JONAS CAIN

Parallel Universes

8/1/2013

Comments

 
Picture
John T. Reddy Jr. is a fighter.  In fact, they made a movie about him starring Mark Wahlberg.  They begged John T. Reddy Jr. to be in the sequel, but they haven’t made it yet.  Even though he’s a fighter, John T. Reddy Jr. doesn’t want to fight; he might mess up his wrist and knee again.  You see, he lived in LA for eight months in 2008, and had to come back home to Salem when he broke his knee and wrist.  He didn’t say just how he hurt himself, but I presume it was from fighting.  After all, they did make a movie about him.
 
“Don’t think that I’m excluded exactly.  Write that down.”  John T. Reddy Jr. was referring to his friend Shawn who works for the New England Patriots.  Shawn installs sprinklers on the field at Gillette Stadium.  That must be how they keep the synthetic turf so fresh.  Shawn is a multi-millionaire and owns two mansions.  Thank Heavens John T. Reddy Jr. isn’t excluded exactly.  He might be left with nowhere to go tonight.
 
“I’m not gonna lie, I’ve been drinking.  Want a sip?”
 
I decline.
 
His lawyer has an office above O’Neil’s on Washington St., but the lawyer won’t touch the case against the television networks.  After all, he knows nothing of entertainment law.  John T. Reddy Jr. has been building a case for years against the networks and he has his evidence in the envelope that he keeps in his pocket.  He created such television shows as “Pawn Stars”, “The Revenge”, Deception”, and “Operation Repo”.  But they haven’t paid John T Reddy Jr. a dime.  “Don’t you think there’s something wrong with that?”
 
He keeps looking over his shoulder.  “I’m scared.  I think they’re coming after me next.”  His father, John T. Reddy Sr., passed away just last week when his stomach, liver and kidney all collapsed.  “Don’t you think there’s something wrong with that?  I just talked to him a couple weeks ago and asked him if he needed me to come down to Florida to be with him.  Now he’s dead.  Fifty-seven years old.  Isn’t there something wrong with that?”  He looked over his shoulder again.
 
“I’m the most honest person you’ll ever meet.  And I’m the best friend you’ll ever have.  I’m loyal.  But my daughter’s my life.  She’s seventeen so I don’t get to see her much.  You remember what it’s like to be seventeen, right?”
 
His daughter Tia is dating Justin Bieber.  Bieber meet Tia when John T. Reddy Jr. was writing songs for Eminem.  Apparently Bieber and Eminem our mutual Facebook friends with John T. Reddy Jr., and when Bieber saw pictures of Tia on there he simply had to meet her.  Bieber offered to sell his iPhone to John T. Reddy Jr.  for $100 when he saw him today, but John T. Reddy Jr. wouldn’t disclose where that was.  Private information and all.
 
Peter and Patricia join us on the park bench by the fountain.  Patricia lights up a cigarette and Peter fishes something out of his plastic bag.  “Do you want a beer?”
 
I decline.
 
“I’m sixty-one years old and I’ve never smoked a thing.  Not once,” says Peter.  “I just do this,” pointing to his can of beer that he needed help opening.
 
John T. Reddy Jr. runs his hands along Patricia’s bare leg and says, “You’re shaving; looks good!”  Patrician blushes.
 
“Too bad,” Peter intervenes, “she’s mine!”
 
“We need to go and catch the train,” Patricia scowls.
 
Shaking their hands, I take the cue and begin to make my own leave when John T. Reddy Jr. takes my hand and rubs it on his face, sandpapering my hand with his stubbed whiskers.  “I shave a lot,” he says.  “I shaved two days ago and now a beard is coming in.  This isn’t me.”
 
John T. Reddy Jr. suddenly takes to his feet and shakes my hand, bidding his own farewell before quickly leaving the area just as the headlights of a police car rolls to a stop.
 
It is night on Essex St. and people everywhere are about town with their own lives and their own stories, going about their business the only way that they know how.  The man and his dog out for a stroll.  The couple leaving the Village Tavern.  The group still enjoying dinner and drinks on the outdoor patio.  The woman and her young child hurrying by.  Tom the Tour Guide just getting off his last tour of the night.  And Peter and Patricia off to catch a train.  Yes, people everywhere are lost in their worlds, unaware of the parallel universes that walk beside them.
 
On my way home I ran into John T. Reddy Jr. again.  He was upset, rummaging through his tattered envelope of court dockets and hand written notes, presumably with ideas for television shows.  “Where’s the plaid paper?  Don’t mess with me!”  He asked me to help him look for it just as a bicyclist went by, and John T. Reddy Jr. flung obscenities with threats of violence at him.  I reminded John T. Reddy Jr. not to risk hurting his wrist and knee again, and left the fighter to find the plaid paper on his own.
 
As for me, I am never again going to look at an unfamiliar face the same way.
Comments
    Articles
    Picture

    Author

    I'm a mirror (and so are you).

    Picture

    Topics

    All
    Ally
    Anticipation
    April Fools Day
    Atonement
    Bicycle Ride
    Books
    Care
    Change
    Character
    Christmas
    Climb For Hope
    Commitment
    Communication
    Compassion
    Confidence
    Connection
    Dad
    Encourage
    Engage
    Enjoy
    Fascination
    Forgiveness
    Grand Canyon
    Grand Canyon 2018
    Gratitude
    Grief
    Happiness
    Health
    Hope
    Humility
    Initiative
    Inspiration
    Jokes
    Kindness
    Legacy
    Let Go
    Life
    Listen
    Love
    Mentor
    Mindset
    Miracles
    Mission
    Mount Adams 2019
    Mr. Scoots
    Mt. Adams
    Non Doing
    Patience
    Positivity
    Presence
    Prove
    Resilience
    Respect
    Selfishness
    Success
    Suicide
    The Amazing Johnathan
    Trust
    Vision
    Wisdom

    Picture

    Archives

    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    July 2020
    December 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    August 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    June 2016
    February 2016
    July 2014
    August 2013
    July 2013
    December 2012
    November 2011
    August 2011
    March 2011
    November 2010
    October 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    February 2010
    November 2009
    October 2009

    RSS Feed

Picture
©2023