Jones finished high school in three years, got a job with a financial firm that made it okay through the crisis, and had a corner office with a balcony and garden by the time he was twenty five. But I knew him long before that, when he was a tiny kid and so fast that no one could catch him, his legs pumping on the playground, running for a hiding place behind the portables. I found him there all the time, scribbling numbers in a notepad, pulling his shirt down around his knees to make himself look bigger.
The place the train lets me off is old-style girder with bolts everywhere, and gum on most of them. The street is cleaner, but it’s tough to get a cab. I get to his place by 2 o’clock, and stand waiting at his buzzer for half an hour.
“I can’t find him,” I say into the phone. “I don’t know where he is.”
“Try the pub around the corner. Callys. He sits at the front.”
Two days ago, Jones called me and told me about his new car. Black, big German, smart enough to drive itself. He sent me pictures. The car looked like a horse in the snow, panting, ready to run. He also sent me one of him standing in his great room, wearing a sweater I had got for him a few years ago. It was beige, tight at the neck, made him look slim. He called me back later that night and apologized, said he wasn’t trying to make me feel bad. I told him it was fine, I didn’t. Somewhere in the middle of his Guyana story, he asked me to come down.
The waitress at Callys has a green mini-skirt, a white top. She asks my name, tells me that she knows Jones as the funny guy in the suit, the one who slicks back his hair and forgets that he’s recycling compliments about once a month. “Are you his friend?” she asks.
“I’m trying to be.”
“Right, so you’re funny too.” I order a beer; it’s flat on purpose, she says. “He hasn’t been here in a few days. The last time I saw him, he was buying rounds for his staff and tipped me two bills. You know when he’s going to come back?” I tell her I don’t. “Too bad, I wanted to say thanks. Go see his bookie. Here’s the number.”
“He’s gambling,” I tell the phone, in the cab. “Nothing too bad.” The response is loud. “He’s got a nice place, yes. He’s got a new car. Enough money to buy drinks for everyone at work. I saw a picture of his trip, he went with a girl but I don’t know who she was. He said he was thinking about coming to visit you, maybe in the spring. I’m sure he would be happy for you to come here.”
The streets look clean until you get a whiff of sewage through the car window, then you picture it all backed up and flooded. The cabbie has a talk show on, but there’s also a small tv screen in the back of the chair that shows ads and the scores from last night. The cabbie asks if it’s okay for him to smoke, and if I’m sure I have the right address for the place I want to go.
I take out a leather book from the backpack. Jones’ notepad is like a diary, except there’s sums and figures in the margins. The numbers are big, guesses as to where he might be going scattered around words describing where he is. I flip through the pages. My name shows up a few times; so do the names of other friends, but over all of them, the numbers. I stare at the digits next to my name, add them up. At the back of the book, on the last page, is a drawing of a yacht with a stripe along the side. There’s people on the deck, stick figures that are waving out of the page – and on top of every one of them, a number.
“Can you wait?” I ask the cabbie.
“Can I ever,” he says, sitting back to smoke. He taps the meter. “Don’t go in there looking to get rich.”
The inside is benches soaked in beer, a little light through the windows, a colour tube in the corner, the picture shaking. The bartender tells me where to go, but the bookie isn’t what I pictured. He’s my father’s age, but with a whiter beard. He’s reading a newspaper, the editorials.
“Sure,” he says, “he left a note for you. Here.”
Jones’ note says that he’s happy I came, wasn’t sure that I would. Wasn’t sure if I had the time, because he knows how busy I am, how hard it is to get away. Says a few things about what we’re going to do, where we’re going to go, but he leaves the decisions up to me and just says that it will all be taken care of.
“He said you’re going to settle his business,” says the man.
“It doesn’t say that in the note.”
“Yes it does. Take it.” He pulls out a paper bag. “He played a longshot and it came through. Give it to him and tell him to come back when his luck turns the other way. I don’t want to see him until then.”
I flip open the envelope. The bills are stacked in bundles, each one held by a rubber band.
The cabbie takes a bridge out instead of a tunnel. He points a few things out to me. “Your phone is ringing.”
“Hello?” I ask; it’s her again. “Almost found him. He’s just around the corner. I called his office, they say that he says he’ll be in tomorrow and that there’s no problem. He just needed some time.” She hangs up. Before she does, her voice rises, like a car horn, until there’s no point in listening to it anymore.
The cabbie makes a noise when he hears the sirens. He pulls over to the right, as far as he can on the one-way, but the road is already full and the fire trucks have to flip their tires up on the sidewalk to get through. People are stopping to look at a building up ahead. It’s a restaurant, a corner shop and a hairdresser’s on the bottom; the next row up is fire escapes connecting four storeys of apartments. The fire started on the third floor, and smoke is coming out cracked windows.
“You want to go shopping somewhere instead?” asks the cabbie, saying that he can probably turn the car around on the one-way if he really has to. “The next block over is much better.”
