Mr. Roboto
Chapter 3-Advice from the Country Heart
11th Street. New York, December 29th, 1999
The Hudsons were having a great time in New York. In just three days they saw Beauty and the Beast on Broadway, seen the view from the tallest buildings in the world, visited a few museums, skated at Rockefeller center, and even got their pictures taken in a professional studio for the family back home. And now they were coming back from Intrepid air and space Museum, but there was still one thing they haven't done yet.
"I guess you were right Renée," Richard said while his family was walking on the street side making their way back to the Plaza. "It was a good idea for us to walk to the Intrepid and get some exercise in."
"I would agree with you dad," Renée replied to her father's compliment, "But it's snowing right now and I'm freezing in this dress."
"Weren't I the one to tell you to wait until New Year's Day mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral to wear something so light?" Richard asked his daughter regarding her attire choice.
"Well, yeah." Renée responded, "But I didn't want to spend all my time in those cowboy outfits."
"Glad I like mine," Gary commented while tugging his leather jacket. "Gives me identity, and keeps me warm." Winking at Renée with a smug on his face; Renée could only sigh with some disgust.
"If it's any consolation you still like nice sweetie." Rachel complimenting her daughter's look. Renée felt a little better after hearing that, even if she was still cold.
"Come to think of it," Richard continued on the subject of what they were wearing, "Gary, I'm so glad you decided to bring that metal frame pack, now we know all our souvenirs are safe." Regarding his backpack frame that could hold a larger back with added weight.
"And I'm not even breaking a sweat," Gary responded glad he was able to carry the cargo, "Of course it's twenty degrees out." Referring to the winter evening they were walking in. "Also need I remind you we still haven't found a pizza place to eat at."
"What's the big deal about finding a pizza place here in New York?" Renée asked her brother about his supposed pizza obsession.
"I'd think you could figure out that based on the name: New York style, you can only find it in New York." Gary explained to his sister why he wanted some.
"Lucky for you we're on eleventh street." Renée pointing out their location. "Where the supposed original New York style came from, assuming those fashion magazines were accurate."
"Well," Rachel began to propose, "We just find the closest Pizza place to us now and that should be it."
"Works well enough for me honey," Richard replied this is wife's idea, "After all that's how you find the best places back in Rapid City. Now let's find something and warm up a bit." Renée and Gary agreed to the idea as well and they continued down eleventh looking for a pizza place.
Corner of 11th and 55th street.
After searching for a little they come across a small but promising enough location they could eat at.
"Panucci's Pizza," Richard read while looking at the entrance sign. "Never heard of it, that can only mean it's a hidden gem. Let's try it." He said as the rest of the family walked in behind him. A typical doorbell chime could be heard as they opened the door on their entrance.
"Welcome to Panucci's Pizza, we'll be with you in just a second." Said a voice with a slight Italian accent from behind the kitchen counter. "Make yourselves comfortable and sit wherever."
"At least they know how to greet us properly." Rachel commented as the family sat down in an empty booth. As they looked around they saw how there were only two other occupied booths with just a couple people at each one. They were the biggest party in the shop.
"Phillip!" They heard the same voice call from the kitchen. "We have customers waiting, get out there and wait them."
"Coming." Replied a weary and demoralized voice. The Hudsons then saw a young man in a red jacket and orange hair come from the kitchen and walked toward their booth.
"Good evening my name is Fry and I'll be taking care of you tonight." His voice betraying little care or happiness.
"Phillip," The voice from the kitchen, now shown to be a large man in the kitchen counter window, still unhappy with his employee's performance. "How many times do I have to tell you to use your first name when waiting tables? If I hear you use your last name again I'm sending you back to deliveries first thing in the morning." This Fry could only sigh in response.
"Still want to be here Gary?" Renée mockingly asked her brother. Rachel gave her a displeased look as their waiter was still looking at them. "Say," Rachel began to their waiter Fry, "We're from out of town and what are some of your specials? Like what are you known for?"
