New Reality 2: Justice

by Michael Robertson

  GG's gasp rang out in the quiet bowling alley and she clasped her hands together. "What an amazing name. I'd like to tip you, please, Aarya."

  A shake of her head and the woman blushed again. "We're not allowed to take tips."

  "There must be some way I can show my appreciation? Maybe I can buy you lunch?"

  While wringing her hands, Aarya studied the counter for a minute before finally looking up again. "You could buy me some lunch, if that's okay?"

  "Of course; can I buy you dinner too?"

  With her eyes looking anywhere but at GG, Aarya finally nodded. "Thank you, miss."

  "Don't thank me; you deserve better in this life. Please order whatever you want and charge my card for it. Don't scrimp. Order the best meals in the place."

  Aarya gulped. "Thank you. Can I take your shoe sizes, please?"

  "I'm a three, and… Marie?"

  "I'm a five and a half. Six will do if you don't have half sizes."

  After disappearing behind the desk, Aarya lifted two pairs of shoes onto the counter. Before sliding them across, she looked at Marie. "May I say something?"

  Why did she want to say something to Marie? What had she done wrong? She nodded and said, "Of course; what is it?"

  "Julio was my cousin."

  "Julio?"

  "The man from the laundromat. I was there the day you stuck up for him, and I wanted to say thank you. Most of the people in this place knew him. He was well-loved."

  A pang twisted Marie's heart. "Was?"

  Tears spread across Aarya's eyes. "He died. The injuries he had after he was taken away by the police were too great."

  Marie held her heart. "He's dead?"

  "I'm afraid so. But thank you for all you did for him. It was brave of you to try and save his life; the fact that someone who wasn't from the estate stuck up for one of us is a huge deal." At that moment, Aarya looked over Marie's shoulder at the room behind her.

  When Marie turned around, she saw they were still being watched.

  "That's why everyone's looking at you; Julio was one of those rare people that knew everyone. There are very few of them on the estate because no one trusts anyone. Julio had something about him, something that broke down barriers."

  Tears returned to Aarya's eyes and she flushed red again. "Anyway, sorry to take up your time. I just wanted to say thank you. Now let me tie your shoes for you."

  "There's no need," GG said. "We can tie our own shoes, can't we, Marie?"

  When Marie looked down at her stomach, GG smiled. "I can tie your shoes. Please stay there, Aarya, and enjoy your lunch."

  From behind praying hands, Aarya dipped a gentle nod to GG and then Marie. She then patted her chest twice with a clenched fist.

  As they walked away, Marie leant close to GG, catching her familiar floral scent. "What did that mean at the end?"

  "It's the estate's way of saying thanks. Because they don't talk to strangers on the estate, they've developed a silent way of communicating."

  An old woman who was close by then clenched her fist and tapped it against her chest; a man next to her did the same… then another.

  The gesture spread around the room, and Marie's pulse raced.

  "I think they like you," GG said. "It seems like you're somewhat of a hero, darling."

  ***

  When Marie sat down at the bowling lane, GG dropped to her knees and lifted Marie's right foot so she could loosen the shoe she currently had on. As she slid one of the bowling shoes on, she smirked. "You're not going to win any fashion awards in these, but they'll stop you slipping over when you bowl."

  She wasn't wrong. They looked like the correctional shoes worn by a girl in her primary school.

  Once GG was done, she stood up and pointed down the lane they'd just hired. "Right, the idea is to chuck a ball down the lane and knock the pins over at the end."

  GG lifted a ball and held it next to her cheek. While stepping towards the lane, she pulled the ball back and released it on the forward swing. The ball hurtled down the centre of the lane, hitting the pin at the front of the pack and knocking every single one over with a resounding crash.

  When GG turned around, Marie stared at her. "How am I supposed to do that?"

  GG lifted another ball from the rack and beckoned Marie over with a flick of her head. "Come here and give it a try."

  Did she really have to do this? How many people were going to see her make a complete tit of herself? It may seem like the people in the bowling alley had stopped looking at her, but it didn't feel like it. When Marie took the ball, it was heavier than she expected. "Okay, so I just chuck it down the lane?"

  GG nodded.

  All she could do was try and copy what GG had done. With the ball next to her cheek, Marie stepped towards the lane, pulled it back and threw it. Before it was halfway down the lane, the ball was in the gutter.

  It was obvious GG was trying not to laugh. "It's okay; you can mock me, if you like."

  But GG suppressed it and shook her head. "No, it's the first time you've done it. It takes some practice."

  It was Marie who laughed. "It takes a lot of practice by the look of things."

  When she tried to walk past GG, the petite woman held up another ball. "You get two tries at knocking the pins down."

  "Really? One was bad enough." The second bowl was a carbon copy of the first, the ball veering into the gutter by the time it was halfway down the lane. They both laughed that time.

  As GG was picking up another ball, Marie stayed next to her. "So, as I was saying earlier, Frankie took me out on Sunday."

  "Oh yeah, where did you go?"

  "To the woods."

  "The woods?"

  "Yeah, I know; risky, right? He'd found a hole in a fence and we snuck through it."

  "And you weren't seen?"

