The Life of Oddley - Episode 8

THIS WEEK'S EPISODE - "Stuck in Tulsa", Part Four

Hello, people, and welcome to week eight of this series.  Again, no comments from anyone on the job I'm doing but feel free to do so below the posting.  I think I'll start mentioning this series to other people in my life and see if the ripple effect occurs.  Along with the theme of the week, it is one thing I would truly pitch to television if given the chance.

Back to the story.  Last week, Oddley and Roy met up again on the side of the road when Brooke's car suffered a flat.  After a run into the desert, Oddley and Roy were about to duel when Roy stepped onto an angry rattlesnake, who showed its anger by biting Roy, rendering him unconsicous on the ground.  With no other recourse, Oddley decides to seek help.

With help from Brooke, the two manage to carry him back to his truck, place him in the back, and make the trip back to the city and the hospital.  When they get there, they find trouble in getting Roy admitted, so Oddley is stuck filling out forms before medical help arrives for the stricken man.  Once Roy is wheeled away, Brooke tells Oddley that she and him will stay in Tulsa until he heals up...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I stood there in silence, thinking over what Brooke had just said to me. It was a shock to me and my mind to think about more time spent in Tulsa, a city that was already getting dull for me.

"You can't be serious, Brooke." I said.

"I am serious. We should stay until he gets better." she said.

"Do you know how long that might be?" I asked.

"Maybe a couple of days." she said.

"I don't know if I can live here a couple of days." I said.

"Then you better get used to it." she said.

"Then I will." I said.

I them made a bee-line for the exit. I don't know why, but I did. As I left, I heard not a word from Brooke. As I left the building, I knew that she was probably glad that I was going. For the last two days, I had been her unwanted passenger, and now, I was gone and she was free to spend time with Roy.

I stepped out into a nice but dry Oklahoma spring. The late morning sun was beating down on me. Even though it was April, it felt warmed than that. As I walked down the path to the sidewalk, I gave no thought to Brooke back then. I only gave thought to what I was gonna do in Tulsa.

Being a fan of country music, I knew that Tulsa was the home of Cain's Ballroom, birthplace of western swing. If I had enough money, I could get in and hear a good-time band play good-time music all night. I could sure use a good time now that I was stuck in Tulsa, a town I would very much like to leave.

I managed to reach the sidewalk. There, I made a turn and kept going. Further from the hospital I walked. Further into downtown I went. I saw that downtown was a maze of buildings and streets, along with cars that were giving off the sounds of traffic. A sound that was familiar to this Chicago boy.

I don't know how long I walked, but I do know that eventually, my stomach told me that it is time to eat. Without much thought, I walked my way into a nice cafe. Once inside, I saw that the atmosphere was an Oklahoma version of Chicago medium-scale dining, which was alright with me. I wasn't looking for much except a nice place to eat.

I managed to find a table and I took a seat. Once sitted, I began my wait for a waiter. The place was halfway busy, with people taking their longer-than-usual lunch breaks. The same kind of people that live in Chicago live in Tulsa. Anyway, I was waiting when I heard footsteps that I took to be a waiter.

"Is this seat taken?" I heard a voice ask.

"Not in the least." I said as I turned around in the direction of the voice.

It took me a moment to rack focus on my eyes. I then saw a woman's face looking right at me.

"Thanks for the seat." said this mystery woman.

"Glad to hear that." I said.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you." she said.

"No problem. In fact, I could use a little company." I said.

"Glad to be of service." she said.

"Would you like to tell me your name?" I asked her.

"Maybe I will and maybe I won't." she said cryptically.

"What a nice way of answering a question. Maybe you can respond the way us regular people do." I said.

"You're no fun." she said.

"Now, tell me your name." I said.

"Rita Louise is my name." she said.

"Interesting name, Rita. My name is Oddley Mitchell." I said.

"Nice name." she said.

"It's mine, all the way." I said.

"It's nice to meet new people. I never really get to do that. I made some friends yesterday but I didn't really get their names." said Rita.

Rita then moved her face a little closer to me.

"What are you doing?" I asked her.

"I'm getting a good look at you." she replied.

"That's nice." I said.

"No problem." she said.

In return, I managed to get a good look at Rita. Her outfit was strange. She had on a yellow turtleneck, covered with a slim brown vest, complete with fringe. I noticed that the bottom of the turtleneck doubled as a miniskirt. I'll admit that her uncovered legs were nice addition to her body.

She was wearing a nice set of heeled boots. Her hair was very distinctive, a rusting red, and somewhat curled. It grew down from her head and went about a quarter of the way down her back and chest and covered the shoulders. All in all, a very nicely constructed person.

"Excuse me?" said the waiter as he arrived at the table.

"Yes, sir?" I said to him.

"Are you already to order?" he then asked.

"How about some menus first?" I asked.

"Yes, of course. Here you are." he said as he handed over two menus.

"Thanks, sir." I said.

"I'll be back in a few." he said, walking away.

"What do you want for lunch?" asked Rita.

I thought it over of what I would eat for lunch. I decided on a sandwich, the classic quick lunchtime meal. I saw the list of sandwiches. There were so many. Luckily, I saw that they had one of my favorites, the Reuben.

"Are you ready now to order?" asked the waiter as he returned after five minutes.

"Yes. I will have the classic Reuben, with a little extra horseradish and an extra drop of dressing please." I said.

"Nice choice, and for you, lady?" he said.

"I will have a nice chicken alfredo, please." she said.