"Well Redneck family," This Fry began, already getting their stereotype wrong. "Here we have specialties such as: Greek, Old Italy, Manhattan Spicy, Romana, Hawaiian and our one and only Adirondack." Trying to be a little more enthusiastic when listing the menu specials, but overall, not bringing much excitement to the Hudsons.
"Okay," Rachel, not sure of what to make of his options responded. "What do you personally recommend?"
"Honestly I like the Manhattan Spicy quite a bit," Fry answered with a bit more positivity. "It's got a custom hot sauce, horseradish cheddar cheese, and classic Italian sausage to top it off."
Gary took notice of his difference in mood while he spoke of his favorite type of pizza. "What's the Adirondack like?" Gary asked curiously.
"It's more of a classic pizza," Fry continued with another description, "Just like the mountains, it's got thicker crust, contains lots of onions and petters, and a garlic flavored sauce." Still trying to keep the specials sounding appealing to the Hudsons.
Richard took note of the Manhattan special, "Honey how's about we split the spicy one, and does that Adirondack one sound good?" asking Renée and Gary. "I do remember back in Omaha a place there had a Greek style that was pretty good," Renée answered regarding the pizza type. "But this is Gary's idea to come here, so that sounds good to me."
"Alright kids, and one of those specials too." Informing Fry of their decision.
"Good choices," Fry said to the family's orders, "And anything to drink?"
"Two mich ultras for the mrs. and I, and a pitcher of soda for the kids." Richard informed.
"Okay I'll bring the drinks and have your pizza out whenever it comes out." Honestly telling them how things work in the kitchen.
"Phillip!" The man from the kitchen shouted again. "Your attitude is going to drive away all our customers."
"But Mr. Panucci," Fry protested, "I'm just giving them an honest answer, between just the two of us it'll take some time for the pizzas to be ready."
"And that's why you should be cooking back here and not talking out your ass waiting on customers, I'll handle the talking part." This Mr. Panucci yelled back, not making sense from his previous demand for him to wait customers.
"But boss," Fry questioned his bosses confusing message. "Who's going to prepare the pizzas if I don't have the skills to do it?"
"Getting smart with me huh?" challenged Mr. Panucci, "Forget it, I'm taking care everything else tonight because you're not able to, it's just deliveries from now on for you." Fry now felt defeated. Everything seemed to be bad for him before, but now with his job being reduced to just deliveries, his least favorite part of the job, he had nothing else to look forward to for this deadbeat job. With his head hung low, he walked back into the kitchen, and out the back door. Gary saw this and knew in his mind what happened to people who felt like this at work didn't typically have good feelings about themselves, and wouldn't last much longer after that.
"What kind of jerk for a boss is that?" Renée asked rhetorically. "I'm glad uncle Travis isn't and never will be that kind of boss."
Mr. Panucci obviously didn't hear what Renée said and turned back to the Hudsons, "Sorry you tourists had to see that, but sometimes it's just part of the job." He apologized, trying to keep his business looking appealing. "Now folks just hang on a bit and I'll have your pizza and drinks right out." He quietly muttered to himself as he walked back from the kitchen window; "Great, first disappointed tourists and now I need another worker in the kitchen."
Gary, after witnessing the whole ordeal, thought for a second and decided in his heart what the right thing to do was: "Hold on a second," he told his family, "I'm going out to talk to that Fry guy."
At first they weren't sure. "He's just a young adult in the real-world Gary," Richard told Gary trying to make this seem normal. "He's got to learn how things work, just like you did."
"That may be true dad, but I've never seen a disapproval like that before, and in all my classes I know what this demoralizing effect leads to in people who already exhibit depressed behaviors." Gary responding to his father with his case.
"But you've never conducted a therapy session before." Rachel said regarding Gary's lack of experience.
"Well consider this my first session." Gary responded as he walked out the door to find Fry.
Back alley between 54th and 55th street.
