Page 3 - The Myth and the Moment

Morning

“Well, that’s all right, Mr. Hodges. It’s just that I hoped to get
some rest over the week-end.”
“You want to keep this job, Nathan?”
“Yes.”
“Then get up to 9635 Maracanda Drive in the next half hour and
fix their pool. It’s probably nothing serious, but they’re on my back
so I’m on yours. You got that address?”
If I had a pencil, I’d scrawl it on the wall. Maybe with an obscene
suggestion of the services available there.
“Uh, Maracanda Drive, 9635. That’s not on my regular route. I’ve
never seen the place.”
“Naw, it’s Jimmy’s. I tried to reach him, but he’s already cut out for
the beach. Now get the truck and get going. I don’t want to hear any
more about it, from you or those people up there. I’ll see you at the
yard tomorrow.” Click.
Kick! Carpet, receive my wrath: be frayed of me! There’s no time
like the present I give to you, Al Hodges. But how early is it? Ah, the
hermit crab.
“Mrs. Fulcrone: wait. Do you know the time?”
“Time for you to pay the rent, Evangelino.”
“Thank you. I’ll be paid tomorrow—you know I have a job now.”
Why does this key always stick when I’m in a hurry?
“Tomorrow’s the eleventh of September. Remember the penalty:
one dollar for every day overdue the first five days, two dollars for
next five, and then you’re out.”
“Got it. No problem. See you then.”
Slam! How have I managed to stick it out here for three years?
Discipline, eh, Nate? Got my mission in life, my unexamined faith,
no more final questions to answer, everything else falls into place.
Oh, how easy it is to suffer fools when you see how foolish suffering
is! Could I have lived like this ten years ago? No, too many things to
do, to get, to avoid missing. Finally, all I needed was to invent my
own religion. Of course, to get some real money out of it, I’d have to
make it into a serious career: fancy sharkskin suits, capped teeth and
sprayed hair, a broadcast ministry. But that would be too altruistic,
corrupting myself for the benefit of my followers. I’ve got to bear
this cross alone—I’m far too cross to bear loaning it to anyone else.

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