Greetings, people, and welcome to another episode of "The Life of Oddley", here on the Blog. Now four weeks into our story, and I'm still not seeing comments or feedback, so please do so at the bottom of the posting and let me know how Oddley is doing.
If you remember last week, Oddley managed to escape certain death with the help of Dr. Milner. Soon enough, the end of the workday came and Oddley came home to find first Newshaw, who reminded him of his debt, and then Gilda, who invited him to a rehearsal of her brother Tuck's band, the Pickadillies.
Once there, Gilda stepped out of the room and Oddley found himself listening to some off-key singing from Tuck. Oddley decided he's had enough of it and asked to join it. He then sang his heart out and found himself invited to be a member of the band, which he happily accepts as the group departs.
As Oddley thinks his plans for the group, someone enters the room...
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It was the lovely Gilda, but not how she should look. Her hair was blonde and her clothing now reminded me of Willow, more skin then cloth. She was looking at me the same way Willow did, with those eyes which lets one know what's on her mind, that one thought I knew too well.
"Hello, Oddley." she said in a sexy voice.
"What's up with you?" I asked in the most innocent way possible.
"I need you." she said.
"For what?" I asked.
She then giggled as I came up with the answer. My mind then pondered if I should go for it or not. After a brief review of the following facts, that Gilda is my friend, and I had just joined her brother's band and have no idea of any reaction of my action from him.
"No thanks." was the answer the facts added up to.
What I hadn't counted on was that she was gonna get me, if I wanted it or not. She made a run at me and ran to the only safe spot in visual range: the closet. Once inside, I held a tight grip on the knob as she tried to follow me in.
My mind then turned to the obvious thoughts: how did she end up like this? I searched my mind for the cause. After a few minutes, my mind remembered the bottle of strange liquid I gave her. Those nympho-drops, I called them. They do work.
Eventaully, nympho-Gilda stopped her attempt to get at me and went away. I decided to wait until the drops wore off. That's one detail Dr. Milner forgot to tell me. As I stayed in that closet, I could hear the sounds of pure pleasure coming from outside. I knew it was nympho-Gilda giving herself love.
As I laid in there, my mind turned to Dr. Milner and wonder if she would notice that I was gone if this lasted for more than two days. I then remembered that she said she'd tested on herself. I then remembered that she hadn't told me when she did. Eventaully, my fury of thought arrived at Willow.
Nympho-Gilda's cries of sexual joy reminded me of the ones Willow gave that night we had. A few hours in my closet stay, my mind started to draw lines between Willow, Dr. Milner, and Gilda. The lines grew strongest around Willow and Dr. Milner, especially the similarities between the two.
Eventaully, my mind made an interesting link: what if Willow was Dr. Milner under the nympho-drops. It was an interesting theory and would explain why I seem to remember her when I saw Dr. Milner. It would also explain how she was able to direct to Dr. Milner when I was in the market for a second job.
I put my theory up against other explanations and found that Holmes' maxim left me with that theory. Eventually, night fell and I heard nympho-Gilda leave the house in search of victims. I decided that it was now safe to leave the closet. As I departed, I snapped my spine back and then made a quick trip to my apartment.
The next morning was a Sunday, so I decided to take the day off again. I thought over the events of me and nympho-Gilda. Curious, I decided to head back to her house. As I made my way over there, I wondered if Gilda had returned or I would open to be confronted by the nympho-Gilda.
As I walked in, I saw a very interesting sight. I saw Gilda laid out on her living room couch without a thing on. By the color of her hair, I could tell that normal Gilda had returned. Now, I had a situation: either to awaken her or leave her alone and reverse course and back out. That's what I did for the next two minutes.
Finally, I decided that I should inform Gilda about what happened yesterday. I walked quietly to her and touched her upon the shoulder. After the first touch, she remained asleep, so I tapped her again. That time, she stirred and opened her eyes to see my face looking down with a question on my face.
"Good morning, Oddley. What are you still doing here?" she said.
"Gilda, I hate to tell you but it's Sunday morning." I said.
"What happened?" she asked.
"Well, first thing I should mention to you is that your body is in the state of being uncovered." I said.
She then looked at herself and discovered her undressed state. She then performed the same cover-up routine as she righted herself.
"How much did you see?" she asked.
"The whole thing. Nice curves." I said.
"Maybe you should explain why I'm naked first." she said.
"It begins with that bottle of strange liquid I gave you." I said.
"You said it was a medicine that Dr. Milner wanted you to test." she said.
"Well, I lied about that. It was some stuff I stole from the lab." I said.
"Stealing on the job? Did you do that at Easy-Mart?" she asked.
"No. It was just that Dr. Milner told me that she tested it on herself and she didn't want to discuss the results. They made me curious, so I poured some into that medicine bottle and took it with me." I said.
"And you gave it to me." she said.
"And you must have taken it when you left the room before your brother's band started playing." I said.
"I did, and the next thing I know, I'm right here." she said.
"When I next saw you, you were a sexed-up vixen, with only one thought on your mind." I said.
"We didn't?" she asked.
"No, I locked myself in the closet and waited until it was safe." I said.
"That's good to know." she said.
"I had dubbed that stuff you took nympho-drops." I said.
"Nice name." she said.
"Your actions yesterday reminded me of Willow." I said.
"The girl you had the one-night stand with." she said.
"I went through my mind and I figured out that Willow was my new employer under the influence of the nympho-drops." I said.
"You're joking?" she asked.
"I'm not. I have no evidence of my theory but it's the only explanation." I said.
"I can't believe I took that stuff." she said.
"Believe it or not, that stuff gonna help me with Newshaw." I said.
"You're gonna make him take it?" she said.
"No. My sister." I said.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Newshaw says that if he can get a date with my sister, he'll cancel my debt. Only problem is that my sister's a feminist and she views men as useless." I said.
"So, what's your plan?" she asked.
"I gave this stuff to my sister, and let the results give Newshaw a night on the town." I said.
"Are you sure that plan will work?" she asked.
"I hope so." I said.
Gilda quickly made her way to the bedroom and I made a bee-line for the phone. If I was lucky, Newshaw was home. I dialed his number and sighed when he picked up on the other end.
"Hello?" he said.
"Hello, Newshaw." I said.
"Oddley. What's up?" he said.
"Listen, I spent yesterday talking to my sister and I managed by some quirk of fate to have a date with you." I said.
"Are you joking with me?" he asked.
"No, I'm not. I managed to cast some spell over her and get her to agree." I said.
"Oddley, I feel your future getting better." he said.
"Susie wants to get this over with, so she scheduled the date for tonight." I said.
"That's fast." he said.
"Just being there at 7:00 pm sharp." I said.
"I will." he said.
I was nervous as me and Gilda made our way over to Susie's house. I had asked her to join me in this for I needed the back-up to go with the plan. We had spent the entire morning going over every inch of it and I was hoping that Susie would buy into the same story I gave Gilda about the nympho-drops.
"Good afternoon, Susie." I said as we entered her house.
"Good afternoon, brother." said Susie.
"Hello, Susie." said Gilda.
"Who are you?" asked Susie.
"This is Gilda Tucker, my new co-worker." I said.
"Gilda, for future reference, it's Susan. I'll take that from Oddley but not you." said Susie.
"Okay... Susan." said Gilda.
"Listen, Susie. I have something for you." I said.
"What is it?" she asked.
"It's... a new medicine." I said.
"Really?" she said.
"I've been asked by a friend to test it to see how it works on people." I said.
"Wouldn't he already know that?" she asked.
"She's only tested it on rats and it seems to work, but it needs a human response." I said.
"How much do I have to take?" she asked.
"One teaspoon does the trick." I said.
"When do I have to take it?" she then asked.
"Around 2:00 pm, and me and Gilda have to been there." I said.
"Why?" asked Susie.
"Because Oddley and I need to... record the results." said Gilda.
"I guess I can help you with that." said Susie.
The cover story seemed to have worked but we had to wait until 2:00 pm to see if the nympho-drops would work on Susie. It may have worked on Dr. Milner and Gilda, but hoping that the results this time would date Newshaw or take a crack at me or Gilda was a long shot. Soon enough, 2:00 pm and Susie poured out a teaspoon and downed it.
Gilda and me stepped to a safe distance and we watched a most unusual sight. First, she fell to the floor in a most painful way. Then, she rolled around on the floor, giving off a series of moans, groans, and spasms. After five minutes, my sister had transformed into a blonde nymphomanic.
"Success." I said to Gilda.
The new Susie soon got up and eyed the both of us. I could tell from experience that she wanted it bad. However, I had planned for it. I had made Gilda and me stand next to the closet. When nympho-Susie made a run towards us, I quickly opened the closet door and let her run inside before locking it up.
Then, the waiting. The clock ticked away the time between 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm very slowly. Gilda and me listened as the nympho-Susie screamed and ranted inside the closet, wanting the one thing on her mind. Finally, the time arrived and I was happy when a knock came to the door.
"Hello, Newshaw." I said with a smile as I opened it.
"Good evening, Oddley." said Newshaw as he stepped inside.
"Hello, Newshaw." said Gilda, with her hand on the closet door.
"Hello, Gilda. What's she doing here?" he said.
"Never mind. Now, my sister is ready but first, she wants you to close your eyes." I said.
"What?" he said.
"Don't ask why, just do it." I said.
"Okay." he said as he covered his eyes.
I quickly hid out of the way and Gilda, on my signal, opened the closet door and out rushed Susie and she rushed right over to Newshaw, hitting hard.
"Hello, boy." said nympho-Susie.
"Hello, Susie. I see you dyed your hair for me." he said.
"Well, you two enjoy your date." I said.
"I will." said Newshaw as he and nympho-Susie made their way out.
"By the way, is my debt to you over?" I asked.
"Consider it cancelled." he said as he left.
"Success. My debt is done and I owe him nothing." I said to Gilda.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"Of course I am. Imagine her shock when she wakes up with Newshaw. She'll never take that stuff again." I said.
"I hope so." she said.
"Don't ruin my moment." I said.
I first took Gilda home and then made my way back to my apartment. As I laid in my bed that night, I thought Susie out on her date with Newshaw. I also knew that my need to pay Newshaw was over and I no longer needed my job at the labs. I felt a giant weight had been removed from me.
I wondered if I should go back to Easy-Mart. I then remembered that Mr. Randall had given me three weeks of vacation time, based on my cover story for being out of the store for a few hours. As I awakened that Monday morning, I decided to continue my vacation.
I had two weeks of it left and I decided to spend it at home. As I was eating my breakfast, my mind reminded me of the nympho-drops. I had left them at Susie's house. Feeling great, I decided to head my way back there. As I drove my jeep into the driveway, I wondered if she was home.
"Come in." said Susie's voice when I knocked on the door.
"Hello, Susie." I said as I stepped inside.
"What happened?" she then asked.
"What?" I asked.
"Remember that stuff you had me take?" she said.
"Yes." I said.
"Well, I don't remember much after that. All I know is that this morning, I woke up with that Newshaw, in his place." she said.
"I see you made it out." I said.
"That I did." she said.
"Listen. I was wondering if I could have that bottle I gave you back." I said.
"You mind if I do something first?" she asked.
"I guess so." I said.
"I wanna take some more of that stuff." she said.
"Why for?" I asked.
"Because I felt great this morning and I wanna know what two teaspoons can do." she said as she grabbed the bottle off the table.
I watched as she downed those two teaspoons. I then watched as she transformed again, this time into something else. She was a beast. She looked over at me with those eyes. This time, no force on Earth could stop her from making me her next victim. I then made a reverse path out the door.
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More danger for Oddley. That's seems to be the pattern in his life right now: danger, followed by more danger, with a little music and fun mixed in. As you can read, Oddley is heading out the door. What he finds outside the door will be even more danger, music, and fun.
Next week, Oddley's run from Susan leads to a runaway housewife, who takes Oddley on a trip to a faraway place, where Oddley once again finds himself in the throws of certain death. It wouldn't be a cliffhanger without an element of danger.
