Flashlights - Day 3
Day 3
Work was just another day. My mind did wander over to Johnny from time to time, but mainly I just put it aside. On the way home I had some time to think, but decided not to. I figured if Joe was gone when I got home, then the thinking would have been wasted.
“Hello, Johnny.”
“Hello Joe. You didn’t think I’d be here, did you?”
‘I didn’t really know, Johnny. Glad you’re here though.” I knew that was the right thing to say. I knew I was suppose to mean it. Fact is, I just didn’t know if I was glad or not. At least the house looked okay. I was half-expecting all the shades to be drawn and Johnny to be hiding in the basement. That would have been interesting since I don’t have a basement.
The rest of the evening went along with pretty smoothly. Small chit chat filled in some of the silence, supper filled in more of it, and we just let the silence have its own time for certain periods.
Finally, we both settled into the living room, me in my chair, Johnny on the couch.
“Joe, can I talk to you?”
I didn’t state the obvious – that we had been talking, and that he was currently talking, so he didn’t need to ask. I just nodded.
“Do you remember when we were kids and that time I was in the hospital?”
I nodded again. I was starting to have a bad feeling in my knees. I know most people get bad feelings in their guts – I get them in my knees.
“It was a very enlightening time, even if I was entirely in the dark,” continued Johnny. My knees were joined by my head, because I had no clue what he just said.
“Joe, its been 18 years since that time. And I have never really talked to anyone about that time, and what I have learned since. Joe, I need to tell someone all I know. And you are the only one I can tell.”
And then Joe launched into a story that would have stunned the psychologists and philosophers over at the University. He talked about light and darkness. He talked about emptiness and fullness. He talked about right and wrong. And he talked and he talked.
I am not a good listener. But I know how to look like I am a good listener. That’s why I can usually get a date or two from women before they realize that I haven’t heard a thing they have been saying.
And tonight, I really tried to listen. But in reality, after Joe had said “enlightening” and “entirely in the dark” – I just went along for the ride.
Oh there was one section I woke up for, when he wandered over to the sex section of his brain. But even that quickly turned creepy and I zoned back out.
Zoned out, until I could tell he was wrapping up. I could tell he was wrapping up because his voice got louder, his eyes bigger, and his arms waved around.
“Joe, you can’t let too many flashlights get into your head.” And then he laid down on the couch and went right to sleep.
Too many flashlights in your head? What the Hell does that mean?
I didn’t have any idea, but thought Johnny had the right idea of going to sleep and limped over to my bedroom, my knees still warning me of something, but I was too tired to try to understand what it was.
The bed felt fine, the pillow was okay, and I closed my eyes.
No sleep.
I calmed myself down, but still no sleep.
I started to get up to eat a quick bowl of cereal, much better than counting sheep in my book, when the first flashlight arrived.
My knees started screaming their warning, but my head just stared at the flashlight.
It was only a matter of minutes when the second one flashed on.
Crap!
Work was just another day. My mind did wander over to Johnny from time to time, but mainly I just put it aside. On the way home I had some time to think, but decided not to. I figured if Joe was gone when I got home, then the thinking would have been wasted.
“Hello, Johnny.”
“Hello Joe. You didn’t think I’d be here, did you?”
‘I didn’t really know, Johnny. Glad you’re here though.” I knew that was the right thing to say. I knew I was suppose to mean it. Fact is, I just didn’t know if I was glad or not. At least the house looked okay. I was half-expecting all the shades to be drawn and Johnny to be hiding in the basement. That would have been interesting since I don’t have a basement.
The rest of the evening went along with pretty smoothly. Small chit chat filled in some of the silence, supper filled in more of it, and we just let the silence have its own time for certain periods.
Finally, we both settled into the living room, me in my chair, Johnny on the couch.
“Joe, can I talk to you?”
I didn’t state the obvious – that we had been talking, and that he was currently talking, so he didn’t need to ask. I just nodded.
“Do you remember when we were kids and that time I was in the hospital?”
I nodded again. I was starting to have a bad feeling in my knees. I know most people get bad feelings in their guts – I get them in my knees.
“It was a very enlightening time, even if I was entirely in the dark,” continued Johnny. My knees were joined by my head, because I had no clue what he just said.
“Joe, its been 18 years since that time. And I have never really talked to anyone about that time, and what I have learned since. Joe, I need to tell someone all I know. And you are the only one I can tell.”
And then Joe launched into a story that would have stunned the psychologists and philosophers over at the University. He talked about light and darkness. He talked about emptiness and fullness. He talked about right and wrong. And he talked and he talked.
I am not a good listener. But I know how to look like I am a good listener. That’s why I can usually get a date or two from women before they realize that I haven’t heard a thing they have been saying.
And tonight, I really tried to listen. But in reality, after Joe had said “enlightening” and “entirely in the dark” – I just went along for the ride.
Oh there was one section I woke up for, when he wandered over to the sex section of his brain. But even that quickly turned creepy and I zoned back out.
Zoned out, until I could tell he was wrapping up. I could tell he was wrapping up because his voice got louder, his eyes bigger, and his arms waved around.
“Joe, you can’t let too many flashlights get into your head.” And then he laid down on the couch and went right to sleep.
Too many flashlights in your head? What the Hell does that mean?
I didn’t have any idea, but thought Johnny had the right idea of going to sleep and limped over to my bedroom, my knees still warning me of something, but I was too tired to try to understand what it was.
The bed felt fine, the pillow was okay, and I closed my eyes.
No sleep.
I calmed myself down, but still no sleep.
I started to get up to eat a quick bowl of cereal, much better than counting sheep in my book, when the first flashlight arrived.
My knees started screaming their warning, but my head just stared at the flashlight.
It was only a matter of minutes when the second one flashed on.
Crap!
posted by Jimmie C. | 11:43 AM
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