by Mark Porto
A week later, Johnny is seated at his desk when suddenly he hears a loud scream; it originates from the small office. Tea Twitt is sitting around talking about Marcia Malarkey, she is another real agent saleswoman. There is a listing on a property outside Black Meadows which expired. Marcia manages to secure it from Tea, when she fails to renew it and by getting another buyer. Tea did have a couple of buyers, but she turned them off when there were a few problems.
Tea is in a tizzy while screaming at the top of her lungs, “That bitch stole my listing! She had the unmitigated gall of getting a buyer for that property!”
Fisher was on the telephone in his office when the screaming started. Tea fetches him; all he did was sitting there saying. “What do you want me to do?”
Johnny leaves the office, but at this point, Tea continues to yell, scream and carry on ad infinitum until Fisher tells her, he’ll resolve the matter.
Johnny returns later on constantly hounding Fisher about teaching him the real estate business. When he finally agrees, all Johnny was shown was some MLS books, documents, and lockboxes. These locks were put on the houses to be shown, most of the time during the owner’s absence. The discussion continues for three hours, but it barely touches upon how the banks operated. For example, Johnny has to be persistent in asking why the buyer must pay the bank attorney at closing. Fisher continually hems and haws until he finally gave an answer.
“The banks don’t pay for anything and they won’t give you the loan.”
Not all the agents were this insensitive; Jimmy is another agent in the office; when Johnny was looking over MLS books, he tell him, after he had watched some real estate videos, to look out for himself. He states clearly. “These agents are out to make a buck.”
Just before he was about to leave, Jimmy asks him to take over for him. He has to run a personal errand.
During that day, Johnny is given a key and a document to submit to another agent, who came by requesting it.
Tea Twitt came in fifteen minutes before Johnny was about to leave, he tells her about the agent and sits down at his desk. All of sudden, a storm of fury explodes as she is in tizzy. “Jim didn’t have the right to ask you to fill in for him!” She storms into a room to begin her screaming, ranting and raving. “Ah! Didn’t you know the person you gave those documents, was a realtor?”
Johnny tries to ignore her tirade until she walks up to his desk and lights a cigarette directly over his head. After he blows the smoke away with his hand, asking her not to smoke, Twitt looks down on some correspondence with a burning cigarette dangling from her hand.
“There are other real estate offices where they don’t smoke. I suggest you look elsewhere for your employment.”
He stands up slamming the palms of his hand on the desk. “You’re not the boss of this place, you’re only another agent!”
She meekly, but arrogantly states, “Well, I’ve been in this business for many years and you’re just starting out, by the way, I’m buying into his company.”
Johnny reluctantly refrains from arguing.
To add insult to injury, during the time of these troublesome times, Johnny has to wait several weeks for the production of the business cards he ordered in order to solicit business. He calls the printing company in Illinois and speaks with a woman who says the company he works in, doesn’t exist. He contests it telling her to check it out, when she does, she tell him the real estate agency was contacted ten days about the order. She further says the cards would be available at the end of the week.
However, the people in the office failed to notify him, he thought the people there were the scum of the earth.
A month later, Johnny was given floor time, after much persistence and prodding. When he enters the office one morning, he looks at the floor time chart noticing having to share time with other agents. Twitt tells him he would be sharing time with her in the utmost pedagogic and sarcastic demeanor.
Johnny’s face was red when he storms up to Fisher’s office, he was sitting at his desk, taking a call. The broker notices him standing in the doorway. He demands to know why he had to share floor time with Twitt.
Fisher looks at him with a stupid smirk, “I don’t feel you are ready to work the telephone alone.” When Johnny demands to know why, he explained he has been only with the agency for more than month and feels they can’t have any inexperience agents answering the phones.
Johnny became angry telling him he hadn’t bothered to train him.
Fisher then tells him he doesn’t have time to train him. “It simply wouldn’t be fair to you or me.” He recommends he seek employment elsewhere.
Johnny demands to know what he was supposed to do with all these business cards, Fisher gave him a stupid look on his red nosed alcoholic face, but remains silent, then wishes him well. Johnny storms out, but upon leaving he collects his belongings.
Johnny obtains employment at another agency, the one he sought was owned by Ron Talbot. Ron knew Johnny’s parents, since he found them both a house and a business to purchase. Ron, however was old and the agency was run by his wife, Shelly, who was born and raised in Guam.
One day, Shelly asks Johnny to take a document to the Decade Agency. He arrives there to put it in Twitt’s mailbox. However, as he was about to leave, he has to walk through the conference room.
Tea speaks to him with a feigning concern and a condescending tone says. “I understand you’ve been calling my clients!” Her face was only partially looking at him as she continues, “As you know, it’s illegal to solicit an active listing.” A listing was typically a house or business listed with the Multiple Listing Service.
He tells he is aware of what a listing is. The only reason why he was there was to deliver a document and wasn’t interested in engaging in a confrontation.
Tea’s tone lowers like an elevator. “Well, you have to be careful with expired listings, you have to ask questions.”
“Look, lady, all I know is what is in the book.”
