Tin Universe Monthly #6

by Brian C. Williams

  Since coming back she hasn’t had a moment to clean her house in the slightest and the rat fleas and dust on the couch was beginning to make her itch. “God,” she thought, “How much must my life suck when rat fleas are down a bit on my To Do list?”

  Sitting across from her on the other den couch scratching her own arm from bites was Karen. On the coffee table between them was two bottles of water Karen has retrieved from her car. Slapped into Fox’s brain was her recalling how Karen always loved drinking water even when they were little and other kids, soda addicts, were always making fun of her.

  Fox sat up making sure the blanket was wrapped all around her completely. Though not ashamed of her body and normally only modest at particular moments, at this moment she felt like a person who just discovered what shame was.

  Then Slap Slap Slap into her brain goes thoughts of how could she have sat there and talked to him for what had to have been an hour without anything on? Now her brain was drowning in feelings of her doing something wrong. She knew those feelings weren’t accurate but that didn’t matter. The scummy feeling she has right now she is blaming herself for.

  Fox looked at Karen with complete honesty in her eyes, ‘Please tell me you’re going to beat me up again. I need another” beat me up again.”’ Her voice was braking as she spoke to Karen. Not braking in word separation but broken in a shattered soul.

  ‘Fox…a…did he?’

  ‘I was coming down for a late night snack when I found him sitting causally in the kitchen,’ Karen gave her a questioning look? ‘He still had a key.’

  Karen looked Fox over and really wanted to be able to tell her own parents how much she loved them right now at this moment. This, Fox having her father show up, was actually fucked up past words so she leaned forward and handed Fox one of the bottles of water in an attempt to reach out to her, try to connect, ‘I’m sorry for…’

  Fox fell back on the couch sipping some of the water.

  When she settled, ‘I understand. I actually do.’

  ‘But…’

  ‘Can we be friends again?’ Fox said in a way that was almost as if a child was begging for something out of the blue.

  ‘I have…’ Was Karen’s only reply to Fox but she continued with a question of her own, ‘Is he staying in town?’

  ‘I threatened to call the cops if he didn’t leave right away. Well, I threatened to call the cops after standing there silent for twenty minutes as he talked as if this was our summer trip to The Keys.’

  Fox so wanted to fall back into a good memory but Karen snapped her back to today with a question about now, ‘I heard you were moving?’

  ‘I don’t want to,’ Fox replied with a lot of exhaustion in her voice, ‘Can’t we be friends again?’

  ‘A friendship of children.’ Karen

  ‘Only that?’ Fox

  Long uneasy silence in the room.

  ‘I’ve changed a lot.’ Fox paused and then went on, ‘A lot more scars have set up house. Things didn’t get much better after we moved and a hell of lot weirder. I’m not an easy person to be friends with but I do miss you. I always have.’

  Karen just lowers her head with a little bit of a smile as Fox keeps talking, ‘I know me coming back will get people talking again. I’m sorry for that but I need to be here right now. Honestly, I just trying to get my life back on track from the chaos it went into.’

  Karen stands up, smiles, and reaches out her hand.

  ‘My name is Karen Busiek, nice to meet you.’

  Fox smiled back to her old childhood friend.

  ‘Isn’t your sister Coma Girl?’

  CHAPTER 30

  Hours later at the Busiek family home, the Busiek family members are gathered around the kitchen table eating cut pieces of fruit and veggies. That’s the family’s favorite snack when having a family talk. Several bowls of sliced fruits and vegetables served up with some cream and sugar.

  Gail is a little weird though as they also have to set out a bit of salt for her to sprinkle on her veggies.

  This is as close to Brady Bunch as this family gets.

  ‘…Fox is going with me tomorrow to talk to Principal Carol. Maybe I can get my sentence shortened?’ Karen

  ‘What is she like now?’ Mr. Busiek asked his oldest daughter.

  ‘Broken down and hardened,’ Karen shrugged, ‘She told me her mom kind of lost it soon after they moved and was barely able to keep a job, always on the brink of totally losing it.’

