AZOTUSLAND Chapter Ninety-Five
After Manfred brought the car around for Jim he went to the back lot and examined his new prize. A black 2002 Toyota Tundra. Jonathan met him in the lot and said "You maniac!" in his best Bill Murray voice and Manfred beamed. "It is a wonderfulness is it not?!"
"It's a beauty Manfred, how much, it looks pretty souped up?"
"Oh wells Mr. Clusky was asking sevens thousands dollars and by jove I could not do that! So I went back to his shop every other day in the afternoons and put $4,000 on his desk."
"What happened?"
"He was laughs at me at first and called me silly. Then after a weeks he was getting red-faced when I saw heem and all I was doing was explaining to new friends on his lot his utter resistances to give me the truck for real moneys. So's I went in yesterdays for...oh, say maybes 33rds times and revanquished heem and we transacted our dealings."
"Wow...nice job," Jonathan said.
"Yes, and I gots heem to do free undercoating and fills up the tank!"
Jonathan got into the passenger seat and took a look. "Man, this is way cool! Look at all this room and the back seats...man you got a steal on this one."
Manfred fired up the big truck and slapped in a CD and Tom Petty's Don't Come Around Here No More came on. "Oh I loves the sitars and Pettys!"
"Yeah, me too," Jonathan said, "and as usual, your timing is impeccible, now let's go get this thing."
"Stops walkings down the street...." Manfred was singing to the music, "or Manfred's whose you'll meet..." and Jonathan just looked out the window and shook his head.
***********
Whe Jim pulled up at SFO Maugham was waiting out front with his bags.
"Sorry, traffic!"
"No biggie," Maugham said "I've been here maybe four minutes."
Maugham stowed his stuff in the back of the Jeep and got in.
"What would you like to do Maug?"
"Let's drive back along the Pacific Coast Highway and maybe hit the Cliff House," he said looking quietly ahead. Then he lightened a little and said "Haven't you lost like every woman you ever took there?"
Jim laughed a bit sheepish. "yeah, I think I am 0 for 7 there." Maugham grinned and said, let's go there.
************
The desk Ted had picked out from the catalog turned out to be a monster and barely fit in Manfred's big truck. They needed the help of four at the office store to get it in safely and rope it down.
As the drove back Jonathan looked over at Manfred and said "how are we gonna get that thing up and around to the office?
"Oh peoples will helps," Manfred said interrupting his mangling of "Free Fallin'".
When they got there Ted was waiting at the steps and his eyes kinda bugged out. He was embarassed. Jonathan got out as Manfred backed the truck and he directed him in. Then they got out and looked.
Just then Dan Palmer walked up with a friend. "What's up?"
"Not the desk," Manfred said quietly. "This your desk Ted?"
"Yeah, it looked smaller in the catalog," Ted said.
"C'mon," Dan said motioning for Ted to come with him. "Then he draped an arm over his shoulder and said "Here's a new question you can ask us."
When they got to the top they went in and took a look. Before Ted could object Dan said aloud "This young man needs some assistance! Tell them what you need Ted."
Ted shot Dan a quick glance and Dan nodded.
"I could really use some help, I er...well I made a mistake..." he trailed off. "What'd you do misplace something you were looking for?" Jeremy said aloud. There was some light laughter. "No," said Ted. "I just got too big a desk and we need some real muscle on this one, and maybe a tool set."
To his surprise several men, three of which he did not even know stood up and two women, Sex and Alice. So a minute later there were ten of them walking and talking down the steps toward the big truck and behemoth desk.
***********
As the Jeep swung down the hill , passed the Zoo and along the stretch of freeway Maugham said "Boy, I sure miss that Mustang. Remember the time we took it down to Half Moon Bay in the middle of the afternoon?"
"Yeah, that was sweet," Jim said. "I miss it too. I miss a lot of things I once had. How about you?"
"Not ready to talk yet Jim," Maugham said seriously. Let's get some oysters...those little lame ass ones from Seattle they have up ahead and a couple Bloody Mary's."
***********
When they all gathered around the truck and finished untying it the twelve of them looked like stumped apostles. Finally Alice said "oh this is ridiculous," and she popped the top of her small truck and grapped two tool buckets with powered tools and said "Take it apart and let's get the damned thing going."
The men grabbed tools and started looking for where to attack. Alice rolled her eyes and laughed with Sex standing next to her. "You four each take a corner," she said pointing "and put the screws and bolts or anything else in your left pocket," she ordered. "The rest of you get ready to haul the pieces up as Ted directs and put them down in a similar order to how you grabbed them."
"What are you gonna do?" Dan asked with a grin (he liked Alice).
"I'm gonna sit here and watch your cute ass get working," she said.
Ted went up the stairs to start clearing a way for pieces and Jeremy hiked up after him and helped.
"Hey Ted," Jeremy said. "I didn't mean anything with my crack upstairs. I actually thought about your sermon or whatever the hell it was a couple times this week. It was good, really."
"Thanks Jeremy," Ted shrugged. "If I'm gonna do this stuff for Jim I am gonna have to grow a sense of humor anyway."
