Excerpt: Eugene's Genetics

ONE
"Sorry. That is probably the most exciting thing about me."
The waif of a female stares back. Her arms unfold to take another sip of coffee; revealing a nametag by the name of Coleen. She pauses in an awkward moment before setting her dinge-shaded white mug. "It's a great attribute I think. I mean... most females are very possessive of their names. The more someone stares at her, the more nervous she obviously gets. A mousy girl dipped in ink is the best way to describe her demeanor - contrasted by her almost glowing face. Her straight and almost completely limp hair frames her elongated and almost emotionless expression. Her smaller than usual, perfectly circle glasses give her a quality which makes this plain of a Jane continue to stand out.

"I mean look at this stupid thing." She fiddles with her badge in a way to emphasize, "I had to finally just spell my name phonetically since so many idiots kept mispronouncing it all through school. Call-Lain. It makes my skin crawl just thinking about it," which she half-shakes to make her point.
"It never bothered me at all. I have been a Janie, Jenny, Jean, Jerilyn, and... Maybe I should have been a little bit more stringent in what people would say. It seemed like every name with a J or a G ended up becoming one of my many aliases."
Coleen fire back, "But it's Gean..."
"Geenie. Well, for now." She looks back across the darkened husk of an eatery the health department has been cringing to evaluate. "I don't know. Maybe I need to just stick to something, but that has been my only interesting quirk." In the tone Geenie takes, it's as if everything she says is at the cusp of a contradiction. Not because of shyness or insecurity but more of an overall indecisiveness about her at this particular time. Giving one marble but taking two back is the closest way to describe her demeanor. These two women are hardly bookends. They are just this side of two shuffled grab bags. Geenie does not seem to be setting the world on fire with her wardrobe but it is of a different palette than Coleen's seven shades of black. Geenie wears one of those nondescript dresses that is enough to prove she is a female, but the odds are split if dirty tennis shoes are accenting it. Coleen wears leggings with a work apron; just giving off enough of a skirt vibe to think she was trying to impress someone with an offbeat style.

In all reality, she just hates having to match clothes when she's often barely scraping it to work on time. Geenie has the kind of hair which looks like it was cut in various stages of the week. Enough of a curl to throw everything out of whack, but not enough uniformity to pull off a particular look. It's one of those things which looks like a lion's mane on skid row but once a celebrity wears it for a particular television role, it would suddenly become the in thing to do. Maybe the only thing these two do have in common is their mutual disdain for fashion week in Paris. These two are not run of the mill wives who spend all day trying to make the hours fly by enough to find a new topic to nag about. They are working women. Not career women mind you, but in this day and age just having something consistent to do for eight hours and be paid for can be considered a luxury. They do not seem to particularly enjoy what they do or maybe not even their overall look if it was something to ponder - but it is easy to see they are at least comfortable in their own skin. That is the sort of thing which is heralded (or envied) as being in the minority of.
"There was this one girl I knew in high school," Coleen recalls. There were two girls really. Beth and Bethany. Well Bethany was like one of those girls you imagine being born wearing one of those Oxford riding helmets. Well she just had that look. And if you ever accidentally called her Beth... She did this thing. She'd say 'Bethany' as if it was some secret password which would be the only way to unlock her ears so she'd listen to whatever you had to say.
I mean it wasn't like- it wasn't rude but you just..." Which she interrupted herself to half yell to herself.

"Erggh!" she let Geenie know until telling herself, "That's it. I need a smoke."
Around the side of the halfway to dilapidation of a structure, the flickering of an ember can be seen. The wind carries enough to let it be known Coleen is breaking down some sort of event. Her tone is unique for the fact it doesn't have as much inflection as the usual person; nor the downer type of quality most female voices have which drone about something. It was more of a car in neutral: not moving forward nor reversing. It was just an idling. This didn't seem to bother Geenie whatsoever. They did not have that invisible tie old friends have for the fact they have not been all to friendly until a couple days ago. They were cordial in the server and customer sense context. These two women have probably shared hours of conversations through the years of visiting the same place since it was conveniently between work and home for Geenie. Of all of the servers in this particular place, it was only Coleen who was a mainstay. Believe it or not, this place which seems so out of date and this side of decrepit boasted the same name as a dozen places but this was the hub of training; if not actually the worst of a local franchise. The original owners were of the "big fish in a little pond" mentality, which meant they were content with gaudy facades and annoying commercials over substance, but it wasn't the commercials which brought them together but a Coleen's running out of gas.
Geenie was able to give a lift when seeing her unmistakable frame in the night.

Coleen's gratitude was even doubled due to the fact Geenie had one of those handy, plastic gas cans to use rather than the original plan of trying to fill up a sixty-four ounce beverage container. Despite all of the environmentalist nitpicking if she did such a thing, the vapors might have even knocked out the small framed woman if she went it alone.
"It's really... Yeah I hate that perception everybody has," Coleen prattles on and on about. "People expect me to be super cultured or dating some beatnik French reject just because I wear black. Really." Geenie scoffs in a sleepy voice.
"Sorry if I was boring you, Geenie."
"It's not. If you didn't notice, it is getting late."
"Oop. I'm sorry," she said while tossing the last remaining light of her cigarette into a conveniently placed puddle of liquid. "You were probably just hanging out here since you didn't know what to do. I'm sorry about all that," as she yanks at her bag and belongings.
"Don't worry about it," Geenie counters. I think it's the air or something making me sleepy. All of the white noise in the atmosphere or something." While looking back up, Geenie sees another cigarette in Coleen's mouth.
"Oh my gosh, that is such a bad habit I guess," as she tosses it back inter her purse with a guilty inflection punctuating her usually monotone cadence. "Maybe I'm just a little nervous. I really don't do this sort of thing.
Socializing isn't as much fun as sleeping when you have to constantly pull doubles due to these ignoramus waitresses in training. You know?"

"This isn't really my expertise either," Geenie laughs back. "You know those cheesy romance movies where they have to show the guy's so old because he doesn't know what it's like to date? I thought it was a complete cliché until the likes of us are congregating by the garbage can."
Pulling her fingers through a straightaway of her raven hair, "Yeah. What a couple of dweebs we are. And I'm like a little bit younger, so we shouldn't be in the same boat right?"
"At least a decade more here if you remember your college years."
"Year," Coleen emphasizes before, "Wow, I always thought you were like my age anyway. I just have that kind of look where I'm supposed to be studying for midterms. Or babysitting. Heh."
"Hey you know," Coleen asked in an all but philosophical way. "What's your last name?"
"Swaboda."
"Oh," was all she let out; her train of thought stopped dead in its tracks. "I was thinking maybe it would have been a better idea going by your last name. You know kind of like jocks or those lame business movies."
There wasn't much to really bother Geenie at his point; socially awkward as they both wee It was the thought which counted anyway. One of these idioms one's mother might have spouted of. It a way they were both in the same boat; despite the visual differences. They certainly didn't shop at the same place indeed.
If you're always having trouble putting these two women together, there wasn't much more to say about the transpirings of Geenie and Coleen. They didn't even have that much to say between each other really.
Coleen seemed to have come from one of those backgrounds where family members or a relationship really didn't look at what her opinion was. More the latter if someone took a harder look; yet maybe her look and hair was indicative of an assumption. Geenie didn't mind listening at all however; which was fortunate or serendipitous enough. It could have been a lecture on advanced physics and Geenie still would have been happy to be hearing the words since they were coming from Coleen.
It was one of those first steps towards acquaintances or even friendship. Not that too much was being looked forward towards.
There was some talk in the past from Coleen abut boyfriends or whatever hook up scenarios she had - all between order taking, food serving, and beverage refills. Geenie was more of a listening type that the reactionary sort. She did not have a job or group of friends in which she was looked towards for advice or the such. Geenie heard this and that and then made whatever polite responses - never asking for more clarification or even offered advice. Geenie was not usually in any situations where she needed it as well so perhaps she lost touch with that act in society... If it even existed in the first place.
Coleen relit her cigarette again since she did it - yet again - out of habit. It was a compulsory thing to do rather than relaxing. It was never something Geenie noticed before, so maybe she only did it while in an idling point of time. Coleen never had that foul odor of stale smoke which often followed people as a cloud of shame from smoking. She also never seemed to have a compulsion for smoking. At least not as she did when thinking about that Bethany person she had disdain for. Childhood trauma cna always be afforded the exception rather than the rule. Of course.
The words were sparse for a minute more. Coleen took her eyes off the cigarette a moment and looked up before glancing once again in Geenie's direction. The end of the cig was reflecting off her glasses; giving an illusion of it being much brighter than it really was in the area near the alley. "Well I just kind of wondered.," she said to Geenie. It's a nice name though. What is Swaboda?"
"It's German. I guess."
"You aren't sure?"
"I'm pretty sure but not positive. It's what my family says. I'm adopted anyway so whatever the name is, that doesn't really make any difference."
"Whoah really?" Coleen asks as if she found out a close relative had an untreatable disease.
"Yeah... Maybe that came of a little bit harsh. I don't have anything against my name or my family. But whatever the name doesn't really make that much of a difference for me. I'm perfectly content."
Coleen pushed her glasses ovåer in an attempt to gesticulate thinking. "Well..." She yanks on her uniformly long bangs and muses. "Maybe that's the problem with your name. I mean you aren't really supposed to have that name even."
"Or it makes little difference to me, as it always did." Geenie doesn't seem to mind the inquisition in the least bit. Maybe it seems like the first in a long time someone has wondered about her. "Maybe I don't have one of those pope or Alexander the Great name issues. I usually stay to myself obviously."
"Yeah, obviously..." In Coleen's own effacing way, "You and me too. But I don't want to sound out of line. I always wished I was adopted when I was a kid. My parents? They were just fine really but I think they are just irritating people in general...not just in the mom and dad sense but even to a salesman. They just grate." She doesn't need any hesitation before drawing again on the cigarette. "I do remember," she exhales. "I remember this girl in elementary school. She was adopted and kind of thought that was cool. But I was kind of a dweeb I guess since like..." Her laughing interrupts a moment. It was the same laugh a person uses before usually humiliating another by saying 'you had to be there' before delving deeper into a story nobody present has any interest hearing about.
"Well I had this thing for some reason where I had a fascinating maybe I could have been a spy- but spy parents really. And they had to hide me somewhere? so I had my boring annoying parents who pretended I was their real kid but then when I got old enough to spy or something they'd come back and tell me they had to keep me safe from their enemies from spying." Coleen pauses a moment to laugh again.
"Really?" Geenie cracked a smile at the depth of detain Coleen could suddenly bust forth.
"Yeah I was totally a dork right?" She uses her hands in a way to imaginatively steady herself before continuing. "I would have a diary. But one of those slam book things or whatever they call them. Her voice moves faster, "It was like I would write all of this really bad stuff my parents were doing. Or just stuff I thought they might have been keeping or lies I would catch them in. Then I'd put it all... All down in the book. Because I had this stage I was maybe really a spy still, but my real parents out there knew I was one or it was in my blood so I was supposed to grow up all my life writing about these people since they were secretly my spy parents' enemy and the only way they could topple some sort of evil plan."
Geenie listens on happily but obviously has nowhere near the level of enthusiasm as Coleen. This was her own little world but Geenie was happy to dust off that one window containing all the secrets.
"Did that ever happen to you?"
"My family?" Geenie asked.
"No. Well yeah but." Coleen almost chokes from forgetting to swallow. "I mean did you wonder where you came from? Or I don't know. Did your foster- or well your adopted parents I mean, if they told you stuff. Your real mom and dad or whatever."
"Yeah. My parents. Well adopted but it wasn't like I called them my adopted. It was just what it was. Well my mom said it too."
