aaron_the fall of america_chapter_41

Chapter 41

When I woke up the next morning with ringing, I thought I must have been dead or something near to it. There was a red stain on the wall and a puddle on the floor. Since the ringing wouldn't stop I went to answer the phone.

"Hello."

"Eddy."

"That's me."

"It's after eight."

"In the morning?"

"Did you plan to come to work today?"

"What's today?"

"Friday."

"Who is this?"

"Pattie."

"Oh, from work."

"Did you sleep in?"

"I fell asleep on the kitchen floor. I thought I was dead."

"You don't sound dead, so hurry up and you might get here before Bob does."

"Fuck 'em."

"Bye Eddy."

"Bye."

Work. Morning. Why couldn't I remember what I was supposed to do? When I had a quick shower to wake up, I noticed that my multiple wounds were insignificant.

After dressing, I grabbed a banana and started my journey to work. Water dropped from my wet hair to my shirt. I could think of nothing else. It was all that mattered. What else was there? My feet. They were walking.

I threw my banana peel into the window of a passing car.

"Asshole!"

"Fuck you!"

Tires screamed the car to a stop. I stood and waited. I couldn't remember what the problem was. I turned and looked at the car.

"I had better find out," I said.

I walked to the car and looked in the window. A man handed me a banana peel.

"Here."

"No thank you."

"It's yours."

"I don't want it."

"I certainly don't want it in my car."

"Throw it out."

He looked at me as if he couldn't follow my logic.

"Was there anything else?"

I was having trouble picturing the man in the car. I couldn't remember why we were talking. It was likely he was trying to manipulate my morning. He was going to tell me to kill someone. They wanted me to kill someone that was a threat to the stability of the country. Though I was as ignorant of what was happening in politics as any despot could desire, my instinct told me I couldn't go on supporting them. It had to stop somewhere. Whatever it was.

I smashed my fist into his face.

There was no need to kill him, so I refrained. I was already uncertain if I had reason to dislike the man. I reached in to turn off his car so he wouldn't waist gas while he slept. The banana peel, I took from him and threw it in a garbage container. It seemed the least I could do for the poor man.

On the walk through the park, I wondered if I had made a mistake in hitting the man in the car. It was odd behaviour. But it had seemed necessary at the time.

"Hey."

Someone was following me in the park. I stopped to look at him and his dog. It wasn't a real dog. It was a breed of dog constructed by demented men for the sole purpose of being principally dangerous. The danger in the dog was obvious, the danger in the man was minimal.

"Are you addressing me?"

"I saw what you did to that man. We don't like that in our neighbourhood."

"Maybe you're right. I had a bad night. Now piss off and don't add to my bad morning."

"Do you know my dog's trained to kill?"

"That's nice. So am I." I suddenly remembered.

The dog was straining on his collar. I felt sorry for it, knowing it was what it was because of influences beyond it's control. I knew the man was what he was because of influences he hadn't noticed. I knew I didn't even remember who I was and wasn't even certain if I was free to make decisions. It was important that I wasn't going to act how they intended. I would oppose whatever I thought was taught to me. I would reject indiscriminately.

I started with the dog.

I barely managed to avoid its jaws. I jumped over the killer and landed with my chest on its back. Before it could lock its teeth in my face, I pulled its front legs apart. I put my knee on its back and pulled on his legs until I had ripped them over it's head.

The shocked owner's foot came toward my face when the dog fell silent. I grabbed his foot and rolled with the momentum. I took the man down, snapping his knee.

"I can kill you now, or if you prefer to forget my face, I will go to work."

"I won't say anything."

"Even if you get police protection, I can get to you. The only reason I don't kill you now is I'm suddenly feeling good."

"My dog."

"Too aggressive. Get a fat cat."

"My leg."

"Go to the hospital."

"I can't walk."

"Call a cab. Look, I've got to go. I'm already late. You start making a few decisions on your own."

"You killed my dog and broke my leg."

"You got off easy. Have a good day."

I left him sitting on a bench to contemplate his pain. He would likely sit on the bench until someone came to help him.