A block of stone falls from the building, leaving a jigsaw piece on the fourth floor. A ladder company shows up and firemen rise into the sky with their hoses. But the water doesn’t come and they have to lower the crane again to fix something. In the meantime, the building just burns.
*****
Jones is sitting with his back to a shelf of atlases. He’s wearing a dark blue suit with something black and white underneath. His running shoes are wet with slush.
“Couldn’t you just have waited for me at home?” I ask him.
“Wanted to make sure you saw some sights first.”
“I’ve seen bookies and cabbies before.”
He smiles and adjusts his glasses. “You know how many times mom’s called my cell? It keeps track.”
“Your office says you’re coming in tomorrow. Maybe you can buy me dinner tonight.”
“That depends on what you want. Anyway, I am going in tomorrow, and mom needn’t worry. I took some time to figure a few things out, but I have it now. See these?” He points at the books in front of him. “I just need to get a little faster. More efficient. Better memory. Stronger organization. Just need to read a few of these.”
“Where are you going to get the time to do that?”
“Obviously you didn’t see the one that will teach me how to speed read.”
I hand him the envelope from the bookie. He tucks it into his coat. “Lucky longshot, I heard.”
“Yup. I’m going to win next week, too. And the week after.” Then his mind flips. “By the time the season’s over, I’ll have made Team Leader. Did I tell you that? Two years from now, I’ll be a VP.”
“That’s good.”
“It’s better. I’ve got some investments on the side, they’re coming through. I’m going to sell the black car, get something better.”
“Are you going to keep the sweater?”
“I love that thing,” he lies, smiling. He starts picking through the books in front of him, making a stack on the ground between his crossed legs. “It’s so easy. Everything comes, and it keeps coming no matter what.” The tower of books is leaning to a side, hanging on nothing more than the air from the vent above us. “This is going to last forever, you know. This winning streak. This upwards projection. All this luck.” I nod and take out the phone; on the other end, she speaks quietly for once. When we’re finished, I let Jones rest his head on me and talk about whatever he wants, even the small things.
This is a litte noir dude.
Bit so, yeah Pete. Thanks much man.
I like it.
Not what I was expected. But I liked it
Much appreciated.
Going through the middle I thought you’re misleading us with that title, but you weren’t and now I’m hoping you did. I mean, I felt I was reading an excerpt of a novel or novella perhaps. Maybe that’s just the general feeling of wanting something more from the story?
Interesting, but no not an excerpt, just random thinking.
I see. Painting a thought or emotion or both–that’s good. Still, I think they’re pretty good characters for a long form. That’s just me. 😉
Well thank you – I think this one was really about the characters more than anything. I’m pretty intrigued by people who have everything going their way – but they seem to be strangely broken, almost without exception.
I agree. Being perfect does comes with a price tag.
And the narrator–I’m intrigued–is he a brother, friend, or a lover? No, no don’t answer. I think I’d rather keep the suspense of not knowing haha.
I really liked this Trent. A lesson for us all…
Thanks Audra.
What’s your new pic? Dumb question?
No such thing as a dumb question. Hoover Dam. Impressive place.
I thought so. Hard to tell on my phone. Tiny pic. Have you seen The Hoover Dam on PBS ? Part of their American Experience Series. Nicely done
No haven’t seen that, but I would like something like that. Amazing construction project, of such scale and complexity, and the force it holds back… nuts. Yah thought I should change my gravatar thingee, I have a hankering to shift the tone of the writing that appears here as well. Think it’s about time. Plus the old appearance was starting to bug me.
Go with your flow Trent. You gave mad skills. I like the tone if your recent post. You have an amazing imagination and creative brain my friend.
Much appreciated, Audra. I think some other tones and voices would be a welcome change.
Ps it was a dumb question. But thanks
Hoover dammit, that was a good story.
A man with a keen eye! S’good. Thanks, glad you liked my little conventional story.
I thought it was the Trevi fountain in Rome until I put my glasses on.
I love that darn fountain. But I like that dam more.
HA!!!!!
I’ve gotta say I was expecting the story to go into a different direction than it did, but it was good. A good lesson for us all I think, to appreciate the little things; not the money or material things.
the word that kept coming to me through out this story was ‘honesty’ i think you speak honestly- you see it and you tell it, just honest and entertaining
extraordinary and daily at the same time makes me want to squeal out
sad how some people think they have everything, or we think they do, and yet they are so messed up inside, all that stuff is a waste. were they brothers? just curious, sounded like it. I like this one Trent, mostly because you strayed from the norm, the norm for you…lol…and it’s like the definition of ‘bittersweet’! 🙂
Thanks Shards, that’s the point dead on. I hang around many of these people, but they don’t live in my much simpler world. I don’t get it. Yah I know a bit different, and I think more different stuff to come. I hate to be predictable, even if that means consistently trying to write somewhat unpredictable stuff – which is about as predictable as you can get.
the only thing predictable about you, is that you are unpredictable, in any genre! that’s what makes you a great writer! I can’t keep up with your imagination, and believe me, I’ve tried. lol I don’t know what kind of lego’s you played with as a kid, but yours were better than mine! Gotta go repaint my fn house again…the glow is keeping me awake at night!!! have a great day! 🙂
Shards, you are too nice. I am really happy being called unpredictable though. I never want to tread the same ground.
after today, as long as you stay away from nuns and beavers, you should be ok! 😉
I don’t know, that’s a pretty irresistible combination.