"Said what?"
"Oh. She would say whoever you were with was your family. And, well whoever was there were your friends. Like your friends were even family if they hung around through good and the bad times."
Coleen muses, "In that case neither of us must have any friends."
"Yeah I know."
"Who needs friends anyway, right? Coleen goes on to say, "I mean most of mine burned me anyway - or just dumped me because I wasn't in that whole 'let's gossip about our circle all the time' thing."
"I must have been too busy in school to meet all of those types."
"They are all backstabbers. You didn't miss anything if you got lucky enough to avoid those catty bimbo- whatevers."
Both laugh at the comment in their own 'had to be there' moment. "So what did your mom say about all of that?"
"What?"
"Your parents. I mean your real parents."
"Oh. Well mom and dad are my parents. My birth parents... I think that's what adopted people call it. Well, biological. They... My mom - parent mom. She said something once in a long winded story. But... really my mom would tell me nothing much about them. More like how they gave me up since they didn't deserve me anyway. Or something like that. She wasn't trying to be mean or anything but... I think she probably tried to keep me out of that 'finding your roots' sort of thing."
Coleen seems to be hanging on every word Geenie chooses than rechooses about her past. Upon the small break due to pondering, "Do you think they were bad or anything?"
"I think really... I really don't ponder any of this much. But so answer your question, I think she was afraid to lose me. I kind of lost my dad, which maybe I should have brought up. I am kind of in between on that whole thing since I cared about him and everything. But it was my mom and me and I just worried more about her than anything. So I never really pressured her to find out anything. Maybe I just have some gene in me that wants to shun all of society." Coleen keeps listening as Geenie elaborates, "I do care about my mom. It's a hit and miss thing. We talk enough so I don't miss her. You know?"
"I wish," Coleen laughs. "Oh it's not like that anymore. But we're close enough. I did imagine my parents were my super spy real mom and dad's sworn enemies so... So I probably was supposed to go into counseling or something."
"Yeah."
"Yeah," Coleen echoes while fumbling in her purse. "Do you mind again Geenie?" Geenie looks up from a container she had
been letting rest on the floor. Probably a tall order of coffee or water she got her hands on before Coleen locked up the facade, stuffed conveniently into a travel mug. Geenie's eyes see Coleen, waning cigarette in mouth, delicately gliding another white stick out from the purse in the fashion of a magic trick.
"Go right ahead. I never cared much whether people smoked or not."
Coleen relights the fresh cig from the almost completely depleted one in her mouth. "I'm sure that looks totally romantic, right?"
"I'm sure to a chain smoker. Sure." Coleen flicks the butt into the same snippet of water and hears it make a faint hissing sound beneath the constant staccato sounds of the city; extinguished beside the previous one.
"Don't they have those other cigarettes without all the additives and stuff. They smell different but they are supposed to you know."
"Oh cloves? Those things?"
"I don't know. Maybe," Geenie retracts.
"Stoners and weird emo girls love to smoke those things. Well a lot of them. I already wear enough black clothes, because it's convenient and matches my stupid apron thingie which ends up making it look like a skort even when I'm wearing long pants. But nevermind that...". She returns, "I can tell you something else about that adopted girl I knew in elementary school." Hesitating for a moment, "If you want."
Gennie was mid sip when asked. "Mm. Tell me."
"Ok, well that girl. She was my friend and all and sometimes I would stay over there and we would pretend like we were sisters. I kind of had this thing - well it was when I still had that whole adoption fantasy thing. I used to think that like I was adopted which really did make my friend, Jules, that was here name... Or what I called her. We were kind of like sisters I think since I had this idea like all of the boys and girls who were adopted were really all actual brothers and sisters- like an adoption clan. Or their last name was 'adopted' or something. I know it's not true of course and all of that but it's one of those dumb little kid theories you have. You know? Logic just... Little kid logic."
"I know what you mean," Geenie pauses.
"Really?"
"For me, it's the only thing I can remember. When I was really little..." Geenie contemplates. "I thought that if there was a mirror, if I thought hard then spun around I could see the back of my head." Coleen laughs and Geenie breaks a smile while adding, "I had those little criss-cross braids. I don't know the real name but they..." She makes lopsided crosses in the air with her index finger to say, "Just swish swish. Like that."
"Well you were little," Coleen comforts. It wasn't like until high school that I could officially rule that whole adoption thing out. I let go of that whole adoption Ya Ya sister thing way way back but in science class it was in a chapter about your mom or your dad having the same blood type as you did. So I found out and..." Taking another puff, "And it was A or something. I think that was the boring blood type."
"So A is the best personality type but the worst blood type?"
"Well I think so Geenie. But it is not like I could remember anything from school. Only those embarrassing things or whatever traumas made me still have a thing for adopted people. It's weird, right?"
"I don't think I am an expert on what is weird or not. Look at what our fun is. Sitting by the intermittent stink of the dumpster."
"Yeah I know, right?" "But it's more fun than I usually have."
"Me too."
"Thanks Ms. Swaboda."
With a halfway to mockery tone, "And to you, Miss... Coleen I guess."
"Yeah. It's Gold."
"Miss Coleen Gold."
"Well it used to be... Well it was always Gold. But really we had it with a U. But it was still Gold. And you know I have that thing for pronouncing stuff so I just made it easier on my ears and everyone else. It would be- it's probably some huge sin to numerology or something but I don't believe in that stuff. Besides, I think my family changed a long time ago anyway."
"Who changed it? Your mom and dad?"
"It was a lot longer back. You know like in all those mobster films or whatever. Maybe Avalon. It's always the 'old county' wherever something was from."
"Like everywhere in Europe has a old country like Main Street?" They both laugh.
"Yeah, Old Country Lane off route six." The glow finally flickers out from the nub of a cigarette. "I think it was Goulding. With a U. Then whenever my family or ancestors or whatever got here, whoever with the paperwork messed it up. But I already know who my parents are so I'm not about to try to dig up someone who might be far worse."
Geenie readies herself to a standing position as Coleen does the same. "You're over that adoption sister thing too right?"
"I am. Even when I was a little kid I seemed to have enough sense not to try to let Jules know about that weird theory or anything. But I can still be your coffee girl."
"Or smoothie girl or juice girl?"
"How about free refill girl?"
"I would never argue with that. When I first started going in I thought you would charge me refills because you thought I was a lousy tipper or some sort of crazy reason..."
TWO
The apex of night. Slight creaks of building material but nothing else is begging for awareness. And then it hits.
RING.
Geenie barely registers it but knows for sure something is there. She stirs; knowing it isn't a dream. The seventies era telephone rings. Push button, off which and more like a square or a brick than the newer slimmer rectangles with digital ringers. This behemoth must be there for the reason it is loud and can take abuse - just as it is now. Geenie grapples for the cord and yanks the entire thing onto her bed.
This must not be a normal ritual since much debris went cascading and scattered from her antic. The phone stops ringing and Geenie fumbles for the receiver with her fingers while muttering, "Hello... Hold on. Hold on..." Upending the handle looking receiver "Sorry I'm here. Hello? Mom!"
Geenie bolts to a sitting fashion and tries to wish away the worst. "Mom. What are you calling for, what's wrong?" It is the most animated and caring she has seemed in a long while.
"Gigi? Are you ok?"
"Mom I'm fine. You called me. What's wrong there?"
"I'm ok. It's not me, ok, Gigi?" She spoke in a tired way which was more due to age than slumber issues. A twinge of anxiety remains in her voice.
"Then what is it?"
"Oh. It was Colin's mother Gertrine. We were speaking and..."
"Oh my gosh mom. What's wrong?"
"It was Colin. Something happened to him. He died."
"Ma, that's awful. I can't believe it."
"I know, sweetie. I thought you were still having feelings and I-"
"Mom it's not like that but. But it's still horrible."
"Well do you want to know what happened?"
"Sure mom. Tell me."
"Well it started out... Gigi I am so sorry I should have called sooner I think. Shouldn't I have?"
"Ma don't worry about it. We're on the phone. We're awake. Just tell me anything you have to say. You're absolved, alright?"
"That's so sweet of you, my little girl."
"Yes. So?"
"Oh. Well Geenie... You know how Colin's mother and I got a long time back. I mean we became friends and I wasn't meddling."
"It's ok mom. I know you and Gertrine were all pallsy pals when it was me and Colin."
"We were doing these activities together at the senior center near me. Not that I want to live there, but the activities are nice..." Geenie listened away without contradicting or acknowledging each sentence. Part of her mind was just freewheeling from the news her mother broke. "Well we would just back and forth while planning the activities to go to or stay away from. All or nothing. And we both just usually use the machines since we hate to answer the phone being we're both alone and all. But..."
Geenie a series of images bounced through her head; not too much different than when watching an old carousel of slides from a vacation. These images were much darker but didn't have any of the dust or lint one usually expects from old slides though. These denigrations were more of how blurry or fait the images were. It was funny, but that was pretty much she viewed them. They were not scenes in motion or exactly as they happened in her life. These were still- as two-dimentional diorama version: flat. She didn't have many of them appear for a set length of time but a flood of each emotion hit all at one. It was like a magazine article having the same twists and turns of emotion, but all compiled into on word; and that word projected all emotions at once straight into her heart.
Geenie could flip back to her mom long enough to know the conversation, then the images took her mind over again.
"...But this time was odd. Because the light was flashing, and when I heard it, there was just a message to call back. Usually she just had an answer like if she was going or not, or who's car to take. But this time it was to call her back."
"And that's when she told you mom?" Geenie quietly asked.
Her mother had a downturn in her emotion also when agreeing, "Yes. She did. I was going to call you right away. But I hesitated. Sorry, dear."
"It's ok mom, really."
"I kept on and on wondering, then I thought maybe I would tell you tomorrow or something. But my conscience was just buzzing and buzzing, so I called.
"I'm glad you called though mom. Please tell Gertrine some condolences from me please?"
"I will. I was planning to send flowers. You know, from the both of us. But I can tell her before that. I'm sure we'll talk tomorrow."
"Thanks mom. But I can send something instead from us."
"It's ok, Gigi. The florist and I know each other. We have the same beauty operator. She can get them to Gertrine within the day."
"Sure thing mom."
"Gigi?" she asked with a strange pronunciation.
"What is it, ma?
"You know Colin. It's- You were the one for him, you know?"
"Ma, I don't want to get into that whole thing before. We had this conversation."
"I know we did. But," she sighed. "However, he never went looking for anyone else."
"Neither did I mom. You can't say I have been looking for anything lately."
"Be that as it may. Oh I don't know, maybe I'm just being sentimental. Gertrine just kept going on about it here and there after she told me the news."
"You and I both know the way she saw things was obviously a great deal different than most folks."
"I know, Gigi. But if you speak with her, and if it comes up... You know."
"I know mom, but it's sweet of you."
"I really don't know what she's going to do without-"
"Ma," Geenie butts in. "She's always had you. And as truth goes, there was really nothing that much different if we were married or not. We were both in her lives anyway. It works out all the same you know?"
"I know."
"Things are. They're just hard to explain."
"Yes I know that much. It's a different time nowadays with complex things and relationships."
"Ma."
"I am sorry, I am I was... Well I wasn't trying to put you down but maybe there wasn't so much to courting when I was young. Or I just didn't know."
"I think you're rambling because you're tired."
I might. It could be. I feel much better since we talked."
The halfway grin from her mother could almost be felt through the phone due to its inflection.
"Am I just being silly?"
"No mom. You're... You're sentimental. You always get like that when someone's departed. I hope you didn't already hunt down that old scrapbook in the closest."
Geenie hears a sad laugh come through the phone. "You still know me, don't you? It would have-"
"You know what mom?" Geenie successfully cuts her off. "I think there is still some old pictures, or even an album. I kept it there during that period of moving all around. You know?"
