by George Cole
Staci’s face was animated and serious. Her large hazel eyes looked right into his soul, while her lips pecked like a starving bird. She looks different, sorta pretty. But it’s still her. He recognized a familiar pattern and could guess what she was saying, but could not hear a word. At least I can’t hear her. Colt was through with Staci talking about never spending time together, his obsession with computers, and how he didn’t love her. I’ve had enough of this. Time to tell her to get out of my life. He opened his mouth to yell, but Staci flung both of her arms out and pushed him. He was stunned at the force. Whoa, where did that come from? She has arms, too? Colt’s ex-girlfriend disappeared as he spun away and started falling. Down, down into nothingness he fell, twirling, flailing and screaming in silence. Then, it came to him. Oh, I know this place. Now I remember that I've been here before. I’m in a dream.
“Wake up, Colt, wake up.” came a faraway voice.
Colt was shocked out of his dream state into reality. He could hear a light but firm tapping on his bedroom door and someone calling. Still feeling the effects of his dream, he tried to adjust to the real world. The first thing he noticed was that rain was boisterously pelting his bedroom window. It made him think of Staci’s mouth moving. At least I don’t have to deal with Staci the bird girl anymore.
“Colt, are you there? It’s nine o’clock. I need you to get up,” said his mother.
He sat up yawning, but made no effort to move off the bed.
“Hey, isn’t it Saturday? Where’s the fire?”
“I need to talk to you, sweetie, and it’s important,” she said.
“Give me some time to wake up and shower.”
“Let’s talk now. Put on some pajamas or something. The coffee and scones are ready.”
Colt smiled at hearing the sweet sing-song voice of Leona. It was like delicate music hitting his emotional center.
Scones? Coffee? I’m up for that. Heck, I’m awake now anyway.
After throwing on some clothes, Colt opened his bedroom door. Yeeow! What the hell! A large hand grabbed him by the upper arm and yanked him into the hall. He looked up at his father, who appeared ready to squeeze him into a ball like play dough. So, this wake-up call isn't so sweet after all. Crap, he trapped me when my special mind powers were weak with dreams. Man, if he’s grabbing me like this, it can’t be good.
“Robert, you didn’t have to do that. He was coming out. He isn’t a common criminal,” said Leona.
Colt's father, whose teeth were clenched, kept towing the much smaller Colt behind him. As he manhandled Colt down the hall, he would pull him up, causing his feet to leave the floor.
“I didn’t want him to squirm out of this. He’s like a trout that always slips out of our hands. It’s time to have a real talk with our slippery fish.” answered Robert.
“At least give me a cup of coffee so I can wake up,” whined Colt.
His arm was starting to hurt from being pulled. What did I do?
Leona looked at Colt with pronounced worry wrinkles. She hit her husband on the chest to make him release Colt.
“Oh Colt honey, the coffee is in the den,” she said.
Colt sat at the mahogany table that was the centerpiece of his father’s den. A stack of fresh scones and a carafe of coffee rested on the table. Colt breathed in the aromas and tried to pull himself together. He slowly poured coffee into his cup while grabbing a scone. This is like going to jail in your own house. At least they're feeding me. Both he and his mother avoided this room. This was his father’s center of power. He seemed to be at his most overbearing when sitting at his desk, in this room.
His parents sat on one side of the table with Colt on the other. He knew this was a special situation, but not what it was about. He said nothing while sipping the strong coffee and nibbling on a soft, fluffy scone. I have to use my head and keep my mouth shut or I won’t get out of here alive. Colt attempted to look innocent of whatever he might be accused of but I still wasn't awake enough to do an adequate acting job.
Robert stared at Colt with cold gray eyes.
“You lis...” he started to say.
Leona, who was half his size, started pounding his arm with her tiny hands and shaking her head from side to side.
“Don’t you say a word! You said I could talk first!” she cried.
Robert, with a sheepish smile, looked at his red-faced wife.
