Tin Universe Monthly #6

by Brian C. Williams

  Even when she catches herself remembering happy moments she has to slap her memories down for they only lead to thoughts of other moments also in a leading her down to those memories without shielding sort of way.

  What her mother never got was how people when talking about her husband always acted like besides rapping his daughter he was a saint. He wasn’t. Her mother use to have drunken rages sometimes after they left Florida about how no one ever questioned the amount of bruises she would have that everyone could see. Matter of fact the only person who ever got into her husband’s face about it was Neil Busiek.

  Karen and Fox’s families use to do a lot of stuff together but after a fight at a barbecue one 4th Of July were Neil confronted Fox’s dad in a tool shed about how much a piece of shit he was.

  Fox remembers that night because her father took what happen that day out on her mom and she heard everything from her room.

  There is a lot of thing we do about things that disgust us in the world. And sometimes when we do things and don’t think about how it effects others our actions can turn into the hands of the abuser.

  Closing her eyes and sniffing the air brings about memories of the first time she ever made a fire in the fireplace. She has her suspicions that some homeless person or just someone getting away from things at some point made a fire in the house in the past year or so. Back to her childhood she nearly burnt down the house and it was the last time they ever tried to make a fire.

  Her mother actually use to yell at her sometimes about how she use to love sitting by the fireplace but now because of her she couldn’t do that anymore.

  Opening her eyes from one of the many memories racing violently through her mind she could make out the vague shape of what was in fact an issue of some magazine on comics that is out of business now.

  The magazine was probably Comic Scene or something along those lines.

  Speaking out loud to herself, ‘Maybe a hotel would have been a better choice.’ She was beginning to feel like she was being attacked by the past being within these walls.

  Then she walked into the kitchen to see her father sitting at the kitchen table eating her Slim Jims. He stood up with a huge smile on his face and opened his arms to welcome his daughter in for a loving embrace.

  Thoughts punched her mind, “Those were her Slim Jims.”

  Thoughts punched her mind, “His hair is gray now.”

  Thoughts punched her mind, “Hey, he’s eating my Slim Jims.”

  He sat back down at the table and calmly opened another Sliim Jim, ‘I think you should sale the house love.’

  He rubbed her hands together trying to do away with the grease from the Slim Jims, ‘I need the money.’

  Thoughts punched her mind, “My father should be dead.”

  “Why isn’t my father dead?”

  CHAPTER 26

  Would you like to get to know Lisa Rowe a little more? I figured you could use the break from all the gritty drama for a bit for some quick hits of character building. Otherwise known as I’m still trying to figure out proper ways of character building and until then you will have to suffer through little gimmicks of writing.

  Yes there is more to Lisa than being Joanna Osip’s trained crank monkey. She is more like a chipmunk anyway, more cornbread than Entertainment Weekly and quite cute, if you can get past the smirks she gets when you view her reading the obituaries.

  Here are a couple of quick facts about Lisa Afre Rowe:

  Lisa is an only child. She had an brother but he died as an infant when her mother was bathing him a year before Lisa was born. Her mom has always spoken of Justin like he lived to a much older age and always refers to him as Lisa’s older brother. This fact alone has always twisted Lisa’s views on what family means. In what was the twist goes we’ll have to see as we get to know her.

  Lisa’s parents, Joy and Commer Rowe, are both college professors and now they live out of state except for the summer semesters. They teach at Ryan University in Boston. She mostly sees them when they come back to catch up on bills or redecorate the house but even then they are off again back to their lives or vacations as soon as possible. Sometimes people grow strong from being so individual with so much freedom from such an early age but most of the time they just grow hardened to the world.

  Lisa once got lost at Magic Kingdom when she was younger. She was there with a church group and was distracted and led astray by a limping big dog that ran afoul of a group of brats. She ended up behind the scenes of a concert for some group or the other and now has had for years the personal numbers of the World’s Greatest Band.