  ‘Did she stay in nursing?’ Mrs. Busiek.

  ‘I didn’t ask? My mind was racing through eight hundred thousand questions I wanted to ask but not many actually reached my lips.’

  Karen’s father looked like he was ready to bite a brick, ‘What did her dad…How did he look. Did he say anything to you?’

  ‘ No. He looked too well off for my liking I can tell you that much. Fox gave him some money to get him to leave, to get rid of him.’

  ‘She has no idea where he is living now?’ Janet

  ‘No but he told her he wasn’t back in town to stay. If you can believe a bastard like that about anything.’

  Karen got up from the kitchen table where she had been receiving forty questions a minute from each member of her family after getting back from Fox’s and was getting to a point of having enough it, ‘I’m going to call Jeff.’

  Karen goes to a cabinet to grab a jar of apple sauce and then a spoon, ‘Can we talk about something else.”

  ‘I was watching R.I.N.N. the other day and they were talking about that family in St. Louis harboring their son who has sweet like acid.’ Neil

  Mother, head, desk…actually kitchen table.

  Karen blood pressure just spiked, ‘Harboring dad? Come on, it was their son. What were they suppose to do?’

  ‘Obey the law.’

  ‘The law?’

  Gail and her mom looked at each other with, here we go, looks.

  ‘We live in a world where we let our government imprison people born with special abilities as their only crime. What next, imprison people who are good athletes, people who have the wrong color hair?’

  ‘That’s pushing things. They are going after dangerous people.’

  ‘People just trying to live their lives and the imprisoning isn’t even the start. No due process, no court dates, no warrants, NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING.’

  ‘But…’

  ‘Don’t but me dad. These people have either been executed or exterminated on…’

  ‘The government has shown time and time they are kept in safe places.’

  ‘Yes, and our government injected pregnant women with radiation for their own good.’

  ‘That’s totally off target and no matter what you think are you going to turn down medication that came from those experiments because of what you say happen?’

  ‘Say? God, I wasn’t trying to say the things were apt. I was showing that we can’t trust the government to just take care of things and be kind in their actions.’

  ‘People like that boy are dangerous and…’

  ‘And what if they come after Gail because they think she’s too smart?’ Karen

  ‘Don’t bring me into this. No one’s going to Magdalene Asylum me.’ Gail

  ‘If these people were like Pulpy they could be used in safe ways…’ Neil

  ‘Oh, yea, the mighty Pulpy, just like nuclear weapons we want the only big toys.’ Karen

  ‘Pulpy is an international p…’ Neil

  ‘Puppet for the U.S. military.’

  Janet Busiek threw her palms down on the kitchen table getting everyone’s attention, ‘Stop! You two are giving me a headache.’

  Karen storms out the kitchen backdoor ; while her father walks into the living room and turns on a Liverpool vs. Manchester City game.

  ‘They always get into it when she’s in a bad mood.’ Janet

  ‘Makes you wonder if dad does it to distract her?’ Gail

  ‘What?”

  ‘Patterns. I
see patterns. Also dead people sometimes.’

  ‘Both of my children are nutters.’

  ‘At least I’m here, hard telling what my dear older sister may get up to.’

  Mom turns to youngest daughter and speaks with a quick whispered voice, ‘Gail, you are my gossip agent. How does a dollar per snitch sound?’

  Janet Busiek was really worried about how her oldest was reacting to what has been happening. From fights to trying to be friends again with the person you made bleed. Karen being a bit violent isn’t unusual, Karen being excepting is.

  Gail think about what her mother asked and then she looks at her with a mouth full of melon balls and holds up five fingers.

  ‘Ok, five per.’

  CHAPTER 31

  Joanna and Lisa were getting out of Lisa’s BMW in the local mall’s parking lot and started walking towards the mall entrance when Lisa noticed that whenever Joanna walked by other peoples cars and saw their bumper stickers, be them liberal, conservative, faith based, or just rude, crude, and stupid, she looked at them like they had somehow debased her reality, dirtied it somehow.

