by Thomas Duffy
“It is, young man. Go with those men over there and they will take you back to your school.”
“Nice to see you again, Finn. Take care.”
“Nice to see you as well, Leonardo. Goodbye.”
Leonardo went towards the men with suits who took him back on the helicopter. Finn pulled the knife slightly away from Joe, Jr.'s neck.
“I don't know how you got around the fact that you have a knife to Joe, Jr.'s throat but you pulled it off,” Elliott said.
“What do you mean?”
“Finn, any other kid would have been too disturbed to talk to you. Whatever the case, let Joe, Jr. go. A deal's a deal.”
“OK.”
Finn pulled the knife all the way back and Joe, Jr. found himself touching his neck to make sure there were no deep incision. Joe, Jr. walked towards Elliott.
Joe, Jr. screamed, “Kill him. Kill him now!”
“A deal's a deal,” Finn said.
“We can definitely use a guy like Finn,” Joe, Sr. said.
Joe, Jr. responded, “What are you talking about, Dad?”
“Don't worry. Finn isn't going anywhere. He's going to stay right here,” Elliott said.
Elliott, Joe, Sr. and Joe, Jr. started to talk amongst themselves as they left Finn by himself and they made their way to another room in the house.
Finn was in shock. He felt that his life was complete now that he had spoken to his son. While he could barely hear what the men were saying in the other room, he knew that his fate was going to be decided very soon. Finn quietly opened the window in the adjacent room and climbed out onto the ledge. There were soon guns pointed at him from a helicopter that was secretly in the vicinity. Finn saw the helicopter and put his hands up.
Elliott communicated via phone to the men in the helicopter telling them, “Hold your fire!”
Joe, Jr. climbed out on to the ledge where Finn was. He walked towards Finn. Not knowing why Joe, Jr. was approaching him, Finn leaped off the ledge which was a substantial distance from the ground. Finn landed on the ground which was surrounded by plants and trees. His knee was injured badly but other than that, he was OK. Joe, Jr. looked down at him from the ledge.
Joe, Jr. asked him, “What do you want to do, Finn?”
“What do you mean?”
“With your life? Besides have a wife or a son, what else would you like us to help you achieve?”
“I want to end separation laws permanently. I don't want to see anyone else's life get as fucked up as mine got.”
“That's not going to happen, Finn. I was thinking along the lines of what grade you would like to teach? You do want to teach. Do you not?”
“You're offering me a job?”
“As a matter of fact, we are.”
“Joe. I'm done. I am ready. Crucify me. Do what you originally intended to do to me. I'm done.”
“If you can keep your mouth shut, we've decided that your skills are quite useful and can be of great importance in bringing kids to the level they need to be mathematically.”
“I don't understand. I thought you wanted me dead.”
“We wanted to keep you quiet. There's not a doubt in mind that you'd be quiet if we gave you a chance to educate.”
“There's a doubt in my mind, Joe. I don't know what to do.”
“There's a pill. A pill which may be able to help you. It's a psychological advancement in medicine and we want to try it out on you.”
“Tell me more about this pill.”
“I'm coming down, Finn. First, we have to get your knee looked at.”
Finn's knee was attended to by a doctor who came to the house. Geoffrey returned to the home without the young ladies who he left at a neighbor's house.
“What are you doing back here, Geoffrey?”
“Finn. You're quite a character. You've complicated our existence more than words can say but we're going to make your life better.”
“How?”
“The pill that was mentioned to you, which is yet unnamed, is going to be of great help to you, isn't it, Elliott?”
“Yes,” Elliott responded.
“How many people are on this pill?”
“Finn, you ask the hard questions. That's why we love you,” said Geoffrey.
“This pill has been in development for over fifty years. It eliminates visions and dreams, for the most part, so you only think of your current life. In other words, you don't recall much of the past. Let's face it, without dreams, there's little left to remind us of the past,” Joe, Sr. said.
“How many people have taken this pill?”
“You'd be the first one, Finn.”
“I don't want to be the first.”
“We've tested the drug and it's been shown to be a success in animals we've used it on.”
“Animals? You've never tested it on any humans?”
“Well, of course we have. None of them have ever lived to prove the drug is a success but doctors are fully confident that it's treatment of dreams and visions of the past is almost perfect. It is ready to be tested on a human being. And, you Finn, are going to be that human being.”
“Wow. I get what you're doing and I'd rather be dead than be a guinea pig.”
“Oh. You're not going to die without serving a purpose. You've done enough damage by trying to fuck up the way we want the world to function. It's time for you to serve the world. We need you. And you, no matter what you may believe, need us. Your survival is dependent on compliance with our wishes.”
“I understand,” Finn said.
Chapter Forty-Eight
Finn was kept in a room in the house and was about to take his first dosage of the pill that was revealed to him. This drug was supposedly going to make his memories of the past slowly fade away so he could function successfully as a math teacher.
