Friday, January 8, 2010

the everywhere of nowhere (pt 3)


The third man shakes his head in disbelief at Bumsworth. Horatio is pacing around. After a few moments he takes his pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and offers them to the gentleman. Bumsworth takes one while the other man politely declines. The three are silent, which agitates the third man, so he begins to tell his story.

“You know, I once spent 10 grand in eight days. 10 fuckin' grand. I spent it on coke. When I ran out of coke and money, I flipped out. I started pulling my hair out. I knew I had fucked up bad. I went out into the woods and lived there for eight months. It was just me and this bag.” He holds the bag up and shakes it at Horatio and Bumsworth. “I was all alone in the woods, just praying and thinking about what I'd done. I was waiting for God to tell me what to do. Now, I'm his servant.”

Horatio eyes the third man carefully after he finishes speaking. He ashes his cigarette, takes a drag, exhales.

“You remind me of a girl I knew from Illinois. She was wild and salacious and did crazy things like you. 'The time of the world will unwind', was something she used to say. Her mother was royalty but gave it up to become an actress. I too was once royalty. My ex-wife was the daughter of a king . . .”

Bumsworth interrupts Horatio before he can finish his reflection. This irritates Horatio and the third man.

“Royalty, eh.” Bumsworth begins. “I knew there was something about you I liked. When I saw you I thought to myself, Bumsworth, old man, there's something about that man over there, he's the type you need to become acquainted with.”

“I'm not royalty anymore. In fact according to her family and probably the rest of the country for that matter, I'm dead.” Horatio responds, contemptuous of Bumsworth's thin veneer.

“No matter my good man. You look to be doing quiet well for yourself, even if you are ex-royalty.” Bumsworth says, realizing he's annoyed Horatio.

The third man, with a shrug asks, “So what was it like being royalty? I bet you had everything you could possibly want.”

“I guess.”

“You must still be well off. I'd imagine they gave you a nice sum to disappear forever,” Bumsworth managed to interject.

Horatio remains silent, smoking a cigarette. The other two weren't willing to let this die.

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