  ‘People are so stupid. They think putting a bumper sticker on their cars gives them worthwhile opinions. They honestly think it gives them any sort of say in how the world runs itself. It’s the same with voting. They are play acting like children with toys when the parents run things.’ Joanna

  ‘I think it’s tacky.’ Lisa

  ‘Once again Lisa you take one of my intelligent thoughts and turn it into stupid words of a degree from someone who is around me a great deal of time should not spout.’

  Lisa goes silent, though with murderous thoughts.

  Joanna stops Lisa walking by grabbing her by the shoulder, ‘Do you understand me?’

  Lisa stares at Joanna for a second through the extra large glasses that only celebrities and Joanna wear. She bites her tongue a bit and takes a small breath, ‘Sorry.’

  Joanna continued walking as if no tension filled seconds had taken place, the sun still shined bright, and she was still queen of her own little kingdom.

  ‘Carol called me this morning.’ Joanna.

  ‘I can not believe he wants to saddle you with dealing with those two social outcasts, especially…’

  Joanna stops and puts her hand over Lisa’s mouth.

  She almost lost a few fingers doing that. Restraint is a holy order.

  ‘Karen Busiek.’ Joanna spits out the name with distain and inhales some hate, ‘Karen Busiek needs a lesson but I don’t know if I have time right now. Something beyond a face stomp. But in the future. In the future.’

  And with that off she walks of to torture more clothing store employees and a few fashion victims that make the mistake of being near a total bitch like Joanna. And total bitch is not even coming close to how people see her. There is some real hatred there.

  Karen once called her an asinine albino marble.

  Lisa was really surprised when Joanna called her and told her to pick her up so they could visit the mall. The mall really isn’t Joanna’s style but as with everything she does, she has her reasons.

  The reason for this mall visit was a check in on one of her father’s new businesses. Osip Inc. had recently purchased the 80/700 chain of mall bookstores and Joanna was placed by her father as one of the regional managers to watch over all of the stores in Brevard County malls.

  Lisa thought this at least should be interesting to see how Joanna treats people when it comes to running a business. She has seen far too many times how her “friend” treats others when she is the costumer. Her first thoughts are Joanna’s hardnosed attitude would either have the place running better and more efficient than ever or germ seeds of upheaval within the employee ranks.

  Lisa’s line of think is just why Joanna’s father bought the chain of stores. Though they are a nationwide chain of store, he wanted to test and see how his daughter handled straight business matters.

  Oh, and Joanna knows this also.

  CHAPTER 32

  They decided to go somewhere and talk. Not about anything specific but they have reentered each other’s lives with flashback thoughts, fear, anger, violence, and all within a very short frame of time.

  A couple of chapters by my hand.

  They drove around in Fox’s truck and after driving around for a few miles Karen suggested eating at Weaving’s Chilli Snacks in Vero Beach.

  After Karen’s suggestion was agreed upon they parked Fox’s truck and took Karen’s mini instead. Fox was worried about a possible break down situation with her truck being a piece.

  Once they arrived at Weaving’s and were seat at a table Karen started the lunch conversation with a question, ‘I have to say so much of this is clear of surreal to me.’

  ‘When mom first died and I found out she wanted to be buried here I thought about letting some lawyers handle it but I can’t let him keep doing that to us.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘He tore our lives apart and separated us from home and friends. But no matter how hard things maybe for the still living I know how hard the years were for her after we left. She loved that house. I just couldn’t sale it like it never meant anything to her. I didn’t want her dying to justify me into making decisions solely based on what would be best for me.’

  ‘You’re a better man than me Gunga Din.’

  ‘Well, I’m still not sure I made the right decision. I want to reclaim my family name in a way that scraps over how he tarnished it.’

  ‘You’re taking hold of things. Pretty brave.’

  ‘Or pretty stupid?’

  ‘It’s an either or that we all live within.’

  ‘Are your parents angry that I’m back?’

