A dancing monkey, p.7
A Dancing Monkey, page 7
After we make it out into the parking lot, I rush into my car, and take off before he can make any exposition about it.
I keep checking my rear-view mirrors for him.
This is unbelievable! My verdict is in for this asshole: scumbag player to the highest degree! I’ve got to tell Liz what she’s going to be in for with this Hunter guy.
-Chapter 11-
Whenever I need to cope with stress, I usually find myself doing sit-ups. It keeps my gut in decent shape and tends to calm me down relatively fast. I must be very stressed right now, because I’ve lost count of my repetitions. Cookie is watching me as I sweat away doing my exercise on the living room floor. From the corner of my eye, I notice she’s tilting her head back and forth wondering what’s wrong. My murmuring of Hunter would be a good hint to anyone that I’m upset.
“Who the hell does he think he is, hitting on her friends like that, Cookie!” I shout. “I wonder how many other women he’s been flirting with! He barely met me and he was already fantasizing about me. What a filthy pig, you know?!” I turn to Cookie as she lowers her head on the sofa with a whiny sound followed with a light bark in what I assume is agreement with my tangent.
“Exactly. He isn’t good for her at all. Especially if she’s deciding to settle down and stuff.” I affirm with a shortness of breath resting my head on my blue yoga mat. As I lay here, I stare up at the white ceiling. My vision darts back and forth at the grains of the stucco.
My head slowly becomes blank as I relax my muscles.
“But still, Hunter seems to be making Liz happy. Maybe I just wanted him to seem like a player today. Perhaps everything he said, I’m just taking way out of context.” I continue talking to myself.
I continue contemplating what should be done as my eyes are fixed straight up. Maybe I’m just sore because the advice I’ve given Ethan is pretty much useless now.
The sight of the ceiling textures reminds me of the images back in middle school that Gabi always loved to show me. They were just a jumbled mess, but she said if you crossed your eyes in a certain way, you’d eventually see a three-dimensional object. I was never able to do what Gabi described until now. I could almost see the grains and details of the ceiling meld together to make out an image of a person: a young man.
As seconds go by, the apparition becomes more lucid. I somehow recognize him but at the same time, I know I’ve never seen this person before. Or have I? What’s going on with me? Was this… Jon? Is this my mind’s manifestation of Jon? Is Jon trying to tell me something? Something I need to pass onto Liz? She’s making a terrible mistake, isn’t she?
“I should have done more to keep my friend from this danger. I stayed in the background since I didn’t care anymore. My best friend was left brokenhearted and all alone.” These words come into my head slowly and softly like flowing magma. They stay puddled in my mind so that I can hear them again and again. “I could have done something… anything… but I didn’t.”
What will Liz do when Hunter leaves her for someone else? What if she finds him sneaking around with someone else? She wouldn’t hurt herself, would she? Especially if she decides that he’s the one to settle down for.
My eyes slowly close to calm the voices from Jon lecturing me and from my own conscience. Then, there’s just silence. My vision goes black with my heartbeat racing. The weight of the world seemed to be pressing down on me, and then…
I’m pulled back to reality in an instant as I feel a tiny rush of air on my right cheek. My eyes open wide.
Cookie is sniffing at the side of my head!
I cringe my face and reach my hand up to rub the back of her ears. She’s so adorable, looking out for me. Making sure I don’t pass out on the floor. I wasn’t drinking water and my head is all out of tune.
“Hey there, girl. I’m okay. I’m okay.” I try to assure her with a giggle.
I get back on my feet, roll up my yoga mat, and shove it behind the couch. After a quick shower, I dry off and return to the bed where the diary is calling out to me.
“Let’s see how Jon is coping with the loss of Ryan. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to talk sense into Liz so that she won’t become my Ryan.” I say jumping onto the sheets.
I flip open the leather cover to find the lace marking my spot between the pages. Just as I turn to the latest entry, I pause. My eyes quickly shift to the side while I think over what happened this week so far.