Also next week, the blogseries will receive a change as the overall story becomes divided into serials, starting with next week's posting, which will be part one of "Stuck in Tulsa". This change is being done to make referencing things easier. All of that next week, on Thursday, September 1st, at 2:30 pm.
Until then, this is John Maxwell, saying, "You can't lead a horse to water, but if you can teach him to float on his back, you got something... "
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
The Life of Oddley - Episode 3
Greetings, people, and welcome to the third installiment of "The Life of Oddley". The last two installiment haven't received much praise, but I'm hoping that Oddley and his adventures will catch on.
Last week, Oddley was in trouble with Newshow over the $3,000 that was owed. Oddley had only 30 days to pay up. As it looked bad, in walks the lovely Willow, a sex-crazed blonde with only one thought on her mind. She manages to catch Oddley and bed him for a night. However, before she does, she manages to answer Oddley's problem concerning his debt by directing him to a science lab.
There, he meets Dr. Roberta Milner, who's in the market for a assistant and reminds Oddley of his one-night stand. Oddley gets the job at $1,000 a week plus bonuses. However, he must get out of working at Easy-Mart, so he talks Mr. Randall into giving him three weeks of vacation, just enough time to pay off his debt and then return to his job.
On his first day on the job at the lab, Oddley is called to assist on an experiment done on a muscle man to test a new formula for the space program to increase muscle. The formula works but Oddley takes advantage of the fact the muscle man is tied up and insults. However, this causes the muscle man to get angry and soon manages to free a hand to choke Oddley...
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With no way to voice myself, I tried hand signals to get Dr. Milner's attention but she was too involved with her clipboard. It's around then that the lack of air ruins my memory but I do know that Dr. Milner did notice my state and get the muscle man to loosen his grip on my neck.
"Thanks." I remember saying.
"Oh, dear. I guess this serum increases negative emotions in the subject." she said.
"I was helping, besides." I said, rubbing my nearly-broken neck.
"I guess we'll have to try again." she said.
"Let me help you." I said, making a rush to the table.
In my rush, I hit the table with some force and some of the beakers did a jump in the air, releasing some liquid into the air and onto Dr. Milner, leaving her a collection of various colors and such.
"Oops." I said.
"Oh, no. Now I'll have to de-con." she said, walking away from the table with a run.
I then followed behind with some speed, following her to an area of the labs marked "de-contamination showers" I only read that line after I was some distance in the room. It was pointed out once Dr. Milner noticed my presence.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Following you. I'm only doing my job." I said.
"I need to de-contaminate myself." she said.
"Well, go ahead, doc." I said.
"It'll required me to undress." she said with nervous voice.
"Go ahead. It's nothing I haven't seen before." I said.
"I'm asking you to leave." she then said.
"Are we embarassed?" I asked.
"I just don't like people seeing me... undressed." she said with a whisper.
"Don't worry. I'll look the other way while you wash and rinse." I said.
"Promise?" she said to me.
"Sure." I said as I turned away from her.
Of course, curiosity got to me and as I heard the rustle of clothing being removed behind me, my head turned just enough to catch a peek of the sight behind my back. Dr. Milner soon got down to nothing and I saw that she was nicely built for her size. I then turned back to avoid being spotted as she got into one of the stalls in the room.
"So, this is where scientists get clean." I said.
"That's right, Mr. Mitchell." she said as she turned on the water.
"Call me Oddley. You haven't call me that since I met you." I said.
"I'm a scientist. I must avoid informal associations." she said.
"I'm really a people person. I trust others by their characters, what I can see of it." I said.
"That's a bad thing to me." she said.
"Not to me." I said.
"Can't you be quiet. I'm nervous enough trying to shower with you in here without talking." she said.
"Okay." I said.
I then started to whistle a tune. Soon, the tune turned to humming and the humming turned into lyrics, which I began reeling off the tongue with ease.
"I don't need music." said Dr. Milner.
"I think music is very helpful. I have a good singing voice and don't wish to waste it." I said.
"Well, with me like this, I don't need any sign of others looking at me." she said.
"Really? I think you're good to look at." I said.
"How would you know that?" she asked.
"Because I've been in the next door stall for the last minute or so." I said, alerting her to my motion.
"Look away!" she screamed as she did the cover-up routine.
"You didn't object when I got here." I said, looking over the divide between the stalls.
"I'm very upset when people see me nude." she said.
"You've got a nice body. It triggers something in me." I said.
"Feelings of sexual lust?" she asked.
"No, feelings of memory, like I've seen that form before." I said.
"Where?" she then asked.
"I have no idea. It's slow in coming, pardon the word." I said.
"You're forgiven." she said as she uncovered herself.
"If we're gonna spend time together, we must get to know each other, even if you think it's worthless." I said.
"I'll admit it, you look familiar to me, too." she said.
"Then we're not strangers." I said.
"Could be." she said.
"I'll leave you to your wash." I said as I walked away.
That was one of the weirdest moments in my life. I'll never forget Dr. Milner's form, neither. The rest of the day was spent going over chemical after chemical, mixing and unmixing. By the time the end of the day came, I was ready to go home. However, my day wasn't over, for as I arrived at my door, I saw Newshaw.
"Good evening, Oddley." he said with a sneer.
"Hello, Newshaw." I said.
"I've been looking for you, Oddley." he said.
"You have? That's good to hear." I said.
"I checked the store and they said you were on vacation." he said.
"I am." I said.
"I thought you went into hiding and I was hoping to catch you in the act." he said.
"If you must know, I'm on my way to paying my debt to you." I told him.
"How?" he asked.
"By working at a science lab, $1,000 a week, plus bonuses." I said.
"Are you kidding me?" he said.
"No, I'm not. In a month, I'll have your money." I said.
"You know, you can still give me a date with your sister to cancel your debt." he said.
"I've decided to leave my family outta this." I said.
"I hope you're telling the truth, so I'll see you in 30 days with my money." he said before he left.
I then made my way inside my apartment. After the long day I'd had, it was nice to come home. As I was beginning to settle in, I heard a knock at the door. Quickly, I made my way over to the door and opened it to find Gilda.
"Good evening, Oddley." she said.
"Same to you. Please come in." I said as she did so.
"I came here to see how your first day at the labs went." she said.
"It went as well as it could." I said.
"Is that all you can say?" she asked.
"Well, I almost died today." I said.
"You did?" she said.
"I'll tell you one thing, I will never insult a muscle man ever again." I said.
"That's interesting." she said as she took a look around my pad.
"This is my home. This is where I spend much of my off-work time." I said.
"What's that on top of your TV set?" she asked, pointing to my unusual rabbit ears on my set.
"That's my super-receiver. A mix of hangers and foil, it can pick up signals from up to 200 miles away." I said.
"How did you come up with this?" she then asked.
"Trial and error, mainly error." I said.
"Listen, I want to tell you something." she said.
"What is it?" I asked.
"I want to invite you to attend my brother's weekly rehearsal at my house with his band." she said.
"Well, nice of you to invite me. I'll be there." I said.
"It's on Saturday at 2:00 pm. Be there." she said.
The next day soon arrived and I went to my second day at the science lab. As I entered the lab of Dr. Milner, I could see her going over some paperwork. I wondered to myself if I could keep up my routine for a second day.
"Good morning, Mr. Mitchell." she said as she noticed my entry.
"And a good morning to you, doc." I said.
"I hope you're ready for another day of science." she said.
"I hope so. Science is turning out to be very interesting." I said.
"That's nice to know, Mr. Mitchell." she said.
"I told you, call me Oddley." I said.
"I prefer a formal addressing." she said.
"And after I saw you in the buff yesterday. I've had dates that ended like this." I said.
"I don't care about your dating life." she said.
"If I'm gonna be working here, I would like to work as friends." I said.
"That may be your idea of working, but it's not mine." she said.
"I can tell that there's a warm person under that whole scientist thing." I said.
"Just help me with mixing a new serum." she said, walking up to one of the tables.
"I guess we can work like this." I said.
"Hand me that bottle over there." she said, pointing to an area with many of them at her table.
"Right, sir." I said, walking over.
Quickly, I grabbed a bottle of strange-colored liquid from the collection at Dr. Milner's table and handed over to her with ease. Dr. Milner then looked down at the bottle and quickly tried to hand it back.
"Take this away." she said as I took the bottle back.
"Why? It is what you wanted, right?" I said.
"I don't ever want to see that again." she said.
"A scientist having an aversion to a bottle? This is a note for modern science." I said.
"It's not the bottle, it's the stuff in it." she said.
"What's in the bottle?" I asked.
"It's... nothing." she said.
"Tell me." I said.
"Just get the bottle I asked for." she told me.
"Not until you explain this one." I said.
"It's... a rejected serum." she said.
"The muscle-building stuff?" I asked.
"That's what I mixed it for." she said.
"But what happened?" I asked.
"I decided to test it... and I found it was something different." she said.
"What was it?" I asked.
"I found that it... increases sex drive." she said.
"This stuff is a aprodashiac? Interesting." I said.
"The ultimate one. It turns one into a nymphomanic." she said.
"What did you test it on?" I asked.
"Myself. I don't remember much after that but I don't wish to experience it again." she said.
"Then I'll just put this back." I said, doing that action.
"Thank you." she said.
"Say, how much is a proper dose?" I asked.
"Of what?" she asked.
"That sex drive stuff." I said.
"A teaspoon does the trick." she said.
"Thank you." I said.
"You're not gonna drink it, are you?" she asked.
"If you're right, I wish not to. If you want my opinion, you should market that stuff. You could call it nympho-drops." I said.
"Just hand me that bottle right there." she said, pointing the correct one out.
"Here you go." I said, doing my task.
"Thank you." she said.
Let me tell you, that stuff that Dr. Milner hated caught my curiosity. A liquid that can turn someone into a nymphomaniac? That was interesting enough to me that, when Dr. Milner was busy, I took that bottle and poured some of the stuff into a small medicine bottle. I left that day with bottle in hand.
As I was driving home, my mind decided that I shouldn't keep my new find with me. I decided that I should give it to Gilda. I went through and remembered the address she gave me when she invited me to her house for the rehearsal. Once I remembered it, I then roamed around until I found it.
"Good evening, Oddley." Gilda said to me as I entered her home.
"The same to you, my dear." I said.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I know we've only been friends for a week and a half but I decided to bring you something." I said.
"What is it?" she asked.
"This." I said as I produced the medicine bottle from a pants pocket.
"What is it?" she asked again.
"It's... a new serum I've been asked by Dr. Milner to test." I said.
"How does it work?" she asked.
"It... improves your love life." I said.
"Why are you giving it to me?" she then asked.
"Because... Dr. Milner told me to test it on a woman and report back the results." I said.
"I guess I could test it for you." she said.
"Not now. Test it whenever you feel like it." I said.
"Thank you." she said.
The next day came and I went to work with the tune "Wildwood Flower" stuck in my head. I must have whistled that tune a dozen times that day. It annoyed Dr. Milner, who I took was not a fan of country and western music. At the end of the day, she was getting used to it a little.
Then it was Friday and I decided to ask Dr. Milner for the next day off so I could attend the rehearsal. She thought it over and decided that I could have the time off, if I didn't bring the "Wildwood Flower" back to the lab. I agreed but I must admite, I had my fingers crossed behind me.
Then it was Saturday. At around 1:30 pm, I left my apartment and made my way over to Gilda's house. When I got there, I found Gilda making some food for the group.
"Hello, Gilda." I said as I entered.
"Hello, Oddley. Ready for some music?" she said.
"I am." I said.
"How did you get time off from work?" she asked.
"If I promised not to bring a tune on my mind, I could have the day off." I said.
"That's you all over." she said.
As I was preparing to answer that, a knock came at the door. Quickly, I rushed over and opened to find four guys, carrying musical gear.
"Which one of you is Gilda's brother?" I asked.
"I am." said a man with a blonde mod cut and clothes to match.
"Then I'm Oddley Mitchell." I said.
"Tuck Tucker." he said as we shook hands.
"Is that your real name?" I asked.
"No, it's Owen, but only my parents use it." he said.
"Then Tuck it is." I said.