  "No. He did this thing where he kicked a football for the cameras to follow and then we darted into a bush."

  GG lifted the ball next to her cheek. "Clever." She then stepped forward to bowl. Nine of the ten pins fell down.

  "He said he wanted us to have a day without stress."

  "And did you?"

  "Yeah, it was lovely. We had a picnic by a stream and we lay beneath the trees. I didn't realise quite how many news reports we have to listen to until I was away from them for a day. It was bliss."

  Just before she bowled again, GG paused. "I bet it was." The next ball took out the remaining pin.

  As GG passed Marie another ball, she tilted her head to the side. "But?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "There's a ‘but’ to your story. What is it?"

  Marie let her arm drop with the heavy ball at the end of it. "It's the physical closeness thing. The fact that all he does is hold my hand and hasn't hugged me for weeks; I don't want to sound ungrateful, but…"

  "I know, darling, it's tricky. First and foremost, you have a wonderful man and it's important to remember that."

  "I do, GG, every day."

  "Second, it's okay that you know what you want and for you to acknowledge that your needs aren't being met."

  Another gutter ball and Marie walked back to GG. "Although… he did talk about his family life on the estate."

  "That's something. Quite a big deal for him, right?"

  "Yeah, he told me things that I didn't know. It's unusual for him to talk about his childhood."

  "That's really positive, Marie. I think you should hold onto that. I'm sure when your child is born, he will open up more and more. Just give him time."

  Marie smiled through the buckle that wrestled for control of her features. She shouldn't cry, not here in front of a group of people who had just lost a dear friend. "Thanks, GG."

  "What for?"

  "For listening. For giving great advice."

  "What are friends for?"

  After sending the fourth ball into the gutter, Marie walked over to GG and wrapped her in a tight hug. "Thank you."

  Chapter Thirty-Four


  The transition from the gloomy Bowlplex to the glaring sun outside burned Marie's eyes and blinded her. All she could do was stand still as she waited for her sight to return.

  As she stood in the evening warmth, the sun exorcised the rest of the dampness from her clothes. "I can't believe how hot it's been this summer. It's what," Marie looked at her watch, "eight o'clock, and it still feels like midday."

  GG seemed to be having the same trouble adjusting to the light and was gouging her eyes with her petite fingers.

  As she waited for her friend to recover, Marie looked back through the doors of the Bowlplex. "Why were there so many people from the estate in there?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "Well, they have no money, so why are they spending their cash on bowling?"

  "If a business is run by people from the estate, like the Bowlplex is, then they don't charge other people from the estate to use it."

  "How do they make money then?"

  "A lot of those places don't pay rent. They take over buildings in undesirable areas. If they're occupied, at least they look nicer for us on the other side of the road. The people that work there only get paid if legitimate customers show up. That's why it's so dark in there. They don't want to pay for things like electricity."

  "So that's why you tipped the woman?"

  "No, I would have done that anyway. I can afford to eat and a lot of them can't. I want to try and share that privilege whenever I can."

  The ‘good hardworking’ citizens on the other side of the road went about their day. Not a single one of them looked over. "GG?"

  "Yep?"

  "What does it stand for?"

  "What?"

  "GG."

  "Gina. Well, actually, Georgina, but I hate that even more than I hate Gina."

  "I like Gina. It makes you sound–"

  "Less like a horse?"

  Marie laughed. "I wasn't going to say that…" She then reached over and lifted GG's blonde ponytail before letting it drop back down again. "But now that you mention it…"

  While she was being mocked, GG had been watching the road. She then grabbed Marie's arm and led her across.

  Suddenly the people on the other side noticed the pair and directed hard stares at them. They must have thought GG and Marie were from the estate. Marie stared back but bit her tongue. 'What are you looking at?' probably wouldn't have gone down too well at that point. Apparently, her look was enough, because the hostility soon vanished. Fucking arseholes.

  As the two women walked, taking their time in a world where everyone else seemed to be racing towards a heart attack, Marie said, "Why aren't you in a relationship, Gina?"

  "I dunno; the right person has never come along, I suppose."

  "But you must have hundreds of men waiting to date you. There must be someone that's right for you?"

  "Not really."

  It was strange to see GG put barriers up. She was normally so open with her feelings. "Has there ever been anyone?"

  "Yes, once." Gina's tone was flat.

  "The guy who got you pregnant?"

  "Urgh. No. He was a total mistake… a horrible mistake. It was someone else. Someone I met at school. Over the years we became the best of friends."

  "So what happened?"

  "My feelings weren't reciprocated. It broke my heart. I've not let anyone else in since."

  "But you're one of the most open people I've met."

  "It's easier when you don't have to open to someone in that way. I can give you my heart when I don't expect anything in return. It's the wanting to be loved back that makes us weak."

  ***

  An air of sadness hung about the pair and they walked in silence.

  The atmosphere was finally broken when one of the huge advertising boards on the side of the road was taken over by a newsflash.

  "This is Hank Manifesto for Nirvana TV, bringing you, the citizens of Nirvana, all of the news as it happens."

  Gina groaned.

  The cars and every pedestrian slowed to a halt. In Nirvana, the newsflash was like a call to prayer; everything else needed to be abandoned until after the event.

