If TechMec is an actual company—my reference to them is purely coincidental. I don't own them.
Not Even Human—Chapter Nine
As Kennedy watched the livingroom in the dark of the kitchen, he had an idea. The TV flickered like an electric fire inside a box, leaving a ghostly glow inside the livingroom. Kennedy Boggs was bored out of his skull, and when he was bored, he thought best.
Ken was sick and tired of Suburbia. It was too peaceful, too friendly, too pretty, too nice, too perfect. He craved crime and murder and fog and cold and women and money and...the city.
Kennedy Boggs eyes blinked. Yes, that's it...
The city.
It was another Walters family dinner. It was October—the leaves to the trees got brown, wrinkled, and fell off the skinny trees, leaving them as bare skeletons. Orange and white pumpkins were appearing on the doorsteps and windows, witches were being pinned up to houses, toilet paper ghosts were rippling gracefully in the trees, scarecrows were being stuffed, and the House upon the Hill was, of course, the best Halloween decoration of all.
"So, Edward, I suppose you could go back up to the mansion." Jake Walters said, squiring a piece of carrot with his fork. "Not permanently, of course—it's just you look pretty adjusted to your hands now. And I was thinking you could fix up your old home. Remodel it, maybe, to make the eyesore a bit comfier."
Jake Walters was right, Edward had grown used to his hands, and the House on the Hill was an eyesore. Edward hadn't really thought of fixing up the House. Edward put down his fork and pondered on the idea.
Edward nodded, quietly, and said, "Okay."
"Good, good!" Aunt Jill said, scooping a spoonful of green beans into her plate. "I always thought that House just needed a touch up here and there. It's so classically English! And it's so big, too, Edward, you could make the place smaller, if you like, honey."
The whole family nodded their heads, in approval of the proposition. Except Kennedy who was sulking and chewing his turkey, slowly.
"You know, Jake," Kennedy said, swallowing the sweet turkey, "I had an idea..."
"Lord help us all..." Molly Walters grumbled, under her breath.
Kennedy shot an ugly look at Molly and said, "You guys know I'm moving next month. I thought that Edward could come along with me to Urban."
"Urban City?" The family said, simultaneously.
"Yeah, sure. I have friends up there in the city." Kennedy said, casually, "I got a job offer up there, too, at TechMec—they need new technical managers." He took a sip of soda, "Besides, Edward needs socializing. He needs to be better aquatinted with the world's ways."
There was a pause.
"And he could help me pay the rent." Kennedy added, shamefully.
"No." Molly said, decidedly, "I'm not allowing it."
"Oh? Well, last time I checked you wanted Edward as far away from you as possible." Ken hissed, softly.
Molly slammed her hand on the table, "Shut up, Kennedy! I have had enough of your sass!"
"Oh, come on, Molly. You're not his mother, for Christ's sake. Edward needs to get to know people."
"I don't want him getting to know city people."
"I find that insulting. City people are just the same as you and me." Kennedy said, sniffing.
"What about the crimes, drugs, and murders? Gangs? Shootings?"
"He can't be shielded from that forever." Kennedy argued, his eyes glittering with defiance.
"The world needs someone as innocent as Edward, Ken. The rest of us are all, well...we're just plain bad. He doesn't need to be corrupted like you." Molly Walters said, half adoringly to Edward and half disgusted to Kennedy.
"Yeah? Edward's going to get curious about the wild world sometime or another, Molly." Kennedy preached, sipping another cool swig or soda.
"Well, what if people recognize him from three years ago?" Molly Walters asked, concerned, "We can't risk that, you know."
"Not likely." Kennedy returned, "People have forgotten about him mostly. No one seems to recognize him here. Plus, the guy has hands now. People wouldn't suspect a thing.
"Don't contradict me, young man." Molly Walters snapped, viciously.
"Well," Uncle Frank said, slowly, "It's not our decision now, is it? Edward'll tell us if he wants to go to Urban or not."
Uncle Frank always stuck up for Edward, and always gave the family a good dose of reason. But he made Edward make all the decisions; Edward was not comfortable with too many decisions.
They all twisted their heads toward Edward for an answer. He bit his lip nervously; he hadn't the faintest idea on what a city was or what it was like.
"I don't know." Edward admitted, meekly, as he sculpted his mash potatoes. "What's Urban City like?"
"Oh, honey!" Aunt Jill put her hand over her heart, as if she was going to say the pledge of allegiance, "The city's just wonderful! Salons and shops galore! Everything's gigantic and grey—and very stylish. Fancy cars, elegant clothes, new gadgets, money, sights, food to die for, and—"The Aunt nudged Edward, "Pretty city girls."
Molly, ever practical, shook her head and said, "Don't tell him that, Jillian. The city's dangerous, too....blood shed, rapings, thieves..."
Well? Which one was it? Was Urban City a beautiful, gorgeous paradise or a blood-covered hell hole? How could they be both? Edward didn't understand.
"The city's cool," Bobby muttered, sadly, "Wish I could go....it's better than this place..."
"I don't want Eddie to go!" Lucy whined, clutching her fists and frowning, distressed, "He's like family now!"
Bobby and Lucy's comments didn't help. Edward still felt lost on the subject.
"Let's let Edward decide later." Jake Walters said, mercifully as he saw the confusion in the machine boy's eyes, "It's a big choice. It's a big change---and Edward can't be expected to give us an answer on the spot. The boy needs some time."
"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know, I love you too, baby..." Kennedy Boggs cooed into the cell phone, "I'll be there soon, okay, Isabel? I'm coming in a month with a cousin—yeah, a cousin—his name's Edward."
A female voice sizzled at the other end of the phone as Kennedy flipped through a grey newspaper.