"You still cared for each other didn't you?"
"Yeah I guess so. And we both cared about you two. Important enough. I guess if they aren't there, then we know the real answer though, right ma?"
She laughs out, "I suppose so."
"I'll talk to Mrs. Rust tomorrow even to find out."
"She will think that is so nice."
"Just don't tell Gertrine, ok?"
"Ok, I know. Let it be a surprise, right?"
"Yeah. I would hate for her to say something and then I'm holed up at work or something."
"You're going to work tomorrow?"
"Yes, mom. I kind of have to. But we'll see when I can get out. Maybe there'll be enough time to see you too."
"Don't worry about me please, Gigi," she says in a sincere tone. "Just see her in her time of need.
She will tell it all again to me anyway, right? Whatever you are up to and all of that."
"It's not all that much really ma."
"It's still very sweet of you, don't you know it." She kept going on and on, but Geenie didn't mind at all. At this point it was almost a light solace; interrupting her thoughts.
THREE
It was a long and miserable night. Restful was the furthest adjective to use. Despite the long night on the phone, Geenie still had hours to contend with in between the possible ten minutes of sleep she had here and there - which counted more as missing time. Her eyes would close and the clock somehow moved ever so slightly even though she felt in her head it was nothing more than a blink of her eyes. The sounds outside her nearest window were merely the instrumental backing up the vocals of her thoughts. Mostly disjointed questions about him. About the two of them even- though she never had any doubts. Somewhere she recalled a witty statement about 'When in doubt, there is no doubt'. None of it was comforting. Geenie knew none of this was tangible and her inner voice told her it was nothing more than nonsense. Whatever happened to him wasn't her fault, nor would anything change from whatever thoughts or feelings she had. In truth there was no literal feeling. Only numbness.
One good thing, if a silver lining in the situation, her look and demeanor would cater to the mother. Gertrine. It was an odd thing in Geenie's eyes but they were originally to meet at Colin's house itself. There wasn't going to be a comfortable way to do that - not straight out at least.
Geenie suggested a buffer zone. It was just a place nearby the house; Colin's house that is. Best to play things by ear and even see what her reaction would be. Geenie was not the best for planning things. More oft than not, amok was a part of her vocabulary when things fell to her in the way of devising a plan rallying the troops where she worked. The great thing for Geenie was the fact so many knew this inability, she wasn't asked to join or plan things. It worked just fine due to the fact she hasn't been an aficionado for things domestic.
The place she waited at was a little shop which was a bit better well kept but not much different from the eatery she was at the night before. They both might be glorified bakeries, but maybe one had a few more real menu items than the other. Geenie had a table near the great glass window and door to the place. She had been sitting there as long as she possibly could. In fact, Geenie was so restless she drove to the well before opening. It wasn't such an odd thing for making an early morning call to Colin's mother. She was the early to bed and so forth type of woman. One would be hard pressed to wake up naturally earlier than her. So that is what was done; Geenie called about daybreak. Probably just a bit before. As expected, Gertrine was ecstatic in her own way to meet up. It has been overdue in the catching up department. But Geenie decided to head out right away despite the fact it would take a while. Maybe the view of the neighborhood would be a double edged sword, but no matter. She was in the parking lot while everything was still dark. She saw the lights come up and surrounding begin to perk. When the sign turned around she was almost already through the entrance.
She sat and observed the outside while idle thought of Colin reverberated through her mind like a tuning fork. Nothing distinct but a constant pitch. She was close enough to read the menu backwards in the front window. She thought about why she even chose this place. Unlike almost everywhere else to be a choice, this was about the only one absent of any memories of togetherness; the same for Gertrine. Geenie and Colin always talked about popping into it sometime but somehow the cards were never in their favor due to whatever variety of reasons when deciding a place to eat.
After what felt like a dozen glasses of water, Geenie finally braced herself. A jet black matte New Yorker town car floated into a parking space and a woman got out. She takes her time to make it to the front, with Geenie watching all the while. She enters and immediately lights up at the vision of Geenie standing up.
"Gigi!"
"Hello Mrs. Rust," as they hug.
"Please. Please... Such formalities," as she looks around. "Call me Gertrine. I know you don't like Gigi do you?" she asks in a disjointed way.
"It's fine-"
"I picked that up from speaking with your mother so often. Lovely woman, you know?" She takes off her perfectly round sunglasses and sits down. "It's so good to see you. Especially now. Colin, well you know he still thought so much about you."
"I know. We both cared about each other. Thanks Gertrine."
"It was the strangest thing. You know?" As she glances at Geenie's water, "May I?" It's an approving nod.
"I was..." She drinks out of the side of glass, leaving enough lipstick to prove she was thirsty. "I wanted to speak with you really. Colin's things and the like."
"I don't mind at all."
"I was going to ask your mother to ask you, well in case you were busy and didn't want to seem impolite. Thanks goodness you called and that way I could be direct. Right?"
"It's fine. It really is."
"And I don't want to pry but..." She leans in as if it was for the sake of national security. "There were still some things I think still you left behind, or wanted him to keep safe. Whatever the situation, I'm sure he kept it all safe and sound, and now is the what? The time, right?"
"No time like today... I guess."
"Is it hard?"
"Yeah. It really is," she quietly says to the both of them.
"Look darling. You'll get your chance. I still can't believe it myself. And- I wanted you with me really. Some clothes and a picture. Maybe I'm his mother but you still- You're. You were there. For a lot of it. And that always meant so much to me. Right?"
"I don't think about it that way-"
"I know you don't. And that's what makes it what it is. Well, something like that."
It took a while to cut to the heart of the matter; so far as beyond niceties.
The ordering, the observing of the environment, questioning the validity of the service, and then something... More.
"It's very nice of you, Gigi. I was having a tough enough time even thinking about going in there. But with you there. It would be more of a visit. The atmosphere."
Geenie isn't sure which way to reply. Sometimes being social is more like navigating a minefield. In this case, nothing had to be said after all.
"I always thought it would have been nice. The two of you. I'm sure there was much more than what we could observe on the surface, but it's between you two. Right?"
"There isn't..." She hesitated. "There was never any hatred. Or whatever it is for most couples. Things for us- Things? We wanted different things really. We were always friends and sometimes I joked how maybe it would have worked out best for the both of us if we started out strangers. I don't know."
"It's true, it really is. You two knew each other for. Well, what?"
"Forever. Well," a downturn in her tone was suggestion enough to what she wanted to say.
"I know. It's ok, Gertrine.
The woman looks down at her plate. "I don't even know why I tried to eat something."
"If you're done I can get them to wrap it up. Even if you don't want it later, Gertrine. It's fine." Tacking on, "We can go."
Geenie helps the woman into her driver seat and took up beside her on the passenger side.
The car flipped to a lurching bump and the vents and radio started to make noise. "You know how it is. I asked the mechanics to fix that but they don't know what that is. Not a clue." The vents whir a bit louder and the air within begin to cool. The door to the front of the establishment opens up and the woman who waited on them brings a bag to the black car.
"It's all wrapped up and should last a while," she tells Geenie while handing it through the window.
"Well it looks like we're off then..." The car pulls out with the greatest of hesitation.
The ride to Colin's place was filled with general talk about the area - mostly how much has changed and what building is now called something new. Or what was even wiped from the face of the earth. Geenie remembered much of it, but the path wasn't what she was accustomed to when she lived in the neighborhood. The roads came into focus; as well as her memory. Streets, sounds, and houses pulled the old memories of her routine drives. It was practically a lifetime ago, but for Colin's mother it was probably as new as an open wound.
The car lurched another corner and Geenie grew a little more anxious. She knew it was the street, almost by the feeling before. When she was very young she always had a penchant for waking up at the very last turn towards the house. Neither of them spoke. Not until the car took a full stop from across the street. They both turned to their right and looked at the small house through the passenger side window - such as viewing at a photograph since the car door made it seem like a frame.
"I'm sorry. I just..." as the car cuts off. "I don't know how to put it. I don't suppose..." Gertrine looked at Geenie with those sunglasses of hers - just enough light passed through to make out her eyes. Your mother must not have told you what happened. To Colin"
"No. I didn't know-"
"It's ok," she says to cut off Geenie. "Colin... Colin was killed."
Geenie didn't let her full scope of emotion take hold. Part of it was from the fact she was already numb to the news from last night, and also for being afraid of what Colin's mother would react if she had full-out grief displayed in front of her. Instead, she shook her head slowly and listened on.
"It was some men. They might just have been kids, from what the neighbors might have saw. They broke into his home and went looking for valuables. Somehow he woke up or something..."
Her mouth and posture was enough to know her feelings.
"You don't have to go into it."
"I know, sweetheart. But I have to. You know?"
They both silently nodded to each other.
"He woke up and- The police said he tried to fight them back but it wasn't enough. They said he was defending himself but they just didn't stop."
"I'm sorry Gertrine. He meant a lot to me too."
"And I can't even bury him. They said they have to examine an all of that. All of those science terms. I hope they catch whoever- I can't believe it."
Gertrine wants to interject but feels helpless.
"Well... It must be tough to explain but. Well you have always been accepting. We don't practice like the Orthodox or so much but..." Gertrine searches for the words, and gives up. Don't worry. Ok, Gigi? The police took everything they needed to investigate and all of that. And neighbors, more mine than his but both, they were able to tidy whatever up so it should just look like it might usually. Probably better, knowing Colin's cleaning."
They laugh at the nuggets of truth.
"So we'll go in and what? Take a look. Get what I came for. And if there was something you wanted or yours, please. Anything. Ok, Gigi?"
Geenie musters a half smile.
"Oh you hate to be called that don't you?"
"I don't. It's fine, Mrs. Rust."
"Gertrine."
"I know. Just checking."
Gertrine smiles with a, "Come on. Up up." They exit the car and walk towards the house with a slight trepidation.
FOUR
Colin Rust's house was a nondescript place in an older neighborhood. The boxiness and tall look of it made it proudly standing despite what the looks of age might tell you. Geenie and Gertrine opened the whining, low chain link gate and shut it behind them. They made their way up the cement steps and got the door open without trying to peek inside through a window. The front door barely made a sound; and neither did they. Their steps inside made it feel as if they were sneaking up on someone.
Gertrine went towards the kitchen and refrigerator area but Geenie lingered in the foyer; her eyes looking around the room in a dashing way before slowing down her visual pacing. Items known and unfamiliar mixed about the room as her brain picked out what items were from her memory and what must have existed once the two of them weren't an item anymore. A television was upgraded, as well as the radio amongst his tried and true home stereo equipment. A new bookshelf or two, but all the furnature remained the same. Her mind kicked into overdrive while looking higher. The walls, an even brighter version of white from the daylight, crackled to life as Geenie's memories came to life. The walls being a screen, she could see the two of them juxtaposed against these walls in various situations - in two dimensions while the furniture lay dormant in the foreground. These moments were less holidays, events, or momentous occasions. These images were more just normal signs of like a house has: walking across the room; playing with the volume control on the receiver; changing a lightbulb; reading a Sunday newspaper with all of the sections sprawled across the floor.
"Gi?"
Geenie turned around to see an obstructed view of Gertrine.
"Was there something you were looking for?"
The images all faded back to the color of the paint on the walls. "It might be in the back," she tells herself.
"I'm going to excuse myself a moment," Gertrine says in a euphemistic sense. "Just holler if you need something."
Geenie watches the woman head to the bathroom, and the metallic click of a locking door follows her.
