Memories Are An Old Man's Toys

by Elayne Tulliani

  Billy went to bed as soon as they hung up the phone and oddly enough, was asleep the minute his head hit the pillow. He felt as though the weight of the world had been removed from his shoulders and his body responded by falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

  6

  REFLECTING

  The morning came entirely too soon for his liking, but he had a lot of work to do so he pulled himself from the bed and began his morning routine. He turned the coffee pot on to heat while he showered and dressed, and then went to the door to retrieve the morning paper. The Sunday paper was his least favorite paper of all days because it contained so much mindless advertising. He usually tossed aside all the inserts and went straight to the world news section. He liked to keep his mind sharp and stay current on everything going on in the world. By the time he was nearing the end of the coffee pot, he had made his way through the regional and local sections of the papers. He thought, “Well there’s an hour and a half of my life I’ll never get back, nothing in there I didn’t see on the news last night.”

  He got up and rinsed out his coffee cup and placed it in the strainer next to the sink. He began to tidy up the apartment a little, and he collected a small arm full of laundry and placed it in the laundry basket. He would tend to that later, but for now, he needed to swing by the shop and check on something. He dressed and began his walk to the shop. Along the way, he began to think about the walk yesterday to the beach.

  As an afterthought, it occurred to him it would have been much faster to simply walk down State Road to get to the beach. Regardless, he felt the detour turned out to be a good decision. It helped him conquer a childhood fear and also set the tone for the remainder of the day.

  As he walked down the public stairs, he got a kick out of a thought that had just run through his head. He used to watch the other kids slide down the railing to these stairs and always thought it looked like a lot of fun. He was so tempted to give it a try but chuckled out loud when he pictured the paramedics driving him to the hospital and him trying to explain how he broke his hip. It was probably best to just pass on that idea. He was intrigued by his newfound eagerness to attempt things that had always caused him fear in the past. He wondered if this unfamiliar courage was being brought on by the completion of his project or by the rekindled friendship with Sherry. Either way, he wasn’t going to miss his second chance to strike out and enjoy the rest of his life.

  As he neared the bottom of the hill, he saw a young boy walking up the hill carrying the Sunday paper and a bag of doughnuts. The paper looked like it weighed more than the child did. “Hello, looks like you have your arms full son.”

  The little boy glanced up at Billy with a fearful look, as if he were afraid Billy was going to hurt him. He whispered, “Hello,” as his walk turned into a hurried pace. After the little boy had passed, Billy turned around and watched him run up the public stairs. He felt bad; he didn’t mean to frighten the child he was simply making idle conversation as they passed one another. He hoped he hadn’t scared him too badly, but he didn’t dare call to the child to try and let him know that he didn’t mean any harm, which would surely just scare him more.

  He arrived at his shop and fumbled with his keys while thinking about how many years it had been that he followed this same ritual; open the door, turn on the lights, flip the open sign and turned off the alarm. He had done this so many times that he didn’t even have to put any thought into it, his actions were robotic. He walked over to the workstation and sat for a bit just looking around the shop. He was starting to feel like it was time for him to close the shop down. He had managed to earn a very healthy living there, and he had completed his project. Billy just wanted a little time now to enjoy the crops he had sowed. Being the responsible man that he was he knew he had a few long-term contractual obligations but he felt he could still fulfill those without interruption. He had the spare bedroom in his apartment, and it really wouldn’t take much to set up the computers there.

  He began to think about the other businesses in the area. There was the coffee shop on the corner, it had remained the same type of business for as long as he could remember but it had several different owners throughout the years. The bakery on the corner was at one point a printing company, and when he was a child, it was the neighborhood pharmacy. His mom used to take him there on Sunday mornings after church to get an ice cream soda at the fountain. The liquor store on the corner had also changed hands a few times, but it always remained a liquor store. He thought, “Now that’s the kind of business that survives anything. When people are doing well, they celebrate; when things are rough, they drown their troubles. It’s a win-win.”

  The little grocery store had moved out several years back, but for the most part, he had fond memories of the store. The owner, a man named Will, was a very nice man and he used to allow customers to run up tabs and pay him at the end of the week. The floor was always covered in sawdust, but it didn’t look dirty it looked warm.

  He also remembered the times that some of the punks in the neighborhood would pick fights with him when he would walk past the store. Will would poke his head out the door and yell “Hey Billy, I have the order ready for your mother.” More often than not there never was an order for his mom, but the store owner felt it was the best way to interrupt the bullying without embarrassing Billy.

  He remembered being unbelievably embarrassed the morning that Sherry was sitting in the car watching him get pushed around. The difference now, was when he recalled times like that he didn’t feel quite so ashamed and helpless, he felt like he was empowered.

  “Okay, enough daydreaming,” he thought, “time to run a little test.” He buried his head in the computer for a while, and when he felt satisfied that his program was fully operational, he saved his work and logged out of the system. He spent a little time putting some items in boxes and deciding what he should bring to his apartment and what he could throw away. He figured since he would not be repairing computers for people anymore a lot of the stuff could just be tossed out.

