Heaven's Promise by Paolo Hewitt Page A

was going on around us. I had never felt anything like it before.
    All of a sudden, without any warning, this dreamlike state stopped and it was as if I suddenly clicked into life.
    I had been AWOL from the world, and no doubt about it, but a new sensation was now starting to come through and I could feel myself being taken over by an indescribable energy, a force so positive that I had to release it there and then.
    â€˜Come on,’ I said to Dillon, who looked like he was just coming to after a three rounder with the world champ, ‘I want to go and see what’s happening.’
    He looked up at me.
    â€˜Too fucking right,’ and with that we exited the ba r and started to push down the still heaving corridor, only this time I wore a huge grin because now I could understand everything I had witnessed earlier and, stranger still, felt a camaraderie for every smiling herbert I passed. As I jostled through the crowd I heard a noise behind me and turned to see that Dillon’s feet had been taken from beneath him by some carelessly spilt drink. In a flash, four people were helping him to his feet, asking if he was hurt, did he need to sit down for a bit, would he be alright and all the time, Dillon was laughing hysterically. I too saw the funny side and felt a surge of real companionship towards the guy, and, what’s more, couldn’t help but express it when we finally reached the dancefloor.
    â€˜You know Dillon,’ I shouted earnestly to him, ‘ever since I’ve been going into your shop I’ve always checked for you. You never try and rip us off, man and I appreciate that.’
    â€˜Thanks man,’ he replied, putting his arm around me.
    â€˜I always like it when you come in as well. And your friend,’ he added, ‘although the both of you are far too cool sometimes. You know that, don’t you?’
    â€˜Are we?’
    â€˜Yeah, sometimes you hardly say a word the pair of you. Always reserved, aren’t you? But that’s alright. You’re both good guys.’
    It’s funny how you can walk around in this world and believe you are one thing while all the time other people check for you in a completely different manner. One day, I mused to myself, I’d love to find people who knew me at all different ages and sizes and see what their assessment of me was, it would tell you so much about yourself. In fact, mention of Brother P. made me wish that right at that moment he was by my side so I could relay to him my feelings towards him, how much I dug our friendship and all that good stuff, and suddenly I had a burning desire to get to a phone and bell him with the news when a tune came thundering through the speakers, and the next thing I was on the floor, dancing in abandon on a surge of energy and great self confidence.
    Why, I thought to myself, I could take Sammy The Foot on here for I felt a joy for life pervade my every bone and fibre, and all around me people were obviously feeling the same because every time you looked over at someone, you would both grin and smile at each other, as if you had been friends for years.
    The music started to become more urgent and I found myself locking into its relentless beat as sounds appeared from out of nowhere, like this voice demanding you to, ‘Move your body, move your body,’ and that’s exactly what you did, not even caring about the sweat that you could feel trickling down your face and into the corners of your mouth. The dancing and the music took me higher and higher and as both Dillon and I began to lose ourselves, I suddenly noticed a half naked, youngish looking guy, lanky and thin with a shock of red hair, approach the large bass bin speakers and actually attempt to climb into one, his head bent low with his left ear crushed against the speaker as he literally tried to get inside the music. I went over and put my hand on his shoulder to restrain him and he looked up at me with a look of