"One Reuben and one chicken alfredo, coming up." he said as he collected the menus and left.

"You know, you strike as a girl with fine tastes." I said.

"I always try to be in the latest fashion. You know, just jet-setting." said Rita.

"The man who catches you has to be a rich one." I said.

"I don't care about that. I just want a nice man." she said.

"Then, your style... " I said.

"Is just me, all over. I like to dress up fine. It's my habit." she said.

"I just dress in a way that leaves me comfortable." I said.

"So do I. You should see my closet." she said.

"Dang it, girl. You are your own woman." I said.

"I know. It's a gift." she said.

"Say, do you live with anyone?" I asked.

"Why do you ask?" she said.

"Because I need a place to stay for a while." I said.

"I see. Well, I do, sort of." she said.

"Who with?" I asked.

"Her name is Lisa, and she's a total killjoy." she said.

"How long have you lived with her?" I said.

"Since we were kids." she said.

"When?" I said.

"When Lisa was six." she said.

"Six years old?" I said.

"You got it." she said.

"How did you meet?" I said.

"Oh, Lisa had problems when she was a kid, big problems, and after awhile, she took her problems to me." she said.

"And what did you do?" I said.

"I, kinda, sorted them out for her." she said.

"In what way?" I asked.

"In many ways." she said.

"So, you would solve Lisa's problems for her." I said.

"Yep, and after some time, the two of us became inseparable." she said.

"How have you two lived together?" I said.

"As much as two people can. Lisa says the two of us should lead separate lives and not allow our two lives meet. The way we are, that's sometimes a problem. I did come out a few times when Lisa had her friends over. After the last time, she told me that we were moving and I wasn't coming, but I did anyway." said Rita.

I stopped and reviewed Rita's answers. She had answered my questions in an almost coy-like fashion, as if there was something not being told. What that was I didn't know and part of me didn't want to know.

"Lunch is here!" said the waiter some time later when he arrived with our food.

"Thanks." I said as he put down my sandwich.

I then cut off a piece of my sandwich, and took a bite out of it. It tasted very delish to me. I chewed it very well, indeed. As I did, my mind began to sort out all of the things that Rita had said to me, quietly and slow.

After I had finished my meal, me and Rita made our way over to her house. When we got there, I saw that it looked a bit out of place. Vines and stuff have taken to the house, the paint had chipped and pieces had fallen off, and it looks like something out of a old black-and-white movie.

It had the appearence of being haunted, like it had stood empty and alone without a soul to look after it. Yet, I knew that Rita and her friend Lisa lived there, alone. Two housemates in charge of a broken old house. It struck me as a bit silly, so much so that I giggled as I reached the front door.

"What's so funny?" asked Rita.

"Never mind." I said as she opened the front door.

As I stepped inside, I saw that the door itself was painted white on the outside and dark brown on the inside. The door had a pane of fogged glass set in it.

Beside the door were bracketed panes of glass. I stepped into a small entry hall. The entry hall had a little table with various knick-knacks on it: pictures and stuff. After a couple of steps, I found myself in the living room.

"Nice place." I said.

"Yes, it is lovely." said Rita.

"I can see that." I said.

As I stood in the living room, I felt like I was in the 1920s, when everything seemed on the up and up. It took me a moment to get back to 1968. As I walked around that room, I saw an old radio in a corner on the far side of the room.

"Where do you want to sit?" said Rita to me.

"I think I'll walk around a little." I said as I ventured further.

I saw the tables covered in trinkets and such, even saw a few pictures on the wall. It was fascinating to be in that room. I saw that the stairs came down from the second floor like a landing ramp.

I went over to a little corner of the room. It was a place on the right side of the stairs which had a row of shelves. There, on top of those shelves, was a nicely-framed picture, and in it, the picture of a lady.

"Who's this?" I asked Rita, pointing to the picture.

"That's Lisa." she said to me.

I took a closer look at her. She looked to being in her early-to-mid 20s. She happened to be wearing a knee-length skirt, with a belt around the mid-section, and a turtleneck-like neckline. Her brown hair was pulled into the tightest ponytail and her face was framed by a pair of classes, round lens with red frames, and she had a deep look on her face.

"Is she here at the moment?" I asked.

"Oh, you can say that she's out." she said.

"I can say? I think I will say she's out." I said.

"Yeah, she's out." she said.

"I see. Do you know where she might be?" I asked.

"You can say she's around." she replied.

"Close by?" I said.

"Yeah." she said.

"In what way?" I said to Rita.

"A way I can't tell you about." she said.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Because Lisa has told me to keep it to myself because she doesn't people to know." she replied.

"I think I'll sit on the couch." I said as I headed that way.

I got to the couch and sat down. As I sat there in silence, I tried to think up what to say.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
After six weeks of solid cliffhangers, a weak one shows up again.  I must say, waiting a week to find out how Oddley's gonna break the ice is not a good means of bringing readers back, but it's how I wrote it and I can't change it now.
 
Next week, Oddley finally manages to break the ice, with a little liquid help.  Then Oddley's new friend Rita concludes finally grants the wish he's had since he started his adventure in Tulsa.  Find out how the wish is granted and where it will take him.
 
That's on Thursday, September 29th, at 2:30 pm, right here on the blog.  I hope you enjoyed this week's two additional postings so far , detailing the shows that I would pitch to television if I had the chance to do so.  Tomorrow's posting will detail my final pitch for the year, of something I pitched to you last year.
 
Until then, this is John Maxwell, saying to you that all things considered... is a very fine radio show...