"Hello, Gilda." he then said.
"Hello, Tuck." she said.
"Well, we need to rehearse." he said as he lead three other guys into the house.
"Please set up." she then said.
And so they did. They did so for the next twenty minutes, just moving stuff in until their equipment was all in place and ready to be played. I saw a guitar, an electric organ, and a drum kit, all looking nice. I also learned that the group's name was the Pickadillies, and that was the spelling they had written on the bass drum.
"We're ready to rehearse." said Tuck.
"If you excuse me for a moment, I must freshen up." said Gilda.
"I wish I could." he said as she left the room.
"Until Gilda comes back, why don't I be your audience?" I said.
"That will be good enough." said Tuck as he headed over to where the equipment was with the rest of the group.
"First, I would wish an intro to the group." I said as I took a seat on a couch facing them.
"Okay. On that Gretsch Country Gentleman is Aaron Lewis. On the organ over there is Stan O'Reilly, and on those drums is Ray Goldman." said Tuck.
"And I guess you're on the one on that bass." I said.
"It's a Fender Jaguar bass." he said.
"That's a good model. Now, I ask the band to play." I said.
And so they did. They quickly launched into a redition of "Last Train to Clarksville". When Tuck began singing, my ears turned inwards, as his singing was a bit off key for a lead vocal. Stan provided harmony and his voice was better for the task. Halfway through the number, I'd had enough and decided to stop it.
"That's enough." I shouted, bringing the song to a stop.
"What's wrong?" asked Tuck.
"For one thing, my ears are ringing from the way you played the tune, which was great." I said.
"What else?" he asked.
"The way you sang was a little off." I said.
"I suppose you could sing better." he said.
"I can. I pride myself on my singing voice." I said.
"Then take the mic and give us a listen." he said.
"Okay." I said.
It was when I got up to the mic that I realized that I was being given a chance to show off my voice. Quickly, I remembered the lyrics and gave the band I felt was a good enough signal, which it was for they began playing. I then let loose the words the best I could. After a few lines, I heard Stan doing harmony along with Tuck.
Those two voices proved to be very good at the task. The band then showed off their musical ability on the song's bridge. I marveled at it until it was time to resume singing, which I did and found that these guys were just the musicians I needed for the band I've always wanted.
"You guys are great." I said.
"No, you are." said Tuck.
"How so?" I asked.
"Your voice is great. I mean, none of us can sing like that." he said.
"I knew that." I said.
"Say, how would you join our group?" he then asked.
"I've been waiting to hear that for ages." I said.
"Are you in?" he said.
"Yes. Now, let's play." I said.
"What shall we play?" asked Aaron.
"A little of my favorite band, the Byrds. 'Feel a Whole Lot Better'." I said.
"We know that." said Tuck.
"Then let's rock." I said.
And rock we did. Over the next hour, we did song after song. With each one, I got better along at singing with the group. Before I knew it, Tuck called an end to rehearsal and I watched them pack up and leave. When the band was gone, I had a moment to reflect.
I was now a member of a rock band. I was now traveling in musical circles. I then wondered if they were up to a task to learn the songs I knew best: country music. It was a sound I'd felt was coming into style and I had a chance to get in on it. After five minutes of reflection, I heard someone come into the room.
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It is nice to see Oddley avoid death itself. It's also nice to see Oddley have a dream of his come true but I wonder who's in the living room with Oddley? You'll have to find the old-fashioned way, by checking in next week to see who it is.
Next week, Oddley's living room visitor makes him inside the closet but also gives him the best idea ever, one that might lead to a bigger advanture then Oddley has ever known. That's next week, Thursday, August 25th, at 2:30 pm.
Until then, this is John Maxwell saying, if in times of hardship, you can hold your head above the crowd, you'll be taller than anyone else...
Last week, Oddley was in trouble with Newshow over the $3,000 that was owed. Oddley had only 30 days to pay up. As it looked bad, in walks the lovely Willow, a sex-crazed blonde with only one thought on her mind. She manages to catch Oddley and bed him for a night. However, before she does, she manages to answer Oddley's problem concerning his debt by directing him to a science lab.
There, he meets Dr. Roberta Milner, who's in the market for a assistant and reminds Oddley of his one-night stand. Oddley gets the job at $1,000 a week plus bonuses. However, he must get out of working at Easy-Mart, so he talks Mr. Randall into giving him three weeks of vacation, just enough time to pay off his debt and then return to his job.
On his first day on the job at the lab, Oddley is called to assist on an experiment done on a muscle man to test a new formula for the space program to increase muscle. The formula works but Oddley takes advantage of the fact the muscle man is tied up and insults. However, this causes the muscle man to get angry and soon manages to free a hand to choke Oddley...
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With no way to voice myself, I tried hand signals to get Dr. Milner's attention but she was too involved with her clipboard. It's around then that the lack of air ruins my memory but I do know that Dr. Milner did notice my state and get the muscle man to loosen his grip on my neck.
"Thanks." I remember saying.
"Oh, dear. I guess this serum increases negative emotions in the subject." she said.
"I was helping, besides." I said, rubbing my nearly-broken neck.
"I guess we'll have to try again." she said.
"Let me help you." I said, making a rush to the table.
In my rush, I hit the table with some force and some of the beakers did a jump in the air, releasing some liquid into the air and onto Dr. Milner, leaving her a collection of various colors and such.
"Oops." I said.
"Oh, no. Now I'll have to de-con." she said, walking away from the table with a run.
I then followed behind with some speed, following her to an area of the labs marked "de-contamination showers" I only read that line after I was some distance in the room. It was pointed out once Dr. Milner noticed my presence.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Following you. I'm only doing my job." I said.
"I need to de-contaminate myself." she said.
"Well, go ahead, doc." I said.
"It'll required me to undress." she said with nervous voice.
"Go ahead. It's nothing I haven't seen before." I said.
"I'm asking you to leave." she then said.
"Are we embarassed?" I asked.
"I just don't like people seeing me... undressed." she said with a whisper.
"Don't worry. I'll look the other way while you wash and rinse." I said.
"Promise?" she said to me.
"Sure." I said as I turned away from her.
Of course, curiosity got to me and as I heard the rustle of clothing being removed behind me, my head turned just enough to catch a peek of the sight behind my back. Dr. Milner soon got down to nothing and I saw that she was nicely built for her size. I then turned back to avoid being spotted as she got into one of the stalls in the room.
"So, this is where scientists get clean." I said.
"That's right, Mr. Mitchell." she said as she turned on the water.
"Call me Oddley. You haven't call me that since I met you." I said.
"I'm a scientist. I must avoid informal associations." she said.
"I'm really a people person. I trust others by their characters, what I can see of it." I said.
"That's a bad thing to me." she said.
"Not to me." I said.
"Can't you be quiet. I'm nervous enough trying to shower with you in here without talking." she said.
"Okay." I said.
I then started to whistle a tune. Soon, the tune turned to humming and the humming turned into lyrics, which I began reeling off the tongue with ease.
"I don't need music." said Dr. Milner.
"I think music is very helpful. I have a good singing voice and don't wish to waste it." I said.
"Well, with me like this, I don't need any sign of others looking at me." she said.
"Really? I think you're good to look at." I said.
"How would you know that?" she asked.
"Because I've been in the next door stall for the last minute or so." I said, alerting her to my motion.
"Look away!" she screamed as she did the cover-up routine.
"You didn't object when I got here." I said, looking over the divide between the stalls.
"I'm very upset when people see me nude." she said.
"You've got a nice body. It triggers something in me." I said.
"Feelings of sexual lust?" she asked.
"No, feelings of memory, like I've seen that form before." I said.
"Where?" she then asked.
"I have no idea. It's slow in coming, pardon the word." I said.
"You're forgiven." she said as she uncovered herself.
"If we're gonna spend time together, we must get to know each other, even if you think it's worthless." I said.
"I'll admit it, you look familiar to me, too." she said.
"Then we're not strangers." I said.
"Could be." she said.
"I'll leave you to your wash." I said as I walked away.
That was one of the weirdest moments in my life. I'll never forget Dr. Milner's form, neither. The rest of the day was spent going over chemical after chemical, mixing and unmixing. By the time the end of the day came, I was ready to go home. However, my day wasn't over, for as I arrived at my door, I saw Newshaw.
"Good evening, Oddley." he said with a sneer.
"Hello, Newshaw." I said.
"I've been looking for you, Oddley." he said.
"You have? That's good to hear." I said.
"I checked the store and they said you were on vacation." he said.
"I am." I said.
"I thought you went into hiding and I was hoping to catch you in the act." he said.
"If you must know, I'm on my way to paying my debt to you." I told him.
"How?" he asked.
"By working at a science lab, $1,000 a week, plus bonuses." I said.
"Are you kidding me?" he said.
"No, I'm not. In a month, I'll have your money." I said.
"You know, you can still give me a date with your sister to cancel your debt." he said.
"I've decided to leave my family outta this." I said.
"I hope you're telling the truth, so I'll see you in 30 days with my money." he said before he left.
I then made my way inside my apartment. After the long day I'd had, it was nice to come home. As I was beginning to settle in, I heard a knock at the door. Quickly, I made my way over to the door and opened it to find Gilda.
"Good evening, Oddley." she said.
"Same to you. Please come in." I said as she did so.
"I came here to see how your first day at the labs went." she said.
"It went as well as it could." I said.
"Is that all you can say?" she asked.
"Well, I almost died today." I said.
"You did?" she said.
"I'll tell you one thing, I will never insult a muscle man ever again." I said.
"That's interesting." she said as she took a look around my pad.
"This is my home. This is where I spend much of my off-work time." I said.
"What's that on top of your TV set?" she asked, pointing to my unusual rabbit ears on my set.
"That's my super-receiver. A mix of hangers and foil, it can pick up signals from up to 200 miles away." I said.
"How did you come up with this?" she then asked.
"Trial and error, mainly error." I said.
"Listen, I want to tell you something." she said.
"What is it?" I asked.
"I want to invite you to attend my brother's weekly rehearsal at my house with his band." she said.
"Well, nice of you to invite me. I'll be there." I said.
"It's on Saturday at 2:00 pm. Be there." she said.
The next day soon arrived and I went to my second day at the science lab. As I entered the lab of Dr. Milner, I could see her going over some paperwork. I wondered to myself if I could keep up my routine for a second day.
"Good morning, Mr. Mitchell." she said as she noticed my entry.
"And a good morning to you, doc." I said.
"I hope you're ready for another day of science." she said.
"I hope so. Science is turning out to be very interesting." I said.
"That's nice to know, Mr. Mitchell." she said.
"I told you, call me Oddley." I said.
"I prefer a formal addressing." she said.
"And after I saw you in the buff yesterday. I've had dates that ended like this." I said.
"I don't care about your dating life." she said.
"If I'm gonna be working here, I would like to work as friends." I said.
"That may be your idea of working, but it's not mine." she said.
"I can tell that there's a warm person under that whole scientist thing." I said.
"Just help me with mixing a new serum." she said, walking up to one of the tables.
"I guess we can work like this." I said.
"Hand me that bottle over there." she said, pointing to an area with many of them at her table.
"Right, sir." I said, walking over.
Quickly, I grabbed a bottle of strange-colored liquid from the collection at Dr. Milner's table and handed over to her with ease. Dr. Milner then looked down at the bottle and quickly tried to hand it back.
"Take this away." she said as I took the bottle back.
"Why? It is what you wanted, right?" I said.
"I don't ever want to see that again." she said.
"A scientist having an aversion to a bottle? This is a note for modern science." I said.
"It's not the bottle, it's the stuff in it." she said.
"What's in the bottle?" I asked.
"It's... nothing." she said.
"Tell me." I said.
"Just get the bottle I asked for." she told me.
"Not until you explain this one." I said.
"It's... a rejected serum." she said.
"The muscle-building stuff?" I asked.
"That's what I mixed it for." she said.
"But what happened?" I asked.
"I decided to test it... and I found it was something different." she said.
"What was it?" I asked.
"I found that it... increases sex drive." she said.
