Once Willie had shown Tom a piece of his mind, he threw Tom into the shower, clothes and all, and locked him in the bathroom. Tom showered and scrubbed himself down. He tossed his wet clothes on the bathroom floor and cursed under his breath for Willie’s reaction to the false death of his Uncle Ted. He brushed his teeth several times until he was certain the smell of booze was off his breath. After a quick cut of his hair, and a shave of the stubbly beard, he was content with what he saw in the mirror.

            He looked like his old self again. His brown hair, short the way he liked it. His beard gone and clean shaven. The way Mia liked it. Tom turned to walk out of the bathroom when he realized Willie had locked the door. He twisted and turned, but it was no use. Tom could have knocked the door down, but Willie would have a fit.

            Tom sat in the tub for a moment and thought of a way out. He stared out the window and could see Tiana’s Place shining in the sunlight. It looked just like a steamboat pulled into the dock with its steam stacks bellowing out steam from the kitchen. Tom was about to fall asleep looking out the window when it hit him. “The window!” he exclaimed. He pulled the towel of the rack and wrapped it around him. It was early around 8, an hour past sunrise, nobody would see him crawling around the balcony to get to the front door. Tom wrapped his towel around himself and opened the window. 

            He hopped out on the balcony and ran to the front of the apartment building. He was almost in the clear only if the balcony didn’t stop an apartment way from the front door. Tom looked around and found his only way back in, the apartment window. He popped the window open and tip toed in. The door was right across the room. Each footstep was as soft as he could make it until he hit a squeaky board. He looked over to a door opening. A woman walked out of the apartment bathroom with a only towel on and just stared at Tom, standing in the middle of her bedroom with just a towel on like her. Tom stopped in his tracks. “Mornin’ ma’m. Fine day for a refreshin’ shower aint it?” Tom said.

            She screamed and shouted while Tom jumped over her bed and out the door. Neighbors opened their doors to see Tom running down the hall. He turned into Willie’s apartment and slammed the door shut, locks and all. All Tom could do was laugh and think about the girl he saw. “Was she cursing in Irish to me?” Tom thought to himself. Her hair was auburn colored and she had a big blue eyes. After contemplating the woman’s beauty he finally said to himself “I’ve gotta stop associating with people from Europe”.