Talus's life was a mess. As usual, he was late to catch the train. As usual, there were things which seem to impede his every move. First, he saw the line outside the waffle shop snake around the corner. He hated lines, and people in general. Secondly, he hated not knowing why things are so strange around this block, and thirdly, he was thwarted in his attempt at a detour. A bus, a raving woman decking the bus driver and the ensuing crowd, again, made Talus uneasy. He just stopped twenty feet from the stalled bus and the raving woman. The bus driver trying to pick himself up off the pavement and the lunatic standing over him as if she was standing in the middle of a boxing ring, daring him to stand after the TKO.
"Enough" thought Talus. "Enough." He turned to look for Teddy. Nowhere to be seen. Waffles probably beckoned him to some higher cause.
Talus looked around and saw others more interested in the rumble in the jungle than they were in breaking-up the fight. Each face hoping for the battle to continue.
He looked down at his shoe. Again, yet again, poop stuck to the toe of his shoe.
He turned and walked slowly back to his apartment. Before he entered the building, he stopped, removed his shoe and threw it into the street. As he turned, a bus drove past, flattening his shoe and turned it on it's side. Talus never looked back.
"What the FUCK is that??" Jani Jones screeched. It was Trixie Jeans upstairs neighbor Talus Fugue. Trixie Jean didn't mind Talus one bit, he was a nice man, he was kind of an odd one, but Trixie Jean didn't have no means for judging. Talus would practice his violin all the time upstairs, it was soothing to Trixie Jean, but janie didn't have no time for extra noise.
ReplyDelete"I'm going up there, this is ridiculous, it is a Sunday morning, the Lords day" Janie demanded
"Awww Janie, don't be causing a fuss. Its Sunday, we have our babies and we have biscuit, a little violin ain't no problem" Trixie Jean new Janie wasn't religious or nothing like that, she just liked conflict, always had. Back in the old days, the pre baby days, Janie was known for starting a good fight drunk or sober, since she had Strummer she'd gotten better...but she always had that fighting spirit.
Janie Jones marched out of the door and Trixie Jean hurried after her gathering her babies as she scurried. Janie Jones was already at Talus's apartment, she banged on the door hard as she could til he answered.
"Ummm...yes?" he asked nervously
"You must have some fucking nerve playing your god damn violin music on a Sunday morning!" she barked and stomped away.
"I'm so sorry" Trixie Jean fumbled, "She gets angry sometimes, ain't your fault or nothing" Trixie Jean was always making excuses, for Janie, for her babies, for everything.
"It's okay..." Talus mumbled and shut the door in Trixie Jean's face.