Fry was bouncing a baseball he found in the alley way behind Panucci's Pizza. What else could he do? Any enjoyment of his job was now tossed out like the trash around him, and his lack of a college education made it hard to find any better jobs in Manhattan. He wasn't paying attention when he heard a voice from the alley entrance.
"Tough night I see?"
Fry looked toward his right to see one of the customers he just served standing with little light around him, but just enough to make out his basic appearance.
"Ill say," He responded in a harsh manner, "My jerk boss thinking he's so much better than me deciding that I can only be a delivery boy because I did what he told me?"
"I saw what kind of bullshit your boss put onto ya inside." The customer in flannel said to him, "I don't disagree with any of what you're thinking."
"How can you tell what I'm thinking?" Fry asked about this stranger's ability. "Is it because of the glasses? I heard smart guys always have them, can you see into my mind? Can you see pictures of my naked girlfriend? If so stop looking they're not yours, but they're not exactly mine either." Now it was Gary's turn to be perplexed at the young man's city style of thinking.
"I think it's best we properly introduce to each other." Gary proposed while holding out his hand for a formal shake. "Dr. Gary Hudson, phycologist."
"Phillip J. Fry," Fry answered as he gladly shook hands in response. "But my friends call me Fry."
"I must say having you normally use your last name as your nickname is rather unusual." Gary responded to Fry's normal name, "Is that a city thing or a New York thing?"
"Uhh," Fry thought for a moment about why he normally used his last name. "I guess it just sounds better. But then my question for you is: is wearing those big hats and being smart a redneck thing?"
"Firstly there's a difference between rednecks and westerners." Gary explained, "Rednecks are in the south, south of Virginia all the way to the eastern Texas border. Westerners are everyone between the Mississippi river and the west coast. Not including the cities of course."
"Oh I see," Fry realized his mis-categorization of the Hudsons, "But then how are you a doctor?"
"Simple," Gary answered, "I went to college and became a phycologist. While I don't really consider myself to be a doctor, it's what the title says. And I'd say that's enough introductions for two people." Trying to change subjects. "The point is I can tell what you're thinking based on your facial expressions and actions, and judging by some of the things you've said previously, I'm going to guess you've been going through a lot recently?"
"I'll say," Fry replied with a hint of aggression in his voice. "First I barley graduate high school with no special skills, then my parents decide that my older brother Yancy jr. was more important for college. Saying that I going to college was a waste of taxpayer money. Even though neither of them had any college experience; forcing me to move out a get a job while the 'favorite' child can stay home because he 'worked for it'."
"I see you have some slight negativity when you mentioned your family." Gary noted during Fry's last statement. "Care to elaborate more? Then maybe I can give some advice."
"My parents never seemed to care much for me or my brother." Fry blatantly explained. "My mom was too worried about her favorite sports teams to be concerned with any of our issues, and my dad was a veteran who wanted us to be ready for nuclear war. Telling us we should be tough and stand up for ourselves and our country."
"Your father doesn't sound so bad; dare I say my father and yours would get along nicely." Gary compared each of their dads. "But given what you said about your mother, it doesn't sound like the most stable of households."
"I will say from what I've seen their relationship seems just fine." Fry acknowledged Gary's observation. "If only I could say that about my relationship."
"I recall you mentioning a girlfriend earlier. What's she like?" Gary asked.
"Her name's Michelle," Fry continued his situation's story, "Most of the time I think we like each other, I mean we do share an apartment, but she doesn't like my position saying I need a better job."
That part she's right about. Gary thought to himself as Fry continued explaining.
"But on top of that, she doesn't like many of the things I like, and I have suspicions she's cheating on me."
"Sounds to me like it may not be worth spending the time with her if she is A, unable to compromise with you on your living situation." Gary informed Fry on his predicament. "And B, may be unfaithful to you. The only other thing I'm wondering about would be your brother, what's he like?"
"Yancy Jr is okay." Fry answered honestly, "We've had some good time in the past. However, since I graduated high school and he went to University of Connecticut for liberal arts, we've not only become distant, but I've become jealous of his opportunity to make himself better." Your brother's not going to get far with that major. Gary thought.