“Hm hmm…” I hum to myself as I hop off the bed and retrieve my phone from the bathroom.
As I return to the bed, my fingers open up an application. The weekly planner was something I used often when I was bombarded with issues and challenges during the busy season. Making lists and schedules on my phone has been a lifesaver. Thankfully I never lost my phone, or I’d be screwed and have to play everything by sheer memory.
I open up the app this week. Each day had an item I was supposed to take care of. None of it matters anymore since I’m no longer employed to do it. I shake my head as my finger hits the “delete all info” option.
Now that the week is blank, I go to the Monday when I found the diary at the park and put “Found Jon’s diary.”
Tuesday, I write a couple lines about my first time reading an entry. “Jon’s dog dies,” Followed by “Cookie almost gets killed by a passing bus.”
Wednesday, I put “Read entry about Jon meeting Jane” followed by “Talk with Ethan about Liz.”
And now, Thursday. Something that happened in the diary was “Jon’s friend Ryan becomes obsessed with his girlfriend, Kathy”. In my own real-time, my friend “Liz is planning to settle down with Hunter.”
But...in the diary, Kathy ends up cheating on Ryan. This sends him into a series of events that ultimately cost him his life. But out here, I get a clear perspective on this Hunter guy.
As I stare down at my phone, I can see each event correlating with every time I would read in Jon’s diary. A strange feeling of excitement crawls up my spine when I turn my attention back to the diary laying on my pillow: is this diary foretelling the future for me? It’s as though my life is some kind of reincarnation of Jon’s. It’s like I’m witnessing what he has witnessed! But Jon used this diary as a way to outlet the worst part of life, his worst tragedies.
Jon’s giving me a chance to not suffer what he regrets having to go through. Well I’m not going to let my best friend get in too deep with this fuck-boy and-!
My thoughts are cut short by a ringtone.
It’s Liz. She probably wants a debriefing on the meeting. She loves knowing what I think, she can fish and listen for compliments for hours. Sorry...not this time, Liz.
I slowly swipe my thumb to answer the call. “Hey Liz.” I say in monotone, hoping she’d notice.
“Isn’t he gorgeous?” Liz celebrates, with her upbeat high-pitched giggle.
“Uh, yeah. He’s handsome. But Liz, I don’t really think that...”
“I know, I know! He can be a little forward or direct sometimes. He’s definitely not afraid of going for what he wants, if you know what I mean.” Liz speaks with a joking attitude. She’s denoting Hunter as positively aggressive and confident, even in a sexual way. This makes my gag a little in my mind.
“Liz, hold on! I need you to listen to me.” I reply with a stern voice.
“Huh? What’s wrong?” She asks with surprise.
“Look, you know I wouldn’t say or do anything just to hurt you. I’m really just looking out for you. You know that, right Liz?”
“Oh, uh, of course. But what are you talking about, Mel?”
“Look, I think it’s a good idea that you’re wanting to settle down. But I don’t believe Hunter is the right guy for you to do it with.”
“What? Why?!”
“Well, um.”
I stop for a minute as I think heavily about what I want to say next and how to say it. On one hand, I don’t want Liz to commit to a narcissistic playboy. But on the other hand, I don’t want her to have animosity towards me thinking that Hunter’s attracted to me, or vice versa.
It’s selfish, and she knows I’m her friend. But, I know Liz. She’s easily the jealous type. It shows every time she talks about the drama with each man she goes through. I don’t want to hurt Liz when she’s in such a great place. But, I’m her best friend. I have to look out for her.
“Liz, I think Hunter is a player.”
“A what?!”
“Your boyfriend made a pass at me when you stepped outside earlier.”
“Mel, that’s insane! You’re insane.” Liz’s voice turns defensive.
“Liz, I need you to trust me on this. He isn’t the one for you to settle down with.”
Liz goes quiet for a moment. “Well...what exactly did he do to you, Mel?”
“Hunter asked me out to a car show, saying you were bored of them. He called me a supermodel and wouldn’t stop staring at my breasts.” I slowly explain with my whole body tightened up.