  Church was another substitute babysitter her parents used to keep from raising their child. That ended though after the Magic Kingdom incident which was the final straw for the church as it was the third time Lisa had gotten in trouble on a church trip.

  The second time was when Lisa was kicked out of Bible World Joy Land when she was caught making out after hours near the Easter ride with someone she meet at bible camp. She told them she was homeless and they just kicked her out to the street thinking she wasn’t worth a call to the police but another camp member reported her to a church elder.

  The first church trip incident was when Lisa was really around four or five and they were attending a conference of churches. For the most part it was televangelists with bad haircuts and bad suits talking about tax laws to each other. Lisa got into trouble when one of the televangelists went to shake her hand and she screamed, “STRANGERS TOUCH! STRANGERS TOUCH!”

  That day someone gave her the first Tic-Tac she’s ever had and she downs Tic-Tacs all the time now.

  Lisa loves Cranberry juice but only 100% no sugar added kind. She developed the taste for the stuff when her parents were doing a lecture series that landed them one winter in Canada. She’s also got a jones for Jelly Babies during that trip.

  Lisa drinks beer but never when Joanna can see or when her parents or their friends are near by. She had her first drink of the stuff when she was twelve and her private tutor got her drunk so he could as he stated to another scumbag, “Bedroom her.”

  She smokes cigarettes and cigars when out of Joanna’s gaze also.

  Lisa owns The Compete DVD Collection of Farscape. She owns a poster of Claudia Black but keeps it under her bed. There are a lot of secrets under that bed and it functions very much like a closet.

  Lisa once had a little bird named Catnip for a pet and now she has a Maine Coon cat named Snap. No, not Snape, Snap, God, Why don’t editors believe it when you tell them your stupidity is on purpose.

  “Because…”

  Lisa is in the closet with the door locked and double bolted from the inside, but that is her business, so stop being nosey.

  When Lisa is alone at home and drinks, which she rarely does, and gets wasted to the drink, she sings Australian pop songs. Just thought I would throw that in for embarrassments sake.

  No one knows any of these things about Lisa because no one ever looks past Joanna, including Joanna. This is a weakness in others. Lisa knows how to use other people’s weaknesses for her own gain. If you think of her only in terms of someone else you maybe putting yourself in danger.

  Lisa Rowe is a character worth her own book but she may not survive to have that chance but I’ll try to keep her alive so I can write GOING HOME FOR SNAKES at least.

  Keeping me alive is another story altogether.

  In Ryan-Mart where Joanna Osip would never go Lisa is meeting up with her girlfriend, Hines.

  Show of hands of people who get excited when someone tells you to meet up with them at whatever superstore is in your area? Ok? A lot of hands. I guess those are the new coffee shops.

  Lisa was sure even if she ran into someone she might know they wouldn’t recognize her as she wasn’t dressed in one of her normal “dressed by Joanna” outfits.

  She walked into Ryan-Mart, not the one that shares its parking lot with F.K.H.S., they’re all over the place, and she does so dressed
in one of the outfits she wears when she goes out to let off some steam. Hines calls her party clothes her lesbian Halloween costumes, which consisted of tennis shoes, large camouflage shorts, a t-shirt from American Eagle, and slicked down hairstyling.

  Neither the clothes she wears when around Joanna nor the clothes she wears out with Hines are clothes that fit her very well. She’s still trying to find out what fits her well. Everything else is just an cover image to show a side of her she thinks people want to see.

  Hines on the other hand today is wearing her nursing scrubs from her Vet-Tech job when they meet up in stores pet supplies area. She’s wearing her scrubs because she just got off work and hasn’t had time to go home and change. That would have been her choice before meeting up with Lisa but with all the stuff Lisa is involved with and her work schedule they hardly get a chance to see each other.

  As a meeting area it was Lisa’s idea and it makes Hines smile when she waits for Lisa because drunk one night Lisa revealed that she comes to this area of the store sometimes when shopping because she is missing Hines.

  ‘You know that costume always brings a smile to my face.’ Hines

  ‘Fuck you. It’s not a costume.’ Lisa

  ‘But I’ve seen what you wear to relax.’

