by Gavin Green
Chapter 14
The normally expected bitter weather for November in Denver, Colorado relented at least for a day. While the late morning air was crisp and cool, the warming sun made only jackets or sweaters necessary. The sky was a vibrant blue, and the wind was calm.
And on that bright and beautiful Friday, Simon Rike felt as if he'd been delivered from hell.
The architecture of the city's skyline still seemed imposing, even after years of staring at it. The new mode of local travel, speeding vehicles that filled the roads and highways, was still intimidating. But as Simon sat on a picnic bench in a popular park eating a deli sandwich, those aspects of the modern city were ignored. He basked in the sun as pedestrians and park visitors milled around him.
Concerns that Rike Smithy was failing could wait, at least for a few hours. Simon was reveling in a new-found freedom that no one else could appreciate.
He looked around, and waited for the reactions he had become accustomed to, and happily saw nothing. Mothers at the nearby swing sets weren't pulling their children away from him while looking over their shoulders in disgust. No pet owner was ordering his dog to attack. No elderly couples cussed him with shocking vulgarities. Hell, even the kid at the deli shop refrained from spitting on his sandwich, and wished him a nice day. Simon was basically ignored, back to the way he knew while growing up, and he was euphoric because of it.
Not that he wanted to break routine and interact with any strangers, or even folks he'd met before (and had been immediately despised by). He still considered most people to be wild cards; he never knew what he was going to get, and didn't like the odds that it'd be good. As he chewed another big bite of his sandwich, Simon supposed that some folks might be decent enough, but the majority were greedy, ill-mannered, scheming, or just plain stupid.
The glaring exception to that appraisal was his new-found relative, Brody. Simon's cousin had somehow turned things around, and besides that, he was a genuinely nice guy. He'd kept his word and called back a few hours after that first talk, and they hit it off pretty well. It was still a wonder how a simple phone call could make such a huge impact.
While Simon relaxed with a quirley (modern cigarettes were for girls) at the scenic park bench, his cell phone's text alert sounded. There was a message from Brody. Their second conversation the day before included Brody giving his email and then explaining how texting worked, something Simon had no experience with. That talk was longer than the first, which not only gave both men time to mention the highlights of their current lives, but to discuss Simon's supernatural hardships.
The message from Brody was simple and quick: 'Crappy morning in the land of bliss - hope yours is better than mine was, cuz.'
Simon had decided to take the day off, considering he would be working over the weekend. He figured one afternoon in the midst of the public would be enough before he was reminded how people could be. He replied to the text with a vague but optimistic note, and found himself looking forward to hearing from Brody. As if on cue, his cousin texted again and had asked Simon to email pictures of some of his work, and that Brody might want to place a large Christmas order.
The day had gotten better and better, other than those damn screaming kids on the swings.