Moving past the bathroom, Geenie works her way to the bedroom, and comes to a complete stop at the frame of its door. She takes a mental step back and looks at the room - which was much the same as she left it; saved for the black and white set of sheets on the bed. Looking in the direction of the bed made everything more real. It was a vision of kinetic and static at the same moment. The unmade bed's frenetic look paired with the stillness of knowing Colin will never lay in that bed again; and neither shall Geenie. She pulled herself from the moment and fumbled towards the closet. The sliding door revealed a wooden floor inside - which happened to be the original. The rest of the carpeting and such of the house was done by someone who owned the house before Colin made the purchase. Geenie slides the closet closed with her inside and flips a switch. Slowly, a white light flickers its white brightness with an odd hue.
"Blink, flicker, flicker, flicker on," she says in her mind - knowing exactly how the light behaves before fully coming alive. She pulls items aside from the floor and finds a knothole all but obscures by the wall. She loops her pinkie finger inside and the wooden whoosh of a board sounds its lifting up. It was a tiny segment, but Geenie opened up a space for her whole hand to fit in. She yanks hard and causes a wider part of a floorboard to pop open. She lifts it higher and scattering sounds are made for everything which previously rested on top of the board. She pulls the items aside which landed in the space under the floorboard; revealing the items which were hidden. The telltale signs of a cardboard shoebox resting on something else which reflected a golden tone.
Geenie first helps the box out - wrapped in the brownish paper tape used chiefly for parcels. She makes more of an effort with the second item, taking time to shimmy it out of the narrow space, which turns out to be a puffy-looking album with a highly reflective pseudo gold leaf reading MEMORIES. Her hand feels out the vacant space to make sure nothing else was there, and makes haste to replace the boards. She must have done this more than once since she was rather deft at handling the boards. With a tap tap and a sideways fist, everything was just about as before.
Geenie slinks herself back out of the closet and sets the recovered items on the bed at arm's length. She could hear the fan emanating from the hallway, knowing Gertrine was still inside the bathroom. She slides the other side of the closet open and lets the natural night shine in. For the first time she notices something wrong. The entire closet was disheveled, and not from her. Someone must have tried tossing it since it looked much different than the way Colin kept things. She reaches to the right and then peers in that direction. There are a series of little cubby holes on the right side of the closet. They are most obviously for shoes or extra storage, but they are all vacant. Her face gets a puzzled look and she crooks her neck. The little white boxes extend higher than her eyeline. She glances again to a certain spot and makes another face. She takes her hand and places it on the top of the little shelves and counts to herself.
"One, two, three... Four..."
She crooks her head and squints before using the palm of her hand to feel for something. There used to be a photograph of her stuck up with some sort of adhesive, but nothing was there.
She angles further into the closet to let more light in, but it was the same result as before; less for some discoloration which could have been remnants of what she hoped was there. She makes a face of anger for a moment and then grasps further into his closet. One of the hangers inside was customized with numerous clips which held numerous dangling belts. Geenie yanked hard and tore one of the belts free - snapping it right off the hanger and shattering the plastic clasp. Her eyes flickered with a rage. It could have been from feeling the heat of the moment or thinking about what happened to the man who she was once with. She gripped the tail of the belt and wrapped it around and around and around her fist in a matter of second; buckle end out. In one giant motion, she dropped her body and let her arm push full speed forward. Clack! The belt and her hand breeched the back of the cubby hole and spackle crackled while a burst of dust flew into the closet. Geenie pulled her arm back and the remnants of the wall were covering the buckle of the belt. With a flick, she rid her hand of the belt and pulled the crumbling pieces of the wall away. She reached back even further into the wall and pulled out multiple items. One by one the items landed on the bed. A large manila envelope, A packet of a different size, and a cigar box wrapped in tape. She pulls herself out of the closet not a moment too soon, as Gertrine swings the door open.
"Gigi! What happened?"
Geenie shakes herself off before saying, "I was reaching for something in the closet and I fell down."
"I couldn't believe the racquet so I had to come rushing in." She tries to help Geenie to her feet and steadies her.
"Thanks," Geenie tries to say in a breathless demeanor.
"Please be careful. You know Colin never packed anything well. Be lucky the whole closet didn't come crashing down."
"It's ok... Don't worry." Geenie scoops up the items from inside the wall and presents them to Gertrine.
"These are probably some things for you to go through. I remember Colin mentioning it a few times. Anything in here he'd want you to have."
The woman squeezes the compilation of packages and the paper of the envelopes crinkle. "Now isn't the time, but I will look at them when it is." She clutches the items without even paying much mind to the items Geenie left on the bed.
"Why don't you take those to the car?"
"Gigi, I still need to pick out something-"
"How about I find some clothes and bag them up. You can warm up the car and I'll meet you."
"It's not necessary. I don't even know-"
"I insist, Gertrine. Please."
With a knowing look, the woman heeds to Geenie.
"If that is what you wish," she says. "Then please be quick with it is all I ask," as her face softens up. She turns and walks out of the bedroom. Geenie cracks the closet a bit wider and tries to take it all in with one glance. Then her hand reaches up to slide some hanging clothes to the side; the metal hangers scraping the metal pole the whole length.
FIVE
Geenie is back in her car, tooling around the streets in an aimless fashion with her own car: contemplating in general and
having no particular train of thought at the same time. Some sort of a bandwidth between complete fuzz and a radio program with all of the creepy sounds in the background. Her real radio station was classical at the the moment, playing low and coming in remarkably clear.
As promised, Geenie gathered the items in an almost autonomous fashion. Grabbing what looked best out of his closet. It all went into a brown paper bag and got locked away in Gertrine's trunk. The woman admitted a loss of time and had to get back, which freed Geenie up for doing absolutely nothing. She knew there wouldn't be any peace in her mind from traveling around the old neighborhood she once lived in with Colin but she decided to do it anyway - 'for old time's sake' as they say. The car ambled aimlessly to idle the hours of a misspent day. Then she veered away to finally head somewhere. Many long miles away.
She finally headed into more recent of stomping grounds, and drove up towards the same establishment she usually frequents after work. This time she parked well outside the parking lot due to what looked like an explosion of the traffic she usually sees. She pulled to a nearby curb and decided the walk could help her push back some of her nagging thoughts.
Inside was rather noisy and just as bustling as the outside's full lot indicated. Service staff were navigating back and forth without paying notice to Geenie, which was all the same, since she decided to take her own walk through of the place. In an unassuming nature, she moved past the tables; silently observing as an outsider.
Each table having their own little play of life (or boredom) as Geenie looked on, just as a person who pops in late during a play. She made it to the back of the room and turned around to see all the tables in full view. Out of the corner of her eye, a female caught her eye though. She must have felt that instinctual pull of someone's eye on her, and turned around to lock eye.
"Geenie," she smiled and walked over while holding an empty tray. It was Coleen. She added, "I guess you might not have seen me at first huh?" Before adding, "Nobody recognized me at first." She did seem to have an uncharacteristic smile on her face for reasons unknown. "Did you see it?" she wondered before turning around. She turned around to show of her hair. "It's just like you were talking about..." She used her pen to swoosh back and forth while explaining, "They're criss cross braids. See?" With a step forward to look, Geenie laughed and agreed. Her hair was braided in a sort of French twist and the hair on her left side was braided into the right direction; and the right side was similarly done to the left side. Then end result was not just the braids but an "X" of hair made in the back of her hair due to the braids pulled in opposite directions. "I was hoping you got to see it before it all started to get pulled out," she said with her head tilted - then turned around to face Geenie again.
"It looks great on you."
"Really?" She asks while her glasses reflect off the overhead lights. "It felt a little silly when I first did it. And I thought I looked like that Indian girl from the Peter Pan cartoon but I just kept it to see what you'd say."
"I like it. Maybe it's one of those occasional looks, you know?"
Coleen takes her first good look and Geenie, and remarks. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
"It's ok. You're already having a good day."
"Are you sure?" Coleen furrows. "Did you want to talk about something."
"I only came here because. I wanted to get something to eat." Before half smiling, "You know?"
"Are you sure?"
Geenie doesn't say anything back.
"Come on. We are supposed to be pals now, right?"
"Or something," Geenie is embarrassed to remark.
"It's busy but a couple of our trainees are supposed to be on the way anyway. It's covered. Come on," as she grabs Geenies's the same way if a kid was lost from the way to the restroom. "Just sit here, ok?" She adds, "I'll be back to clean the table but just wait here."
Geenie didn't feel the chance to agree or break free, but she did seem to like the attention. The thought alone of Coleen straying from her normal life and having a new honorarium sort of hairdo was an interesting enough surprise of the day. She watched as Coleen disappeared back amongst the crowd. Geenie looked at the table which looked to be freshly exited by a group of people. Ordinarily the thought alone of being at a table which is now a culinary version of a graveyard is enough to make a valley girl of the eighties say 'Grody to the max'. The last day or two have given Geenie a different effect; a more pensive one.
She counted the plates and tried to figure out who might have been at the table. She asked herself and pondered on what was the gender of the four on the table. Judging by the food at what was on the table. Geenie wondered if any of them might have lost someone recently as well. Maybe at least one of the have. At the same rate, Geenie wondered how well either of them were able to cope with it, if at all. Looking at the food also made her admit to herself she wasn't hungry at all; so it probably really wasn't the food which is why she decided to come inside in the first place.
She was staring and taking notice upon the refracting light of a discarded peppermint wrapper when it was snatched away. Geenie looked up to see a male who practically looked like a kid.
"Hey," is all he could muster. Then, "Sorry," in a tone which had no sympathy. It was obvious he was in training since it was questionable if he could even be legal to smoke. The light at the table wasn't as bright from her vantage point, but she cared just enough to take notice of his hair. It was another variation of what teens seem to overwhelmingly wear. It was of the 'skater' style. It looked uncut but puffed up. It took her back to a time where Colin joked about him wishing he lived in the younger generation, "when bed head was a respectable hairstyle." Her mental twinge of a smile must have been enough to make the guy bussing the table a shade of self conscious.
"He smiled out an, "Excuse me," as he reached in front of Geenie. It revealed the fact he was wearing a variation of the traditional braces. Just enough to be noticed at close range but not across, say a football field.
It made Geenie wonder why most people who wore braces made a strange smiling face when they spoke. Maybe it was the most comfortable way to talk, or it was part of some pact or 'braces accord' made across high school campuses in secret in years of yore. Having nothing better to do, she looked on and wondered how long it would take for him to feel uncomfortable again before finally asking, "How is it working here?"
"Oh," he sputters. "It's ok. I guess..." He places more into the plastic trough before adding, "It's kind of cool I guess. But it's pretty hard a lot." He punctuates by wiping his forehead unconsciously. "And my boss is cool? But, she makes me work a lot too." He gets the last of the meal and dishes off the table and begins wiping it off when Coleen pops up behind; which causes him to wipe in a more furious style. "Come on," she says towards Geenie with a lack of emotion. Once upright, Coleen gives a slightly icy stare towards the worker.
"Don't worry. I just love doing that sometimes," she grins to Geenie as they enter a break room not far from the kitchen. "That guy's a slacker anyway so it's good to give him a little fear now and then."
"Want a drink?"
Once sitting down, Geenie declines the offer.
"I knew it," Coleen quietly gloats while pulling a plastic milk crate up beside the table. "There's nothing wrong with it. You can come and talk to me whenever. I mean, I have to talk to strangers all day long and all, so it would be better if it's someone who likes me. Though I do get paid to do that but I prefer the sentiment behind it."
"Please."
"It's ok. What's wrong, Geenie?"
"Well... I don't know how to say it but... My boyfriend died."
"That is so terrible. I'm so sorry, Geenie."
Before she can realize it, Coleen Reaches over and hugs Geenie; which quickly turns into acceptance. Geenie hugs back but pulls back a little quicker than what might be expected.