  He did have a few computers that he had stripped down and rebuilt over the years that customers never returned to pick up. It was because of this, he had recently begun requiring a deposit for the work.

  It wasn’t so much that he was afraid of getting stiffed on a bill it's just that he had noticed that this seemed to happen a little more often once the city had begun to require permits be purchased at the city yard to dispose of computers and televisions. People were resourceful if nothing else and they had figured a way to dispose of their electronics without paying for permits. They would simply bring the computers in for repair, leave false contact information and then never return. Although Billy kind of admired their ingenuity he wasn’t a dumping ground and once he imposed the deposit requirement it put that practice to rest once and for all.

  Nonetheless, he still had a few systems that he had decided to rebuild, and they were for all practical purposes as good as new. He made a note to himself to call the little satellite library in the morning and ask if the librarian could put the computers to use for the kids.

  As for the items he would need to bring to his apartment, it wasn’t that much since ninety percent of his work was stored on discs and hard drives he could easily move those items himself. As for the actual computer, he would simply call a cab and load it into the trunk and have them give him a lift home with it. This seemed like a simple enough job that he was confident that he wouldn’t have to engage the help of anyone other than the cab company and they would be getting paid for it, so he didn’t feel like he was obligated to anyone.

  He spent the rest of the week making trips up and down the public stairs with his items. Throughout the week as he stacked items alongside the building for the trash-men to collect, the curiosity of his neighbors mounted with each item he carried out. They began to stop and ask questions that Billy tried his best to answer politely.

  “Billy, are you closing down the shop?”

  “Ar
e you just not busy anymore?”

  “Surprised you lasted as long as you did.”

  He knew that most of them meant well and were sorry to see him go but he also knew who the busybodies were and they were just scouting out gossip to feed the hunger of the other vultures. Either way, it didn’t matter to him anymore, he knew what he was doing, and as always, most the people around him just assumed and drew conclusions about things that were neither correct or frankly any of their business.

  The latter part of the week was spent at home getting the second bedroom set up as an office and work area. He didn’t like to work in a cluttered area and now that he would be working from home that was even more important to him.

  7

  NEXT STOP, BEAN TOWN

  The hectic week was now behind him, and he was eagerly anticipating a memorable day with Sherry again. She would be shocked to learn that he had chosen to close down his shop. He didn’t want to tell her over the phone so when they spoke he suggested that she meet him at the shop at nine o’clock a.m. and they could walk right across the street and catch the Blue Line into Boston. Sherry’s week had also flown by as she spent most of it just trying to tie up loose ends so she could visit Billy that following weekend and be certain that she had completed everything she needed to prior to her weeks’ vacation. Several of her coworkers had commented that she seemed curiously happy and wanted to know what her secret was and how they could get in on it. She had a number of work friends, but they never socialized outside of work. She was a supervisor, and she thought it was best that she not blur the boundaries between business and friendship. Sherry was well respected by her team members as well as her supervisors, but despite the good working relationship she chose not to share her personal life with them.

  As though the week had wings, she couldn’t believe she was just hours away from spending the day in Boston. Sherry arrived promptly at nine o’clock; she was a stickler for being on schedule, a trait that had served her well over the years. Upon arriving she was surprised to see Billy leaning up against the shop window. He was just standing there with his arms folded in front of him and his jacket draped over his arms. He was neatly shaven and dressed casually but very nicely. He didn’t move when she pulled up to the curb or even when she got out of the car. He had a mischievous grin on his face, and he looked like he was up to something. When she approached she asked, “Billy what’s going on, is everything okay? You look like the cat that ate the canary.”

  He laughed and said “Everything is just fine; as a ma-

  tter of fact it’s better than fine. I have something I want

  to show you.” With that, he stepped aside and revealed the ‘For Rent’ sign that was hanging in the window.

  Sherry took a step back and stared for a minute with a look of complete confusion. “Billy, what’s going on, why is your shop for rent?”

  He smiled and announced, “I’ve decided I’ve worked long enough and it’s time for me to enjoy my life now.”

  She was thrilled for him but wondered how he would be able to support himself. She didn’t want to pry, but she couldn’t help but ask, “How will you get by Billy?”

  He had already anticipated her concern and had pre-planned exactly how he would explain. “Well, the shop has been kind to me, and I don’t have too many expenses. I have saved a little, and with the sale of my mother’s house, I managed to set a little aside for the future. I also plan to continue to do some of my work from home.”

  She seemed satisfied with that explanation, and the conversation quickly turned, “Billy, I’m so happy for you that you’re able to do that. What are you planning on doing with all your spare time?”

  Billy leaned against the building and looked up to the sky and said, “I’m going to enjoy every minute of my life.

  Let’s get a move on and beat the rush into Boston.”