They entered the Gallery and Hans stood up at attention sensing impending chaos. "Vat is going on boys?"
"Uh, 'lighten up Francis' Ted said and Jeremy laughed and Hans looked bewildered.
*********
At the Cliff House they grabbed a table overlooking the ocean and ordered some fried calamari, a dozen oysters, and a jumbo shrimp cocktail and drinks.
They sat for awhile and finally Maugham said "Jim, I feel pretty fucked up from the whole experience."
"What happened?"
"As I said, message delivered, but it was more violent and dark than I expected."
"Did she attack you?"
"No," Maugham said. "If anyone attacked anyone it was me."
"I don't believe it," Jim said. I've seen you handle a hundred situations with finesse.
"This one was different," Maugham said taking a big gulp from his Bloody Mary. "And you don;t need to know it really...but I have to tell Martine."
"Was she harmed?"
"Physically, nothing major, and in a sense it was self-defense at the time. But I doubt a judge would see it that way...and I sure as FUCK don't!" he said kinda loud.
That got some stares.
Jim could see Maugham was wound up tight. "Well tell me what you feel comfortible saying and tell the rest to Martine. I'm sure she will understand."
"I doubt it. I sure as hell don't."
************
Wave after wave of men came tramping through the Gallery tracking in dirt and dust and hans was beside himself. Finally Alive and Sex walked up and through the Gallery and down into Silo 2. Sex went "Wow!" and Dan looked over at Alice and said "what now?" in a mocking tone and she laughed and said "just get to it. All you guys reach into your left pocket and no funny business."
Within 25 minutes the desk was reassembled and manfred showed up with beers and sodas. Ted flopped up onto his new desk and said to the group "I cannot tell you how grateful I am to you all. Thanks so much." A couple of the guys left right off and others lingered to look at books and make small talk.
"So this is Jim's underground lair," Sex said to Alice and Ted. "I suppose you are the new Number Two."
"I felt like it earlier, but not so much now."
***********
When they finished and got back in the Jeep Maugham asked, "What are your plans now?"
"I'm not sure Maug. A lot has changed the last few months and I am not done making changes. I have actually thought of retiring and doing something else after the new cafes are established. Maybe I'll learn to sail or write a book, or go back to school. I dunno. I'm kinda lost right now."
"What happened to the girl?"
"Same thing that happens when I come here. My fault really...always is."
They drove along the coastline past Baker Beach and the Presideo and dodged under the freeway at the Golden Gate Bridge and twisted around and headed North. On the bridge Jim said "I'm sorry Maugham. She was dangerous to everyone but I never thought you would get hurt and you obviously are."
"Well at least she's gone," Maugham sighed and looked out at Alcatraz.
"It's a beauty Manfred, how much, it looks pretty souped up?"
"Oh wells Mr. Clusky was asking sevens thousands dollars and by jove I could not do that! So I went back to his shop every other day in the afternoons and put $4,000 on his desk."
"What happened?"
"He was laughs at me at first and called me silly. Then after a weeks he was getting red-faced when I saw heem and all I was doing was explaining to new friends on his lot his utter resistances to give me the truck for real moneys. So's I went in yesterdays for...oh, say maybes 33rds times and revanquished heem and we transacted our dealings."
"Wow...nice job," Jonathan said.
"Yes, and I gots heem to do free undercoating and fills up the tank!"
Jonathan got into the passenger seat and took a look. "Man, this is way cool! Look at all this room and the back seats...man you got a steal on this one."
Manfred fired up the big truck and slapped in a CD and Tom Petty's Don't Come Around Here No More came on. "Oh I loves the sitars and Pettys!"
"Yeah, me too," Jonathan said, "and as usual, your timing is impeccible, now let's go get this thing."
"Stops walkings down the street...." Manfred was singing to the music, "or Manfred's whose you'll meet..." and Jonathan just looked out the window and shook his head.
***********
Whe Jim pulled up at SFO Maugham was waiting out front with his bags.
"Sorry, traffic!"
"No biggie," Maugham said "I've been here maybe four minutes."
Maugham stowed his stuff in the back of the Jeep and got in.
"What would you like to do Maug?"
"Let's drive back along the Pacific Coast Highway and maybe hit the Cliff House," he said looking quietly ahead. Then he lightened a little and said "Haven't you lost like every woman you ever took there?"
Jim laughed a bit sheepish. "yeah, I think I am 0 for 7 there." Maugham grinned and said, let's go there.
************
The desk Ted had picked out from the catalog turned out to be a monster and barely fit in Manfred's big truck. They needed the help of four at the office store to get it in safely and rope it down.
As the drove back Jonathan looked over at Manfred and said "how are we gonna get that thing up and around to the office?
"Oh peoples will helps," Manfred said interrupting his mangling of "Free Fallin'".
When they got there Ted was waiting at the steps and his eyes kinda bugged out. He was embarassed. Jonathan got out as Manfred backed the truck and he directed him in. Then they got out and looked.
Just then Dan Palmer walked up with a friend. "What's up?"
"Not the desk," Manfred said quietly. "This your desk Ted?"