  ‘No, they don’t blame you for anything that happen.’

  ‘But the things I said that weren’t true?’

  ‘Because of a situation your father put you in. Dads not too happy about knowing you dads been in town but they asked about you and your mom.’

  ‘Mom always liked your mom.’

  ‘Everything was just so fucked out. Why we’re sitting here trying to measure each word.’

  ‘Are we?’

  Karen grins, ‘Maybe a little.’

  ‘A little.’

  Their drinks arrived.

  ‘So explain this That 70’S Show theory you told me about in the car.’ Karen

  ‘I think Donna’s younger sister was turned into Donna’s cat Mr. Bonkers by a neighborhood witch Bob pissed off and this caused everyone to forget she existed at all. See that would explain Mr. Bonkers sudden appearance when Eric ran her over. The witch would go on to crackle with glee and get a starring role on Desperate Housewives.’

  ‘You’ll fit right in with our little group and I’m still the only normal one.’

  ‘I have loved my time here on your planet.’

  ‘Did Canada do this to your brain?’

  ‘Don’t knock the Maple Leaf unless you’ve rocked the Maple Leaf.’

  ‘Eh.’

  ‘Smart ass what’s the deal with your car?’

  ‘What? Why the sudden attack on my car?’

  ‘It looks like it’s been through Hell.’

  ‘Long story.’

  ‘Hey, we both ordered the 8 Chilli Samplers. We’re going to be here a while to let the effects run through us.’

  ‘True, ok, mom bought me the car new but last year Jeff and I went on a road trip to Tampa for a Rays game. Then Hurricane Garfield hit, there was many many midgets involved at a party, there was illegal muscle relaxer usage, and I ran a red light on the way home.’

  ‘Sounds like a trip to remember.’

  ‘Fun times. How about your truck?’

  ‘What about my truck? This a senseless vehicle counter attack?’

  ‘Yes, is that the same truck your mom use to drive us to soccer practice in?’

  ‘Yep, I inherited it. I use to have a Ford Ranger but I ran it off a cliff in Utah.’

  ‘Did that involve mid
gets?’

  ‘No. But a nice Mormon family made me pie.’

  CHAPTER 33

  Probably the next day.

  Karen and Fox were seated in front of Mr. Carol’s desk after waiting outside the office for half an hour as they overheard him lecturing Albert Wallander to stay out of trouble and avoid people who might have problems with him.

  They had heard through the school grapevine (Jeff) how earlier in the day a group of football players had forcefully stripped Albert to his underwear in a gym class and shoved him outside the locker room onto the basketball court where a girl’s gym class was playing dodge ball.

  The worst thing from what Jeff said he had heard was when Albert found his father cleaning up something outside the gymnasium building and told him what happen, in front of tons of students going to and from between periods his father told him that he just needs to grow up and be a man.

  After his father failed him he went to his Principal like your suppose to do in a school setting. Funny how that never seems to work out how it does on 80’s sitcoms.

  ‘This place is such a step up from our old schools.’ Karen

  But they have found themselves now within the room readying for their own bit of injustice in an uncomfortable silence and equally unpleasant chairs as the moments in the Principal’s Office ticked off.

  The generic school wall clock with black trim and Times New Roman lettering functioned as a weight to the apprehension in the room. Each tick of time passed was a million thoughts processed and killed.

  The office smelled of Raspberries which was a gift to the Principal from one of the head cheerleaders.

  Karen had an active bodily function that was about to happen, she was ready to piss herself having drank three cups of coffee before getting there, in a nervous twitch she sat in her chair twitching. She just wanted to pee a little but as you know you can never just pee a little. You open that gate and you don’t close it until the ponds empty of water.

  Fox was just about ready to explode herself within the silence unless the sod said something soon. The one thing she could not ever stand was being in the position of having to sit and wait. Wait, the other sort of wait, in that I’m saying wait because there is another thing she hates more and that is having to sit and wait and know that someone is making you sit and wait on purpose. That really tightens her corset.