“What the hell… Mel, are you just fucking with me? Are you trying to sabotage this now that I’m happy or something? I mean, what is this?” Liz gasps.
“Liz, no! Listen to me, this is not the type of man to settle down with! And who knows how many other women he’s done this to. You have to believe me.” I plead.
“I see… Hey, I got to go.” Liz says bleakly. I’ve never heard her sound like this before.
“Liz, are you alright? I’m so sorry.” I quickly let out with concern.
“Yeah, I’m gonna go. I just have to go make a phone call.” The coldness of her voice won’t let up; it’s like I’m talking to someone else completely.
“Liz, talk to me. Don’t shut me out, okay!” My high concern hasn’t let up either.
“Mel, I’m sorry I dragged you into this. Thank you for telling me. I’m going to handle this, don’t worry about me.” She says with some life in her voice again. “But Liz, wait a minute. What’re you gonna-”
“click”
I look at the screen: “Call ended with Liz.”
I sit back on my bed, taking in all that’s happening. I glance at my reflection in the mirror across the room, and notice again the monkey figurine; arms raised up and ready to dance. But he’s as motionless as I am. It’s like we’re both waiting for what will happen next.
I look back down at my phone and notice the screen reverting back to my planner. The app is on today’s date, still blank. I write in: “I told Liz that Hunter is going to cheat on her. She says she will take care of it...”
Knowing Liz and the way she deals with things, this may not be pretty.
-Chapter 12-
I’m trying my best to keep from reading any further into the diary. Demi’s coming home tomorrow. The last thing I need is having any new drama weighing on my head. Demi would probably think I’m a creep for keeping some stranger’s diary. Maybe I should just get rid of it. But then again, I’m in pretty deep with Jon’s story. I can’t just let go of it now!
For the rest of the day, I carelessly surf the internet on my phone, but the back of my mind is riddled with thoughts of Liz and Hunter. I keep wondering and guessing how Liz is planning to approach him with what I said.
I snatch up the diary and wrap the laces around the middle spine. After cracking open the cabinet door under my nightstand, I quickly stuff it on top of my other books and shut it tight. No one needs to know I have a prophecy book. I’ll keep it tucked away until I see what becomes of Liz and Hunter.
I reposition myself on the bed to where I’m laying flat on my back. In a matter of minutes, I’m out like a light.
Sleeping like a baby all the way up until noon, I get a rude awakening from my phone next to me. Without opening my eyes, I pull the phone up to the side of my head and answer.
“Good morning, babe!” My eyes open realizing it’s Demi’s voice!
I spring up out of bed, my hand clutching the phone. “Sweetie, hi!” I reply in shock.
“How have you been, Mel? Did I wake you?” Demi asks. It sounds like he’s outdoors somewhere. Wind and static can be heard around him along with other people shouting.
“Oh uh, yeah. I couldn’t sleep very well last night. Is everything alright there?” I ask as I sit down, collecting myself.
“Ah, I’m sorry, honey. I just got to the airport with my boss. But hey, listen, snow is really coming down heavy here. They’re saying the storm may be getting worse.” Demi tries to explain but interference keeps causing his voice to cut in and out.
“Oh God, you’re in a snowstorm?! Get yourself inside.” I order him.
“Oh yeah, we’re heading into the terminal now. I'll text you as soon as I get any updates. We may need to stay here a little longer in case our flight is either delayed or canceled. Anyways, I gotta find a spot to charge my phone. I love you!” The call cuts out after a few short sounds of his voice.
I let out a deep sigh as I look around the bedroom. This place is a mess. I haven’t done laundry, glassware is everywhere, and the bathroom’s cluttered with all my make up and more dirty clothes.
I spend the next hour cleaning up the house in a hurried pace. It’d be embarrassing for Demi to see how much of a slob I am when I’m not working and left all by myself. The whole time my mind is wandering back to if Jon’s story has anything to do with Demi’s snowstorm situation. Or if there could be more on the aftermath of Kathy in relation to Hunter?