"This stuff is a aprodashiac? Interesting." I said.
"The ultimate one. It turns one into a nymphomanic." she said.
"What did you test it on?" I asked.
"Myself. I don't remember much after that but I don't wish to experience it again." she said.
"Then I'll just put this back." I said, doing that action.
"Thank you." she said.
"Say, how much is a proper dose?" I asked.
"Of what?" she asked.
"That sex drive stuff." I said.
"A teaspoon does the trick." she said.
"Thank you." I said.
"You're not gonna drink it, are you?" she asked.
"If you're right, I wish not to. If you want my opinion, you should market that stuff. You could call it nympho-drops." I said.
"Just hand me that bottle right there." she said, pointing the correct one out.
"Here you go." I said, doing my task.
"Thank you." she said.
Let me tell you, that stuff that Dr. Milner hated caught my curiosity. A liquid that can turn someone into a nymphomaniac? That was interesting enough to me that, when Dr. Milner was busy, I took that bottle and poured some of the stuff into a small medicine bottle. I left that day with bottle in hand.
As I was driving home, my mind decided that I shouldn't keep my new find with me. I decided that I should give it to Gilda. I went through and remembered the address she gave me when she invited me to her house for the rehearsal. Once I remembered it, I then roamed around until I found it.
"Good evening, Oddley." Gilda said to me as I entered her home.
"The same to you, my dear." I said.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I know we've only been friends for a week and a half but I decided to bring you something." I said.
"What is it?" she asked.
"This." I said as I produced the medicine bottle from a pants pocket.
"What is it?" she asked again.
"It's... a new serum I've been asked by Dr. Milner to test." I said.
"How does it work?" she asked.
"It... improves your love life." I said.
"Why are you giving it to me?" she then asked.
"Because... Dr. Milner told me to test it on a woman and report back the results." I said.
"I guess I could test it for you." she said.
"Not now. Test it whenever you feel like it." I said.
"Thank you." she said.
The next day came and I went to work with the tune "Wildwood Flower" stuck in my head. I must have whistled that tune a dozen times that day. It annoyed Dr. Milner, who I took was not a fan of country and western music. At the end of the day, she was getting used to it a little.
Then it was Friday and I decided to ask Dr. Milner for the next day off so I could attend the rehearsal. She thought it over and decided that I could have the time off, if I didn't bring the "Wildwood Flower" back to the lab. I agreed but I must admite, I had my fingers crossed behind me.
Then it was Saturday. At around 1:30 pm, I left my apartment and made my way over to Gilda's house. When I got there, I found Gilda making some food for the group.
"Hello, Gilda." I said as I entered.
"Hello, Oddley. Ready for some music?" she said.
"I am." I said.
"How did you get time off from work?" she asked.
"If I promised not to bring a tune on my mind, I could have the day off." I said.
"That's you all over." she said.
As I was preparing to answer that, a knock came at the door. Quickly, I rushed over and opened to find four guys, carrying musical gear.
"Which one of you is Gilda's brother?" I asked.
"I am." said a man with a blonde mod cut and clothes to match.
"Then I'm Oddley Mitchell." I said.
"Tuck Tucker." he said as we shook hands.
"Is that your real name?" I asked.
"No, it's Owen, but only my parents use it." he said.
"Then Tuck it is." I said.
"Hello, Gilda." he then said.
"Hello, Tuck." she said.
"Well, we need to rehearse." he said as he lead three other guys into the house.
"Please set up." she then said.
And so they did. They did so for the next twenty minutes, just moving stuff in until their equipment was all in place and ready to be played. I saw a guitar, an electric organ, and a drum kit, all looking nice. I also learned that the group's name was the Pickadillies, and that was the spelling they had written on the bass drum.
"We're ready to rehearse." said Tuck.
"If you excuse me for a moment, I must freshen up." said Gilda.
"I wish I could." he said as she left the room.
"Until Gilda comes back, why don't I be your audience?" I said.
"That will be good enough." said Tuck as he headed over to where the equipment was with the rest of the group.
"First, I would wish an intro to the group." I said as I took a seat on a couch facing them.
"Okay. On that Gretsch Country Gentleman is Aaron Lewis. On the organ over there is Stan O'Reilly, and on those drums is Ray Goldman." said Tuck.
"And I guess you're on the one on that bass." I said.
"It's a Fender Jaguar bass." he said.
"That's a good model. Now, I ask the band to play." I said.
And so they did. They quickly launched into a redition of "Last Train to Clarksville". When Tuck began singing, my ears turned inwards, as his singing was a bit off key for a lead vocal. Stan provided harmony and his voice was better for the task. Halfway through the number, I'd had enough and decided to stop it.
"That's enough." I shouted, bringing the song to a stop.
"What's wrong?" asked Tuck.
"For one thing, my ears are ringing from the way you played the tune, which was great." I said.
"What else?" he asked.
"The way you sang was a little off." I said.
"I suppose you could sing better." he said.
"I can. I pride myself on my singing voice." I said.
"Then take the mic and give us a listen." he said.
"Okay." I said.
It was when I got up to the mic that I realized that I was being given a chance to show off my voice. Quickly, I remembered the lyrics and gave the band I felt was a good enough signal, which it was for they began playing. I then let loose the words the best I could. After a few lines, I heard Stan doing harmony along with Tuck.
Those two voices proved to be very good at the task. The band then showed off their musical ability on the song's bridge. I marveled at it until it was time to resume singing, which I did and found that these guys were just the musicians I needed for the band I've always wanted.
"You guys are great." I said.
"No, you are." said Tuck.
"How so?" I asked.
"Your voice is great. I mean, none of us can sing like that." he said.
"I knew that." I said.
"Say, how would you join our group?" he then asked.
"I've been waiting to hear that for ages." I said.
"Are you in?" he said.
"Yes. Now, let's play." I said.
"What shall we play?" asked Aaron.
"A little of my favorite band, the Byrds. 'Feel a Whole Lot Better'." I said.
"We know that." said Tuck.
"Then let's rock." I said.
And rock we did. Over the next hour, we did song after song. With each one, I got better along at singing with the group. Before I knew it, Tuck called an end to rehearsal and I watched them pack up and leave. When the band was gone, I had a moment to reflect.
I was now a member of a rock band. I was now traveling in musical circles. I then wondered if they were up to a task to learn the songs I knew best: country music. It was a sound I'd felt was coming into style and I had a chance to get in on it. After five minutes of reflection, I heard someone come into the room.
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It is nice to see Oddley avoid death itself. It's also nice to see Oddley have a dream of his come true but I wonder who's in the living room with Oddley? You'll have to find the old-fashioned way, by checking in next week to see who it is.
Next week, Oddley's living room visitor makes him inside the closet but also gives him the best idea ever, one that might lead to a bigger advanture then Oddley has ever known. That's next week, Thursday, August 25th, at 2:30 pm.
Until then, this is John Maxwell saying, if in times of hardship, you can hold your head above the crowd, you'll be taller than anyone else...
Thursday, August 11, 2011
The Life of Oddley - Episode 2
Greetings, Internet. Welcome back to the Blog and the second episode of "The Life of Oddley". Last week's opening posting hasn't gotten much response but if I keep going, I'm sure to get noticed for this.
Last week, we opened with Oddley introducing himself to the world as he recounted the day he met his new co-worker Gilda Tucker. We also met Oddley's frequent foe Thomas Newshaw, who talked Oddley into betting on a baseball game, a bet which Oddley lost a total of $3,000.
Newshaw then asks Oddley to pay up on the bet. When Oddley can't come up with the money, Newshaw decides to figure out a payment method. He comes up with one: a date with Oddley's sister Susan. However, Susan is a feminist and turns down the date, leaving Oddley with only 30 days to pay up.
We now read as Oddley continues from last week...
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All the next day, I kept wondering how I was gonna pay Newshaw in 30 days. I had spent six months collect the $1,000 the first time around. Over and over, I thought about any way I could get the money and they all failed. When the workday ended, I was only thinking about the time I had left to pay.
That night, I made my way to the Depot, to drink up and see if I could come with some more ideas on how to pay Newshaw. In my deep thinking, I failed to notice the entry of one blonde lady, making her way down the stairs with desire-filled steps.
Her very appearence is too much to describe in an objective fashion. 90% on her body was uncovered. For the time, it was very revealing. Every thing about her was geared to the sexual, even her eyes.
She had her pick of any guy in the place. That's what I feel. It was some strange quirk of fate that I was the one that she decided was up to the task on her one-track mind. In fact, it might have been the best thing to happen to me at that moment.
"Hello, big boy." she said to me in the sexiest voice I've ever heard.
"Hello." I said in a passive fashion.
"Don't talk to me like that, you." she said.
"Like what?" I asked.
"Like you don't want it." she said, putting her arms around me.
"Want what?" I asked.
"Sex." she said.
"There's a million things on my mind and not a single one of them is about sex." I told her.
"You're lying." she said.
"I'm not." I said.
"My name's Willow. What's yours?" she said.
"Oddley. Oddley Mitchell." I said.
"Oddley's a nice name." she said.
"Leave me alone. I don't wanna do anything right now." I said.
"I can change your mind." she said softly.
"I have to think about my problem without incident." I said.
"What is your problem?" she asked.
"I have to raise about $3,000 in 30 days or else." I said.
"I could solve your problem." she said.
"How?" I asked.
"There's this lab I... work at and one of the doctors there is looking for a new assistant." she told me.
"I don't know. Working at a lab." I said to myself.
"Come on, man, do me!" she said with a slight gruff.
"If I decide to join you in bed, will you give me the address of that lab?" I said to her.
"Yes." she said in a way that made my blood boil.
The words stopped soon after that and the both of us made our way from the Depot to my apartment. On the way, Willow whispered the location of the lab. That whisper was the last word I heard from her. When we got inside my place, she started on me like she wanted it so bad. I fell to her advances, for I needed a quick diversion.
The night with Willow remains etched within my memory. I don't know what it was but she struck me as a creature of pure sex drive. When I awoke the next morning, Willow was gone but she had given me two things: a night of wonderful sex and a chance to pay off Newshaw.
Once I got to work, I managed again to jumble the schedule so I could get some time in the afternoon to go to the lab. As I hobbled into work due to what happened with Willow, I tried to act as though everything was normal. As I started to work on the day's work schedule, I didn't hear the approach of Gilda.
"Good morning, Oddley." she said to me, causing to almost slip onto the floor.
"Good morning to you, Gilda." I said nervously.
"How was your night?" she asked.
"Just... interesting." I said, trying my best to remain standing.
"You seem a bit off today." she said.
"Listen, I've had the most interesting night in my life." I said.
"What kind of night?" asked Gilda.
"A night of utter passion." I said.
"Who with?" she said.
"Her name was Willow. She didn't give me a last name but she didn't need to." I said.
"How was it with her?" Gilda then asked.
"I forget how many times she actually did it. In fact, for most of the night, I just let her do me." I said.
"That must have been interesting." said Gilda.
"What's more interesting is that Willow gave me a clue in helping me pay off Newshaw." I told her.
"How did she do that?" asked Gilda.
"She told me about a job opening at a science lab." I said.
"One of those places that conduct weird experiments?" she said.
"That's right, and today, I'm going there to get that job. I just need to arrange the work schedule today so I can do so." I said.
"I'll help you." said Gilda.
"Thank you." I said.
Once I swung that, I headed over to the West Chicago Scienitific Labs, which was the place Willow had directed me. Over the trip to the labs, I remembered the rest of Willow's whisper, which told me of a Dr. Roberta Milner.
The staff at the labs once I arrived directed me to the lab of Dr. Milner. When I arrived at her office, I was amazed at the amount of test tubes, liquids, and what-nots around. Standing in the middle of the whole mess was a lone figure, wearing a lab coat. My brain quickly told me that I had found Dr. Roberta Milner.
Her face was buried in her work but I got a look at it. A lightly tanned face, surrounded by blackish-brown hair. Her brownish eyes was covered with a pair of glasses. As I was taking in her face, the sting of memory hit me. I had saw that face before. That sting told me that it was Willow but I didn't believe it.