“Take this pill, twice daily, Finn. You will slowly stop dreaming at night if you take your daily doses. In a matter of a couple of months, you'll forget your past. I guarantee it,” Elliott told him.
“If I was going to forget my past, wouldn't I forget my mathematical knowledge?”
“That's a good question, Finn. We're not erasing your memory. What we're doing is erasing your ability to dream so that you don't have visions of the past. The knowledge we have and obtaining access to it is like riding a bike. It's always easy to do. But, remembering the people in our lives from our past is so much harder if we're not thinking of them every day. Especially on this pill. You should be teaching in a few days. We're going to set you up in a local school for boys. If you're teaching every day, that knowledge would not be lost. The medicine is interesting. Let me know how it is working for you. If you feel queasy or suffer some side effects that we don't know about, please let us know.”
“I understand, Elliott. Give me the damn pill already,” Finn said.
Finn took his first dosage of the medicine. He was driven to a school the next morning where he was going to take over the job of a retired instructor of mathematics. Finn was given a new wardrobe and a temporary apartment until he was to get his paychecks that would allow him to be self-sufficient again. All the money he had accumulated from his previous life was transferred into a bank account which would be dispensed to him when he proved he was capable of doing the new job and maintaining his sanity. It would be given to him in three months’ time upon successful proof that Finn would put the past behind him regarding his ex-wife and son. Soon, Finn met his colleagues who knew nothing about his background other than that he was pursuing a calling for teaching. The school headmaster, Dr. Felix McBride, walked Finn to his 2nd period course to introduce him to his first new set of students.
“I'm proud to announce the arrival of a brilliant new teacher to this classroom. You, our students who sit before us, have been lucky enough to have one of the most esteemed instructors of mathematics to guide you on your journey this year.”
When the class applauded, Finn asked them to stop and took an erasable sharpie to write the
lesson plan for the day. He was happy to be working again and was told that as long as he took his daily dosage of the medication, his visions of the past life he lived would fade and that he would be able to focus solely on his professional endeavors. It sounded like a fair trade-off to Finn to continue living his life which he had previously been told would soon come to an end. He felt a tremendous amount of sadness in his heart as he soon stopped dreaming about his ex-wife and his son.
Although his dreams stopped, as he was told they would, Finn initially couldn't help but wonder why he felt a piece of his life was missing. Then, he came to get to know his students better and found a new calling. He wanted to help his students reach their goals from a scholarly standpoint. He was now on the new drug as well as sexual suppression medicine again. The latter drug was supposed to keep his mind off sex but he always knew that it existed. He just had to try to realize he couldn't participate in sexual activity anymore. In time, he perfectly understood him limited capabilities outside of the classroom.
Finn's favorite new student was a young man named Maurice who was slightly advanced beyond his twelve years from an academic standpoint. Maurice always came to class with his “can do” attitude and constantly raised his hand during Finn's lessons. He wasn't necessarily the smartest student in the district. However, Finn grew to admire his strengths and ability to catch on quickly to the mathematical material.
One day, Maurice and Finn found themselves in the cafeteria during their lunch period. Finn sat beside Maurice who was sitting by himself eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Finn wanted to speak to him and let him know how much he admired his abilities.
“I appreciate the energy you bring into my classroom, Maurice.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Of course. No problem. Is math your favorite subject?”
“I like English.”
“What are you reading in your English literature class?”
“It's called 'Young & Distinguished.' Have you read it?”
“No. I haven't. What is it about?”
“It's about a young man about my age who is a science whiz. He finds a cure for a mystery illness and saves humanity.”
“Wow. That sounds great.”
“It's OK. I like to write stories about how I solve equations in my sleep. Do you have dreams of mathematical problems? You must. You're a teacher.”
“I used to dream about finding a solution to a problem that would make me richer beyond my wildest fantasies. Then, I learned to stop dreaming.”
“You can't stop dreaming. Dreaming is a natural part of life, isn't it, sir?”
“I suppose so. I just reached an age where I learned to make the most of my realities and stop fantasizing about a different life than the one I've learned to adapt to.”
“You must be making a good living. Isn't that what life's about? Eating good and living good?”
“You could say that. I think you're on to something, Maurice. It was a pleasure chatting. I'm going to go to my office now. I have some papers to grade.”
“Is mine one of them?”
“I graded yours first. It's a hundred.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“No, thank you, Maurice.”
Determined not to repeat his history, Finn walked back to his office. He realized it wasn't smart to get close to any students. He wanted to see them successful but didn't want to substitute any of the kids for his son. He had his son who lived somewhere doing something but that was none of his business anymore. When he obtained his monetary rewards from the new job on top of his previously earned income, he felt a tremendous amount of satisfaction and happiness. He felt secure. That security was a good thing for him and it would keep him functioning on a daily basis for several more years.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Ten years passed and those who knew of Finn before he taught had long forgotten about his problems. Elliott and Joe, Sr. had accumulated billions more dollars through their financial endeavors and were happy to learn that Finn was doing work as a teacher that helped his students earn a significant amount of money upon their graduations from college. Finn was older now and learned to live for his job. He took his profession more seriously than ever. He wondered if there was an afterlife sometimes but he seriously doubted it. He believed in the scientific theories of evolution and learned to release himself from religious thoughts. Everything seemed somewhat believable that was taught in a science classroom. Finn won numerous honors and accolades for several years. Life was more than tolerable.