When I got to work, I was an hour late. Bob was sitting in the parking lot smoking a cigarette and reading a magazine. He noticed me walk into the store and took time to be a little puzzled. For the moment, his cigarette and magazine were more important, so he stayed with them.

There was no one at the cash and no customers. Pattie and Shelly were busying themselves with what were normally my jobs.

"Eddy, were you hit by a car?"

"What?"

"You're all dirty."

"Oh, Just dusty." I brushed some dust off me. Shelly helped and Pattie watched.

Bob stood at the end of the aisle and watched.

"My office, Eddy," he said when I had been put into order.

I smiled at Pattie and Shelly and went to accept my reprimanding. The best way to handle the situation had been discarded for the option of the most entertaining. I thought it more important to react unpredictably than to play my role.

His office door was closed. That was odd. It was also locked. How was I to be reprimanded and possibly disciplined if I wasn't let in?

"Bob! How do I receive shit out here?"

The door opened but the way was not opened. Zizith stood in the way.

"Zizith?"

"Go back to work," he said.

I had never known him to be stern. He was deadly serious. There was no room in his voice for me to utter any question. I quickly glanced at Bob and another man who I didn't know.

Nothing happened. I stood there. Zizith stood. Bob stood. A man sat in Bob’s chair.

The door shut.

I walked to the meat counter and looked through the glass. Rarely did I look at the meat, I seldom bought meet for various reasons. One reason was the price. I seldom even talked to the butcher and he worked in the same store as I did. He smelled too much like death.

I went behind the counter.

"Good morning," I said.

"Is it?"

"Good point."

I looked over the raw meat closely, then at the sliced meat.

"What's this one?" I took a bite.

"Mock chicken."

"Chicken?"

"No."

"It's a little salty."

I tried a few other slices.

"Eddy. That's expensive meat."

"I shouldn't eat it then."

He stood watching me, still holding a large knife.

"Watch it!"

I grabbed his knife and attacked the large piece of flesh on the cutting table. I stabbed and chopped madly until it was completely mutilated.

"I saw it move," I said. "It was going to get you."

"Thanks, Eddy."

I smelled my hands and walked to the front of the store. I picked up a container of grapefruit juice on the way.

"Is it me, or is this somehow an unusual day?"

"It's you, Eddy." Pattie said.

She had a customer. I put my juice down and helped with the packing.

"You shouldn’t eat this shit, it'll rot your teeth, fuck up your health and make you a nervous wreck."

"It's for my kids."

"Oh. Shall I help you to your car?"

"I would appreciate it."

I took the lady's bags to her car. She nervously opened the trunk so I could put the groceries in.

"Odd, isn't it?" I asked.

"What is?"

"The amount of money you spent and most of what you bought has no food value."

"That shouldn't be your concern."

"No. Nobody should be concerned. I'm sure it's nothing serious. Jesus Fucking Bloody Christ," I screamed. It's only one pissy planet!"

She was frightened. She jumped in her car and locked the door. The trunk lid was still opened and since I had to jump out of her way, I couldn't shut it for her. She backed into Bob's car. The sudden stop slammed down the trunk lid but now that the rear end was bent in, the lid just lifted up again. It slammed down once again when she vacated, without slowing to check traffic.

A speeding garbage truck demolished her car.

Pattie and Shelly and two customers came out of the store to see what had caused the noise. Pattie rushed back into the store, likely to call the authorities.

I looked up and down the street. There were no other cars or trucks but ones that had just stopped. The two men from the truck and I walked over to the car to see what might remain of the woman.

The truck had hit the back half of the car, leaving some of the front half recognizable. The woman was seriously hurt and unconscious but appeared to be breathing.

"She's alive," one man said.

"She's bloody lucky," said the other.

I thought he was exaggerating but maybe he meant she was lucky because she had a new adventure. She would be freed from her daily tasks. I would have been envious but I preferred to keep the use of my body. Even if I hadn't developed full use of my head.

The accident drew a crowd. It made me uneasy to see so many people attracted to violent mutilation. Nice Christian people longing for human sacrifice.