"Hello, doc." I said, stirring her from her work.
"Who is that?" she asked around before stopping at me.
"It's me." I said.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"Mitchell. Oddley Mitchell." I said.
"What are you doing here, Mr. Mitchell?" she asked me.
"I'm here about a job." I said.
"Of course you are. I've been looking for an assistant since my last one quit." she said.
"What for?" I asked her.
"I have no idea." she told me.
"I see." I said.
"If you're serious about this, I need to see if you're right for the job." she said.
"What do I need?" I asked.
"Well, you need to take down whatever I say." she told me.
"I can do that." I said.
"You also must have a knowledge of science." she then said.
"I can do that, too." I said with a grin.
"And, most of all, you must be able to remove yourself from the lives of any experiment subject." she said.
"My best thing to do." I said.
"You're hired. When can you start?" she said.
"Monday morning." I said.
"Good. See you tomorrow at 9:00 am." she said.
"Okay." I said as I turned to leave.
Quickly as I could, I left the lab in a hurry. Over the ride back, I wondered about the job. I wondered if I should take it. Although I needed the money, I wondered if I could get away with it. After all, I may be a fan of science but not that much. I managed to return to the store with time enough to finish out my shift.
As I entered, I was still thinking over the job. I headed to the front of the store, where I took checkout stand number 1. With my luck, I found that Gilda had been given stand number two. As she finished with a customer, she spotted me.
"Hello, Oddley. How was your job interview?" she said.
"It went well. I actually got the job." I said.
"You have one problem, you know." she said.
"I know. Can I pull off being smart?" I said.
"No. The fact that you still work here." she told me.
"Simple. I'll quit my job." I said.
"You'll need this job when your debt is paid off." she told me.
"Do I? This job pays $1,000 a week, plus bonuses. Do I really need this job?" I said.
"You do. You can't fool the scientific community forever, Oddley." she said.
"Maybe you're right. I only need the money and once I pay off Newshaw, I'll need to resume my normal life." I said.
"So, how will you get out of working here for the time being?" asked Gilda.
"Simple. I'll ask Mr. Randall for some time off." I said.
"And he'll give it to you?" she said.
"He's being asking me to take time off for the last two years." I said.
"What a boss. By the way, he was looking for you while you were at the lab." said Gilda.
"What on earth for?" I asked.
"He wanted you to take that post for a few hours. He's expecting a large group today." she said.
"Well, I'm here, so I hope his queries are answered." I said.
"Not all." I heard the voice of Mr. Randall say.
"Hello, Mr. Randall." I said as he arrived at my post.
"Oddley, where were you?" he asked.
"When?" I asked back.
"Today, between noon and 2:00 pm. That's when." he said.
"I was... in the back." I told him.
"I was in the back looking for you. I saw you walk through the back door just a few minutes ago." he said.
"Okay, I was out." I said.
"Out, doing what?" he asked.
"Just... out... " I said, vaguely.
"You still haven't answered my question." he said.
"I was looking... into some vacation plans and I needed time to think." I told him.
"Are you looking into taking a vacation?" he then asked.
"I am. That's right, I am." I said.
"How much time do you need?" he asked.
"About two or three weeks." I said.
"Are you really taking a vacation?" he asked pointedly.
"Yes, I am." I said.
"Then you have it. When is your vacation?" he said.
"It begins Monday." I said.
"That's quick. Enjoy yourself." he said before he made a quick departure.
"So, you have your time to work at the lab." said Gilda.
"Now all I have to do is act smart." I said.
That was easier said than done. All the evening, I was practicing my smart routine for the scientist. She was smart, smarter than most of the women I have met in my life. It was a hard act to think about. If it failed, I couldn't go back to work quickly, lest I reveal the truth to Mr. Randall.
One week passed into another and I managed to make the new commute from my apartment to the labs. As I entered into Dr. Milner's lab again, I saw her going over some paperwork quietly. After a few steps, she took notice of my entry.
"Good morning, Mr. Mitchell." she said.
"And a good morning to you, doc." I said with a grin.
"Ready for your first day?" she asked me.
"As ready as I can." I said, still grinning.
"Good. To start, I want to bring me some chemicals from the storeroom." she said, handing over a list.
"I'll get right on it." I said.
I looked at that list. To this day, I couldn't tell you what any of it meant but I could those chemicals just the same. Following that, I watched her pour chemicals of every color and type into test tubes and beakers and whatnots.
After a few hours of passing whatever the doctor asked for, she lead me to another room. In this room, there was a muscle man, sitted in a chair. Next to him was a table with some beakers on it. I saw the doctor put a beaker on the table.
"Having a nice day, Mr. Bolo?" she asked the muscle man.
"Yes, Dr. Milner." he said back to her.
"Are you ready for today's experiment?" she asked him.
"As ready as I can get." he replied.
"This here is my new assistant, Oddley Mitchell." she told him.
"That's a funny name." said the muscle man with a giggle.
"Leave it alone, Mr. Bolo." she said to him.
"What experiment are we running here?" I asked.
"It's a test of a muscle building serum." she told me.
"He has muscles already." I said.
"This is to use in the space program for long duration flights." she said.
"I love those space flights. I hope we get to the moon by next year." I said.
"Calm down, Mr. Mitchell and watch as I inject the serum." she said.
"Right, ma'am." I said.
Dr. Milner then took a needle from the table and take some liquid from a beaker she'd brought with her. She then stuck that needle into a bicep of the muscle man and inject the serum in there. When she was done, she put the needle down and took a clipboard off the table.
"Now, I will monitor the subject for signs and you'll help by pointing those signs out." she told me.
"Whatever you say, doc." I said.
The scenes that followed would be funny, if my life weren't in danger. I looked over the muscle man and saw that he was strapped to the chair with the tightest restraints I'd ever seen. My mind, in its infinite wisdom, hit on something I'd wanted to do for a long time: mock muscle men.
"I see that this man is all muscle and no man." I said in jest.
I could see that my remark hit him wrong, so it only encouraged my behavior, as many things happen to do.
"Is that your head, or did your neck blow a bubble?" I said after I noticed the lack of hair on his head.
"Stop, please." he said.
"Why should I? You've never stopped for me after all that sand in my face." I said.
"I said stop." he said.
"You're nothing to me." I said, my confidence growing.
"I'm telling you... " he then said with a hint of anger.
"Any muscle growth?" asked Dr. Milner.
"I believe his biceps have grown a little." I said.
"Excellent." she then said.
I then continued my insults. I wish I could remember them but I know that each was a zinger. This went on for five minutes straight. The look on the muscle man's face grew angier with each insult I shot off. I should have remembered something about growing muscles and anger.
Then, as I was ringing off my best one yet, I heard a snap and suddenly felt my air intake go down. I then noticed that my neck was in the hand of the muscle man and his strength was interupting my breathing. The color was wrong but everything else was right on the money.
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It looks like Oddley is in danger of losing his life. Next week, Oddley gets his salvation from the muscle man, a conversation stirs up memories and Oddley gets a musical chance of a lifetime, but not before something of his design again comes back to haunt him. That's next week, Thursday, August 18th, at 2:30 pm.
Until then, this is John Maxwell, thinking about a man I once knew who drank furniture polish. It was a sad end but a beautiful finish...
Last week, we opened with Oddley introducing himself to the world as he recounted the day he met his new co-worker Gilda Tucker. We also met Oddley's frequent foe Thomas Newshaw, who talked Oddley into betting on a baseball game, a bet which Oddley lost a total of $3,000.
Newshaw then asks Oddley to pay up on the bet. When Oddley can't come up with the money, Newshaw decides to figure out a payment method. He comes up with one: a date with Oddley's sister Susan. However, Susan is a feminist and turns down the date, leaving Oddley with only 30 days to pay up.
We now read as Oddley continues from last week...
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All the next day, I kept wondering how I was gonna pay Newshaw in 30 days. I had spent six months collect the $1,000 the first time around. Over and over, I thought about any way I could get the money and they all failed. When the workday ended, I was only thinking about the time I had left to pay.
That night, I made my way to the Depot, to drink up and see if I could come with some more ideas on how to pay Newshaw. In my deep thinking, I failed to notice the entry of one blonde lady, making her way down the stairs with desire-filled steps.
Her very appearence is too much to describe in an objective fashion. 90% on her body was uncovered. For the time, it was very revealing. Every thing about her was geared to the sexual, even her eyes.
She had her pick of any guy in the place. That's what I feel. It was some strange quirk of fate that I was the one that she decided was up to the task on her one-track mind. In fact, it might have been the best thing to happen to me at that moment.
"Hello, big boy." she said to me in the sexiest voice I've ever heard.
"Hello." I said in a passive fashion.
"Don't talk to me like that, you." she said.
"Like what?" I asked.
"Like you don't want it." she said, putting her arms around me.
"Want what?" I asked.
"Sex." she said.
"There's a million things on my mind and not a single one of them is about sex." I told her.
"You're lying." she said.
"I'm not." I said.
"My name's Willow. What's yours?" she said.
"Oddley. Oddley Mitchell." I said.
"Oddley's a nice name." she said.
"Leave me alone. I don't wanna do anything right now." I said.
"I can change your mind." she said softly.
"I have to think about my problem without incident." I said.
"What is your problem?" she asked.
"I have to raise about $3,000 in 30 days or else." I said.
"I could solve your problem." she said.
"How?" I asked.
"There's this lab I... work at and one of the doctors there is looking for a new assistant." she told me.
"I don't know. Working at a lab." I said to myself.
"Come on, man, do me!" she said with a slight gruff.
"If I decide to join you in bed, will you give me the address of that lab?" I said to her.
"Yes." she said in a way that made my blood boil.
The words stopped soon after that and the both of us made our way from the Depot to my apartment. On the way, Willow whispered the location of the lab. That whisper was the last word I heard from her. When we got inside my place, she started on me like she wanted it so bad. I fell to her advances, for I needed a quick diversion.
The night with Willow remains etched within my memory. I don't know what it was but she struck me as a creature of pure sex drive. When I awoke the next morning, Willow was gone but she had given me two things: a night of wonderful sex and a chance to pay off Newshaw.
Once I got to work, I managed again to jumble the schedule so I could get some time in the afternoon to go to the lab. As I hobbled into work due to what happened with Willow, I tried to act as though everything was normal. As I started to work on the day's work schedule, I didn't hear the approach of Gilda.
"Good morning, Oddley." she said to me, causing to almost slip onto the floor.
"Good morning to you, Gilda." I said nervously.
"How was your night?" she asked.
"Just... interesting." I said, trying my best to remain standing.
"You seem a bit off today." she said.
"Listen, I've had the most interesting night in my life." I said.
"What kind of night?" asked Gilda.
"A night of utter passion." I said.
"Who with?" she said.
"Her name was Willow. She didn't give me a last name but she didn't need to." I said.
"How was it with her?" Gilda then asked.
"I forget how many times she actually did it. In fact, for most of the night, I just let her do me." I said.
"That must have been interesting." said Gilda.
"What's more interesting is that Willow gave me a clue in helping me pay off Newshaw." I told her.
"How did she do that?" asked Gilda.
"She told me about a job opening at a science lab." I said.
"One of those places that conduct weird experiments?" she said.
"That's right, and today, I'm going there to get that job. I just need to arrange the work schedule today so I can do so." I said.
"I'll help you." said Gilda.
"Thank you." I said.
Once I swung that, I headed over to the West Chicago Scienitific Labs, which was the place Willow had directed me. Over the trip to the labs, I remembered the rest of Willow's whisper, which told me of a Dr. Roberta Milner.
The staff at the labs once I arrived directed me to the lab of Dr. Milner. When I arrived at her office, I was amazed at the amount of test tubes, liquids, and what-nots around. Standing in the middle of the whole mess was a lone figure, wearing a lab coat. My brain quickly told me that I had found Dr. Roberta Milner.
Her face was buried in her work but I got a look at it. A lightly tanned face, surrounded by blackish-brown hair. Her brownish eyes was covered with a pair of glasses. As I was taking in her face, the sting of memory hit me. I had saw that face before. That sting told me that it was Willow but I didn't believe it.