“Okay honey, okay. Stop hitting me. I’ll keep my word.”
“Honey, Mr. Towne asked us to come in for a talk. He has a very high opinion of you,” said Leona.
Hey, maybe I can relax. I know Mr. Towne is on my side.
“Good deal. I help him with his computer problems,” said Colt.
“But honey, he said he’s concerned about your future education. He asked us if you've applied to any colleges. We've talked about this so many times. We thought you were handling it.”
“Yeah squirt. What’s up with that? Have you done anything?” snarled his dad.
“Hey. No big deal. I’ve decided that school can wait a little while. I want to fix computers. I'm already making money doing it.”
Leona’s entire body sank and she frowned. Robert started to look like he would erupt. His fists were clenched and his face was beet red.
Oops, I guess that didn’t go over too well.
“Don’t even think about not going to college, Colt. I'll strangle you with my bare hands,” yelled Robert.
“Uh, Bill Gates is a big wheel and he never did much college. He’s the best computer guy around; rich, too.” answered Colt.
“Computing is not a career for someone in our family. You need to start thinking about being a leader and being responsible.”
Leona was visibly distraught. She frowned with her hands held to her heart.
“Colt, don’t do this. Look at how well your sister is doing. We only want the best for you,” she said.
Robert was now smoldering with red hot intensity. One of his eyes twitched every few seconds.
“I’ll say this. You won’t be living here if you go against our wishes. Get yourself together. Are you on drugs or something? What is the matter with you?” cried Robert.
I better throw them a bone. I gotta get outta here.
“Listen, I’ll do some checking around and see what I can find out. I don’t want you guys so mad at me. Okay?”
Leona smiled and relaxed her hands on the table.
“That’s wonderful, honey. It’s settled then.” she said.
“Every two weeks I want status on this. Don’t feed us a line of bull either. You don't want me any more pissed off than I already am. Now get out before I do something I will, I mean your mother will, regret.” said Robert.
Colt picked up his coffee with two scones and exited the room in haste. Dude, he was ready to tangle. I don’t want to see him like that again.
~~~
After the talk, Colt escaped by driving in the pouring rain. When it stopped raining, he felt better, as he always did. Everything was fresh and clean. It was if the world was purged of all unpleasantness. Now I can get going again. That was no way to wake up. It was early afternoon when he returned home. Leona was waiting for him when he stepped into the house. She looked worried.
“Colt, are you alright? Were we too hard on you?”
“I’m okay, I guess. Dad was pretty mad.”
“You know we only want the best for you. I love you so much, honey.”
Leona started to cry softly.
Colt hugged her and said, “I know you love me. This'll work out. I'll see what I can find out about college.”
"So, you're okay now?"
“I feel a lot better. I just had to get away for a bit and clear my head.”
After composing herself, Leona smiled and said, “I have a surprise for you.”
“What’s that?”
Colt would reserve judgment until he knew what this was about.
�
��You know Alison Monroe. She's having a problem with her stupid old computer. I told her you could help. Isn’t that great?”
“Yeah, I’d be happy to help. Did she say what the problem was?”
“Something about email files or a network something. I don’t understand all that computer lingo.”
“Give me her number and I’ll set up an appointment.” said Colt with a smile.
“Just remember that she's going through a rough time. She just got divorced. So, you be extra nice. Wear something bright and colorful like you do. Maybe that will cheer her up.”
“Okay Mom. I’ll be extra nice to her.”
Chapter 10
------Email-------
From: Monroe, Alison[[email protected]]
To: Wise, Deborah[[email protected]]
Subject: It’s sooooo hard
----------------------------------------------------
Hi Deb
This breakup is soooo hard. He just left and acted like we were never even married. I gave everything and what do I have? At least all the papers are signed now. But how am I going to start over. I feel so alone. And, I really miss being CLOSE!!!! After all I’m not a teenager anymore. Maybe I can do to him what he’s done to me and find some young pretty thing. Ohhh, did I really say that? I just don’t know if anybody would want me now? I'm just so sad and so tired of feeling unloved.
