me, I was wrong. The train station was obviously closed and full of vagabonds with sketchy looks. After surviving this thrilling experience we took a cab -another one- with the Ground Zero directions, the driver told me that it was my decision to turn ON the taximeter or just pay to him 30 USD. Of course, it was a complete rip-off. I learned that too little, too late.
When we got to the correct train station, we had to wait a few minutes while the train started to move because it was the first station. We looked around, there were some interesting people who will come out later in this story. Let’s start with the handsome guy sitting in front of us, my friend was telling me to look at his beauty just sitting there, exposed. After a couple of minutes, a couple of ladies joined the train an sit next to this guy. When we were finally moving on our long journey to Newark. Another guy sitting next to us started asking about our masks. Let’s call him the Alaskan guy because well, he is from Alaska. We told him about the show we went and he told us about a party he was heading to, he invited us to join him. In the meantime, the handsome guy sitting in front of us was making out with one of the two ladies while the other one was asleep. It’s quite shocking what you can see in public spaces in this big city. The Alaskan guy was insisting that we needed to join him, then he just made a pause, and he shot with the question: Are you girls up for a threesome?. I was just laughing at this nonsense that was going on at that moment.
After a few minutes, the handsome guy left the train - I am guessing he felt a bit attacked. By this time, we were only eight people inside. The Alaskan guy, after the obvious rejection, moved forward to sit with the two girls in front. Of course, the second girl woke up and for our big surprise, they were a couple! -Crazy times. Just for the record, every time there is an awkward or serious situation I can’t help it but laugh. Yes, it’s wrong, but it’s also the only way to express myself when I’m nervous. For my luck, the Alaskan guy told the girls that I was laughing at them, which it wasn’t funny for them and not even true. This occasioned a big mess inside the train where we were alone with those three people and three more ladies who looked a bit shady. I was so scared. My friend also was yelling at me to stop laughing because we were in serious trouble and still far from our stop. The journey ended with the F-word yelled at me, and them waiting for me outside the train when our stop arrived.
After running for a while to escape from the situation, we found that the bus station was closed. It was officially, becoming from the best night to the worst. It was almost 4 am. We were alone in the streets of Newark just thinking what could we possibly do. At this moment, there was a man there, alone, and started walking towards to us. I’ve never in my life been more scared than that moment. He had the voice of Morgan Freeman, and he was a lovely man who talked to us about life, architecture, and to never to stop dreaming. We had the most strange and wonderful conversation with him. I still think he was like an Angel, who appeared out of nowhere and told us that we were going to be okay. After that, he took us to the bus that can take us to the airport to then, take the shuttle from our hotel.
That guy was inspirational, we ended the night with a big smile on our face. We had such a crazy night in The Big Apple. We experimented a variated kind of emotions. From the good to the bad. It was awesome and quite a story to tell.
I can honestly say, this is one of my favorite cities in the world.
I love you, New York.