Culture Shock
"Ok, were here." Bob was looking at me intently.
"Oh okay." I responded.
There was a moment of awkwardness broken by the squawk of some bird.
"Oh, the ladders to the right." Said Bob. I remained fixed where I was and responded with a delicate sentence.
"Thanks for the drive here, I would pay you but." I let my sentence hang.
"Don't worry about it, consider it a little small town hospitality." Bob responded.
I climbed down the rusty ladder and jumped onto a wooden deck.
The deck resembled the previous one I saw back on the mainland. A wooden shed (or was it a cottage?), a storage building and a paved road. I walked up the road to further explore this place. There were various makeshift fences lying around, some fruit trees. The whole thing seemed very peaceful. I continued on my way. I began to see the odd signs of life as I began walking up a hill. There were several plumes of smoke off in the distance, and I swore I saw a squirrel run past me. I was at the apex of the hill when I saw the entirety of the town. A river bordered it. Here and there were trees but the whole place was mostly grass. There were several houses and shops situated to the right of the town. I could already see that one shop had its lights blazing out of the windows. The further I descended the clearer the town grew to me. Most of the buildings were one story but a few appeared taller. I was just starting to see fields of some sort of crop when a loud yell broke the silence. " Jack!"
I turned around, staring for any sign of the unseen man, I was turning around when I felt alight poke on my back. I spun around and met the unseen voice.
He was a person that instantly brought to mind a rich man. He wore a bright red silk top hat with some sort of gemstone set in the center. He had graying hair but what was still left shone a chocolate brown. Designer reading glasses were perched on a small, squashed nose and his eyes looked like black marbles. From the pockets of his silk overcoat he pulled a ornate silver pocket watch, he flipped it open, glanced at it with an amused look then spoke to me in a tone brimming with pride, and expensive scotch.
" Why Jack, my boy it's nearly midnight."
"It is?" I responded bleakly.
"Ah well I'll just show you to your house, then we can talk in greater detail in the morn." He responded, pompously.
He pointed with a stubby finger to the a small path. The man and I followed the path for several minutes. After I began to wonder how much longer it could be I saw an outline of a house. It had a red thatch roof, but besides that it was devoid of colour. It was plain wood, with a browner door. The person, withdrew a small bronze key and fitted it into a plain lock, he swung the door open then remarked with a tone of surprise. "Oh yes, and I'm Theodore, mayor of the town." I looked back at him and nodded. I muttered a word of thanks then took the key and entered the room. I reached to the sides of the doorframe, groping for a light switch. But finding no switch I stood there, waiting for my eyes to adjust and drinking in the smells.
I stepped back and hit the door. The whole place smelled of molded wood and rot. It went through my nose and burned my throat, causing me to cough a great deal. I swung open the door and breathed in the cold air. By now my eyes had fully adjusted so I entered the room, blessing the fresh air coming in. The place was more of a hovel then a home, a rats nest of odd carpets and the occasional bare wooden board. I looked overhead and saw the outline of a light bulb; I flipped it on and saw the full scope of the house. There was no kitchen, merely a small room of to the side, a bathroom? A head of me was a small bed, looked straw; next to it was a rusted TV propped up on several wooden boxes. Besides that I could see several wooden chests and drawers. I walked into the small room and it was a bathroom. Pea green tiling adorned every surface. A light orange porcelain toilet glared disgustingly up at me and a corny duck shower curtain seethed at me, aware of its blandness. I walked back into the main room and moved closer to the bed, my head suddenly becoming very light. I kicked of my shoes and fell on the bed. My head began to lighten but I wrestled one of my hands around a linen blanket and pulled it over myself. So I rested on the straw and linen, almost on the verge of unconsciousness when a bump hit my head. I groped for what it is and came up with a bottle of Dr.Sprique. I got up and cracked it open, leaning against the headboard and muttered. " I think I'll." And fell asleep.
"So, Ruby have you heard about the new guy."
" No why, what's he like?"
I knew Bob liked telling me these things; it always seemed to please him that he knows something a bartender doesn't. So every Sunday he would bring the crates containing what I ordered. Then rattle of some meaningless trivia. I can't say it was annoying, just another face. Ordering food at 7 when I need to sleep, rattleling off on matters concerning turnips. But this place is so peaceful I wouldn't trade it for the world. Well maybe another hour of sleep.
Several snaps in front of my face brought me back to reality.
"Yo Ruby."
"Oh ya go on." I said with a fake air of interest
He better not be another sixty-year-old stoner with his twenty year-old "room mate."
"Oh ok." Bob resettled himself.
" Kid seems ok. Sure he seemed like a stoner, but that was just his appearance." He put down a crate of eggs and continued.
" Ya so he seems pretty good, oh and he's a Harris boy to."
Bob finished his story and then left. I was just thinking about taking a nap when the Mayor walked in. Dam.
" Oh what's his name, uh, um, Harris!"
My last name broke my sleep. The yells continued. I looked down and threw of some sheets that had stuck to me off.
"Coming!" My voice crackled.
I sluggishly walked over to the door and opened it.
A girl was standing there.
No not a girl. A goddess.
Her olive skin effortlessly sealed her curved nose that gave way to her perfect large amber lips. Her large black eyes shone with a wiry gleam. Her voice was loud, and slightly deep with a hint of a Russian accent impended in her. Her red lace dress was skin tight and fell into slight disarray as she talked.
"Are you Jack?" I nodded my head in agreement.
"The names Ruby, I run a bar." She extended her hand.
I shook it then mumbled awkwardly. "So, why are you here?"
Pompous little git. Rosa thought to herself. She responded in a syrupy voice.
" I'm to take you to the mayor."
It was apparently too cheerful as Jack quickly said. "Sorry I'm not much of a morning person."
Ruby answered. "I'm not either, but you get used to it."
Ruby and I began to walk down the cobbled road.
Ruby, in an apparent jab at creating conversation said, " So, want to know about the residents?"
I seized the opportunity and responded, "Yeah, okay."
"Ok."
"You have the Mayor Theodore, nice but he's to dam rich for his own good, then theirs Carl, a different kind of a guy.
" There's Kobe and his wife Sandra, both run a specialty crop, both are very nice.
We then finished climbing a hill, where at the apex an expensive looking building greeted us.
Ruby pointed to the building and said, " Well there's Theodore's office, good luck!"
She then embraced me and set of at a brisk pace down the hill.
I looked at the expensive building, whistled then set of to the large building. I knocked using the ornate polished brass knocker and heard a calm, "Hello!" in return.
I opened the door then looked about the foyer. A bright sign indicated, "police," and, "administrative," sections was hung above several light purple, plush couches. Seeing no secretary I calmly walked into the administrative section.
I was met with the smell of cigar smoke and red wine, emitting from Theodore. He was clothed in a similar looking hat, although now the magenta hat had a bright emerald clearly set into the center. He wore a red silk suit with black leather shoes finishing his expensive outfit.
We shook hands (exposing several shining rings in his hand) then I asked in a slurred voice (that smoke was making me drowsy), "So where's my grandpa, I thought he would've showed me around?"
Theodore seized up and solemnly said, "Jack your grandpa's dead."
Hi everyone, I know obvious info is obvious but I really needed to cut the chapter. Oh yes my names Chris and I'm sorry about the last chapters brutal grammar, please review and I'll answer any and all questions.