Really? by M.J. Garrett (the beginning after the end read novel .TXT) 📕

for her. As the door lifted, I looked at her face in anticipation of her next reaction. As the sun peeked its way beneath the opening garage door, she bent over to try and see what was waiting for her. Standing there stunned, she looked at me and said, “You’re going to kill yourself on that thing!”

“That’s not for me.”

“Are you kidding me?” she shook her head in disbelief. “There is no way on earth that I’m getting on that thing!”

“What? It’s okay. Rick is going to teach us how to ride.” I smiled and handed her the key.

Walking up into the brand new motorcycle, she touched the gas tank and softly ran her fingers down to the seat. “Ninja,” she whispered to herself. “So, is the pink helmet yours?” Smiling, she crossed her arms and laid her head against my shoulder.

“Yes. It’s mine.” We smiled at each other as she slid the pink helmet with a mirrored face shield over her head.

“Is this right? I don’t know if this is right or not.” I could hear her muffled voice trying to push its way out the helmet. Laughing, I pulled the shield open so that I could see her blue eyes.

“There’s only way a helmet goes on, so yes, you did it right.” Laughing with each other, we held each other close. Her cold hard helmet pressing against my chin and her lovely arms wrapped around my waist, I was happy. We were happy. Perfection.

Pushing me off of her, she quickly leaned back. In her muffled voice, she asked, “So, where is yours?” Smiling, I told her that it was being delivered tomorrow morning and that Rick was going to give us riding lessons at the school parking lot.
“This is awesome.” She whispered to herself inside the snug pink helmet. “What do the girls think about their new home?” I told her that they were with Rick, picking out their own bedroom suits. Finally, I’m able to give them something of their own. As great as the girls were together, they needed something that was theirs and theirs alone.


Chapter 19

Katie and Erin, dressed in little sundresses, ran from one end of the back yard to the other. Watching them from the kitchen window was like watching homemade movies from my parents collection. The smiles on the girls faces brought me a peace that I haven’t felt in a long time. Both of the girls, laughing and skipping around, made me happy to be alive.

I finished rinsing off the plate that I’ve been washing for the past ten minutes. I guess watching the girls had me stuck in the moment? After putting the dish away, I turned to see Angela sitting on the couch watching TV. I couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that she has been watching TV for about 30 minutes with her pink helmet on. I loved how she was so eccentric. Always so proper and shy while in public, but once you get her in a place where she is comfortable, she’s a comedic genius. Maybe she should be the one looking for acting or modeling jobs?

“Honey?” I leaned against the doorway leading into the living room.

“Yeah?” her muffled voice barely squeaked its way out of the helmet as she turned to me with her visor down.

“I’m going to meet Rick tomorrow morning. I’ll be leaving quite early. I don’t want to bother you with getting the kids ready for school, but can you help me out?”
“Abe, you don’t have to ask me. I’m here for you and them.” I couldn’t see her face, but I could tell she was smiling. She has been amazing. Hopefully, tomorrow’s meeting with Rick pays off. I’ve been working for him for two months now and I haven’t stepped a foot in the office yet. Another perk, I guess.

I walked back to the kitchen to resume my watching of the girls. It’s amazing to me the things they find fun. I hate running. They laugh and think it’s a game. Kids…


**

“Abe!” he waved me into his office, “You don’t have to wait outside the office like a kid at the principal’s office.” He chuckled as he pointed me to the chair in front of his desk. “Make yourself a home.”

“So, what do I do?” I’m not much for beating around the bush, so I just bluntly ask. I was always so good at playing the village idiot.

“Well, seeing how the company pretty much runs itself, you main job is to make sure that we meet with the executives every Thursday. Today, being Monday, is usually when I go to one of our companies and just walk around to take a look at how everything is being run. I usually spend a time in the mailroom. Those guys know everything.”

He placed his elbows on the desk and leaned forward, as if he had a huge secret to tell me. He quickly glanced to his right and then his left, making sure that there were no eaves droppers standing in the corner of his private office, filled with only us two. “Abe, the biggest secret to running this business, is to not let people know who runs the business.” He leaned back in his chair and let out a sigh of relief.

