“… This is the third victim this weekend, leaving locals afraid to travel downtown at night. I spoke to Police officials this afternoon..” The reporter was interrupted as the television abruptly went blank. The remote dropped with a clang on the dining room table. Startled, the man dropped his fork to the floor.
“Sir, if I may be so bold, what on earth has you so fixated on that television that you would scratch up the good China?” The bald butler asked as he bent over for the fork. He looked up as he rose, his face emphasizing his worry. He would receive no response, as the man turned instead to his rocks glass, tilting it up until the whiskey was gone.
“Sir, let me refresh that for you.” The call came from across the room as another bald butler with matching vest, tie, and goatee strode in from the hallway. He grabbed the glass and briskly moved to the bar. Tending the glass as he spoke. “What’s the tension here? Did someone break more China?” Shooting a glance towards his brother, he received only a shrug in return. Walking back to the table, he sat the glass down and motioned to his twin.
“I could use your help downstairs.” He grabbed the plate from the table and head for the hallway with his brother in tow, fork in hand. Grabbing the remote, the man stood from the table as he powered up the screen. He immediately rewound the broadcast until he saw the familiar reporter. Pulling a sip from his whiskey glass, he pressed play.
“..Police officials this afternoon. When asked if this string of now 18 homicides against our city’s homeless population was the act of a serial killer, comment was declined. Back to you Rich.”
He tilt the glass once more, setting it down before heading to the hallway.
________________________
The sun beamed down relentlessly on the city streets as drivers attempt to beat the heat during evening rush hour. Those with air conditioning sat quietly in their cars in relief. Those without wiped sweat off of their faces while honking furiously at prolonged stoplights and fellow motorists.
Columbus, Ohio was experiencing record temperatures this summer. Oscar was no stranger to the heat or the cold for that matter. He had been a resident of the streets for the past 20 years or better. He never quite found his footing once his mother passed away. He was never any good in the romance department, so settling down with a woman was never in the plans for him. Oscar couldn’t have cared less about a relationship. In fact, the only thing he ever cared about was when, where, and how he was going to get high. Oscar loved his booze, but he rather smoke, shoot, or snort. He would do just about anything he could get his hands on.
Standing on the corner of Cleveland and Morse Rd, with a sign was never his style. He’d rather spend the time it took to make one looking for change in parking lots. Instead, he had a song-and-dance routine he’d been using since the late 90’s. Members of the community he most frequently loitered in referred to him as “The Boogie Bum.” Oscar was having a good day so far. He had already made $35 off of 12 cars, one of which gave him a $10 bill. That’s not including the $1.27 in change he found in the CVS parking lot.
As Oscar stood basking in his glory, he noticed a black stretch limo with a bald driver pull up in front of him. The back window rolled down and Oscar looks perplexed as he makes eye contact with a middle aged gentleman. The man in the limo grins at Oscar, amused by his blank stare.
“Don’t stop the show on my account,” says the man. Oscar grins back nervously, at a loss for words. Taking notice of Oscar’s uneasiness, the man continued. “No need to be shy, my friend. I’m here to help. I think I may have an opportunity for you to earn some income.” Oscar stared blankly in response. The man pressed on.
“I can provide you with further details if you are interested. Just hop in and we can discuss it.” Oscar looked in both directions before taking an uncertain step forward. “What kind of work? Oscar stammered. He wanted any reason to say no, but he was desperate for a fix. The man responded patiently.
“I’d rather not discuss it here. I tell you what, jump on in, we’ll grab some dinner, and I’ll tell you all about it. No strings attached. If you aren’t interested, hey, at least you got a meal out of it.” Oscar looked around for another moment, rubbing his fingers together nervously as he stepped up and reached for the door. It swung open before he could reach it, and Oscar timidly entered the limo.
TO BE CONTINUED
Written By: Shawn B. & Kevin Nivek
No comments:
Post a Comment