"I didn't even know you had a boyfriend."
"I'm sorry. I don't but... We dated but stopped. That kind of things," which Geenie tries to explain deeper by flipping her hands. "We broke up but it was just by getting away from each other. I guess the good side to divorce is it's a way to prove you aren't married anymore. A breakup is just. Relationships are complicated."
Coleen listens politely to the odd train of thought.
"I probably sound crazy."
"It's alright. Is there going to be a funeral?"
"There is but... There's some investigation going on since-"
She can't help it, but Coleen breaks in. "Oh my gosh. Was.. Was he the guy across town where the guys broke into his house?"
"How did you know about that?"
"Sorry, but I caught it on that really early news show. I'm usually up really early or really late, so I just watch the news. They did a report on it, but they never got back to it since there ended up being some big wreck before rush hour." She erases some of her words with, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be telling you all of that."
"I didn't even know anything except what I said. When I found out I didn't feel like asking anyone. Much less, I didn't even think to. Maybe only afterwards."
"Well... I hate to say this, but I only remembered it since some stuff about the story seemed really odd."
"Really?"
"I mean... I don't wear a trenchcoat and go solve crimes at night. But usually when you hear the news stuff all kind of sounds the same like what happens."
The door to the room opens and a thin girl in her twenties tries to get into the room. Before any success, Coleen cuts her off verbally.
"Are you supposed to be in here?"
"I was just..." The blonde with the tight pulled back ponytail decides it's best to listen rather than speak.
"This is my first, and probably only, break today. Everyone else had a break, so all of you are supposed to be working until the rush slows off." Looking up over her glasses to ask, "Ok?"
"Yeah. That's cool... I guess." She slinks out and leaves the two alone.
"You know what," Coleen tells Geenie. "Since I said that, I better smoke something now."
The distinct sound of metal on flint battles against the wind while Coleen tries to get more than just a spark outside. "C'mmere a sec," she gestures over towards Geenie. Drawing her in, they make a little windbreak between the blowing strands of flyaway hair. "Much better," she congratulates to her cigarette while fostering a healthy glow at the end.
"His mom's going to... Well I guess they've been doing something over there. I forget what she called it."
"A wake?"
"No, I kind of remember what those are. I mean I know what those are but I think they're after a funeral. A visit before then a wake after I think."
"Was it a shiva?"
"Yeah. That's the name. I always get it confused with another word for whatever reason."
"Whoah."
"What's that?"
"You were with her mom today you said?"
"Yeah?" she wonders.
"That's pretty big. Obviously she's not Orthodox but most times the family stays home for the week. I'm guessing she must feel very highly about you to act like that."
"We have always been close despite anything and she's friends with my mom."
"I'm guessing you're going tonight then?"
"Well I was going to, at first, ask if I should. But as soon as you said that, I figured I really should."
"I'm glad you decided to. Were you just nervous about it, or..."
Geena shrugs but admits, "I guess more of... I didn't want to do the wrong thing or mess up."
"Yeah. I get what you mean. But honestly, it's always better to attend and do something wrong accidentally than not show up all."
"Are you saying that to make me feel less worried, or do you just know a lot?"
"Well I kind of had to. I'm Jewish and my parents always drilled all of that incidental protocol and etiquette into me."
"Really," Geenie lets out with a sigh of relief.
"Ta da," Coleen jokes back. She twitters her head for a moment to make her braids flail with playful emphasis. Why don't I cut out of here without working to the bitter end, then we can meet up and attend together?"
"Do you think it will be ok? Or... You don't have to take all your time off just to come along I mean-"
"It will be fine. Really. And a shiva was originally supposed to be for the whole community. It's not like a wedding with a guest list."
A door opens from out back and another girl joins in. She must be another trainee by the youthful looks, but she contrasts with the blonde earlier. The female is more on the plump side and doesn't seem to be the type to back down so soon either. Her makeup was rather obvious and she wore shorts which made the apron around her seem like nothing was under the apron. Her face was maybe what people called cherubic; though round or even fat could have been more accurate descriptions. Her hair seemed rather short and was a glossy black. It was actually a series of haphazard waves which jutted out all around. Dealing with her on a daily basis would give one the impression she usually has to remove her tiara before coming to work. Each time she tries to speak, she draws in a breath; and fully exhales instead of punctuation.
If she was still in elementary school still, her classmates could describe her speaking as a tattletale voice.
"Are you still out here?"
Coleen takes the nub of a cigarette out of her mouth and tosses it aside casually.
"Not for much longer."
With eyes darting between between Geenie and Coleen, "We have all been working really hard in there."
"I'll be back in to finish my shift."
The server in training wags her little black rectangle which looks like what many high end restaurants hide their bills inside. and tries to search for her next words. Upon taking another breath, Coleen breaks in.
"Let me see your pen."
She hands it over.
"Do you have a card in there?"
The trainee opens the black item which is actually to help the servers stay organized. She pull out a tell tale sized business card and hands it to Coleen, who tries adding something to the back of the card by cupping her hand to cradle the card.
"Why not hand me your book a moment since you're there," Coleen asks in a droning monotone.
The trainee hands the black item and inhales deeply through her nose; grinding an axe for no particular reason than some of the usual cattyness between some females. Coleen jots something down and hands everything back to the plump girl with wiry hair, who also happens to remain unmoving.
"I'll follow you back in," Coleen lets the female know. The rumored former teen princess quietly gallumps back inside in retreat. Coleen puts her attention back towards Geenie and hands her the card.
"I have my cell phone on here. You can give me a call in a little bit and leave an address."
Geenie takes it into her pocket and thanks Coleen.
"Just think about wearing something between casual and church. Nothing really fancy but also not funeral clothes you see in a movie." She adds, "Ok?" with an odd smile on her face. Maybe it was trying to comfort Geenie, or it was only odd since it was a break from her norm.
SIX
Geenie pulled up in front of the home of Gertrine Rust. She was a little early but wanted to make sure she made it before Coleen. It was nice enough for her to make the effort to come, so Geenie didn't want to botch it from being late, or worse, making Coleen feel out of place. Geenie already spoke ahead to Coleen so now all she had to do was wait. She resisted anything typically associated with grief and threw together something between a Christmas and Easter service if someone was to wear their 'Sunday best' as it were. It felt odd, but Coleen assured her. Maybe the real out of sorts feeling was just having to dress nice and above what she usually had on. Or these shoes on her feet didn't fit like she last remembered they had. It wasn't long before a pair of headlights crooked around the street and passes slowly by Geenie. There was plenty of light still, but maybe it was another way to show it was Coleen.
Neither of them have the friends or social thing down again, so maybe at this point it still felt as a secret club for them. The reflections off glasses were enough of a sign it was Coleen, but she made a little gesture with her fingers, just above the bottom of her window, to prove it for Geenie.
They met on the curb and Coleen was carrying an object which she dismissed as no biggie since she knew there was a Kosher bakery in the area. She looked much different from her usual workplace environment. She shed her black clothes and wore something dressed down but fashionable, down to a strappy shoe with enough of a heel to bump her height a slight bit. She wore a silvery necklace which shimmered a Hebrew symbol of some sort, but Geenie remembered seeing it before from either houses she traveled to with Colin or even in Gertrine's home a time or two. What topped off Coleen however was her hair. The braids were shed, and the memory of them stayed ingrained amongst her hair; creating flourishes of waves and body.
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah," Geenie breathed out. I'm good."
"Just walk right it, ok? And make sure to greet his mom as soon as you get the chance, since in shiva the mourners have to be acknowledged first. All right?"
Geenie nodded yes and Coleen's face had a satisfactory look on it.
They entered without abandon and Geenie slowly moved her eyes about; panning across the room. Coleen found the path to the kitchen and walked it hastily. Geenie observed a group amongst Mrs. Rust who all sat in a line on small stools.
Geenie stayed just out of sight since they were already speaking with someone. Geenie was thinking about the conversation with Coleen on her cell phone; it was basically a rapid fire (to her mind) lesson on what to do or expect. Geenie didn't even remember much of it until she actually observed the surroundings. Coleen said just Geenie being there would be enough so anything else which might otherwise look as a faux pax would be ignored. Geenie remembered something about the low chairs or floor and it being symbolic of a recognition of being below God or humbled. She also remembered Coleen's words on a greeting - she didn't have to offer what most usually say at a funeral or "even play the 'I don't know' card with a gesture."
Geenie was enough in earshot to hear - or piece together - Coleen speaking with someone in the kitchen taking whatever it was she brought. "My name is Coleen, and I brought this pareve because of your loss of Colin. It is marked from Geenie Swaboda, who is my friend."
The people who were near the group and Gertrine were leaving just as Coleen made it back to Geenie.
"Don't be nervous. Come on," she said while giving a slight hip check; which nobody else could notice. They made their way forward and Geenie quickened her step as soon as she met with Gertrine's sad eyes.
"Hello, Gertrine..." Geenie gave the greeting literally with outstretched arms. The hug from Geenie hid the inward sigh she took to help hold some of her emotion back. "I am so sorry about Colin. I just don't know what to say."
"Thank you very much, Gigi." They release from the embrace as she adds, "It was very nice of you to pay your respects to respects to Colin this way."
Coleen steps forward to make her presence known. She takes Gertrine's right hand with both hands carefully and speaks.
"I am very sorry to hear about the loss of Colin. This must be very difficult for you."
"Thank you, yes" Gertrine tries to hold both women in her line of sight while Geenie remains silent.
"My name is Coleen Gold and I am friends with Geenie. She has spoken about Colin to me and I wanted to be here in your time."
"That is so sweet of the both of you, for bringing your friend to see me Gigi."
"May we?" Coleen asks while gesturing to the ground.
"Please, please..." answers Gertrine.
Coleen helps Geenie sit then kneels herself.
"I should have introduced myself properly. I am Gertrine. Colin's mother of course."
"Thank you. The pleasure is mine," says Coleen. "Did you recite Kaddish?"
"The minyan was here earlier, thanks. I am sorry you couldn't have joined us."
"I apologize for making Geenie late, but I wanted to pay respects to Colin."
Geenie nods along, remembering from Colin part of the custom is to repeat the name of the person for the exercise of not forgetting the dead. It was also proper to keep steering the conversation back to the deceased. "Mrs. Rust.
I loved Colin and remember so many good times we had here in your home. We would laugh a lot of the time we spent here even when we were kids."
"You were always Colin's favorite playmate here," she recalls in fondness. "It might have been just because it was you, but you were the only one to mind your manners while here. The other boys? They would get Colin into some mighty what? Trouble," She laughed with somberness.
"Geenie never told me how long she was friends with Colin."
"Oh..." she remarks to Coleen. "I would joke to Colin they were friends longer than they weren't. It took a long time before they saw more then friendship I think, however. Gigi?"
Geenie laughs to herself and agrees. "Probably when Colin was heading to college was when we thought of it." She shifts gears to announce, "You were always a family to me already so I never considered it."
"You to me as well, Gigi." Gertrine made a silly scrunched up face to tease how strong her feelings were. "You and your mother, both. A darling woman. Colin always raved about her."
"Yeah... My mom said a lot of nice things about him too. She will miss him a lot, just as me."
Coleen fidgets with her back and asks, "Can you help me a moment?"
Geenie unknowingly stands up and reaches out to Coleen's hands, bringing her back to your feet.
"It was very nice to have us into your home, Gertrine. But it's going to be too late for us."
"Oh I understand completely. You are a very nice girl, Coleen. I am sorry this is the way Colin got us to meet."
"I know... But I am happy to be here and hear more about Colin. Geenie probably tell her stories about him as well as you."
"Please. She is just too what? Polite of young lady. Isn't that right, Geenie?"