“Get a lot off your chest there?” I asked him with a sarcastic grin on my face.

“You have no clue how long I’ve been waiting to get that monkey off my back.” We both chuckled at his revelation. “I know that you are unaware of a lot of the management side of things here, Abe. I’m going to teach you everything I know.”

“Can I ask you a question?” I asked Rick, as he nodded with approval. “Why me? I’m sure that I’m the least qualified person to handle this, but yet you chose me? Why?”

“Abe, if you ever question your ability in front of me again, I’ll fire you. I mean it.” I had a hard time understanding if he was kidding or not, but he sounded serious enough to me.

Note to self: Never, ever question the reason I’m here.


Looking at me, he slighted his head to the left and squinted his eyes. “Come here, you sexy Son of a bitch.” Rick stood up as I walked around the desk to meet him as we turned to stare out of the window of his high rise office. “Do you know what we do here? I mean, really? Did you really know what you did at your little cubicle, sitting next to Dee? What we do is not important. Our job is to make sure that other people think we know what the hell is going on.” He took a deep breath and slid his hands in his pockets. “We own this business; which owns about 24 other business; which own about 62 other businesses. We will never know what the hell is going on.”

“I see.” This is the version of me lying, because I don’t really see why I am needed. I almost feel weird that I’m here. I don’t like being a charity case and if I’m not going to be doing anything but collecting a paycheck, I don’t feel right about it.

“I know you don’t feel good about this arrangement.” He stood there in thought. He paused for a couple of seconds and then turned to face me. “Abe, who better to be here with me? You are a good person and you deserve this opportunity. Just hang in there and you’ll see that what you will be doing is more important than pushing papers and fetching coffee.” He chuckled and shook his head. “You are better than that, man.”
“So, where are we going today?” I asked him while I stood there staring at my reflection. I looked good. I liked it. I felt undeservingly deserving. I know it doesn’t sound right, but there we were, standing there like I belong.

“Really?” He turned to me with his nose scrunched up combined with the look of disgust and disbelief.

“Yeah, that just happened.” I replied without showing any emotion.

“What did you eat?” he asked as he fanned the air in front of his nose.

“Angela made enchiladas. I was impressed, but my stomach and asshole are very angry at me today.” Still standing there with a straight face, I turned to look at him.

“They aren’t the only ones who will be angry today. We have a meeting to get to and your ass is not invited!” He turned to walk away; still fanning the air in front of his face.

Following him to the exit, I asked him with a smile on my face, “So, are we going in my car or yours?”


Chapter 20

There is a funny thing about an expensive suit, a clean shave, and about 40 lbs. removed from your midsection. Maybe it was just me being optimistic? I stood at the end of the row of cubicles. Each one represented a sort of cage. A societal barrier with its own set of social laws, taboos, and hierarchy. I guess it’s possible that it could be believed to be more of anarchy from the view I have now. Standing here with my own cup of coffee, retrieved by some dumpy guy wearing a bland khaki ensemble of sweater vest and slacks, I could see the roles of society being played out as if I had behind the scenes access. I’ve seen this before. I’ve lived it.

Still, all of the characters are the same. Dee is still smiling and pulling down the skin below her eye to apply liner. Abu is still wearing his ridiculous yellow button up shirt that makes his dark skin look so dark that his teeth break the monotony. The office jerk is still dishing out high fives like he just humiliated the class nerd. The mid-forties black lady is still painting her face with orange lipstick and jaw-jacking with some obnoxious voice on end of the phone while she flings her hands and rolls her eyes. Marla is still sending enticing messages to guys hoping to prove that she is a much sexier person than her muffin-top feet suggest.

Where the hell is this cookie cutter people factory? It’s producing one person after the next; carbon copies of assholes, nerds, bitches, and the invisible.

The sounds of the office bring a stir of disgust within my throat. Copy machines, printers, small chatter, phones ringing; all playing in this symphony of middle class machinery. The machine that keeps the business afloat, putting dollar after dollar in the 7 digit account numbers of our executives. My account included.

Pacing around the office, I make a point to revisit my potential Saviors