The incident was triggered because Twitt’s client, Mrs. Wilson, an elderly woman’s listings had expired. Johnny called her to see if she wanted to list her house with the Talbot Real Estate. The woman though, became confused thinking the call was from Ron, thinking he got her a buyer for her house. Twitt claimed she became hysterical. “Well, hun, if you continue this practice, your license could be either suspended or revoked.”
Johnny stands there. “Wait a minute! The state must follow due process whenever there was a complaint against a licensee! An investigator was automatically sent to retrieve the information, it’s not done automatically.”
“Well, hun, I’m just looking out for your license, I’d hate to see you lose it.”
Johnny remarks. “Fine,” He pauses for a moment, walks up to the table throwing the papers to the floor. It’ll be a cold day in hell, before I go over to that place again.
Eventually, Johnny tells Ron about the incident, he explains what happened when she worked in the office. Tea and another agent, Betsy Brow got into a clash over a commission, Tea was under the impression she was entitled to more money and claimed to have procured a buyer, which Betsy had.
The situation got so bad that he had to arbitrate the dispute, but Tea started yelling and screaming. “It got to the point where I had to tell her to get out and seek employment elsewhere.”
However, after Ron had damned Tea for her actions, she came in shortly thereafter with the two of them embracing calling her all kinds of nice names engaging in a friendly conversation.
Johnny watched the exchange while feeling his stomach do a flip-flop during the whole time.
Johnny, one morning, was working on finding people to call to list their properties with him, when he got a call from Tea; he transfers the call to Shelly telling her who was on the phone. It turns out Tea had found a buyer for one of Shelly’s listings.
The buyer was having problems trying to purchase the property, he had asked for couple of days in order to finance it
.
Twitt’s voice is so loud it can be heard even without a speakerphone, Tea tells Shelly emphatically. “If he doesn’t have the money, I know of other buyers for the property, so he had better get some financing pretty damn quick if he wants to buy it!”
Shelly’s face flushes and apologizes to the buyer, who happened to be in the room. The buyer doesn’t take umbrage, because it was Twitt’s attitude that started everything.
However, within a few months, Twitt was fired from the Decade Agency, because Barbara, Thaddeus’s wife wanted him to retire and close the business. She objected to Twitt having a red cent in the company, because she illegally listed mobile homes.
Johnny since he couldn’t make a living at real estate; decides to quit the profession. He reluctantly accepts a job at his parents’ store as a box boy, because all the other positions had been filled.
He begins working in early June, while patrons rarely see him; there were a few people, on occasion, would make a comment about him, regardless of whether he was there or not. He tries not to let it bother him, but his facial expressions were evident enough to let others know how he felt.
During that time, while Johnny is covering for a cashier, Doreen came into the store to purchase a couple of items. Since she doesn’t have much, they were able to have a conversation.
Johnny smiles for the first time in a long while, saying it was nice to see her, he asks her what brings her to Black Meadows.
She wipes her forehead and hair back while leaning on the counter, then Doreen slumps against it. Johnny gets her a chair and Doreen thanks him. “You wouldn’t believe the depositions I’ve had to assist; some of them came from this community.”
“That’s interesting; do they have something to do with Senator Croydon?”
Doreen says she couldn’t divulge what the depositions are about, but says from what she has heard; it was a wonder the city is still in operation.
Johnny explains while he was incarcerated; he talked with a few inmates and some of them had the same experiences at him, “They all had Fred Menden as their attorney and each one of them had been convicted.”
“What I can say is it’s something to do with lawsuits relating to some local civil servants.”
Johnny wonders if she still was interested in him. Her eyelids sink as he finishes tabulating the groceries and drops the receipt into the bag. Doreen tells him she would have to think about it, because now she is very tired. “Would it alright for me to call you?” She was more than happy to receive his company.
Later on, Johnny calls her at her home in Londonderry; Doreen is sitting in the study, dressed casually with all the depositions sprawling all over her desk when she agrees to go out.
When Friday evening arrives, Johnny drove for over an hour and a half until he reaches the restaurant, All You Can Eat, shortly before 7:30.
Doreen meets with him there, a few minutes later; he greets her with a kiss while walking with arms linked into the establishment.
Her pink dress shines in the restaurant’s incandescent lighting, along with the golden blonde hair which bounces upon her shoulders. When she smiles, it brightens the red lipstick and light eye shadow.
Johnny feels under dressed in his dark suit and tie, while they gaze at each other. He starts, “Were you born in Londonderry?”
“Yes,” She took another sip of water. “Actually, my parents and I live in Georgia, New York, but it’s within the Londonderry Township.”
“How did you become a paralegal?”
She explains she wanted to be an attorney. “I even though she worked during high school, she lost in a competition for a scholarship and had to settle for going to a community college in the area.” It was there she took courses and became a paralegal. “I saw an application in the newspaper for a job at Mr. Menden’s law firm and the rest is history.”