  When there was a tug on Marie's sleeve, she looked in the direction Gina was pointing. On the other side of the road, walking with the aid of a stick was an old lady.

  Marie whispered beneath her breath. "Why hasn't she stopped?"

  When one of the other people from the estate grabbed the woman's arm and pointed up at the screen, the lady shook her head and continued walking.

  Marie's stomach tightened. "What's she doing?"

  "Rebelling, by the look of things," GG said.

  A policeman's whistle sent a shrill peep through the air. Five officers ran across the road and the leading officer blew his whistle again. "You, woman, stop and watch the screen now!"

  It was like the man wasn't there. The old woman completely disregarded him and she continued walking.

  The next blow of the whistle was so loud, it hurt Marie's ears; God knows what it did to the people standing right next to it.

  "I said stop!" The officer stood a metre in front of her with his hand raised, but the woman paid him no heed.

  The old girl knew what she was doing, that was for sure. After what must have been a lifetime of living as a second-class citizen, maybe she was taking some power back. Good luck to her. Marie couldn't shake the sinking feeling of dread. How could this end any other way but badly?

  The officer leaned close to her and blew his whistle again. "Stop!"

  A serene smile lit up her wrinkled face as if the police were amusing to her. She continued walking, weaving through the five officers as if they were no more than an obstruction on the path.

  Red-faced and tightly wound, the officer looked around.

  Someone laughed. It was another woman from the estate.

  When the officer stepped towards her, someone else laughed.

  Then someone else.

  Before long, most of the people on the other side of the road were laughing and jeering at the officers. One by one, they made a fist with their hands, bumped their chest twice and held it in the air.

  Hank Manifesto's voice barely registered as Marie watched the display. "I thought you said that meant thank you?"

  "Okay," GG said, "maybe I lied."

  Marie looked at GG, waiting for an explanation.

  "It means change."

  Hairs stood up on the back of Marie's arms. The revolution had to come sooner or later. That was what happened with societies; they failed.

  With a flapping mouth, the officer spun full circle but no words came out. It was hard not to smile at him losing control.

  When he raised his baton and stared at the old woman, dread ran through Marie. "No way. She's like ninety. What the fuck's he playing at?"

  Before the officer could act, the people from the estate closed in around him.

  At first, he looked at his men, and then the people on the other side of the road. He then threw his arms up in the air. "Are you going to allow this?"

  No one on Marie's side of the road responded. Why would they? They weren't there to enforce the law.

  Although the officer waved his baton, the people from the estate closed in tighter, every one of them holding their clenched fist high.

  After pushing a few people away from him, the officer appealed to Marie's side of the road again. "Can you see what this is? This is a revolt. If you stand by and watch this happen, it won't be long before these plebeians are taking your jobs, your houses, your lives."

  Still no one moved.

  Gina leaned close to Marie. "They spend the entire time trying to make us fearful of those from the estate, and now they ask for help fighting them?" She shook her head. "They're on another fucking planet."

  The circle of people from the estate tightened to the point where Marie lost sight of the officers. The tension in the air was palpable, and Hank Manifesto was no more than a background noise on the huge screen.

&nb
sp; An eerie stillness swept over everyone. Above it rose the gentle tick of the old woman's walking stick tapping the pavement—a quiet but resolute sound of rebellion.

  A baton then appeared above the crowd and Marie nearly vomited in anticipation of the—

  Crack!

  The old woman's cane clattered to the pavement.

  With her hand clamped over her mouth, Marie watched the old lady fall.

  Suddenly the leading officer was easy to see again as even his colleagues moved away from him. No one was backing him up after what he'd just done.

  Surrounded by silent accusation, he jabbed his finger at those staring at him. "This is all your fault. You laugh at us. You question our authority." He kicked the old woman in the face and her neck snapped back. The man was frantic as he swept his hair from his eyes. "Well, here it is. This is what happens when you challenge the law."

  The people from the estate closed in again. The sounds of dissent rose from what started as a gentle murmur and grew progressively louder. Some of them were staring at the officer with their fists clenched tightly and looked ready to strike.

  "They're going to kill him," Marie said.

  But before things could escalate, the officers elbowed their way free of the crowd and crossed the road at a trot. Not a single one of them looked back.

  "Fucking cowards, the lot of them," Marie said.

  A man next to Marie stared at her.

  "What?" she said. "They are. She's an old woman."

  The man backed away; just being in the vicinity of someone as outspoken as her was risky.

  The old woman lay lifeless on the pavement, her mouth open in a silent scream and a pool of blood clogging her grey hair.

  The broadcast had finished, how long ago Marie wasn't sure, but once the officers were back on the other side of the road, the traffic started moving again.

  As the officers strode towards them, Marie copied those around her and dropped her gaze while the pounding of thick boots stomped past. The regimented march carried the stench of stale sweat with it. They stank of fear. They'd lost face.

  When they were out of earshot, Marie said, "It's getting worse. Tensions are running higher than ever."

  Gina stared at the dead woman on the other side of the road. "The people aren't taking it anymore. Change is coming. Change is definitely coming."