Greetings, fellow travelers, and welcome to the eighth posting of volume four of the Blog. We're in reality nine weeks in this year of the Common Era 2013 and what a time it's been. Popes resigning, awards being given, people dying, people being born, and other such noted events. You know that from an opening like that, the rest of 2013 is a possible let-down. You know it's true, so try to make your own news. Speaking of which, for this week's non-fiction segment, I will share two news stories.
First up, some sad news from the UK. The man that brought us the Daleks(No, not Davros. He's always dead)Raymond Cusick died last Thursday. Although he had a long career as a designer, he will forever be remembered for giving millions of Britons nightmares with the creatures with the sole purpose of destroying anything not Dalek. If history had taken a different turn, it wouldn't have been him. Instead, the honor of Dalek Designer would have gone to... Ridley Scott.
Ridley was the original designer for "Doctor Who". However, commitments to other series meant he had to give up the job. Thus, a Ridley Scott-designed Dalek is only in the minds of fans who wonder. Cusick's design is often stated to be inspired by a pepper pot(British for a pepper shaker). However, according to him, a pepper pot was only used to describe to someone how it would move. "I could have picked up the salt pot" he once remarked. In reality, the design came when he simply drew an outline around the drawing of a sitting person, how the final prop would be operated.
To our second piece of news, the Oscar hosting of Seth MacFarlane. I watched this year's ceremony of the 85th Academy Awards just to see how he would host. In my opinion, he remained himself while maintaining the dignity of hosts past. A lot of people have taken to Twitter to express their outrage at the jokes he made. Most of these people have not seen an episode of "Family Guy", or "American Dad". That is his style. Dignity with bottom-of-the barrel humor. I see the brillance of such a thing. Even a tasteless joke deserves the best delivery possible.
Now, onward to the fiction. Time for Part 4 of "Two Weeks in Peoria". Over the last three weeks, I have shared with you Oddley's tale of an accidental out-of-town vacation. The response seems to be good. I mean, my viewing figures have now reached double digits. That must mean that this story is interesting to at least a dozen of you. Please pass the word on and let others in. A reminder, if you wish to comment, do so below. Now, let's recap.
Part 1, we saw Oddley run for his life and eventually end up with a runaway housewife, who decides, in order to find herself, leaves town. Part 2, Oddley comes to terms with his new vacation plans and makes a deal with the wife, named Wanda Lee, to help her out in her quest so she will help him in his quest to return home. Part 3 began with the aftermath of Oddley being hit by a car, only to find out that said car was driven by best friend Ogden. As we begin Part 4 of our story here, Ogden had said to our duo that he had something to show them...
----------------------------------------------------------------
Ogden led us away from the gas station once Wanda Lee had paid for the gas she'd gotten during my accident. The path led us away from the highway and away from the town center somewhat. We ended up in a nice-looking neighborhood, much like the one my sister lived in. Tree-lined streets combined with pretty white houses. Perfect suburb.
"I wonder where Ogden is taking us." said Wanda Lee after a while.
"I trust my best friend. However, that trust is often misplaced with him." I said right out.
"Thank a lot, Oddley. I feel much better." she said with a touch of sarcasm.
Eventually, our path lead to an old section of town. My first look at our destination was when we saw Ogden turn into a driveway and we followed suit. There, I saw it. It was an old Victorian two-story place. It was like a mansion but smaller. Vines and growth were growing on the outside, hiding some of the white-painted wood and iron. With the growth, the house told of its age, of decades of use and living.
"This is it?" I said to myself as I climbed out of the car along with Wanda Lee.
"He wants to show us a house." she said to me.
"Here we are." said Ogden as he got out of his car.
"Is this all he wants to show us?" I thought in my head.
"Follow me!" said Ogden as he walked towards the front door.
"We have no choice." I said to Wanda Lee as we did what Ogden said to us.
The front door was nicely painted, however showing the same amound of age as everything else on the outside. As Ogden arrived at the door, my mind wondered at what Ogden wished to show us. I saw him give said door two swift and loud knocks. As me and Wanda Lee arrived at the door, I saw a figure appear in the fogged glass set inside it.
"Look!" I said to Wanda Lee, pointing to the shape.
I watched as the door swung open and a woman appeared. From my point of view, this woman was all business. In fact, she reminded me of my sister. Her outfit was late sixties ladies business wear, complete with black capri pants, white turtleneck sweater, and tan jacket. She looked a little emotionless in the face, framed by this pair of large red glasses, looking down on us.
"Hello, Ogden. I see you brought friends." said this woman in the coldest voice I'd heard so far.
"Oddley, Wanda Lee. This is Miss Lisa Harriman of Peoria Central High School." said Ogden to us.
"Greetings, Miss Harriman." I said to her.
"Greetings, Mr... " she said back to me, searching for the last name Ogden hadn't given her.
"Mitchell, sir, and Oddley is my real first name, in case you're wondering." I said.
"I know your name and its story. I got it from Mr. Hamilton here." said Lisa.
"Say, can we come in?" said Ogden.
"You may." said Lisa as the three entered the house.
"This is a nice place." I said as we entered a small entry hall.
"I guess it is." said Lisa as she lead us into the living room of the house, just off the entry hall.