  ‘Being out isn’t easy for me.’

  ‘You’re about as in as anyone out can be.’

  ‘You should talk.’

  ‘The situation would be totally different with me being out.’

  ‘So you’re not coming to the dance with me?’

  ‘I promised didn’t I? Are you sure you want to come out to your school friends at a high school dance?’

  ‘They aren’t my friends. And I have my reasons for wanting to do it there.’

  ‘None of which has anything to do with me. I just feel like this is all about making me into “I’m the lesbian arm candy.”’

  ‘You’re my girlfriend.’

  ‘But what would those people think if they knew I was Pre-Op?’

  ‘Only a hand full of them probably knows what Pre-Op is.’

  ‘Do you?’

  ‘I know…’

  ‘Not the technical bullshit. Do you know what it would be like for me to come out? It’s not the same as a lesbian coming out.’

  ‘So you’re special?’

  ‘You don’t really fucking understand.’

  Hines walks away in anger leaving Lisa standing thinking being in this area probably won’t mean the same thing to her now.

  CHAPTER 27

  Jeff meets Karen and Gail in the Ryan-Mart parking lot shared with the school so he can talk and walk Gail into school, ‘How did my favorite set of parents react?’

  ‘They’re giving me the silent treatment. I don’t know if they have decided what sort of angry they are going to throw at me, if any. I’m hoping for an instant onset double case of Alltimers.’ Karen

  ‘Onset actually means…’ Gail

  Older sister glare at younger sister.

  ‘Maybe a parental punishment tackling your rage issues?’ Jeff

  ‘My sister has flashback rage, road rage, and once she raged against the cancellation of the Clerks Animated series for weeks. Rage issues? Nay, not her.’ Gail

  ‘Thanks little sis. Why don’t you go play with the football team, help them discover fire.’

  ‘You know I heard Joanna Osip and her sidekick talking earlier, you know Ms. Repile, the Principals secretary?’ Karen nodded, Jeff went on, ‘She came out earlier this morning and they talked to her. Fox called in and said she’s transferring out of state.’

  ‘So?’ Karen asked with a little twinge of anger in her own question.

  ‘Go settle this shit Karen.’

  Karen closed her eyes and stewed within her thoughts for a while but was brought out of that state by a punch to her arm from her best friend.

  ‘Go.’

  After Karen walked off in search of someone she once called friend Jeff’s phone went off. Jeff looked at his phones display, ‘Ok, how did Mr. Gibbons get my cell phone number? I’ve never played golf in my life.’ Jeff pushes a button on his phone, ‘Text block you teacher man.’

  ‘Lame…..wait, how come you have his number programmed into your phone?’ Gail

  ‘Friend of an enemy.’ Jeff

  Gail and Jeff are walking in when Principal Carol stops them, ‘Mr. Borges, are we going to be seeing your artwork decorating the posters for The Second Week Dance?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘No? The opportunity to…’

  Jeff turns to face Principal Carol and Gail sees what Karen has told their mom about Jeff, that she has overheard, that you can tell when he is being really serious because he stands straighter, his tone of voice resonates older, and a lot of the softness they love about him drops away, ‘Tell you what I’ll promote this empty house with my art when you stop segregating the special eds into a basement storage room.’

  ‘It is not…’ Carol

  ‘Duck, duck, quack, quack and I have to help this young lady find her class.’

  CHAPTER 28

  ‘I thought you would be going with someone like, maybe, Paul Hunt?’

  Victor San was looking right into Joanna’s eyes trying to be The Man so to speak. This was a “him standing his ground” moment…or at least an attempt by him at trying to stand his ground with his on again and off again girlfriend who has always chosen the on and off time periods.

  Joanna opens and downs on energy shot drink. She drinks those little shot glass size energy drinks a lot. Lisa sometimes wonders how her heart doesn’t explode from drinking so many of them. Then again sometime she wonders if Joanna has a heart at all.