Johnny tells her he originally wanted to be a doctor, but didn’t have the aptitude in science. After he graduated from high school and joined the Naval Reserves, he graduated from the University of Knickbocker. “My original major was history, and then on to political science and finally, criminal justice. Isn’t it ironic?” Johnny continues. “I got a job at an auto parts factory in the meantime. Unfortunately, it was lost when I went to prison.” He pauses while taking another sip of water.
Doreen puts her hand over his as her peaked eyes stare into his solemn face. She tells him she knew how he made a go of the real estate business. “Johnny, I’m truly sorry.” She manages to change the subject. “Is your name really Bellow?”
Johnny explains his original family name was Bellicose (BEL-la-COsay), “But when my great-grandfather came to America, he changed it, because he wanted to assimilate into society.
Personally, I think he should’ve kept it was, but I didn’t live at the time, so I shouldn’t judge.”
She gently laughs and was wary about being conspicuous, when he asks what so funny, Doreen grins. “No, it’s the way you crinkle your nose when you talk.” She continues giggling while he did it.
He raises his eyebrows, while continuing to smile. After crossing his legs, and chuckling nervously, he says, “I wasn’t aware I was doing it.”
After eating dinner, the couple takes a stroll down the street that was well lit with iron streetlights which radiate the sky. There is a twinkle in the couple’s eyes while gazing along the street. Johnny proceeds to walk her home arm and arm, heading toward a split level house which had the outdoor light on. He scratches his head, but it never occurs to him she would live in a house like this. “I didn’t know you lived so close.”
She responds. “I really enjoyed myself, tonight; none of my previous boyfriends ever treated me so well; all they cared about was making out.”
Johnny smiles, “Oh, don’t kid yourself; I’d like nothing better than to make out with you, but you strike me as the type who would prefer to take it slow.”
She blushes. “Wow, for someone who hasn’t gone out much. That’s very good insight.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself; Doreen, I hope to see you again.”
After he asks her if he could kiss her, Doreen lets him kiss her on the mouth as she wishes him good night and walked into the house. She turns back to smile at him.
Johnny watches her until she closed to the metal door; he then drives home through the mostly dark roads continually thinking about her until he gets to Interstate 87, because he had to concentrate on his driving. He did believe he was glad she was in his life.
Johnny calls Doreen over the weekend asking her out on another date, she says she’ll have to think about it.
The next day, as he and his father finish up work at the grocery, Johnny notice two suspicious looking characters lurking outside. He walks to the closet where he kept the loaded shotgun, but pauses to see what action the two men might take, luckily, they were just loitering. His father notices Johnny was watching them and asks him what was wrong, but he doesn’t answer, he didn’t think it was important enough to dignify.
Sal asks his son a second time, why he went for the shotgun, Johnny finally admits ever since that experience nearly two years ago, he has been very jumpy when he sees people whom he wasn’t familiar.
Johnny and Doreen were dating on a weekly basis, but when fall arrives, they head toward a serious relationship.
The couple went to various places, almost always on the weekends since they had to work. On one weekend in late September, Johnny takes her to a state park in upstate New York where they embark on a boating and fishing trip.
They fish at a decline while planting their fishing poles in the small lake. Her head is on his left shoulder with her right arm wrapped around his left, waiting to catch fish.
Doreen’s voice is serene saying she more than liked Johnny. He embraces her rubbing her upper left arm telling her she is a sweet woman, puts his arms around her waist to kiss her.
She giggles after he stops asking if he was interested in getting married.
The couple talks for a while, suddenly Johnny began fidgeting waiting for the fish to bite. He concedes they didn’t seem to be willing to bite. All of a sudden, Doreen’s line was taut.
“Oh, Johnny, I think I’ve caught something!”
“Reel it in, honey!” He guides her to bring in a fish as she kept tugging away until a medium sized fish fell into their laps. “You’ve really got one this time!” The fish is brought out of the water and placed it on some old newspapers.
Just before the fish was on the paper, Johnny sees something that makes his face turn white. Doreen turns to him wanting to know what the matter with him was. She held his arm as tight as she could. He points to a newspaper headline: Accomplice in Sorority Case Arrested on Felony Charges. A subheading stated: Suspect held without bail in the Tappan County Jail.
As he continued to read, the accomplice was Troy Grayson. Johnny read the date of the newspaper, it was yesterday’s date. He looked to her asking why she hasn’t said anything.
Doreen suddenly saw fierceness in his eyes pondering whether to answer him, based on her past boyfriends, but she saw kindness and concern on his lips. Her arms are akimbo, “To tell you the truth, I didn’t want to believe it and upset you.”
Johnny put the fish on Grayson’s face, next to the article to express his contempt. The fierceness in his eyes gave way to a solemnity he didn’t want to fathom, he embraces her saying he wouldn’t let anyone hurt her. “Grayson had better stay away or he’ll have to answer to me!”
Doreen fidgets looking at him, “Look, I don’t want you to get involved with him.”
He looks straight into her blue eyes. “I promise, I won’t do anything unless he tries to approach you, don’t worry, I’m not going to instigate anything, I’m not going to give them an excuse to put me back in that horrible place.”