"On the subject of college," Gary continued, "If you did have the change to go to college, what would you imagine yourself doing?"
"I've always wanted to be an astronaut," Fry said. Gary took some surprise to his answer. "Space has been an interest of mine for a while now. Growing up watching space shows like Star Trek and whatnot. But due to things like my minor motion sickness and not doing very well in high school I can't see that happening now."
"Do you think college is the answer?" Gary asked seriously, know what his answer could be.
"I don't know what else could work." Fry responded with a hint of desperation, "Few job places will accept me, and with my recent demotion here, Michelle for sure won't like that. My parents for sure won't want me back in the house. I just don't know what to do anymore." Fry had his head down low finishing the last sentence.
Gary could tell he was not in the best of places to be in, especially compared to his successes. "I may not have the answers for everything now. But here's what I can tell you:" He began to his technical subject. "It's clear you don't have a ton of people around you who care about your situations and don't seem to show much respect for what you can do. I've been able to show my skills in the fields back home."
"Is this another country thing or is all you do just feed cows?" Fry interjected without warning.
"Just let me finish," Gary stated annoyed with his question, Now I see what dad was talking about with these dumb city folks. He thought. "You need to think about what you are capable of doing and try working at that. Have you parents, brother, or Michelle ever been impressed by anything you've done?"
"I was able to make a full pizza for my family once." Fry stated with some more optimism this time, "And I met Michelle at the Rockefeller center where we ice skated; that was kind of the beginning of our relationship."
"We skated at the Rockefeller too, and with this kind of cold weather it really fits the mood. But that's besides the point. But don't you See?" Gary pointed out, "Though minor, those are skills none the less. And perhaps in the future, you'll gain more skills that will impress others, even a future employer or two."
"Gee," Fry realized, "I haven't thought of it that way, I just thought I'd be stuck in this spot for years to come."
"And with the International Space Station just now being constructed for example, who know what can happen. Just like my Grandfather told me before my family left for this trip: Anything's possible in the future." Gary paraphrased.
"Wait," Fry thought for a second. "You still have a grandfather? Just how old are you?"
"I turned twenty-nine early last month." Gary informed Fry on his question. "I'm willing to bet you're a little younger than me?"
"Twenty-five last fall." Fry answered. "Outside of who I told you I don't have much family."
"Sorry to hear that," Gary replied sympathetically. "Coming from someone who's got a large family back home, it's hard for me to think about someone who's family is a fraction of the size."
"I'm just glad my family, even if they sometimes suck, is still around." Fry said honestly. "I couldn't imagine if anything happened to them."
"Even in this unofficial session, you've made progress." Gary informed him. "Now just like my grandfather said to me: Anything's possible in the future. Only time will tell what will happen to you."
"At least I found another person who I can call a friend," Fry said gratefully, "Even if it's just this one time."
"I'll say a prayer for you tonight," Gary closed, "And remember, in a few days it'll be a new millennium, with lots of things waiting for us, and most importantly you. Take care of yourself out there Fry."
"Thanks again Gary." Fry thanked as Gary walked out of the alley and left him to carry the night. "I guess I can learn a thing or two from a cowboy." Fry said to himself, still a little confused on Gary's identity.
Gary walked back into Panucci's Pizza where he saw his family had received the pizza and drinks already.
"You've been gone a few minutes dear, everything alright?" Rachel asked her son with concern.
"Just fine mom," Gary answered. "Just gave that young man who served us some advice."
"What kind of advice?" Richard asked as he took a bit out of his pizza slice, enjoying the spicy flavor.
"The kind of advice only a western ranch family could give." Gary informed as he began to eat some pizza. "I knew coming here was a good idea this tastes great."
"Already this has been a great trip with you kids." Richard began to Gray and Renée, "But I don't think much will be able to prepare us for New years at time square." Both Renée and Gary could barley keep their excitement, New years for the new millennium at time square. This indeed would be the event of the century.