  They walked over to the train station, and they were stunned when they walked through the door. The exterior of the station had been remodeled a few years back, and they knew the old rickety trains had been replaced with newer, sleeker looking ones. However, neither one of them were prepared for what they saw when they stepped inside. They had taken their change out of their pockets and were holding it in their hands when they entered the station but apparently no one used change anymore.

  They had to go and ask the attendant how they were supposed to pay. The attendant laughed and said, “Been awhile since either of you has ridden the train hasn’t it?” They admitted it had been quite a few years. The attendant politely showed them how to purchase “Charlie Cards”; apparently this was the only way to access the subway nowadays. It made Billy laugh when the attendant referred to these little cards as “Charlie Cards.” He remembered his dad singing “Charlie on the MTA” when he was a kid and thought, “Wow my dad would get such a kick out of this.” After getting their cards and being shown how to use them, they made their way up to the platform.

  As soon as they reached the platform, Sherry said, “Wow, it’s nothing like it was the last time I rode the train

  but it’s very nice.”

  Billy noted, “It’s very modern and clean and has some rather impressive artwork integrated into the design. The subway station that I remember was dark and run down and covered in pigeon waste. This is definitely an improvement.” This was setting the tone for the day, and they were both eagerly looking forward to what other changes they would encounter in Boston.

  They took the blue line all the way into Government Center and exited on the lower level. They made their way through the crowds of people and emerged in the middle of Boston. They both paused to take in the surroundings and form first impressions of all the changes they saw as well as things that were familiar to them.

  Sherry pointed out, “The old city hall building is still there, and the old tea kettle on the side of that restaurant is still there too.” The shops around the plaza had changed but all in all, Boston still had a nice feel to it. They made their way up Tremont Street in route to the Boston Commons. They noted that the old smoke shop was still operating, but it didn’t look or feel the same to them, it had be-

  en “modernized” and was now called a Vape shop.

  They stopped at the old cemetery and admired the

  stones and the history that lay within the gates. They were amazed at the volume of traffic, both cars, and pedestrians. The commons were alive with activity. People were walking around enjoying the sites, and there was an endless array of street performers. The perimeter of Tremont Street was abuzz with street artist displaying their crafts. Sherry and Billy both loved art, so they spent some time strolling along the sidewalk and discussing the different methods used by the various artists. They both agreed that some of the artists were quite good and should have their work displayed in galleries not out on the street corners. Other artist appeared to be coming from somewhere out in left field, and neither one of them cared too much for their work.

  During their walk they came to a young woman who was drawing feverishly on the ground with chalk, she was quite talented, and it made them remember an artist that was affectionately known as Sidewalk Sam. Sidewalk Sam’s real name was Bob Guillemin, and he began using the streets of Cambridge and Boston as his canvases back in 1973. Sherry shared, “I’ve always felt bad for sidewalk artist, I think it’s so sad that all of their work just gets washed away with the first rain as if it never existed.”

  Billy said, “I’ve always envied them for the very same reason, they can create their work, express how they feel and their work is gently washed away, and they are free to reinvent their art time and time again.”

  Sherry had never really thought about it that way, and she rather enjoyed his perspective.

  The truth was she was enjoying a lot of things about Billy lately. They strolled through the commons and stopped to watch several different performers. As they continued along Sherry said “It would be next to impossible not to notice the staggering number of homeless
people. I don’t understand, why hasn’t the government done something to help them?”

  Billy was more than happy to share his opinion on this topic as it was one that truly bothered him. “Due to the recent explosion of heroin addiction, the faces of the homeless are getting younger by the moment, and in too many instances the children are being dragged into the streets as well.

  We are losing far too many people Sherry. There is an entire generation that has buried more of their classmates then I have buried adults in my entire life. The drug-related deaths don’t just affect the individual and their immediate family and loved ones. It has residual effects on the entire community. Sometimes I feel like I’m screaming at the top of my lungs in a soundproof room and no-one is hearing me. We are single-handedly destroying life for future generations, and nobody seems to care. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not trying to be a pessimist; I realize that a lot of people care, but somehow it just doesn’t seem like the ones who can help care.

  “That’s a sign of the times, the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.”

  He had unwavering opinions about what led corporate America and the government to become so detached from and dismissive of the middle and low-income citizens and what should be done to correct it. “If all the people who complained about the government, big businesses and corrupt practices would take a stand we could bring this country back in balance. I think people should take their money out of the big banks and force them to compete for our business again. I believe that politicians should have to abide by the same laws that the public has to adhere too and they should not be guaranteed a lifetime of health insurance or benefits after serving their terms in office. If they had to live on the same social security as the rest of us do, they would be damn sure to get the budget balanced. I’m not the least bit opposed to large business; I feel that everyone has the right to grow their business and if they managed to make a huge success of it then good for them. What I am opposed to is congressmen and senators being bought by big businesses. I’m against bills being passed because politicians are in the pockets of corporate America.”