"Hello, doc." I said, stirring her from her work.
"Who is that?" she asked around before stopping at me.
"It's me." I said.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"Mitchell. Oddley Mitchell." I said.
"What are you doing here, Mr. Mitchell?" she asked me.
"I'm here about a job." I said.
"Of course you are. I've been looking for an assistant since my last one quit." she said.
"What for?" I asked her.
"I have no idea." she told me.
"I see." I said.
"If you're serious about this, I need to see if you're right for the job." she said.
"What do I need?" I asked.
"Well, you need to take down whatever I say." she told me.
"I can do that." I said.
"You also must have a knowledge of science." she then said.
"I can do that, too." I said with a grin.
"And, most of all, you must be able to remove yourself from the lives of any experiment subject." she said.
"My best thing to do." I said.
"You're hired. When can you start?" she said.
"Monday morning." I said.
"Good. See you tomorrow at 9:00 am." she said.
"Okay." I said as I turned to leave.
Quickly as I could, I left the lab in a hurry. Over the ride back, I wondered about the job. I wondered if I should take it. Although I needed the money, I wondered if I could get away with it. After all, I may be a fan of science but not that much. I managed to return to the store with time enough to finish out my shift.
As I entered, I was still thinking over the job. I headed to the front of the store, where I took checkout stand number 1. With my luck, I found that Gilda had been given stand number two. As she finished with a customer, she spotted me.
"Hello, Oddley. How was your job interview?" she said.
"It went well. I actually got the job." I said.
"You have one problem, you know." she said.
"I know. Can I pull off being smart?" I said.
"No. The fact that you still work here." she told me.
"Simple. I'll quit my job." I said.
"You'll need this job when your debt is paid off." she told me.
"Do I? This job pays $1,000 a week, plus bonuses. Do I really need this job?" I said.
"You do. You can't fool the scientific community forever, Oddley." she said.
"Maybe you're right. I only need the money and once I pay off Newshaw, I'll need to resume my normal life." I said.
"So, how will you get out of working here for the time being?" asked Gilda.
"Simple. I'll ask Mr. Randall for some time off." I said.
"And he'll give it to you?" she said.
"He's being asking me to take time off for the last two years." I said.
"What a boss. By the way, he was looking for you while you were at the lab." said Gilda.
"What on earth for?" I asked.
"He wanted you to take that post for a few hours. He's expecting a large group today." she said.
"Well, I'm here, so I hope his queries are answered." I said.
"Not all." I heard the voice of Mr. Randall say.
"Hello, Mr. Randall." I said as he arrived at my post.
"Oddley, where were you?" he asked.
"When?" I asked back.
"Today, between noon and 2:00 pm. That's when." he said.
"I was... in the back." I told him.
"I was in the back looking for you. I saw you walk through the back door just a few minutes ago." he said.
"Okay, I was out." I said.
"Out, doing what?" he asked.
"Just... out... " I said, vaguely.
"You still haven't answered my question." he said.
"I was looking... into some vacation plans and I needed time to think." I told him.
"Are you looking into taking a vacation?" he then asked.
"I am. That's right, I am." I said.
"How much time do you need?" he asked.
"About two or three weeks." I said.
"Are you really taking a vacation?" he asked pointedly.
"Yes, I am." I said.
"Then you have it. When is your vacation?" he said.
"It begins Monday." I said.
"That's quick. Enjoy yourself." he said before he made a quick departure.
"So, you have your time to work at the lab." said Gilda.
"Now all I have to do is act smart." I said.
That was easier said than done. All the evening, I was practicing my smart routine for the scientist. She was smart, smarter than most of the women I have met in my life. It was a hard act to think about. If it failed, I couldn't go back to work quickly, lest I reveal the truth to Mr. Randall.
One week passed into another and I managed to make the new commute from my apartment to the labs. As I entered into Dr. Milner's lab again, I saw her going over some paperwork quietly. After a few steps, she took notice of my entry.
"Good morning, Mr. Mitchell." she said.
"And a good morning to you, doc." I said with a grin.
"Ready for your first day?" she asked me.
"As ready as I can." I said, still grinning.
"Good. To start, I want to bring me some chemicals from the storeroom." she said, handing over a list.
"I'll get right on it." I said.
I looked at that list. To this day, I couldn't tell you what any of it meant but I could those chemicals just the same. Following that, I watched her pour chemicals of every color and type into test tubes and beakers and whatnots.
After a few hours of passing whatever the doctor asked for, she lead me to another room. In this room, there was a muscle man, sitted in a chair. Next to him was a table with some beakers on it. I saw the doctor put a beaker on the table.
"Having a nice day, Mr. Bolo?" she asked the muscle man.
"Yes, Dr. Milner." he said back to her.
"Are you ready for today's experiment?" she asked him.
"As ready as I can get." he replied.
"This here is my new assistant, Oddley Mitchell." she told him.
"That's a funny name." said the muscle man with a giggle.
"Leave it alone, Mr. Bolo." she said to him.
"What experiment are we running here?" I asked.
"It's a test of a muscle building serum." she told me.
"He has muscles already." I said.
"This is to use in the space program for long duration flights." she said.
"I love those space flights. I hope we get to the moon by next year." I said.
"Calm down, Mr. Mitchell and watch as I inject the serum." she said.
"Right, ma'am." I said.
Dr. Milner then took a needle from the table and take some liquid from a beaker she'd brought with her. She then stuck that needle into a bicep of the muscle man and inject the serum in there. When she was done, she put the needle down and took a clipboard off the table.
"Now, I will monitor the subject for signs and you'll help by pointing those signs out." she told me.
"Whatever you say, doc." I said.
The scenes that followed would be funny, if my life weren't in danger. I looked over the muscle man and saw that he was strapped to the chair with the tightest restraints I'd ever seen. My mind, in its infinite wisdom, hit on something I'd wanted to do for a long time: mock muscle men.
"I see that this man is all muscle and no man." I said in jest.
I could see that my remark hit him wrong, so it only encouraged my behavior, as many things happen to do.
"Is that your head, or did your neck blow a bubble?" I said after I noticed the lack of hair on his head.
"Stop, please." he said.
"Why should I? You've never stopped for me after all that sand in my face." I said.
"I said stop." he said.
"You're nothing to me." I said, my confidence growing.
"I'm telling you... " he then said with a hint of anger.
"Any muscle growth?" asked Dr. Milner.
"I believe his biceps have grown a little." I said.
"Excellent." she then said.
I then continued my insults. I wish I could remember them but I know that each was a zinger. This went on for five minutes straight. The look on the muscle man's face grew angier with each insult I shot off. I should have remembered something about growing muscles and anger.
Then, as I was ringing off my best one yet, I heard a snap and suddenly felt my air intake go down. I then noticed that my neck was in the hand of the muscle man and his strength was interupting my breathing. The color was wrong but everything else was right on the money.
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It looks like Oddley is in danger of losing his life. Next week, Oddley gets his salvation from the muscle man, a conversation stirs up memories and Oddley gets a musical chance of a lifetime, but not before something of his design again comes back to haunt him. That's next week, Thursday, August 18th, at 2:30 pm.
Until then, this is John Maxwell, thinking about a man I once knew who drank furniture polish. It was a sad end but a beautiful finish...
Thursday, August 4, 2011
The Life of Oddley - Episode 1
Greetings, people. I know it's been months since I've posted something but I'm getting back to the blog. It's just my nature to leave things along for long periods of time. It's just how I am. Anyway, today I'm beginning a new feature here on the blog. It's a weekly literary serial called "The Life of Oddley". It's the adventures of a supermarket worker back in the late 1960s.
I originally planned this as a short four-part adaptation of the outline I showed you at the beginning of the year, but I soon fell for the story and decided to press forward from the four parts that would have been the story into a part five and a part six and so on and so forth. Something short and sweet becoming something long is how many of my stories turn out.
"Life in Hyperion" began that way, too. By the way, I will bring that back on the blog as a 13-part short story serial in the fall. I've been refining it since last year's daily serialblog and I hope that it'll be better this time around. If you like it in the new form, I may keep bringing back Cy and Conrad from time to time, in whatever form you or I want.
I'm running away with this, so let me set up the new serial here on the blog. It begins in the month of April back in the year of 1968. I'll let Oddley give you the rest...
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My story begins on April 3rd, 1948 in the Cook County Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. As I lay in my post-birth hospital bed, a nurse looked over the bundle of joy that had been delivered at 6:07 am that morning.
That nurse turned to another and described this baby as, in her words, "Looking oddily." My mother overheard this nurse and felt that this nurse was giving name instead of giving opinion, and so bestowed that name on her newborn, spelling it O-D-D-L-E-Y.
She used her original choice as my middle name and so I was given the moniker of Oddley James Mitchell. I could give you many novels' worth of my life story, but I will only give a tale that began twenty years after I was born, my tale to give, as another writer spoke.
It started at the the Easy-Mart store, numbered 7 in the chain of 17 stores, spread across northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. I was in a corner of the store, stacking cans into that well-known circular pyramid.
I was minding my business when I felt two people come up behind me. I turned up and around to get a look at them. One was my boss, Mr. Randall, a man who's balding with a ring of salt-and-pepper hair, wearing glasses and a business suit.
The other was a young woman, twirling away on her swept-up long reddish hair, chewing away on a piece of gum, her face carrying a look on very indifference about her job, framing by hoop earrings.
"Good morning, Mr. Randall." I said with a smile.
"Hello, Oddley. This is Gilda Tucker, our newest employee." said Mr. Randall.
"Hello, Gilda." I said, extending my hand.
"Nice to meet you." said Gilda, taking my hand and giving it a shake.
"Oddley, I want you to take Gilda on a tour of the store." said Mr. Randall.
"Yes, sir." I said.
"If you excuse me... " said Mr. Randall as he leaves us.
"Oddley... what an interesting name." said Gilda.
"It's spelled O-D-D-L-E-Y, if you must know." I said.
"Can I have my tour now?" asked Gilda.
I gave her the tour, with stops in the produce section, loaded with the best in fruits and veggies. The meat section, with two of the finest butchers I've ever known, and the only two. I also gave her a run-down on the checkout lanes, all three of them. I soon learned that checkout lane number two was her post in the store.
"I hope that this will be wonderful for you." I said as Gilda took her post.
"I will. I'm only working here because my brother's musical dreams are too much for him to get employed." said Gilda.
"I'm musical myself, with my beautiful singing voice." I told her.
"Well, I just hope you're easier to live with." said Gilda.
"Same here. I also have sibling trouble." I said.
"Which kind?" asked Gilda.
"An older sister, drowning in women's lib." I said.
"Anything else I should know?" asked Gilda.
"Nothing much." I said.
Just then, a figure walked his way into the store. He's Thomas Newshaw, an old friend of mine. I knew it was him because I knew his look, the expensive suit, the unshaven face, the slightly unruly brownish hair, and overall demeaner.
"Hello there, Oddley." he said as he made his way toward me.
"Hello, Newshaw." I said coldly.
"Now, is that any way to treat a trusted friend?" he asked.
"It depends on why you're here." I said.
"I'm here on an opprotunity of sorts." he said.
"Explain yourself." I said.
"There's a big game tomorrow between the White and Red Soxs." he said.
"You're betting on the game?" I asked him.
"No, you are." he said.
"Good luck, with the winning streak the Red Sox have been on." said Gilda.
"Who is this?" he then asked.
"This is Gilda Tucker, our store's newest employee." I said.
"Nice to meet you. So, Oddley, you in?" said Newshaw.
"For how much?" I asked.
"The initial amount, times three." he replied.
"Why the times three?" I asked.
"Because I feel I should give your money a chance." he said.
"I'll tell you what, I'll put in my savings as the bet." I said.
"On which team?" he asked.
"The hometown team." I said.
"How much have you in savings?" he then asked.
"About $1,000 in all." I told him.
"Nice doing business with you." he said, before making his departure.
"I shouldn't have bet on the White Sox. You know they're gonna lose." said Gilda.