Despite his own abilities to adapt to his recent life, his next set of new students weren't his everyday pupils. As a challenge given to him by his headmaster, Finn started taking on students who weren't the most academically advanced. Finn's teaching methods were thought of as possible solutions for students who struggled with certain mathematical topics.
One of the new pupils whose name was Harold struggled intensely with simple algebra. Finn started to implement reward programs for his students that involved incentives for kids coming up with the right answers. These programs were around for many years though Finn brought creative and enhanced outlooks to what could have simply been a basic “reward for a correct answer” approach. Finn still used his education material to persuade students to challenge themselves just a little more each and every day. Harold went from earning grades in the 70's to high 90's after a year in Finn's classroom.
One morning, Finn woke up and learned from his headmaster that he had been selected for an award known as “Teacher of the Decade.” Finn had brought more student averages up to high 90's than any other teacher in his district. An award dinner was planned and Finn was told the event would be attended by the most successful students he had ever taught.
Finn thought about stopping taking his medication one night before the award dinner. He remembered his past so vaguely that he forgot how he learned all the mathematical material he actually knew. Those days when he was a young man were so far behind him now. It seemed the harder Finn thought, the less he could remember about his past. He then took his medicines as prescribed.
At the awards dinner, Finn witnessed a collection of young men he once taught, who were now in their mid-20's, present him with a humanitarian award. Finn wondered how they were doing in the world of mixed sexes for a split second as he stepped up to the podium to make a speech.
“Welcome. Esteemed guests, fellow colleagues, former students. I am here today because life has granted me the gift of knowledge. A very special gift of numbers. This gift I possessed when I was very young and have carried it with me my whole life. Nothing else has compared to this tremendous talent that has led to so many students following in my footsteps. I've touched lives, it seems, in ways I never thought I could. I've made an impact. An impact which is clear when I look at those before me in this very room tonight. I want to extend thanks to all who have taken me so seriously and listened to me because I know, at the core of my existence, I am simply a man. A man who has been granted the gift of a life. We all should consider ourselves quite lucky to be fortunate enough to be here tonight. If we're here in this room, we've made it. None of my bad students are here. But, that would be unfair of me to say. There's no such thing as a bad student but there is such a thing as a bad teacher and, thankfully, I am not one. I could never abandon a student. All students are special. There is not one soul in this room I don't know personally and to see this room of about four hundred and fifty people coming together to celebrate my accomplishments makes me very honored. I accept this award on the behalf of anyone who has ever dreamed. Dreamed of a better life and made one happen for themselves. Thank you.”
Finn stepped off the stage with his award and many people in the room came over to him to shake his hand. He looked a little closer at one of the young men in the room who was heading towards the exit of the building. He noticed a striking resemblance to Leonardo who quickly entered his mind unexpectedly. Finn was tempted to follow him to get a
closer look but decided that was not a good idea at all. Finn was secure in his position and nothing would get in the way of that.
Chapter Fifty
Angela had never learned what had become of Finn, her ex-husband. She had remarried and was never reunited with Leonardo. She was notified of his accomplishments in school once in a while but soon requested to have no further details of his life revealed to her. Leonardo was somewhere teaching and had never learned of the separation laws. He was kept in his school district as an instructor of mathematics.
Angela, unlike Finn, still had the ability to dream at night. She dreamt of her life from over a decade ago occasionally. She thought Finn was long gone and that he had been killed. She married another man she had met online named Wilson who worked as a pharmacist. Although he wasn't as wealthy as herself or Finn, she found him funny. Wilson's personality was full of humor and he was always the life of any party he would attend. They had a daughter together who was currently away at school. They couldn't wait to meet her one day.
As she looked at pictures the school had sent her, Angela started to cry wondering if she would ever see her daughter. Although life was longer thanks to medication and scientific advances, she sometimes felt life moved so very slowly. She so desperately yearned to see the child she carried in her body for nine months.
One morning, at the kitchen table during breakfast, Wilson saw that Angela looked sad. She had her head down and wasn't turning the pages of the newspaper as quickly as she normally would in the morning. Wilson poured himself a cup of coffee thinking of ways to try to cheer her up.
“You look down today, sweetheart. Are you OK? What's on your mind?”
“I guess you could say I've thinking a lot about life lately.”
“What are you thinking about life, honey?”
“That it's so damn long. I feel like I've been waiting for forever when it comes to seeing our daughter. I want to see her now.”
“You know the rules, baby. The pictures look so good. She's doing great. She's going to be something when she's done with school.”
“I don't doubt that. But, I want to see her. I feel like life's a cheat.”