"I..." Her sheepish smile of slight embarrassment is enough of an answer.
"There is something from Geenie in the kitchen, by the way. I hope it was something you and Colin enjoy."
"Oh? Gigi..."
"Maybe if you let her, Geenie can come by earlier tomorrow. Then I won't keep her help up."
"I really would love that, Gertrine."
"Sure, sure. Anytime you are welcome. You and your mother, sweetie."
"Thank you again for having us in your home to honor Colin," Coleen add with a slight dip in her knee to unconsciously give the slightest curtsey. She touches the side of Gertrine's arm and recites, "Ha-makom yenakhem Tzion v'Y'rushalayim."
"Why aren't you sweet," Gertrine says with emotion.
"Thank you again, Gertrine," Geenie says; hugging and adding, "I'm sorry about Colin and miss him so much."
As if the magic words were said, Gertrine releases her embrace and Geenie silently walks away with Coleen. It was customary not to spend very long with the family, and Geenie didn't wish to prolong the moment any longer by lingering in the house.
The memories, like walls, were closing in on her.
SEVEN
A day later and Geenie was getting ready early; in anticipation of making another shiva call to Gertrine Rust. The hours felt long but seemed to fold over itself or merely melt away. She was still teetering on when, or even if, to appear. The road of Colin and Geenie was overall a great one, but there was still a lot never spoken of. They seemed to have a dare between the two of them and families not to speak of some of the catalyst, or subsequent issues, which lead to their separations. The meetings of the families seemed to dismiss it all as 'they just weren't ready' and thus, neither made an obvious attempt to rekindle nor to overtly date anyone else. It's obvious Geenie didn't pay much mind to what others thought of her, or even if she had others to think about her. She had a path she chose and nobody has ever flagged it as a right or wrong choice throughout any twists of her life. Her mother is more accepting as most, and knows her 'Gigi' was never in any particular harm or road of ill will. They spoke enough and covered enough topics in order to be fine with one another. Anything which could have been looked at as taboo or a topic of contention was kept off the table.
There was a quiet sort of independence about Geenie. She wasn't an assertive woman, nor a submissive one. She didn't really peruse friendships but she didn't shirk away from them either. She might have felt a little uncomfortable having someone care about her well being besides her mother, but Geenie decided to accept the graciousness of Coleen.
Anyone could think it was a bit odd to have this '48 hour friend' which is the easiest way to explain it. Maybe they both had a similar mental background so they immediately had that kindred spark between them. They seemed to already be on an even sort of keel. Coleen and Geenie have already kept a rather even score if one was to keep score. They each had a moment of action to 'be there' physically, and they also listened to an equal amount of tales or outpourings from the other. Most people can look back at friendships and see a mixed bag - the score being remarkably lopsided. Most friends wouldn't even know why they have the friends they do, more or less why they have them in the first place.
There was a point where Geenie wanted to say more to Coleen. She wanted to explain some of what went on with Colin. What some of the reasons might have been. Maybe why she hasn't even thought about friends. Some of her friends from the past, to counter some of the friends Coleen admitted to or her strange childhood theories. Geenie wanted to say more, but she had a brain with a very small impulse unit. That was how she viewed it. She would censor herself down to nothing without ever thinking twice. She wouldn't even regret not saying this or that - not usually. She often accepted now for now and wouldn't deviate from that philosophy. Most of all, Geenie didn't want Coleen to think religion was a factor or reason between Colin and herself. Frankly, this was the most of their religion she had ever seen.
Before she truly realized it, she was back at the home of Gertrine Rust. She was inside and time passed. There was an evening prayer which she relied on the others to follow along in.
Strangely enough, there was a man which kept catching her attention. He seemed out of place and not with any particular person. At the same rate, all the same could be said for Geenie. Maybe they each recognized it.
Geenie tried to keep an overall low profile, the best she could. Those who knew Colin growing up or were close to Gertrine obviously knew about Geenie. The whole 'high school sweetheart' moniker wasn't a foreign thing to be heard about her. Thankfully most of the people she spoke with didn't wish to break from decorum. Many people seemed to be out of towners who were regaling those in attendance with tales of Colin which were sometimes humorous, but most often something which they made into a prolific time in Colin Rust's life which eyes just happened to witness. Most of the things were variations Geenie heard on other occasions, or the 'true' version of events as Colin had told her while they were having aimless conversations into the wee hours of the morning.
Once the rabbi declared the service was at an end, the room was getting to be more and more a little much for Geenie; or just one of those quick 'fresh air' moments to catch a second wind. Geenie looked towards the front and thought she saw something illuminating from outside. She went to the front window, and peered enough to see the interior of a car. A shadow of a figure inside turned its head and the light cut out - whether coincidence was up for speculation. Needless to say, Geenie didn't feel like finding out. Instead, she went out back and sat on the aged redwood bench which belonged to a picnic table.
Geenie watched from the outside as the women in the kitchen worked; pitching in as a part of the community to help Gertrine through these recent events. Geenie wondered if they felt fulfilled working in the kitchen or if it was another way to help time pass quicker. Before more mind was paid to the window, a man joined her outside.
"May I?" he asked. It was the same person she noticed out of place earlier. She didn't wish to respond to him but didn't feel she had a choice.
"Hello."
"Water?" he asked - offering a bottle, outstretched to her.
Geenie begrudgingly takes it, remembering something Coleen said the day before at accepting any food or drink offered during a shiva. There was an almost perfect chance this ldn't have mattered in the sake of this man, but Geenie felt to keep the spirit up.
"Am I interrupting?"
"Go ahead," she says while gesturing outwards. The man found a plastic patio chair and swung it around. Geenie twists the cap of the bottle of water and hears it crack open while the man sits down. "Did you know Colin?" she asks.
"Not specifically," he answered. His voice indicated those weren't really the words he meant to string out as a reply.
"Are you here with anyone?"
"No... But it didn't seem to be you were either, so it seemed."
Wrong answer. Geenie takes a sip of the drink and ices up.
"I'm..." He slowly stammers. I came to learn a little bit more about Colin actually."
"Are you police or something?"
"Not ex-actly," he trails. "I was trying to do a little investigating though."
Geenie looks back towards the way of the kitchen. She feels an air of distrust.
"Maybe I shouldn't be here, I know. And I didn't want to disturb anyone. You were..." He thinks again before he speaks. "Since you didn't seem to be with anyone, or connected so, so I thought maybe you were kind of a friend on the outside."
"I guess you could say that," Geenie lets out. "But because of it, I don't think I can help." Her eyes break contact with him before saying, "What exactly are you investigating? I thought he just died."
"It might be... a little bit more than that..." acting to search for a name. Geenie doesn't take the bait.
"I'm not sure if I understand, I'm sorry."
"Forgive me. Maybe I was was mistaken." He stands up and slowly moves the chair back to its original position. He takes another look at her as a last ditch attempt for whatever his agenda was.
"Was there something you think I should know?" she asks him with less an inquisitive inflection.
He scratches behind an ear. "I didn't know if that was supposed to be an introduction."
She raises her hand up to give a lackadaisical 'hi sign' and admits, "I'm Jennifer."
"Ah," he exclaims quietly. I'm Jack. Jack Robinson if you want the details."
"Thanks," she says when he takes her hand. Geenie gives her wrist limpness and lets gravity pull her hand from his embrace.
"Did you want to be alone?" he asked wish seriousness.
"All of this has been a little much." She twists her pinkie towards the house to indicate the proceedings inside.
"Yeah. I've felt a little bit out of my element also. Maybe you noticed," he nervously exaggerates. "All the same I suppose I'll let you be. Unless you wanted an escort outside."
"I'll... I'm fine here," she says while repositioning herself on the bench.
He offers up a small farewell before heading back into the house. She watches him disappear amongst the others before standing herself. She takes another small sip of water and shakes the bottle towards the yard; cascading it with streams of water. Step by step she moves, bottle in hand, walking across the lawn.
She moves towards the side of the house and sees the gate she recognized from childhood. It was all wood and stained red. Planks jutted out, forming the shape of a Z. Geenie remembered times she and Colin would get in trouble for standing on the makeshift bottom ledge and going for rides. She slipped the toe of her pump onto the ledge and slowly brought her eyes up past the gate.
The streetlights weren't very bright in any particular area, but gave off enough light to see across the street.
This Rust residence was the brightest on the block at the moment, but Geenie could make out flickers from other people in their kitchens, or watching television just outside their wide window. Looking back to the opposite side of the street, Geenie moved her eyes from car to car within her line of sight. One just to the right seemed to be the car she saw with the dome light on earlier. It was obstructed from where she was; only the front tire was as far as she could see while straining. Geenie looked behind her as looking for anyone nearby, or scouring to remember physics. She clenched the top of the gate and pulled herself up, with great struggle to see more. She could see the front of the windshield, but light was reflecting off it. She leaned and could hear the metal on the clasp silently click and clack. She took another breath and pulled with her arms and shoulders. Her head and chest were now over the gate and she could feel the top of the wooden slats pressing into her dress. She didn't want to let herself slide back. Instead, she tried to shimmy over. Crooking her head further out, she stopped breathing and shimmied some of her body further to the side. As soon as she thought she saw someone inside the car, she realized she forgot to breathe.
Geenie took a huge gulp of air and immediately lost her balance. She felt the momentum pulling back and she didn't know how to repel it. She fell smack on her back, and heard the reverberating sound of the gate slapping and groaning in a state of collateral damage. Geenie might have been paranoid, but she thought she heard the sound of feet across the street. Geenie pulled herself back to her feet and heard the sound of the grass reacting. She immediately headed back towards the kitchen.
Once Geenie got back inside, she didn't feel the need to stay any longer. She tried not to draw attention, but wound herself a path around the wall of the front room; avoiding any literal circles of conversation. She grabbed the front door and all but spun around it to exit.
Her eyes darted right - the direction of the alleged car. She slipped herself behind a nearby hedge, and collapsed on the ground. An arm gripped her and yanked. The resulting momentum pulled her around to the sound of the house.
"Jennifer, it's me," the voice said hurriedly. She looked towards the man slightly dazed while he stands back up. "I have a feeling that guy might be looking for you?" the person from the back porch queries. He takes his hand and grabs onto hers. "Sorry," he slips out while yanking her arms; automatically bringing her to her feet. "Trust me and follow me..." He grabs her arm and starts walking fast. Geenie has no emotion and continues to move her feet at an similar pace as his. The man's gait increases, and she tries to match it. Geenie makes the mistake of looking over her shoulder - and sees whatever had her bothered earlier. A man was bolting out of his car with eyes locked into Geenie's.
"Here we go." the man exclaims and he starts to gallop. He tears at Geenie's hand and her arm feels the jolt.
"Come on stay with me now," he pants and they both work towards a full gallop. The man was further back but it wasn't to be for long. Despite a cumbersome outfit, he was making quick progress.
"Keep looking ahead, come on!" Jack encouraged Geenie. "Keep it up."
Jack felt his hand slipping and grabbed onto her dress; holding the left side near Geenie's hip. "We're going to swing left TOGETHER, ok Jennifer?" He could hear a breath which he interpreted as agreement. Jack saw the sidewalk forming a corner up ahead and glanced back towards whoever was in pursuit.
"Gun!" he exclaimed.
The man's arm was inside a coat and sure enough, the gleam echoed off a chrome pistol.
Jack yanks hard on Geenie's dress and flicks his wrist; sending her spinning around the corner and ahead of Jack. The sound of a firework goes off behind them. Blat! A sound of broken glass slices the air a moment afterwards.
"Gun!" Jack exclaims again. This time his voice was directed towards anyone else who might be in earshot up ahead.