I should have yielded her warning but he told me that it was a sure bet I was making. It should, for I have bet my savings three times over.
The next day came and I managed to fix the work schedule so I could watch the game in the back of the store. The game began and quickly, the Red Sox scored a home run and the first lead.
I watched, inning by inning, the Red Sox making score after score until the final out. The score was enough that the White Sox, who had the final turn at bat, could pull a win and win me $3,000.
Sadly, the man stood, swung, and missed all three times. The game ended with the Red Sox taking the win. As the game ended, I heard the phone in the back room ring. I got up from my chair and answered it.
"Hello, Oddley." said the voice of Newshaw at the other end.
"Hello, Newshaw. You didn't watch the game just now?" I said, nervously.
"I did, and you owe me $3,000 in cash." said Newshaw.
"Take a check?" I asked.
"I want my money in the form I like." said Newshaw.
"I'll get right on it." I said.
"I'll be there tomorrow to collect." said Newshaw, who then hung up.
Sure enough, the next day came and so did Newshaw. He came in as I was beginning a shift at checkout lane number one, the express lane.
"Hello, Newshaw." I said as he walked up.
"Hello, Oddley. Have my money?" said Newshaw.
"Do I?" I said back to him.
"Don't get funny. You own me $3,000 in cash." he said.
"You know that I don't have that." I said.
"I knew that when you made the bet." he said.
"And you still let me make it anyway. Typical you, Newshaw. That's how you made all that money in high school." I said.
"I don't regret it." he said.
"I do. Some of it was mine." I said to him.
"Pay up, Oddley." he said.
"No way, you nuncluck." I said.
"I could have you killed." he then said.
"But then you wouldn't get your money and you don't have the means." I said.
"Tell you what. I'll just let you come with the method of payment and I'll see if I like it when I see you tomorrow." said Newshaw, who then left.
"What a guy he is." said the voice of Gilda behind me.
"Well, I've known him for half a decade and we still haven't warmed up to each other as friends should." I said.
"What method are you gonna use to pay him?" she then asked.
"I have no idea." I said.
It was true. I had no idea how I was gonna pay Newshaw the money, for I didn't have it or a means of getting it. I spent the rest of my workday with my brain working on the problem. By the end of the day, I was no closer to a solution than before.
That night, I decided to take Gilda to one of my favorite places, as a favor to a new friend to show her what her fellow employees, or at least one of them, does after work. That place was Harriet's Depot, an underground bar two buildings down from my apartment complex.
The name refers back to the underground railroad and Harriet Tubman. The place is located in a large basement, complete with bar and small stage for the latest in Chicago music to perform. As Gilda decended with me that night into the Depot, I could tell that she was a little nervous about this.
"I don't know about this." said Gilda as we reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Trust me. I've been here many times." I said.
"To do what?" asked Gilda as we reached the bar.
"To drink." I said.
"How old are you?" she then asked.
"Old enough to drink." I said, leaving it at that.
"Okay." she said as we took our seats.
"Good evening, you two. What do you want?" said a bartender as he walked up.
"Two beers, please." I said.
"Two beers, coming up." said the bartender, walking away.
"Nice place." said Gilda.
"Just another bar for the young people." I said.
"How long have you been coming here?" asked Gilda.
"For the last two years, since I moved into my apartment. They serve a mighty fine beer here." I said.
"I hope so." she said.
"Always." I said.
"Good evening, Oddley." said the voice of Newshaw behind me.
"And a good evening to you, Newshaw." I said as I turned around.
"Nice to see you out and about." said Newshaw.
"Cut it out, Newshaw. I still don't have your money or a payment plan." I said as I then turned back around.
"Oddley, believe it or not, I'm here to help you." said Newshaw as he took the stool next to me and Gilda.
"I don't believe it." I said.
"Oddley, I'm gonna help you in your thought process for a way to pay me your debt. A helping hand, so to speak." said Newshaw.
"How can you help?" I asked.
"By giving me what means you have to pay me and I'll run them over tonight and give you the answer tomorrow, instead of the other way around." said Newshaw.
"What if I could come up with something that would cancel my debt?" I asked him.
"Then I would cancel your debt, but only if it was something worthwhile." said Newshaw.
"A challenge, but one I can meet." I said.
"What could you give me that would cancel your debt?" asked Newshaw.
"There's the challenge, isn't it? Now, let me see... " I said.
"Maybe I could get my brother to play here." said Gilda.
"What kind of musician is he?" I asked her.
"He's a band musician." replied Gilda.
"What kind of band?" I asked.
"Not much. My brother plays the bass." she said.
"I see." I said.
"That's it!" yelled Newshaw after a minute of pure silence.
"What's it?" I asked.
"You'll found out tomorrow." said Newshaw, who then made his leave.
"I wonder what he has in store for me." I said to myself.
My wondering was put to rest the next day, as I was putting some cans onto a shelf. As I was finishing one small row, I heard the voice of Newshaw behind me.
"I think I found the means of cancelling your debt." he said.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Love." he said.
"What do you mean?" I asked as I turned around.
"I mean, a chance at romance." he said.
"Keep talking." I said.
"I mean a date." he said.
"I know you don't run that way." I told him.
"I mean, a date with your sister." he then said.
"You mean Susan?" I asked.
"The one and the same." he said.
"I know that I owe you $3,000 but to use my sister to cancel my debt?" I said.
"I know it's a little weird but I need a date and I hope your sister is up to the task." he said.
"I'm not gonna use my sister to cancel my debt." I said.
"I know you will eventually." he said.
"I should probably warn you. My sister has fallen into the world of women's lib." I told him.
"What does that mean?" he asked me.
"I mean, she's with those gals who believe that a man is as useful as a fish out of water." I said.
"Surely you don't mean that at all." he said.
"I mean it, Newshaw. She fell into that world two years ago and hasn't got back to her old self." I said.
"She used to be quite the dater. That's why I decided on that to cancel your debt." he then said.
"Well, you're barking up the wrong tree." I said.
"I'll ask her myself." he said.
"Suit yourself. She's making her weekly visit to my apartment tonight. Ask her then." I said.
"I'll be there." said Newshaw before he turned and left.
I know it was silly to agree to any of that but I felt that Newshaw needed to be lead like that. It was a bit of fun at his expense. Besides, I wanted to see my sister's face when she was asked by him, a person she didn't even consider when she was a sex kitten of sorts three years before.
Eventually, as it must, night fell and I was in my apartment, getting some dinner made. As I was halfway through the making of the main course, I heard the door open and I knew that it was either Newshaw or Susan.
"Good evening, brother." I heard a female voice said.
I knew then that it was my sister Susan. She's older than me by two years. Her hair is black, so is her outfit, which is both loose and form-fitting. In her past, as stated before, she was a sex kitten until women's lib got to her. Her biggest thing now is the time she's got without a man, current total four months, five days.
"Hello, Susie." I said to her.
"It's Susan, brother. Use it right." she said.
"I always call you Susie." I said.
"Still the male chuvanist, are you?" she asked.
"I won't answer that." I said.
"Of course you won't." I said to myself.
"What's for my weekly meal with you?" asked Susan.
"You'll see, Susie." I said.
"It's no use with you." said Susan.
"I miss my sister. She was a nice person." I said.
"I'm not dead." she then said.
"I don't know who you are." I said.
"Just keeping making your meal." said Susan.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. I abandoned my cooking and walked to my front door. When I opened it, I saw the smiling face of Newshaw looking back at me.
"Hello, Oddley." he said with the cheessiest grin in the world.
"Hello, Newshaw." I said to him as he walked inside.
"Nice smells." said Newshaw.
"I take it you're here to see Susan." I said.
"I take it right." said Newshaw.
"Well, she's the girl sitted on that couch." I said, pointing her out.
"Thank you." said Newshaw as he headed over her way.
I went back to my cooking but I was able to keep an ear on Newshaw and my sister. I can remember what was said, even now.
"Hello, Mr. Newshaw." said Susan as Newshaw sat down.
"Just Newshaw." he said.
"What are you doing here?" asked Susan.
"I'm here to see Oddley, see how he's doing." he said.
"That's nice to know. I'm beginning to think that Oddley cares more about work than his own needs." she said.
"Oddley's a people person. That's why he's so good at things." he said.
"Despite calling people that word he made up." she said.
"You mean 'nuncluck'? It's a use-all word, as he puts it." he said.
"Are you gonna stay for dinner?" she asked.
"It depends." he said.
"Depends on what?" she asked.
"On wheather you'll agree to something." he said.
"And what is that?" she then asked.
"A date with me." he said.
"No." she said.
"Maybe I wasn't clear." he said.
"I mean it. I have no use for any man. Men are useless for anything except the need to continue the human race and that needs to be looked into." said Susan.
"Maybe you need to be sure." he said.
"No way. I'm right in my thinking. Good day, sir." she then said.
I then heard Newshaw get up and walk quickly and angry footsteps into the kitchen.
"Oddley, you have 30 days to pay me or suffer." said Newshaw, who then left the apartment.
"The nerve of that Newshaw, hitting on me. He's useless, like every man." said Susan.
Susan had no idea that she had signed my death warrant. I couldn't tell her the truth. It would be awful and it would only further her point. That night, I could barely sleep, for every time I shut my eyes, I saw my funeral.
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That concludes episode one of "The Life of Oddley". I know that to some of you, this isn't much of a cliffhanger but rest assured, the following parts of the story will cliffhang correctly. I tried to do it right but I couldn't figure out a good way to do it, so I left it alone.
Next week on "The Life of Oddley", Oddley tries to find an answer to his problem with Newshaw, a chance enocounter with a beautiful woman leads him to one, but that answer just might lead to Oddley's demise, one of his own creation. That's on Thursday, August 11th, at 2:30 pm EST.
Until then, this is John Maxwell, saying, "If at first, you don't success, give up, no need to be a spoilsport about it."
I originally planned this as a short four-part adaptation of the outline I showed you at the beginning of the year, but I soon fell for the story and decided to press forward from the four parts that would have been the story into a part five and a part six and so on and so forth. Something short and sweet becoming something long is how many of my stories turn out.
"Life in Hyperion" began that way, too. By the way, I will bring that back on the blog as a 13-part short story serial in the fall. I've been refining it since last year's daily serialblog and I hope that it'll be better this time around. If you like it in the new form, I may keep bringing back Cy and Conrad from time to time, in whatever form you or I want.
I'm running away with this, so let me set up the new serial here on the blog. It begins in the month of April back in the year of 1968. I'll let Oddley give you the rest...
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My story begins on April 3rd, 1948 in the Cook County Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. As I lay in my post-birth hospital bed, a nurse looked over the bundle of joy that had been delivered at 6:07 am that morning.
That nurse turned to another and described this baby as, in her words, "Looking oddily." My mother overheard this nurse and felt that this nurse was giving name instead of giving opinion, and so bestowed that name on her newborn, spelling it O-D-D-L-E-Y.
She used her original choice as my middle name and so I was given the moniker of Oddley James Mitchell. I could give you many novels' worth of my life story, but I will only give a tale that began twenty years after I was born, my tale to give, as another writer spoke.
It started at the the Easy-Mart store, numbered 7 in the chain of 17 stores, spread across northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. I was in a corner of the store, stacking cans into that well-known circular pyramid.
I was minding my business when I felt two people come up behind me. I turned up and around to get a look at them. One was my boss, Mr. Randall, a man who's balding with a ring of salt-and-pepper hair, wearing glasses and a business suit.
The other was a young woman, twirling away on her swept-up long reddish hair, chewing away on a piece of gum, her face carrying a look on very indifference about her job, framing by hoop earrings.
"Good morning, Mr. Randall." I said with a smile.
"Hello, Oddley. This is Gilda Tucker, our newest employee." said Mr. Randall.
"Hello, Gilda." I said, extending my hand.
"Nice to meet you." said Gilda, taking my hand and giving it a shake.
"Oddley, I want you to take Gilda on a tour of the store." said Mr. Randall.
"Yes, sir." I said.
"If you excuse me... " said Mr. Randall as he leaves us.