  Lisa was starring straight forward at her laptops screen. She was deep into acting as if she was checking something but actually she was just awaiting Joanna’s response to Victor attempts at gaining level ground with his at times girlfriend.

  Joanna stood from her chair behind the teacher’s desk in the computer lab “her office”. She walked over to Victor who was standing by the door with more than one urge to run as she approached him and she puts the energy bottle into his letterman’s side jacket pocket.

  Then she starts to poke him in the chest with her middle finger knowing that it is something that really bothers him. Joanna’s long middle finger nail penetrated his shirt and skin each time in the same spot. One skill the lady has is finding out the weaknesses others may have. In this case she knows he really would love to punch her but would never do so and the knowing of such will lower his strength in the situation, make him feel weak.

  ‘You are Victor San and he is Paul Hunt. If I need someone to accompany me who can talk intelligently and take part in conversations I will have Paul by my side,’ She stops the poking, ‘But with you Victor, you are window dressing. No need for a brain inside that head of yours. You serve your purpose as part of my ensemble.’

  ‘Ok…god…I was just asking. You didn’t have to get all upset.’

  After she turns from him, he turns around and leaves the computer lab to call her a bitch several times to her friends but never to her face.

  Joanna sits back down in her chair, ‘I think I will take Paul.’

  ‘When are you going to tell Victor?’ Lisa

  ‘I’ll wait until the last moment. I think that way it will be all that sweeter.’

  CHAPTER 29

  The Boggs home was located at the far end of town behind an old Elementary School, on a hill decorated with palm trees.

  They have hills in Florida?

  Yes, Virginia, they do.

  It took Karen a good two hours to drive to get to Fox’s house from F.K.H.S. and a lot of feelings began churning in her stomach as she got closer and closer. She thought she may throw up at any moment and the last time she upchucked in her car it took her and Jeff a year to get the smell out.

  A night of no sleep, pizza, a lot of stress, a bowl of chili, and too much coffee was not helping this situation one bit either.
It all equals to large amounts of anxiety and gas.

  Lots of fragrance or insert another word for farting if fragrance is too thesaurus and farting is too schoolyard for you.

  Karen parked her car behind Fox’s truck and slowly made her way to the front door.

  Knock,

  Knock,

  Knock,

  Knock, Knock, KNOCK!

  I know, just as lame as “ring, ring, ring” but how would you do it?

  I’m asking. Any real writers reading this?

  The door opened after the repeated knocking and Mr. Boggs was standing right in front of her a little older in the face but the same man she remembered. He smiled at her knowing very well and recognizing who she was.

  Karen stood there on the doorstep stunned as he dipped his trucker cap to her and walked past, down the driveway to a taxi, which had just pulled up in front of the house.

  Karen barley moved and only silently watched as the taxi drove away. She really thought she might throw up…or just stop breathing.

  ‘He showed up this morning.’ Spoke a familiar voice from behind her.

  ‘I thought your dad was dead for some reason?’ Karen

  ‘Mom and me always had the same false hope.’

  ‘What did he want?’

  ‘Money,’ Fox answered meekly.

  Karen turned around to see that Fox was standing in the doorway shaking almost in convulsions wearing nothing and crying, ‘Fox?’

  Fox collapsed into the outside with a sickening smack as her body made contact with the ground.

  Karen snapped out of her shock and got to her knees to check on Fox.

  The nosey neighbors looking through pulled curtains have even more stories to tell now to their relatives in Missouri. Their young prone to screaming neighbor, who just moved into the run down house, has now passed out on her door step naked.

  Twenty minutes later Fox sat up and opened her eyes with a little dizziness in them to see she was now in her den, in her family’s house, covered by a blanket recognized from one she left in the reading room yesterday.

  “She was laying on one of the den couches” was the mantra she was using to try and regain her senses. She felt like her brain was trying to slap into consciousness. There is a part of her that hates the feelings that have been overwhelming her since she returned. She beating herself up internally screaming in her mind that she thought she had grown stronger than this.