I thought you thought they were the same thing???
Yeah, I agree with that. It was out of the norm for him.
out of the norm, but still a great writer! I tend to like all his stuff, and am thoroughly disgusted with myself when I can’t write with that kind of amazing imagination…of course you come up with some great stuff too. I always thought I had a great imagination, until I met you two!!! lol 🙂
Yeah, he is.
I tell you, I have been inspired more than once myself… not just to write about a topic or perspective, but in the way I relate with my muse as a whole.
I don’t know about how great my imagination is, but I accept the compliment with plainness, and redirect to … http://www.Godmymuse.com
Your imagination is just fine, Doc. You are full of the required madness and soul, and so much essential humanity. You are what writers should be.
The link, however, was not operable.
You’re giving me a big head, Shards. My wife says that my head does not need further expansion.
Then my dear NB…you must be doing it correctly! 🙂
Oh boy… Here, I will ask my wife about that too. I’ve heard not too many complaints, and three kids in I’d like to think that something is going right. SB – trust you to give me a laugh Monday night.
Glad I could contribute Something on a Monday…:)
lmao…tell her I’m very sorry….but as usual its your fault!
That’s what she would likely say as well.
Possibly. I would hate to get a reputation though…
You already do -for being unpredictably eccelctic.
Wait till you see the next story. It’s in my head but I need about two hours to get it out… now, where does one find a stretch of time? Does it lie in the bushes? Is it speeding away in a cab? Hard to say.
Trent, it wasn’t meant to be a link operable by the technology of today.
Was just a nutty way of dumping whatever compliments this hopping artist picks along the way on his Creator.
I see. Just like you, Doc.
Hahaha. I guess. Though your statement has more than one very possible meaning.
Reckon the twist came before this story, eh?
Well that’s a good point – hadn’t thought of that.
I think that this could be interpreted in many different ways. Trent, you cannot speak for them. You claim this piece is more about the characters. So, how can you say Jones was a strangely broken fellow who had everything going his way when Jones himself is telling me now he was just a regular fellow who was happy with his achievements. It was not his fault people -including his author and creator -misunderstood him.
Hard to say. In the lightest terms, I would plead the fifth and say that I just work here… the characters do whatever they wish and are open to any interpretation. I’m happy to be a bystander.
Acceptable.
I just re-read it Doc. I have no idea of what I was going for or why it got there. Feels like a stranger wrote this. They all feel that way. Little children that I abandon with gusto, left to their own devices, and chances are they’ll expire badly but that’s life.
Hahahahaha. And I’m learning more about trusting my muse.
Abandon yourself to your muse. Embrace your own inner madness. There is no other way, Doc.
One can’t reach a compromise? With an aim to keep some measure of control and ensure some degree of sanity whilst using certain shades of genius afforded by the reckless muse?
It’s different for everyone I’m sure, Doc. Some are saner than the bones of the earth; others are more far flung than that last glimmer at the edge of space. I hope I teeter in the middle somewhere, but the see-saw tips one way more than the other at times. But what writer seeks balance anyway?
Some very serious points. Judging by your contributions at my place too, I take it you have been off the bottle of late and the monkey pretty locked in tight?
You teeter indeed, but I hope we are agreed you are more towards the wild than the organised.
Yes, more to the wild than the organized surely. I can handle some restraint at times but inspiration is its own thing, I find, and I like to give it free rein and try not to judge where it takes me. I think you will have some serious thoughts about my next piece. I still haven’t written it. I don’t know when I will, but it is aching to come out. Might as well be claws digging into my brain. Let us see what they produce, of what quality and at what level of madness.
I see. Noted.
Hahahaha. Now you are whetting my appetite. You better deliver!!!
I will.
Broken people who have everything but don’t are somehow the most fascinating. You give them life, and make me want to know more. Your character studies are intense. At this rate I’m going to need you to start shoving out fiction for my betterment at a much faster pace, though. Order the whisky by the barrel, and hire yourself someone to crack the whip. You gave me a list, and now I’m devouring it. It’s good, so when I’m done, I will still want more. Just letting you know.
There’s no shortage of wine and whiskey and scotch around here… it’s just the time that’s lacking.
Are any of us not broken?
Thought provoking Trent. What if we never lost? What would life be like? I have a sneeking suspicion that ot would nt be good. Well done.
I think it would be disastrous. Leads to decadence, I think.