a true story - chapter three

Chapter Three

work had been long. too long. he wondered what they meant by "long"; and who were "they" anyway? but these were the normal questions. the one question he could not answer was why he did this routine everyday.
it was night again. time for the dodging of twenty somethings in street racers again. the pausing at the light. "a blind man could live the life i live", he thought out loud to the quiet stars too far to hear the noise of the world below. a blind man. what would he do if he went blind? his entire life revolved around interpreting information from computer screens, driving, staring down a viewfinder at a subject. he needed his eyes.
that was one thing that separated him from the blurred, faceless masses. his eyes. his ability to see from his perspective. to look at his wife and know she's beautiful. to frame a person on the confines of a 4 by 6 viewfinder and compose a decent portrait. to guide his hands up and down the black and white puzzle of piano keys. to finish a day at work. his eyes transposed theory into fact.
you could tell him that the sunset was beautiful out but that would never be enough for him. a rush to the window or a dart downstairs would be required to verify that statement. it wasnt because he didnt believe. it was because he needed to experience. no one held his perspective. and his perspective kept telling him that the current routine needed rescue.
leaving his routine bobbing helplessly in it's swamped life raft on a raging sea of procrastination and circumstance , he climbed into his car, dialed in the engine and headed for the commute home. the sunrise would bring another long day.

a true story - chapter two

A True Story
Chapter Two

that was night. this was day. he drank mornings in like a drunk on his eighth pilsner- hungrily. today was no exception. a tiny, finger nail clipping of a moon hung suspended over silhoutted cumulous clouds ringed in the faint orange glow of the rising sun. beautiful.
mornings were redemption. just like the shower he took every morning, the sunrise scrubbed away the remains of yesterday and made each day feel new.
the drive to work was his solace. no one to talk to, no one to have to interact with. not lonely at all, more like hitting the pause button on the dvd player right before the fight scene in a movie. much like taking a breath and enjoying it's benefits. calm.
there were many things on his mind today: channels being flipped by tiny neurons wearing out the battery on the remote. thats where driving comes into play. something to focus on. the road ahead. checking the mirrors, listening to the motor, quick glancing over his left shoulder at the rapid advance of the pale yellow edge of the sun burning against the cold sky. laughing at a quip made by a radio host or playing air drums to electronic music all while safely! guiding his car down the highway to work.

To Be Continued...

a true story - chapter one

instead of my normal blog entries- i have opted to change pattern and compose a short fictional story. i need to stretch my mind and take my writing for a brisk jog. you are welcome to come join me as i exercise...

A True Story by Joshua Conti
Chapter One

summer solstice had passed. because of 20th century school schedules conflicting with 20th century farmer's harvests, his normal sunset blissed commute home was now committed in the dark.
night and day take on their own unique forms and daytime's was the one he knew well. night was another animal altogether.
the main road leading out from his parking space was possessed by college students tearing hellbent in foreign build sedan-turned-street-racers towards a unknown destinations, unafraid of death or old ladies in lincoln town cars.
during the day, he could easily spot them from a quarter mile away in another lane, but at night they could elude him completely. at the second intersection on the main road, he knew to count to 8 seconds after the left turn light sparked green before lurching forward as 20 of these cars could easily run the opposing left turn light's angry red glow. and all this only happened at night.

To Be Continued...