I went back into the store. Pattie and Shelly came with me. There were no customers to serve since they were all out watching the crew bust open the car to get the woman out. We watched from the checkout counters. Shelly and Pattie sat in their chairs and I counted plastic bags.

"Some people bring their own bags," I said.

"What?"

"Oh. Ah, she drove out of the parking lot without looking."

"The lady that was just in here?"

"She seemed in a hurry."

"Was she badly hurt."

"Very bad."

"That's awful."

"Helps break up the morning though."

"Eddy!"

"Sorry."

Bob was silently staring out the window. There didn't seem to be anywhere to go. All was suspended in lack of purpose.

"What if, say, suddenly, everyone realised they knew nothing and hadn't a clue what to do about it. Anything. What if nothing meant anything?"

"You would still need to eat and sleep," Pattie said.

"You are so right," I said. "I hadn't even thought of that. That's pretty well it. We'd still have to try to survive."

"That's how it all started," Shelly said.

"You saw it?"

"Of course, I was there. I was Eve. I used to gather apples for Adam."

"And survival was your only concern?"

"We had no concerns till we pissed God off."

"God probably was jealous that you were having sex while he couldn't."

"Shut the fuck up! Do you have nothing better to do than flap shit out of your goddam gums like a bunch of caged hens?" Bob yelled.

"Everything's done Boss. The place is stocked and ship shape. You could eat off the floor."

"Well move something somewhere then move it back when it's done! I can't stand this not working attitude."

He went back to his office.

"What's up his ass?" Shelly asked.

"I'm not sure but I think it might have something to do with me."

"Oh, Eddy. He can't be that upset. You've never been late before. You're one of the better workers around here."

"Could be something at home," Shelly added.

"Well, I'm going to find out."

"Don't be crazy, Eddy."

"I can only be what I am. If I don't come back remember I love you both."

I kissed Pattie then I kissed Shelly a bit more lustfully.

"Call me crazy. I don't believe in destiny but I'm going to face it anyhow."

"You're crazy," they said together.

I walked back to see Bob. He seemed to be waiting. The door was opened and he sat at his desk clicking a pen, trying to see how high it would jump off his desk. There was no need to ask to talk to him. I went in, put a chair in front of his desk and sat looking at him.

"Bob, I know you don't like me because of the way I am and I don't like you because of the way you are, in fact, I sometimes want to kill you, but we shouldn't let that get in the way of a good work relationship."

He put his hand up to stop my farther talking.

"I don't know who you are," Bob started.

"Me neither."

"And you're right, I don't like you. I don't like anything about you. I don't like the way you do your job," he continued.

"But I do my job excellently."

"I don't like that."

"Oh."

"I don't like the fact that I had to hire you, even if I didn't have to pay you from my own money. I don't like your smart ass attitude lately. I don't like you talking to customers. I don't like writing reports on you and I don't like your friends."

"My friends," I stated. "I haven't any."

"I don't like that. You're fuckin' weird and I'm glad you're going."

"Going?"

"Your friends told me you are taking a holiday starting tomorrow and that I was to like it and say nothing about if for at least three days."

"I never heard about that."

"You are now informed."

"Thanks, Bob."

"Don't mock me. I don't know what you are of what you think you are, but I'm sure I don't like it, you or anyone you work for."

"I work for you."

"Um. Go pretend to be doing something then."

"Okay, Boss."

I waltzed back to the front of the store. There were a few customers now that the woman and her demolished car were gone.

"I'm going on a holiday," I said.

"What?"

"This is my last day."

"How long are you going? Why are you going?"

"I don't know. I don't know."

"How can you afford it?"

"I don't know."

"That's crazy. You don't go for a holiday after only working a few weeks."

"Why not?"

"If you can go, so can I," Shelly said.

"If I jump off a building, would you?"

"It's a bridge," Shelly said. "And maybe I would."

"What's a bridge?"



read on. book_03 chapter_42



by Joanne B. Washington

© 2001 | the jose wombat project