Please write
Ali
------Email-------
Colt’s cell phone crackled with a high-pitched ring tone, mimicking the Beatles song “Help”. An emergency? This is great. Now I can do something that won't make me fall asleep. The melodic sound was an SOS. Colt had been periodically dozing off in class and needed something to break the monotony. Now, he could look forward to finishing the day doing something interesting, something he loved. Also, he thought of later that evening when he had an appointment with his mother’s friend, Alison Monroe. He 'd followed his mother’s suggestion and was wearing bright, loud apparel. He became enthused and energized when first hearing the phone and was getting up in anticipation of making a quick exit. I have on my power clothes, too, he thought. I’m ready for anything.
Colt answered, “Yo, this is Colt.”
“This is Bobby. I have a box that won’t come up. I’ve tried everything.”
“Where are you at?” asked Colt.
“I’m at the district office. Can you come over?”
“I’ll be there in ten. You saved me from falling asleep again in this class, which is a total waste of time.”
Colt worked with Bobby for hours. They attempted to fix the personal computer using a variety of techniques, both simple and complex. Finally, Colt pulled out a CD and inserted it into the misbehaving box. He turned the computer off and then on again after a few minutes. A message displayed on the screen asking the question, Do you want to Repair or Reinstall Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition? Colt clicked in the checkbox next to “Reinstall” and then clicked on the “Continue” button. Lines of text moved up the screen while a flashing green light and a low-pitched whirring noise indicated that files were being copied to the hard disk.
“Man, computers sure can be hard to fix,” said Bobby.
“Totally, dude! We tried everything we could think and got no love. Now with the OS and applications, it will take hours to reload,” said Colt.
“I'm so sick of working on this thing. I know they're gonna be mad because all of their data is gone,” whined Bobby.
“We had no choice. Reinstalling was the only thing we could do. Maybe they made backups. You never know.” said Colt.
After another two hours the computer was up and running again. Both teenagers were drained from the ordeal and wanted to get home to relax. Colt didn't feel as bright or optimistic as he had earlier in the day. I’m ready to forget about computers for a while. Just some food, TV and crash. I need to forget about this day.
“I’ve had enough. Later dude,” said Colt.
“Thanks Colt. You bailed me out again. See you later,” said Bobby.
“Nobody saved anybody. We worked on it together and the computer won. Take it easy, bud.”
~~~
Colt got into his old purple VW bug and zoomed off. I'm sure glad this day's over. The little round car sped south, out of Burien toward home. As he turned the corner and down the hill into Normandy Park, a very different and unusual thing happened. What's that smell? I like it but where's it coming from? A foreign scent like a strong perfume permeated his car. It's delicate aroma was intoxicating. There's no way this is happening. It didn't smell like this when I got in. I must be going nuts. The smell would not go away even when he rolled down the window and poked his head out. Colt stopped the car and looked around for the source of the exotic scent, but found nothing. He closed his eyes to gain his composure and figure out why he was sitting in the middle of a perfume mist. Whoa, something changed. What is that? Colt felt like he had entered a dream, but knew he was wide awake. In front of him was a familiar sight. A bank of bright, gray, hazy fog obscured a hidden sun. Scintillating violet specks appeared in various areas of the fog making it seem electric. But I’ve always seen this in a dream. He lost all feeling of being in his body as the sun pulled him forward like a huge magnet.
He moved toward the fog as if he was lying on top of a glider. When he neared the fog, Colt attempted to touch it, but found himself back in his body. Crap, I’m back. Damn it. I almost got past the fog this time. I know there's a sun behind there. I need to see it.
Once the waking dream ended, Colt sensed a memory tugging at him. I know I forgot something, but what? I got so into that computer deal that I can't remember what it was. After wracking his brain for some time, he finally remembered the appointment with his mothers’ friend, Alison Monroe. His irritation turned into anger when he looked at his watch and saw that it read 7:12 p.m.