"I can't believe this... " I said to myself.
The room I was standing was beautiful. The decor was priceless 1920s art deco, with furniture to match. I couldn't believe that I was still in 1968. For a moment, my mind was stuck in 1928, when all that stuff was brand new. Soon enough, I snapped out of my daze and back to the present.
"I couldn't believe it when I first came into this house." said Ogden.
"Say, Ogden, is this where you've been for the last week?" I asked.
"That's right, Oddley. This is where I've been." he replied.
"I can't believe that a woman like that would let you live here. I mean, a teacher." I said.
"That's part of my surprise, Oddley. Just you wait." he said.
"Can we sit down any?" asked Wanda Lee.
"The sofa is right there." said Lisa in that cold voice of hers.
"Thank you." I said as me, Ogden, and Wanda Lee took a seat on it.
"Is there anything else you need?" asked Lisa.
"Yes, please." said Ogden.
"What is it?" asked Lisa.
"Come over here." he said.
"Okay." she said nervously as she walked over to him.
I then watched as Ogden rose from his spot and put his mouth and hands over her ear. I then noticed that he said something into her ear. It was something I couldn't hear. After a few seconds, she pulled away from him, more nervous than ever.
"Please don't do that. If you excuse me... " she said before she bolted her way from the sofa to the landing ramp-like stairs that descend from the second floor, which she ascended.
"What did you say to her?" I asked him.
"That's also part of the surprise." he said.
"I hope we see this surprise soon." I said.
"You will." he said.
Not really wanting to talk to him further, I saw that there was a television in front of the sofa. I saw the remote on the table also in front of the sofa. Quickly, I grabbed it and turned on the set. In an instant, the television was showing us the beginning of "The Match Game", which told me that it was now 4:00 pm.
The three just sat there and watched the original way of playing that show, before it became the party show of the 1970s. Just sitting in silence, broken only by the sounds of Gene Rayburn and the players, in living color, doing their thing. Even now, my mind is on autopilot, rememebering those days.
"Ogden, can I ask you a question?" I asked him about five minutes in to the show.
"You may, Oddley." he replied.
"Have you been working any around here?" I asked.
"Not really, but I am looking." he said.
"Ogden, this is a fine line between looking and being lazy about it. I think I know which side of the line you're on." I said.
"Oddley, I've only been here a week. I haven't the time." he then said.
"Doing what... " I started to ask before I cut myself off, for I knew the answer to that.
As the game wore on, I became aware of some noises coming from upstairs. They started about 12 minutes into the show. It interested me as the upstairs had been quiet, even when Lisa went up there. However, I could now tell that something was running around up there. I tried to ignore it as I watched the show.
However, that noise soon began moving towards the steps. I got a look at Ogden and his face had the widest smile, as if he was hearing those noises and knew what they meant. I knew better not to ask what he knew. I just went back to the television as the noise continued on and on.
As the show was coming to a close, the noise from upstairs reached the stairs. The noise then stopped as I turned over to Ogden, his smile now just overflowing with happiness. He then darted off that sofa and ran to the steps. I saw him look up the stairs and his mouth just opened up with glee.
"Oh, Oddley, Wanda Lee, time for my surprise." he said with cheerful glee.
"Oh, joy." I said as me and her pulled ourselves off the sofa and walked over to the stairs.
"Oddley, Wanda Lee, please meet my surprise." he said.
I then looked up the stairs and I saw... Lisa, walking down the stairs. However, she did look different. Her hair was down and out, messed up as if she had played with it. Her glasses were gone but she had no trouble walking down the stairs. To finish it off, there was a different bearing to her face, a very different one, indeed.
"What are we looking at?" I asked.
"You're looking at it." said Ogden as Lisa arrived at the bottom of the stairs.
"I don't get it." said Wanda Lee.
"Me, neither. What is there about Lisa that's a surprise?" I said.
"Speak to them." I saw Ogden say to Lisa.
"Hey, gang. Nice to see new faces." said Lisa, although in a high-pitched giggly tone that she didn't use before.
"Hey, your voice is different." said Wanda Lee.
"Not only is the voice different, so is she." said Ogden.
"Ogden, please explain that." I said bluntly.
"Ogden, this is not Lisa Harriman." he then said without fail.
"You mean, that person we met when we got here was an act?" I said.
"Not an act. That was Lisa you met. Now, you're meeting Rita." he said.
"You say that like these two are two different people." I said.
"They are. Oddley, Wanda Lee, meet your very first split personality." he then said with gusto.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
A split personality? As I explained to you, there's a thing with me. That's what interested me about Oddley's story here. He has more to tell, but, as always, we must wait until next week to read more of it. Oddley tells me that disbelief is becoming a theme here, so suspend yours as you read more of the story. Now, let us move onto closing the posting here.
To close, this week has proven to be big, with deaths, retirements, sequesters, and whatnots happening all around us. I can't believe that this is the world we're now living in. I might be repeating myself (not sure) but when it comes to closing postings, it takes a while. You have no idea how hard it is to sit here and think of something smart to write down. Anyway, here it goes. In conclusion, if we must continue as a society, we must first remember we are a society.
Join me next week, won't you?
Yours truly, John Maxwell.
Your Fellow Traveler.
No comments:
Post a Comment