“Oh, what the hell!” I surrender, leaving the kitchen sink after I dry off the last dish.
I head straight for the nightstand as I pull out the diary. I turn and move out into the living room for a change, then sit on the couch curling up, my legs under me.
After unwrapping the lace from around the cover, I flip right to my marked spot where Jon left off at the bottom of the page.
Let’s see here… here we are: “all alone…” The feelings of sorrow and darkness come rushing back when I read that last line. I turn the page to the next entry, hoping it can maybe get a little better for Jon.
“August 5th:
Dear Diary,
My dad and I finished moving all of Ryan’s belongings back to his family’s home in Springfield. The long ordeal was more than I could bear.
It took longer than we thought due to the hurricane that hit on the way to our destination. We are determined to get his stuff back to his family as soon as possible. It is the least I can do for them.
My dad and I argue about how much of a bad idea this was. I feel horrible for having dad along with me, as I risk his safety along with mine. Whether it is a good idea or not, I still feel responsible for Ryan, I need to do this for his family.
The trip takes a turn for the worse when my dad decides to drive when I start getting tired. I suggest we just stay somewhere for the night. I should’ve demanded it instead.
It’s about one in the morning when dad lost control of the wheel and we veer off the road. Heavy rains and winds on a slippery road made it hard for anyone to keep control. Luckily, a tree stopped us just before we could go tumbling off the side of the mountain.
The rental truck’s front end was trashed. I didn’t get hurt much, just some cuts and scrapes. Dad ended up with a broken leg. We were about an hour from the nearest town. The police and rescue team came as fast as they could. Dad kept awake claiming it didn’t hurt so bad. I couldn’t stop sobbing. The paramedics said we were lucky, and that dad’s going to be fine. There was so much blood.” We were both airlifted to the hospital by helicopter.”
“You gotta be kidding me, there’s a storm here too! I could have just predicted that Demi wasn’t flying anywhere today.”
The sound of my phone buzzing with Demi’s text tone can be heard from the bedroom. I drop the diary and rush to get it. “Hey babe. We’re going to try taking a rental car home instead, the snow has stopped all flights going in and out of this airport.” Reading Demi’s text sparks a rush of adrenaline in my head. I quickly text back. I can’t let him attempt something like this!
After what seems like forever for him to text back, I just call his phone. Luckily he’s able to answer. “Hey! Listen to me. I want you to stay put, okay?” I shout into the phone at Demi.
“It doesn’t look so bad, I’m sure we can brave the storm.” he replies with a cheeky attitude.
“I know you’re brave, Baby. But I need you to trust me. Just promise me you’ll wait until it’s over, please!”
“Okay, okay, I promise, Mel. But I miss you and want to see you.”
“I want to see you too, Demi. But I got a feeling it’s very dangerous if you try driving home in a damn blizzard.”
“Alright, fine. I’ll let you know if there’s any updates here. I love you!”
“I love you too.” We end the call and my arm falls to my side still clutching my phone.
It worked again. I prevented history from getting bad, right? I shut my eyes tightly and I shake my head. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. It’s magic! Somehow, it’s all connected. Every time I read something from that diary, it happens in real life!
The second I open my eyes again, the sound of a helicopter flies over the house. It seems close like the traffic news helicopters. I let out a sigh mixed with a laugh. It’s like I’m in the future while I read the entries. But when I put it down, I see events unfold just like what I read. It’s like a little time machine. A time book. Two worlds running intertwined through space and time. This reminds me of one of Demi’s science fiction movies. Gripping my phone, I walk back into the living room to the couch. A huge smile of disbelief is plastered across my face as I sit back down and open the diary again. Let’s see another segment of our future. Well, Jon’s past, my future.
“August 15th:
Dear Diary,
Dad’s been complaining about how itchy his leg cast has been. I get a spike of guilt every time mom mentions it. We eventually got all of Ryan’s stuff back to his family.
I make it a point to call them as often as I could, just to see how they were doing. They’re still pretty torn up about it.”