"Oddley... what an interesting name." said Gilda.
"It's spelled O-D-D-L-E-Y, if you must know." I said.
"Can I have my tour now?" asked Gilda.
I gave her the tour, with stops in the produce section, loaded with the best in fruits and veggies. The meat section, with two of the finest butchers I've ever known, and the only two. I also gave her a run-down on the checkout lanes, all three of them. I soon learned that checkout lane number two was her post in the store.
"I hope that this will be wonderful for you." I said as Gilda took her post.
"I will. I'm only working here because my brother's musical dreams are too much for him to get employed." said Gilda.
"I'm musical myself, with my beautiful singing voice." I told her.
"Well, I just hope you're easier to live with." said Gilda.
"Same here. I also have sibling trouble." I said.
"Which kind?" asked Gilda.
"An older sister, drowning in women's lib." I said.
"Anything else I should know?" asked Gilda.
"Nothing much." I said.
Just then, a figure walked his way into the store. He's Thomas Newshaw, an old friend of mine. I knew it was him because I knew his look, the expensive suit, the unshaven face, the slightly unruly brownish hair, and overall demeaner.
"Hello there, Oddley." he said as he made his way toward me.
"Hello, Newshaw." I said coldly.
"Now, is that any way to treat a trusted friend?" he asked.
"It depends on why you're here." I said.
"I'm here on an opprotunity of sorts." he said.
"Explain yourself." I said.
"There's a big game tomorrow between the White and Red Soxs." he said.
"You're betting on the game?" I asked him.
"No, you are." he said.
"Good luck, with the winning streak the Red Sox have been on." said Gilda.
"Who is this?" he then asked.
"This is Gilda Tucker, our store's newest employee." I said.
"Nice to meet you. So, Oddley, you in?" said Newshaw.
"For how much?" I asked.
"The initial amount, times three." he replied.
"Why the times three?" I asked.
"Because I feel I should give your money a chance." he said.
"I'll tell you what, I'll put in my savings as the bet." I said.
"On which team?" he asked.
"The hometown team." I said.
"How much have you in savings?" he then asked.
"About $1,000 in all." I told him.
"Nice doing business with you." he said, before making his departure.
"I shouldn't have bet on the White Sox. You know they're gonna lose." said Gilda.
I should have yielded her warning but he told me that it was a sure bet I was making. It should, for I have bet my savings three times over.
The next day came and I managed to fix the work schedule so I could watch the game in the back of the store. The game began and quickly, the Red Sox scored a home run and the first lead.
I watched, inning by inning, the Red Sox making score after score until the final out. The score was enough that the White Sox, who had the final turn at bat, could pull a win and win me $3,000.
Sadly, the man stood, swung, and missed all three times. The game ended with the Red Sox taking the win. As the game ended, I heard the phone in the back room ring. I got up from my chair and answered it.
"Hello, Oddley." said the voice of Newshaw at the other end.
"Hello, Newshaw. You didn't watch the game just now?" I said, nervously.
"I did, and you owe me $3,000 in cash." said Newshaw.
"Take a check?" I asked.
"I want my money in the form I like." said Newshaw.
"I'll get right on it." I said.
"I'll be there tomorrow to collect." said Newshaw, who then hung up.
Sure enough, the next day came and so did Newshaw. He came in as I was beginning a shift at checkout lane number one, the express lane.
"Hello, Newshaw." I said as he walked up.
"Hello, Oddley. Have my money?" said Newshaw.
"Do I?" I said back to him.
"Don't get funny. You own me $3,000 in cash." he said.
"You know that I don't have that." I said.
"I knew that when you made the bet." he said.
"And you still let me make it anyway. Typical you, Newshaw. That's how you made all that money in high school." I said.
"I don't regret it." he said.
"I do. Some of it was mine." I said to him.
"Pay up, Oddley." he said.
"No way, you nuncluck." I said.
"I could have you killed." he then said.
"But then you wouldn't get your money and you don't have the means." I said.
"Tell you what. I'll just let you come with the method of payment and I'll see if I like it when I see you tomorrow." said Newshaw, who then left.
"What a guy he is." said the voice of Gilda behind me.
"Well, I've known him for half a decade and we still haven't warmed up to each other as friends should." I said.
"What method are you gonna use to pay him?" she then asked.
"I have no idea." I said.
It was true. I had no idea how I was gonna pay Newshaw the money, for I didn't have it or a means of getting it. I spent the rest of my workday with my brain working on the problem. By the end of the day, I was no closer to a solution than before.
That night, I decided to take Gilda to one of my favorite places, as a favor to a new friend to show her what her fellow employees, or at least one of them, does after work. That place was Harriet's Depot, an underground bar two buildings down from my apartment complex.
The name refers back to the underground railroad and Harriet Tubman. The place is located in a large basement, complete with bar and small stage for the latest in Chicago music to perform. As Gilda decended with me that night into the Depot, I could tell that she was a little nervous about this.
"I don't know about this." said Gilda as we reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Trust me. I've been here many times." I said.
"To do what?" asked Gilda as we reached the bar.
"To drink." I said.
"How old are you?" she then asked.
"Old enough to drink." I said, leaving it at that.
"Okay." she said as we took our seats.
"Good evening, you two. What do you want?" said a bartender as he walked up.
"Two beers, please." I said.
"Two beers, coming up." said the bartender, walking away.
"Nice place." said Gilda.
"Just another bar for the young people." I said.
"How long have you been coming here?" asked Gilda.
"For the last two years, since I moved into my apartment. They serve a mighty fine beer here." I said.
"I hope so." she said.
"Always." I said.
"Good evening, Oddley." said the voice of Newshaw behind me.
"And a good evening to you, Newshaw." I said as I turned around.
"Nice to see you out and about." said Newshaw.
"Cut it out, Newshaw. I still don't have your money or a payment plan." I said as I then turned back around.
"Oddley, believe it or not, I'm here to help you." said Newshaw as he took the stool next to me and Gilda.
"I don't believe it." I said.
"Oddley, I'm gonna help you in your thought process for a way to pay me your debt. A helping hand, so to speak." said Newshaw.
"How can you help?" I asked.
"By giving me what means you have to pay me and I'll run them over tonight and give you the answer tomorrow, instead of the other way around." said Newshaw.
"What if I could come up with something that would cancel my debt?" I asked him.
"Then I would cancel your debt, but only if it was something worthwhile." said Newshaw.
"A challenge, but one I can meet." I said.
"What could you give me that would cancel your debt?" asked Newshaw.
"There's the challenge, isn't it? Now, let me see... " I said.
"Maybe I could get my brother to play here." said Gilda.
"What kind of musician is he?" I asked her.
"He's a band musician." replied Gilda.
"What kind of band?" I asked.
"Not much. My brother plays the bass." she said.
"I see." I said.
"That's it!" yelled Newshaw after a minute of pure silence.
"What's it?" I asked.
"You'll found out tomorrow." said Newshaw, who then made his leave.
"I wonder what he has in store for me." I said to myself.
My wondering was put to rest the next day, as I was putting some cans onto a shelf. As I was finishing one small row, I heard the voice of Newshaw behind me.
"I think I found the means of cancelling your debt." he said.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Love." he said.
"What do you mean?" I asked as I turned around.
"I mean, a chance at romance." he said.
"Keep talking." I said.
"I mean a date." he said.
"I know you don't run that way." I told him.
"I mean, a date with your sister." he then said.
"You mean Susan?" I asked.
"The one and the same." he said.
"I know that I owe you $3,000 but to use my sister to cancel my debt?" I said.
"I know it's a little weird but I need a date and I hope your sister is up to the task." he said.
"I'm not gonna use my sister to cancel my debt." I said.
"I know you will eventually." he said.
"I should probably warn you. My sister has fallen into the world of women's lib." I told him.
"What does that mean?" he asked me.
"I mean, she's with those gals who believe that a man is as useful as a fish out of water." I said.
"Surely you don't mean that at all." he said.
"I mean it, Newshaw. She fell into that world two years ago and hasn't got back to her old self." I said.
"She used to be quite the dater. That's why I decided on that to cancel your debt." he then said.
"Well, you're barking up the wrong tree." I said.
"I'll ask her myself." he said.
"Suit yourself. She's making her weekly visit to my apartment tonight. Ask her then." I said.
"I'll be there." said Newshaw before he turned and left.
I know it was silly to agree to any of that but I felt that Newshaw needed to be lead like that. It was a bit of fun at his expense. Besides, I wanted to see my sister's face when she was asked by him, a person she didn't even consider when she was a sex kitten of sorts three years before.
Eventually, as it must, night fell and I was in my apartment, getting some dinner made. As I was halfway through the making of the main course, I heard the door open and I knew that it was either Newshaw or Susan.
"Good evening, brother." I heard a female voice said.
I knew then that it was my sister Susan. She's older than me by two years. Her hair is black, so is her outfit, which is both loose and form-fitting. In her past, as stated before, she was a sex kitten until women's lib got to her. Her biggest thing now is the time she's got without a man, current total four months, five days.
"Hello, Susie." I said to her.
"It's Susan, brother. Use it right." she said.
"I always call you Susie." I said.
"Still the male chuvanist, are you?" she asked.
"I won't answer that." I said.
"Of course you won't." I said to myself.
"What's for my weekly meal with you?" asked Susan.
"You'll see, Susie." I said.
"It's no use with you." said Susan.
"I miss my sister. She was a nice person." I said.
"I'm not dead." she then said.
"I don't know who you are." I said.
"Just keeping making your meal." said Susan.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. I abandoned my cooking and walked to my front door. When I opened it, I saw the smiling face of Newshaw looking back at me.
"Hello, Oddley." he said with the cheessiest grin in the world.
"Hello, Newshaw." I said to him as he walked inside.
"Nice smells." said Newshaw.
"I take it you're here to see Susan." I said.
"I take it right." said Newshaw.
"Well, she's the girl sitted on that couch." I said, pointing her out.
"Thank you." said Newshaw as he headed over her way.
I went back to my cooking but I was able to keep an ear on Newshaw and my sister. I can remember what was said, even now.
"Hello, Mr. Newshaw." said Susan as Newshaw sat down.
"Just Newshaw." he said.
"What are you doing here?" asked Susan.
"I'm here to see Oddley, see how he's doing." he said.
"That's nice to know. I'm beginning to think that Oddley cares more about work than his own needs." she said.
"Oddley's a people person. That's why he's so good at things." he said.
"Despite calling people that word he made up." she said.
"You mean 'nuncluck'? It's a use-all word, as he puts it." he said.
"Are you gonna stay for dinner?" she asked.
"It depends." he said.
"Depends on what?" she asked.
"On wheather you'll agree to something." he said.
"And what is that?" she then asked.
"A date with me." he said.
"No." she said.
"Maybe I wasn't clear." he said.
"I mean it. I have no use for any man. Men are useless for anything except the need to continue the human race and that needs to be looked into." said Susan.
"Maybe you need to be sure." he said.
"No way. I'm right in my thinking. Good day, sir." she then said.
I then heard Newshaw get up and walk quickly and angry footsteps into the kitchen.
"Oddley, you have 30 days to pay me or suffer." said Newshaw, who then left the apartment.
"The nerve of that Newshaw, hitting on me. He's useless, like every man." said Susan.
Susan had no idea that she had signed my death warrant. I couldn't tell her the truth. It would be awful and it would only further her point. That night, I could barely sleep, for every time I shut my eyes, I saw my funeral.
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That concludes episode one of "The Life of Oddley". I know that to some of you, this isn't much of a cliffhanger but rest assured, the following parts of the story will cliffhang correctly. I tried to do it right but I couldn't figure out a good way to do it, so I left it alone.
Next week on "The Life of Oddley", Oddley tries to find an answer to his problem with Newshaw, a chance enocounter with a beautiful woman leads him to one, but that answer just might lead to Oddley's demise, one of his own creation. That's on Thursday, August 11th, at 2:30 pm EST.
Until then, this is John Maxwell, saying, "If at first, you don't success, give up, no need to be a spoilsport about it."
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