Geenie keeps running faster as Jack Robinson catches up. He tells her, "Get ready to make a right turn, ok?" She doesn't answer but he knows she must have heard him. The man is still on their tail be has his gun clenched backwards in his hand - seeming to be using a more aerodynamic approach to catch them.
Jack slaps her back with his fingertips and wheezes, "Now." They scurry to the other side of the street and then skid left, following the gutter of the street. The man behind them does the same thing, albeit a few lengths behind.
"So you must be Gennevive I take it," he half laughs and looks towards her. Her face squints for a milisecond but the barrels faster down the street. Blat! Thuune.
Another shot goes off and catches the metal of a side door. Jack looks up and sees a house with the garage door open - facing them just across the next road. Classic rock music can be heard blaring at a minimum. It's the stuff Colin like to jest as 'car fixing music' when he heard it driving down the street.
"Help!" yells Jack. He can see the shadow of a man sitting in front of the garage. "Someome shot me!" he blares out. Jack pushes on Geenie's back before waving his hands over his head. The man caught the sight of all of them clopping his direction, and jumped backwards, spilling out of his aluminum lawn chair. Getting closer made out the brightness of the garage; prominently backdropped on the far wall with a giant flag of Canada. The man inside was tall and gangly with a dark mustache following all the way down his chin. All he seemed to be wearing were shoes and a pair of short cutoffs; enough to see glints of the bottom of his pockets. "Keep going," Jack gushed: both of them looking near their breaking points. They were crossing the street and heading straight towards the man's house. The moustached man was yanking on a low drawer of his gleaming red standing toolchest. "Right right right," Jack rattled off, and bumped towards Geenie's chest. She took heed and they both veered almost synchronous.
The man yanked on the toolchest's drawer and the metallic sounds of wrenches and sockets danced on the floor around him as he reached dead center. It was a nine millimeter handgun with a mirrored finish: splayed with a custom etched design around the side, in script, which read L A C A Ñ A D A. The man pivoted to the left - gliding with the slickness of his sneaker soles - and fired off two rounds at the first moving object he saw. Pop pop!
The bullets ended up in the perusing man's chest; with his own gun outstretched with a finger on the trigger. He didn't stop running though his mind seemed paralyzed. He collapsed, still running, and tumbled end over end- causing him to get another shot off. It was unmistakably heard, but there was no accounting for where the bullet landed. The man in the cutoffs rattled off a repeated "Omigosh oh my gosh gosh gosh," and hurried into the house to scramble for the nearest phone.
Just outside his peripheral vision, Jack could see the unknown assailant crumble to the asphalt. "You can do it, come on," he rattles off to Geenie. "My vehicle's on the other other side of this alley." Their feet scramble inside and slow down, making a slogging and whooshing sound as they trample though the liberally graveled alleyway. "Are you ok?" he asks. For the first time since she stepped outside, Geenie finally speaks...
"My name is NOT Gennevive."
EIGHT
A modern looking silver range rover twists around the corner where police are descending on man still laying in the street. One of the police officers argues with the man behind the driver's seat; stating the road is blocked off and he'll have to find a different route to get home. The vehicle makes a slow turn and a light can be seen trailing the rear of the vehicle - unbeknownst to any of the police on the scene. It was a tiny LED style light casting a bluish beam onto the ground, brushing right across the dead man. A screen inside flashes multiple times. A hand grabs a nearby hand held screen. The images pop up in succession; strobing through while the vehicle pulled away.
Another screen in the center was broadcasting a black and white video image - used most often to induce safety when backing up. Reflecting off the plastic screen is Geenie's face.
"Ok... That is about long enough for the both of us," Jack said while swinging back into the alley they ran through earlier. The range rover slows down and pulls between a circular dumpster and a telephone pole.
"Leave it running," he instructs; then hops out of the vehicle. He walks to the back of the car and reaches under the bumper. Jack pries the light source from underneath the bumper, and flips it off once removing wads of dark electrical tape. He plays with it a moment, then tosses the tape into the dumpster; it doesn't pay to be a litterbug. He stands behind the vehicle and flicks the light back on again - making sure nothing is lurking outside the alley. He walks to the front of the range rover, which has its lights off, and he focuses the light towards the other opening of the alley. Seems clear also. He clicks the door of the range rover back open and hurls himself inside with a single move.
"These things are pretty handy," he says as he twists the circular light in his hand. He reaches over, and slides it into his keychain where it docks in place. "If you get a flashlight, always go with that bluish color. Somehow it detracts sniper fire. They can't see it so well through scopes." Jack looks back to a silent Geenie. All of his attempts to break the ice haven't seemed to have been going over so well. "You ok there?"
She stares straight ahead; dazed. "Hopefully that's the end of that." Her face is borderline comatose and her lips don't
seem to want to even try forming a word.
He leans over and says, "Let's see what we have..." Jack edges across her and tugs her seatbelt's shoulder strap. It's all but cutting off her circulation. He leans against her and pops the latch on the belt, and yanks a healthy amount of slack before gently letting it slide back. "Hopefully that helps a bit." He didn't expect a response this time. His hand goes to the device which captured the earlier images and grips it. He glances over to her and tugs on a wire. "See this?" I rigged it myself. Little camera mounted just like that LED light." "This thing," he taps on the black and white screen. "These are good at seeing if anyone is tailing you. Plus..." He pops a button, and the center mounted screen flashes brightly for a moment. "Night vision. See? Nobody there." Sure enough, what can be seen behind them is all clear.
Jack goes back to the handheld device and punches some buttons. "This." He explains, "I set it up with some software. Variable frame. It catches the images however often I want." Geenie doesn't appear to be watching, but Jack keeps speaking to her as a very calming 'Q' who might be advising a double agent of Her Majesty's Secret Service; sans accent. "Click, click, click," he says when hitting one of the buttons. The light from the device glows onto his face; stuttering for each time a button is pressed. He seems to be moving back quite a distance while he cycles through; filling the gaps with more words. "Most people always rely on a flash, but there's no reliable way to control them. Plus a flash is much more noticeable than a constant light source..." He stops and presses another button repeatedly.
The image is the man who was perusing them minutes earlier. With each press of the button, Jack was manipulating the image. Zoom zoom, zoom, right, right, right, right, up, up, up, up, down. He was probably altering it enough since it seemed to him Geenie was traumatized enough already tonight.
"Do you think you recognize him?" Jack asks while slowly moving the device towards Geenie. She finally shows a sign of life, and turns her head ever so slightly to look at the image. She half squints at it, but can't bear to see it more than a few seconds.
"No. I have no idea who that is."
"Oh," he said before flipping it off. He grapples at the device again.
"Do you know who it is?"
"No. I don't," he says while swapping some objects in and out of the device.
"Do you think he was after me?"
"I really couldn't tell you." Jack pops an attachment onto the device and remarks, "For all I know, he could have been after me."
Geenie turns her head away from Jack.
"Excuse me," he says, and leans over a moment.
"Are you after me?" she couldn't help but ask.
Jack flips his device on again and it glows blue.
"I can't exactly say I am." Looking back at her, "Could you," he asks gently while handing her the device. She takes it into her hands and Jack pulls on something underneath the dashboard. A plastic cracking sound comes out.
"Just on the... yeah," he says as she shines the scene towards some wires.
Jack clips something in and slaps the piece of plastic with his fist, creating another loud noise.
"Very good then." Adding, "Would you like to get out of here?"
"Yes... Very. Much." Geenie speaks with an obvious disconnect.
"Do you want to go back for your car?"
She doesn't answer; pensive again.
"Here. Take mine."
She looks him in the eye.
"Do you think you're ok to drive?"
"I'm fine," she tells herself.
"Come around here. Take my car."
Geenie hesitates again.
"It's fine, Jennifer. Hop out and I'll show you."
Feeling without a choice, she opens the door and steps out; the crunching of items in the alley below her feet. Jack steps out of the range rover and presses some buttons on the center screen. Each press produces a 'bloop' or 'bleeng' sound.
"This...." he says while pressing items on the touch sensitive screen. "It will get you from here..." Hitting two more buttons, "...To... The closest twenty four hour cafe from the motel I am staying at." He quickly adds, "Nothing like that. Just a rendezvous point." Tacking on, "Hop in."
He drops out of the car and extends his hand to Geenie out of chivalry.
She bypasses it and gets herself into the driver's seat.
"Where are your keys?"
"What?" Geenie asks.
"I'll get your car. I meet you. That's the point of a rendezvous." Noticing she isn't budging, he clarifies for her in a calm tone. "If it was you they were looking for and not me, then it's your car they'll be looking for. If I was out to get you I doubt I'd give you my car. Besides, this one is much safer I assume. It's brand new. Luxury package even, as they say."
Geenie reaches into her pocket and fishes around; refusing to take her seatbelt off.
"Is there anything about it I should be worried about?" Questioning, "Registration? Tags? Weapon inside?"
"Nothing," she says when handing the keys to him.
"Mine has a pistol. Box under the seat, unlocks with the driver's key."
Jack reaches up and across Geenie once more - touching his finger to the center screen once more. A 'ba-ba-bling' rings out, and a map pops up to display the vehicle's location.
"Worse for worse..." Jack cautions. "You feel something hinkey or whatever matter..." He tips the driver sun visor down. "Under here is a switch," which revels itself as this side of home made. "Flick it on, and push that little asterisk star thingie and you can call in emergency services for whatever reason. Don't panic too much if someone else is following you. That device is already recording whatever the rear camera sees. If you have to leave the car please take it with you, even if you rip out the wires.
You can trash the whole car anyway; it's a rental and I got the dollar a day insurance." The comment actually forced a smile out of Geenie.
He shuts the door on Geenie and tells her, "Lights on, window up, and start driving forward. It will tell you what to do. Drive carefully and God speed, Jennifer."
She does as told, and the range rover pulls away; with the color of the paint already making it difficult to be seen once further down the alley. The vehicle signals, then turns out of sight. Jack puts his hands in his pockets and casually walks the same direction: making sure to take the casual route in case any other gun wielding strangers might be in the neighborhood.
NINE
"I know. It really was the closest place open twenty four hours, but I know females usually aren't into a place like this," Jack sits down in front of Geenie upon admitting that fact. She sips very slowly on a beverage in a non descript styrofoam container, via straw.
"You ok," he makes sure to ask her.
She nods in a wilten fashion; her bangs doing most of the work.
"Did you order any food?"
"Mmm-mn," she said in a negative way.
"Jelados?" he asked her, meaning if it was one of the varieties of alleged fresh fruit drinks.
Her head goes limp again.
"Horchata?"
"Yeah," she confirms.
"Good. The rice might, uh, help." He pauses a moment and asks, "Did you have any trouble making it here?"
"It was fine," before she tagged on a "Thanks."
"No troubles, no worries." Stammering quickly, "Did you, uh, happen to bring my little screen thing inside?"
In a worn voice, "No, I'm sorry. Was I supposed to?"
He waves it off and asks for the keys.
"Oh my gosh, I-"
Jack puts the pieces together and steps fast towards the exit.
"Sorry," she signed... But he was already out the door, She felt guilt but for a moment she also wondered if she should have asked for her keys back first.
A minute later a chirp chirp sound locks the doors, and Jack comes back inside; item in tow. He looks around to gauge the surroundings, and finds a table a few away from Geenie to sit down at.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." he heard wisp from her. He motions towards her, and she sits across from him.
"This is probably a much better seat for you." he lets her know. "Nobody can see you from there. And..." As he crooks his head, "...I can see anyone who comes in. Much better, right?" he says in a half serious tone. She sort of ignores it politely.
"I know this probably isn't your type of place, but why don't I get you something."
"You don't have to. I'm fine," she reminds him.
"I feel like I should. It's not like you had much to eat tonight."