“Damn it,” he muttered.
I was supposed to be there at 7:00! I hate forgetting appointments and being late. After the stressful day, Colt didn't want to deal with another broken computer. After weighing his options and thinking about his reception when he got home, he decided what to do. Mom will be upset if I don’t do this. I better just drop in on her friend and take a look. Alison’s house was not far away, which also helped him make the decision to head in that direction. Maybe it will be easy. It can’t be as bad as the last one. When Colt arrived at Alison Monroe’s house he remembered how pleasant she had sounded on the phone. I wonder what she looks like. He walked to the front door of the small, light green, one-story house that faced the Puget Sound. His cell phone rang just as he pushed the doorbell. Colt turned away from the door as he answered the call.
“Hello, this is Colt.”
“Honey, this is your mother. Ali called and said you hadn’t shown up. Is everything alright?”
“It’s okay. I’m at her front door now. I gotta go. I’ll see you later.”
“Bye sweetie.”
Colt was startled by the door opening behind him. When he turned, warm scented air enveloped him. He became slightly disoriented when he recognized the same potent, exotic scent from the earlier incident in his car. Man, is it me smelling that or is it real? After a moment he decided that it was something coming from the house. Déjà vu or something, I guess. I‘ll figure it out later. The strange event was weird and interesting, but would have to wait. He had work to do.
An attractive, trim, thirty-something woman stood facing him. She was shorter than he was by about four inches. Friendly brown eyes twinkled above a confident smile. Her hair, like his, was jet black and cut very short, giving her a youthful appearance.
“I'm so happy you made it. I know you'll save me from my computer,” she said.
Colt slowly recovered his composure and noticed the rest of Alison Monroe’s appearance. She wore a bright pink mini-skirt with a white silk blouse. He could not ignore that she was braless. The outlines of her small breast
s were displayed clearly beneath the clinging silk. She held a glass of white wine in her hand. The entire scene stimulated all of Colt’s senses in such a way that he felt himself being drawn into the house. It was warm and inviting.
“Hi, I’m Alison. Are you okay?”
“Er, uh, yeah. I’ve just had a long day, that’s all. I guess you know that I’m Colt.”
She smiled while putting her hand softly on his shoulder.
“Your clothes gave you away, Colt. Come in. Sit for a little while and relax. You probably need a break.”
As he followed her into the house, Colt felt the pangs of desire starting to sneak into his tired mind. Alison Monroe was very friendly. She didn't treat him like a high school senior, which caught him off-guard. Also, the see-thru blouse was difficult to ignore. Only the fresh memory of his mother and her concern for her friend enabled him to keep desire at bay. He knew from experience that resisting sexual desire was an internal battle that was hard to win. As he followed her into a den, he said to himself, I have to fix the computer and get out of here fast before I do something stupid.
“Here's the computer. I lost some emails and I can’t find some other things. Don’t work on it yet, though. Wait a few minutes. I’ll be right back. I know just the thing to help you relax after a long day.” said Alison.
Colt was in no shape to argue as he struggled to wrap his erotic desires into a tidy controllable package. It was like pulling an anvil at the end of some twine. The anvil was winning the battle.
“Yeah, sure.” answered Colt as he slumped into a chair in front of a desk. Alison returned holding two glasses of white wine. She handed one glass to Colt.
“Here’s a toast to relaxation and a tech guru to fix all my problems,” said Alison with a smile.
She touched his glass with hers and looked directly into his eyes. She was acting like they were old friends and treated Colt as an equal. I wonder if I should drink this. She’s probably right. I'll relax and be able to do the work better. With the first sip of the sweet wine, Colt felt tension fading away. After not eating anything since lunch, he had little resistance to the alcohol. They both continued to sip the wine while they talked. The first topic of conversation was the problems with her computer. But, soon they were discussing their personal lives. Time flew by as the sweet wine took effect. Alison described being alone after her divorce and the difficulty in adjusting.