"How old his he?" Kennedy stopped, completely. He was stumped. "Oh. Oh...I'd say twenty...ish."
Ken knew that Edward was well over sixty (though no one in their right mind would guess it), but Isabel wouldn't have understood that. And what harm could a white lie do? He continued to talk mindlessly into the phone as he scanned the newspaper.
"Okay, Isabel, I'll call you," He said, in a rare sweetness, "I love you more. Yeah, I know. Yeah, yes, I know. No, no, no I'll call you tomorrow, okay? Ok. Cya. Love you....kay, bye."
Kennedy pressed the red button and threw the cell phone on the couch, lazily. He frowned when he read that his favorite team had lost Saturday's game.
"But I don't want him to go!" Lucy complained, childishly, "Edward wouldn't like being so far away from home!"
"And you know this how?" Bobby mumbled, as he took out the trash, "You're not Edward. I wouldn't blame him if he wanted to get out of this damn pastel paradise..."
"Another dollar, please, young man!" Molly said, putting out her hand.
Bobby grumbled and put a crumbled dollar bill in his mother's hands for the 'Swearing Money'.
"Well, Edward is an independent...person." Molly said, maternally, as she washed the dishes, "And he can make decisions perfectly by himself. I agree with you Lucy, I don't want Edward to leave us. But, no thanks to Kennedy, Edward has to think it through by himself."
The little girl whined and nagged some more, insistently.
"And besides, honey," Aunt Jill added, "I heard your Math grades are lowering. We're getting concerned, baby, and we know you're a bright girl. Maybe, Lucy lamb, you'll be better off with Edward in the city. You need to focus on school, not him, dearie."
"You need to concentrate on what's important." Molly said, solemnly as she washed her hands with foamy water.
Lucy sighed and walked out of the kitchen to go to her room. She almost cried.
A month went by without the subject being brought up. But every day the family grew tenser and tenser---quieter, more polite, strained, bored, and uncomfortable. It was as if they were balloons being pumped up with too much air; they were just waiting for the perfect moment to burst. Edward would have to answer, soon.
"Could you please pass the potatoes?" Jake Walters asked, when dinner began.
"Of course, dear." Molly Walters said, painfully polite, as she passed the yellow plate.
If you knew the Walters family, you knew that if they were smiling brightly, being polite, and being obliging...you knew something was wrong. They all were unnaturally happy, supernaturally happy. They never acted like this without a seriously disturbing reason.
They all acted stiff and wooden, as if they had some sort of bomb inside them, waiting to explode. They ate very little, and when they did, their faces were sour like lemons...which was another deathly sign.
"We've been having lovely weather, haven't we?" Molly said, trying to start nice conversation.
"Yes, not a cloud in the sky since Edward..." Jake stopped himself for no particular reason, he sighed, wrinkling his rough skin, "Since...you know, Edward isn't up there..."
"I miss the snow." Bobby blurted out, carelessly squashing his food; "It's so damn hot now..."
No one even bothered to ask for the swearing fee.
"Yes, well, things change, Bobby. And that's life, isn't it?"
Bobby Walters shrugged and sighed, boredly.
A pure, unspoiled silence descended over the dinner. A few of them shifted in their seats, irritably, and waited for someone to say something, anything. But no one did and they left the rest to evil silence. The grandfather clock struck eight with a deep, authoritative gong. They hadn't spoken one single word in over an hour.
"I can't take this anymore!" Kennedy said, in quiet torment, "Somebody say something before I lose my fucking mind!"
Before anyone could kindle decent conversation, Lucy Walters, who had been as silent as the grave all day, asked the million dollar question:
"Are you going to the city, Edward?"
"I'm leaving in a week, Ed," Kennedy said, nodding, "You need to tell us, man."
Edward put down his spoon and stared at Lucy, confused. He swallowed, but his throat was as dry as a bone.
He wanted to say 'yes' and 'no' at the same time, but he knew 'maybe' wouldn't cut it. He needed to give them an answer, pure and simple. Black and white. Yes or no.
"I don't know." Edward breathed, embarrassed.
"What?" Kennedy shouted, angrily, "You had a month to decide!"
"That's enough, Kennedy Boggs! It's not an easy decision to make, for Pete's sake!" Aunt Jill argued, scooting closer to Edward.
"Well, I, for one am glad—"
"When will you learn to shut up, Molly?" Kennedy shouted, raising his hands up.
"Oh, how dare you?"
"Shut up! Shut up Shut up!" Lucy screamed, loudly.
"Stop it! I can't take this!"
"Oh, cry me a river...and do us all a favor, drown in it."
The family screamed and shouted at each other, leaving Edward and mild-mannered Uncle Frank to either ignore them or to sit and stare, calmly. Uncle Frank chose to be oblivious and to eat his green beans, which was the wisest and safest route.
Edward got up from the table, soaking up all the attention. He never drew attention to himself, not purposely, and the family had enough sense to simmer down and listen to what Edward had to say for himself. The boy took a deep breath.
"I'll go," Edward said, decidedly, "I'll go."
The family looked down at their plates, like naughty children and continued to eat their dinner. It was quiet again.
Lucy gasped and sobbed, heart-brokenly, and Molly Walters dabbed her damp eyes with a handkerchief. They were acting as if Edward was going off to be slaughtered.
Things were settled, Edward concluded, sadly. He felt his insides turn to jelly—Edward didn't want to go to Urban City, he just wanted to make the family settle down—but he was a honorable creation of his word and he would not back down on a decision.
Edward really did not want to go, but, I suppose, he was going anyway.
Oh, dear...it might be some time before I can update again, but I will try and updatenext week, if I can. Please, bare with me, guys.