"You aren't supposed to eat a meal at a shiva," she tells him - remembering Coleen's words. "Nevermind."
"Wait here." Jack gets up and spends a few minutes at the ordering counter. Geenie stays put, remembering she still didn't ask for her keys back.
More time passes, and Jack Robinson finally makes it back to the table... Only to see Geenie playing with the device. He doesn't pay any worry to it, but coming around the corned seemed to startle Geenie a slight bit.
"It's fine. You won't break anything," he reassures her. She puts it down anyway. "Taco salad?" he asks her as he sets it in front of her. "The safest thing might be the salad. So I made the taco optional." He sets some translucent cups down which contained shredded taco meat. "Your call," he dictates.
"BEYn tee CEEN Coooww" the exaggerated voice calls out.
"Sorry. That's me. Excuse me once more?"
He walks away, and Geenie looks at the food in front of her. Within a taco shell fashioned as a bowl is lettuce, cheese, tomato wedges, and crispily baked tortilla shreds which have been died in red and green colors: twisted in a way to resemble confetti or something else supposedly festive. Of all the things Geenie thought she'd see today, let alone eat...
"Sorry again," Jack let out before dropping a load of napkins between the two of them. "I don't know about you, but I feel much less self conscious if I have a smathering of napkins in front of me. "Also..." He sets a full tray off to the side of the enlarged table. "I don't know if you like any of that stuff or not, but, now you can stare at it whether you like it or not.
Geenie raises her eyebrows in a conflicted way. Part of her wanted to smile but the other part of her worried that might only encourage him. She looked at everything in the cups, and Jack started narrating all of it. "Both salsas; green is for flavor, red is for heat. Pickled carrots, jalepeños, picked onions - I think. Diced white onion, red onion, and..." He picks up the cup to clarify the description. These are sliced jalepeños, and the full ones are just pepper hot peppers I guess."
She nods in a tight lipped posture to acknowledge him.
"I got two of these but you don't have to drink it," he tells her up front while handing over the thinner of two of the polystyrene drink containers. "It's sort of a thing I made up myself. It's kind of like a signature drink.
Geenie takes another sip of her orchata to play it safe.
"Kind of like the Arnold Palmer. Do you know what an Arnold Palmer is?"
"Nah," she casually answers.
"It's a drink named after a golfer. It's half lemonade and the other iced tea. He used to order it all the time."
Jack dashes his eyes towards her face and continues. "I'm not even a fan of golf but I liked the story. This is part lemonade, a little. Then I add a a good amount of lemon lime soda and then I put cut lemon and limes for it. More limes than lemon." Tagging on, "Like I said, you don't have to try it. It's just there."
She keeps looking at her food for no particular reason.
"Maybe if you like it, I'll call it a Jennifer?"
She looks him straight in the eyes. "My name isn't Jennifer."
"Oh? Oh."
"Does that change anything?"
"I don't know..." He stops before saying, "I wasn't looking for a Jennifer actually."
"Who were you looking for?"
Playing along slightly, "What's your name then?" He reaches over and grabs his black device, and hits some buttons. Jack looks over it, and pushes a plastic fork closer to her.
"If you don't like it, I can get something else for you." He watches a grainy black and white video. It appears to be the trip Geenie took back - which he plays in hyper speed forward. Every time a car seemed to linger in view a good amount of time, he rolled the footage back, then hit a button before speeding through it again.
"My name is Geenie," she says once eating a bite of her taco salad.
"Thanks. It's nice to meet you," he says over the top of the viewscreen. "I'll tell you what though. My name's not Jack Robinson.
"Your car registration says Jack on it," she reveals.
"Ah," he laughs. "So you poked in the glove compartment?"
"Not a lot. When I first got here I didn't have anything to do. So I read your rental form. And then, well that was it. There wasn't anything else interesting in there."
"I told you it was a rental. I think some Triple A brochures and a generic map is all the rest. And some gas station shades." He looks back at her and said, "If you took them, you can keep them," in a mocking tone.
Geenie half laughs. The ice may have been officially broken. She takes another bite of the meal.
"Are you eating the, those things?" he asks while making little imaginary squiggles in the air.
"Try one. If you want." She uses her fork to flip one over to his tray.
Jack cautiously picks it up and eats it. The crunch is audible. "I think it's what a piñata's supposed to taste like."
She shakes her head.
"You're smart not to try it. The shell is probably ok, maybe, but not those stale tildé things."
Geenie sees him gesture in the general direction while he finishes eating another one of the colored strips. I mean a place called Tacos Y 'Ladas. I think it's supposed to be some sort of pun or play on words. But my Spanish isn't too fantastic."
"You have food too," Geenie doesn't hesitate to point out. Either she wants him to keep quiet or taking her picked off mystery garnish in unnerving.
Jack takes a bite out of the corner of his carne asada burrito; bursting with whatever he possibly decided to add to it. Finished swallowing, he tries to squeeze a joke out. "It's better for me to just order a burrito. Since all of those photos of that stuff makes me not too hungry anymore."
"Did you used to work at the State Fair or something? Like at one of those Ronco demonstration booths."
"Hm?" he asks with a face indicating he was caught off guard.
"It's a nice way to ask if you ever stop talking," she says with a small bit of food in her mouth.
"Yeah..." He pauses and takes some of the sauce off his tray - drabbling a small bit inside his burrito before taking another bite. After swallowing, "It's..." His tone drops. Whenever I've been in an... An 'almost dying' situation. Usually talking about anything mellows me out, or helps calm down the people I've been with. Narrating about a bunch of mundane things helps dull all that adrenaline and rawness."
"Is that another invention of yours, or is that true?"
"Yeah it's supposed to be true," he answers before eating another bite. "Well, repetition is supposed to be a calming mechanism for the brain. That's why Buddhists chant or crowds repeat phrases. But I guess just saying anything is more my twist on it. Like a bedtime story." "Do you feel sleepy?" he jokingly asks.
"I don't know what to think. I still don't even know what I'm doing with you still."
"Honestly, I feel like you didn't have a choice up until now. Back there must have been something... Something pretty dire for you, right? But there's no reason we can't just finish our meal here. Talk. What have you. What are your feelings about this, Geenie?"
"I can do that," she says in a hushed tone. "But I still don't even know anything about you."
"Well I guess neither of us knows too much about each other."
Geenie doesn't look amused with the quip.
"Be that as it may... Feel free to ask me anything. I won't ask you any questions until you feel comfortable enough." He watches her have another bite before asking, "Is that deal enough
for you?"
"Sure. Fair enough," Geenie agrees.
"Take your time," Jack adds while eating more.
Geenie eyes him silently; as if something about his face or posture would reveal exactly the question to be asked. She finally verbally takes aim.
"Are you a police officer?"
"No."
"Have you ever been a police officer?"
"Never have, never will. And not now either, of course"
"You didn't seem to look like one. I'm not a good guesser or anything. But it's the feeling. You know?"
"Yes I suppose so," Jack agrees. "You were correct either way."
"Thanks," she says while going back to her food; picking for inspiration.
"Have you been shot at before?"
"I have in fact. Honestly, at least once. Before today that is of course."
"It's interesting you aren't sure how many times that has happened. I know how many times I have. Never before. I have NEVER been in trouble."
"I wasn't sure if that was a question, or else I would be asking it right now. No disrespect," he lets her know.
"Why don't you know how many times you have been shot at?"
"Instead of going into specifics, can I give a general example?"
Geenie looks up at him.

Jack recants, "I forgot no questions, on my end. So... I can give you an example rather than multiple details if you allow."
Her eyebrows raise.
"I'll take that as a yes," he says with a finger pointed upward. Once I was with a group of troops in the middle east. I hate the term, but they are most often referred to as 'embedded journalists' as it were. Anyway, I didn't have the qualms of most, so I went out on some of the scroungier of sorties. And at various stages... Various forms of weaponry were fired at me through the duration."
"You're a journalist or reporter then?"
"Yes and... Not always."
"Explain?" Geenie phrases towards him.
"It's complicated really... Really I suppose I only make it complicated; for the most part."
"I can certainly see that," she daggers in without humor.
"Well, I can try if you'd like."
"Think I have a little time." Geenie reminds him.
"That is a rather large taco salad if I can say. Sure."
Jack's eyes flitter up and to then fro. It seems he is mentally preparing or organizing himself. "Before I start," he warns, "I must say this. I might have to ask a question or to to you? Not a keeping score kind of thing but... Let's say whether you need to know more or not."
"Just because you answer something, doesn't mean I want to be quizzed or questioned. I don't want this to be some sort of 'I did so you too' sort of thing' if you understand."
"Yeah ye yeah," he stammered out. "That is what I meant actually. I am not trying to keep score."
"I never really... I guess to say I haven't ever laid it all in front of me," Jack admits. "You know what I am getting at?"
"I suppose so," she said - knowing she never had much of a moment to objectively look at her life or career; whatever there truly was of it.
"Thanks," he said with sincerity. Well I guess at some point I was all of I. I had some... Fortunate circumstances. Able to do a lot of what I really wanted to but... That put a hamper on my ambition for a certain duration of my life."
"Something like a trust fund kid?" She quizzed?
"Yeah. Basically. It's more complicated... Well, maybe it isn't however. Just trying to think in a chronological way I suppose.
"Yeah. Well you don't have to try to go into all of it if you don't want to. In fact it may not be so fair to you either. Since I don't feel I could do the same."
Geenie wondered if being a captive audience with him has softened her up in the way a religious cult might, or she was thinking a lot of the real him. She could just be seeing something which isn't there - or her sleep , a lack of it rather, has turned into her feeling more susceptible to outside influence. All could be easy answers but she realized Jack still hasn't said anything to answer her earlier question.
"You don't have to go into it."
Jack takes another bite of the burrito - maybe near halfway; contemplating about unknown things - at least more than what Geenie had already thought he was thinking. She was beginning to worry some of his thinking and word placement are beginning to rub off on her.
Geenie wasn't a type to think about what has been or was to be. Usually she kept her mind on the here and now, which seemed to have kept her quite happy for most of her life. She can't say if it had been since she left Colin or whenever that sort of mind set started to click in. As said, it was not something she paid attention to.
She watched Jack eating out of her peripheral vision; wondering what he truly was about. If he was a pick up artist, obviously there were women much easer to attract and conquer. In fact Geenie felt she wasn't unobtainable, or a 'challenge' as it might be referred as. In fact Geenie wasn't even sure what the point would have been. These last twenty four hours, as events have unfolded, weren't exactly bringing any clarity to her life.
Between Colin and the numbness that brought out all of the happiness - dare she say - to have someone like Coleen who really wanted a friendship but just as her hasn't ad anything close to it for whatever reason it might be. Geenie kept wondering about Jack. Jack Robinson. Was it his name? Was he just toying with her? Geenie couldn't be certain. Really, she didn't even care. Well, she did care - but also didn't all at once.
In a way, it would have been easier to have no knowledge of these last few days.
She might have sacrificed what is, and might be to come, with Coleen... But on the other hand she wouldn't have to face any pain. Or the uncertainty which mortality of others can bring about to one's self realization. Everything seems to change. Not always forever - though it feels like it. Life slowly and slowly returns to normal until... Until one day a person goes an entire day without a thought of the said departed one. That can sometimes be the scariest thing of all: also realizing the same will one day be done by others - to you - when you are not here anymore.
Geenie wanted to know about Jack a slight bit, but also didn't want to care. These times have turned her into even more of a walking contradiction than she already had been. Before she would often try taking back or lessening what she had to say but now it is even the fabric of herself. Doubt. A powerful thing; matched only by stress or anxiety. Jack looked like he could have watched too many videogames or movies. Th