Adam 7
Generation Why? - a Short Story in 4 Parts
December 22nd 2009 06:44
1:
Casey blinked forcefully as she tried to arrange the last few plastic bags that were wedged in the dispenser to the left of the barcode scanner. Awkwardly reaching down to tug at yet another torn shred of plastic caught in one of the grooves on the so-called dispenser she felt a nerve near her left elbow quickly tighten then release causing what felt like a popping sensation to occur underneath the skin of her left arm.
Unconsciously shaking her wrist and turning toward the cash register she used her right hand to calculate the remainder. Glancing at the screen she withdrew the correct amount of coins from the drawer and handed them to the customer who thanked her with a brief smile which she returned without hesitation before bending over to reach for another bag.
* * *
Walking home Casey thought she could hear the wings of butterflies flapping in the wind, though there were no butterflies to be seen at dusk around the streets that evening nor even a light breeze was to be heard stirring in the trees by the sidewalk.
* * *
Watching television with her boyfriend's family was a past-time to which Casey occasionally enjoyed submitting herself. She liked his company and the warmth of his rugged hands holding hers as they sat on the couch and she also liked the peace that was brought about by the glowing flatscreen - though it was frequently broken throughout the program by whoops or yells from one of the boys haughtily placed on the beanbags around them.
In mild contrast to his brothers, she thought, Mark was a good guy. Someone she could rely on and trust. His manner was gentle and she enjoyed trying to figure out where he was in his mind when his pupils dilated and his gaze turned slightly downward, giving him the appearance of a great thinker. Later Casey was to find out that during these periods of supposed deep thought Mark was actually experiencing mild bouts of epilepsy that had remained undiagnosed since his birth.
2:
Tobias was a strange person - or so his friends would say. Not that he ever listened to them anyway. They weren't at all capable of understanding him, he would often think to himself.
As a result of his profound insights into human nature he had managed to manifest in his character the philosophy that the current attitudes of society were cruel and mislead and that it was always a better idea to look at the world through the eyes of a child.
The feeling of awe this attitude would lend to every situation was, he thought, well worth the sacrifice of leading a normal adult life.
Tobias liked the way the pictures on the screen of his portable phone danced because of the electricity that passed through an array of liquid crystals. He liked his laptop, as it was a tool which he could use to express himself creatively. He liked looking up at tall trees and was always gripped by the urge to climb them so that he could look down and admire the view below. He liked old chairs and wooden staffs and he especially liked the sound of a popping cork on an aged bottle of wine.
He also liked girls who would bring him comfort when he was depressed, girls who would respond to his whims and listen to his theories about life and girls who were kind and gentle and loved unconditionally.
These girls, for the most part, existed only in his head. One time however he thought that he had finally found his ideal companion.
She was beautiful. Not conventionally attractive but beautiful nonetheless. He could never be sure what it was about her that made her so appealing, but Tobias was convinced it had nothing to do with her physical appearance - not that she was by any means unattractive. Her plain features were offset by an exquisite femininity, though sometimes he wished she would put on some lipstick whenever they went out.
Tobias liked the way she was always happy and exuberant but often when they would meet at a restaurant and she would sit and listen to him and make origami figures out of napkins he would fail to understand her unwillingness to reveal to him her deepest desires.
3:
Jeanne walked through the alley as the sun started to set and the shadows of the skyskrapers formed a dark grid over the city.
Hurriedly looking from left to right before crossing the street she successfully avoided a passing car before hopping onto the other side of the pavement, happy she had changed position. Since she had turned the corner the falling darkness had made the narrow street appear intimidating.
Reaching the main road she headed over the tram tracks towards the shelter and sat down. She unzipped her backpack, pulled out a book and deftly flicked to a page she had marked earlier.
After a few minutes of being thoroughly absorbed in her book she was distracted by movement in the corner of her eye. Turning towards it she saw a man wretching into a pile of garbage bags further down the road, and although it was a main street on this particular night there seemed to be nobody around to notice. Jeanne turned back to the page she was on and tried to find the paragraph she had just read.
* * *
The headlights of the tram appeared from around the turn and Jeanne closed her book and stood up, unconsciously measuring the distance from her feet to where the tram would come to rest. The tram approached, its doors swung open and Jeanne reached for the metal support that would help her navigate the steep incline leading toward the driver's window.
After purchasing a ticket, Jeanne sat down as the tram rolled away from the stop. Retrieving her book once more she placed her backpack on the seat in front of her, put her feet up and returned to the enchanting words.
4:
Daniel had not eaten that morning. The fruit on the counter had gone bad and there was nothing but vitamin pills to provide him with a source of nourishment. Opening his fridge for the second time he glanced around at the shelves, hoping to see a wrapped chocolate or a piece of cheese somewhere. Disappointed, he let the door spring back into place and walked back through his loungeroom to the study where he had sat all morning looking through papers and checking his e-mail. He was hoping for a positive response from at least one of the companies he had contacted seeking employment.
As he typed without looking at the screen he tried to find order in the strange patterns he saw on the surface of his desk. He began to ponder the underlying workings of nature however promptly realised he was being distracted. It was also time for his next coffee.
Returning to the kitchen he opened the fridge again and before even looking inside he remembered he had forgotten to buy milk, which before he fell asleep the other night had been something he had planned to remember when he woke up. Emitting a sharp breath through his nostrils Daniel retrieved his keys from the kitchen table and walked through the loungeroom, opened the front door and after pulling it tightly shut after him and checking the handle he got in his car and drove to the store.
Holding the two litre bottle he had removed from the back end of the bottom row of the cooler and standing in line waiting to give his money to the storekeeper Daniel had to keep himself from being visibly amused by a woman negotiating over the price of a can of tuna.
The storekeeper was of a pleasant demeanour and always served with a smile. Earlier that week Daniel had arrived at the store holding a box full of five cent coins that luckily for him were graciously accepted in return for a packet of chips. That was also the time at which Daniel had been fascinated by the glassware and all the other paraphernalia displayed below the counter.
Upon exiting the store and returning home, Daniel again contemplated the patterns made by the colours and shades of the wood from which his desk was built.
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