The Ghost of Hangover Passed

We were talking to our friends and one said he was a referee and loved whiskey. Gaby looked like Christmas had came early. Gaby is a football journalist in both English and Italian. They both also loved Whiskey. 

Karolina announced over the microphone that the Gentlemen's Corner was now open. She had told us before the wedding that at Gentlemen's corner there would be Scottish whiskey. As the five of us headed over to Gentlemen's Corner there was a bottle of Jura whiskey and Gaby looked quite the part in traditional Scottish dress with a kilt, jacket, sporran and all.

He and the Referee wet to the Whiskey and Gaby explained the notes the Whiskey had in it and about the barrels and how you should hold it in your mouth for five seconds before you swallow it for the full flavour.

Before we knew it there was a group of about five men all hanging off Gaby's every word, learning about Scottish whiskey. It looked as though Gaby was working there and after about an hour he started giving small, factual tours about the Isle of Jura and the Whiskey making process.

With every guided tour Gaby gave he had a cheeky Whiskey with his new found tour group. I had gone for more beers and when I came back Gaby was showing people how to cut, light and smoke cigars! 

Me and Alona laughed. As the laugh echoed around us and Gaby’s tours continued, me and Alona found ourselves parroting everything he had been telling people on his mini tour to a new group at gentlemen's corner. By the end all three of us where in full fledged Scottish tour guide mode; the only three Scots at the wedding.

The three of us stayed laughing and telling tall tales of Scotland to anyone who would listen. As the night got darker and the cold swooped in we went to socialise inside. After dinner the music started, Gaby wasn't too keen to dance so me Alona took to the dance floor. Fast forward to around half three in the morning and Gaby was having a wee beer with the Swiss boys while the rest of us danced. He started to look fairly ready for bed as every night for the past week we had been awake till about three in the morning catching up, or it might have been the endless beers and the drams he had been having.

Then Karolina requested Avril Lavigne 'I don’t like your girlfriend'. I got the fright of my life when I was dancing with Karolina because all of a sudden Gaby was energetically belting out the tune right beside me. 

We all partied on and as the bar was free we hydrated ourselves the best we could.

Alona and I made it down to breakfast but Gaby didn’t as he has thrown up his own throat that morning, huskily explaining that there had been blood but he didn't want to wake us up. We got down to breakfast everyone looked perfectly fine, meanwhile me and Alona looked like gremlins and Gaby had regurgitated a piece of his own throat.

We headed back to the room with some carved ham and some bread on a plate, we tried to wake Gaby up to eat. He awoke gingerly and turned around to us, he was luminous white and covered in sweat.

We resurrected Gaby from his bed against his will to get up and pack. He looked as though he was going to fall over. We packed and loaded up the cars, Gaby lay with his head in his arms on a table outside the front of the building and Alona followed suit.

Alona looked rough but Gaby looked horrific. 

We had an hour drive back to Karolina's house, and the three of us went with Sven. As Sven started driving Gaby covered his face with his Taylor Swift hoodie and put headphones in. Excuse my face We reassured Sven that Gaby wouldn't be sick in his car cause he wouldn't want someone to be sick in his. Sven looked horrified and joked that Gaby needed a charger as his battery was so low, we all laughed and from behind the hood a voice huskily said: ‘I am on power saver mode.’

We erupted in laughter and Gaby told us to stop immediately.

Once we got back to Karolina's, translucent Gaby lay on the sofa clinging onto the edge of the earth hoping to feeling better. He couldn't really talk because he had thrown up his own throat that morning. We gave him a pint of beer and he watched the football, attempting to cheer if Kilmarnock scored.

I can honestly say I have never been or seen anyone so hungover in my whole life, and we have had our fair share of parties.

That evening Team Wedding and one horrifically ill Gaby got ready to go to the street food festival. 

As we walked along the road, Gaby just kind of floated. He had gone from pale to translucent to what I can only describe as jellyfish like colour; completely see-through with purple rings around his eyes.

We all got food and a cheeky beer just to get back to health. After Gaby had eaten he told the group he was going for a walk to, in his own words, find the sweet release of death and like a puff of smoke he disappeared.

Some time later the boys started laughing, as we turned round there in the distance floating towards us was zombie Gaby. He stood out from the crowd in his bright white hoodie and had an emotionless expression on his face, sort of staring into the abyss. 

As we got a table and the beers continued we told stories and talked about how amazing the wedding was.

‘I am 80 percent charged.’ Gaby informed the group.

Team Wedding couldn't help but laugh but this time Gaby was ok with it. As the beers continued Gaby was becoming human again and very slowly gaining colour in his cheeks, and through some magical beer healing properties his throat was recovering too. 

Back at the house Gaby was back to full health and we all agreed Scottish people and free bars were and will always be a fabulous mix.