"Yeah, it looked smaller in the catalog," Ted said.
"C'mon," Dan said motioning for Ted to come with him. "Then he draped an arm over his shoulder and said "Here's a new question you can ask us."
When they got to the top they went in and took a look. Before Ted could object Dan said aloud "This young man needs some assistance! Tell them what you need Ted."
Ted shot Dan a quick glance and Dan nodded.
"I could really use some help, I er...well I made a mistake..." he trailed off. "What'd you do misplace something you were looking for?" Jeremy said aloud. There was some light laughter. "No," said Ted. "I just got too big a desk and we need some real muscle on this one, and maybe a tool set."
To his surprise several men, three of which he did not even know stood up and two women, Sex and Alice. So a minute later there were ten of them walking and talking down the steps toward the big truck and behemoth desk.
***********
As the Jeep swung down the hill , passed the Zoo and along the stretch of freeway Maugham said "Boy, I sure miss that Mustang. Remember the time we took it down to Half Moon Bay in the middle of the afternoon?"
"Yeah, that was sweet," Jim said. "I miss it too. I miss a lot of things I once had. How about you?"
"Not ready to talk yet Jim," Maugham said seriously. Let's get some oysters...those little lame ass ones from Seattle they have up ahead and a couple Bloody Mary's."
***********
When they all gathered around the truck and finished untying it the twelve of them looked like stumped apostles. Finally Alice said "oh this is ridiculous," and she popped the top of her small truck and grapped two tool buckets with powered tools and said "Take it apart and let's get the damned thing going."
The men grabbed tools and started looking for where to attack. Alice rolled her eyes and laughed with Sex standing next to her. "You four each take a corner," she said pointing "and put the screws and bolts or anything else in your left pocket," she ordered. "The rest of you get ready to haul the pieces up as Ted directs and put them down in a similar order to how you grabbed them."
"What are you gonna do?" Dan asked with a grin (he liked Alice).
"I'm gonna sit here and watch your cute ass get working," she said.
Ted went up the stairs to start clearing a way for pieces and Jeremy hiked up after him and helped.
"Hey Ted," Jeremy said. "I didn't mean anything with my crack upstairs. I actually thought about your sermon or whatever the hell it was a couple times this week. It was good, really."
"Thanks Jeremy," Ted shrugged. "If I'm gonna do this stuff for Jim I am gonna have to grow a sense of humor anyway."
They entered the Gallery and Hans stood up at attention sensing impending chaos. "Vat is going on boys?"
"Uh, 'lighten up Francis' Ted said and Jeremy laughed and Hans looked bewildered.
*********
At the Cliff House they grabbed a table overlooking the ocean and ordered some fried calamari, a dozen oysters, and a jumbo shrimp cocktail and drinks.
They sat for awhile and finally Maugham said "Jim, I feel pretty fucked up from the whole experience."
"What happened?"
"As I said, message delivered, but it was more violent and dark than I expected."
"Did she attack you?"
"No," Maugham said. "If anyone attacked anyone it was me."
"I don't believe it," Jim said. I've seen you handle a hundred situations with finesse.
"This one was different," Maugham said taking a big gulp from his Bloody Mary. "And you don;t need to know it really...but I have to tell Martine."
"Was she harmed?"
"Physically, nothing major, and in a sense it was self-defense at the time. But I doubt a judge would see it that way...and I sure as FUCK don't!" he said kinda loud.
That got some stares.
Jim could see Maugham was wound up tight. "Well tell me what you feel comfortible saying and tell the rest to Martine. I'm sure she will understand."
"I doubt it. I sure as hell don't."
************
Wave after wave of men came tramping through the Gallery tracking in dirt and dust and hans was beside himself. Finally Alive and Sex walked up and through the Gallery and down into Silo 2. Sex went "Wow!" and Dan looked over at Alice and said "what now?" in a mocking tone and she laughed and said "just get to it. All you guys reach into your left pocket and no funny business."
Within 25 minutes the desk was reassembled and manfred showed up with beers and sodas. Ted flopped up onto his new desk and said to the group "I cannot tell you how grateful I am to you all. Thanks so much." A couple of the guys left right off and others lingered to look at books and make small talk.
"So this is Jim's underground lair," Sex said to Alice and Ted. "I suppose you are the new Number Two."
"I felt like it earlier, but not so much now."
***********
When they finished and got back in the Jeep Maugham asked, "What are your plans now?"
"I'm not sure Maug. A lot has changed the last few months and I am not done making changes. I have actually thought of retiring and doing something else after the new cafes are established. Maybe I'll learn to sail or write a book, or go back to school. I dunno. I'm kinda lost right now."
"What happened to the girl?"
"Same thing that happens when I come here. My fault really...always is."
They drove along the coastline past Baker Beach and the Presideo and dodged under the freeway at the Golden Gate Bridge and twisted around and headed North. On the bridge Jim said "I'm sorry Maugham. She was dangerous to everyone but I never thought you would get hurt and you obviously are."
"Well at least she's gone," Maugham sighed and looked out at Alcatraz.
posted by Obi-Mac BakDon | 8:26 AM
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