In case you’re not aware, this is day 1, of Flash August Fiction. 29 brand-new stories and podcasts in 29 days. Check in for a new story every day, and thanks for reading, for listening, for sharing, restacking, and for your interest.
Colin was in a panic. He did that a lot, though. He tends toward persnickety. It was a day that he had come to visit his friend, Marvin, to pick up an old PC Monitor.
Marvin's place was an absolute bomb site. Marvin had really let everything go, and it was, from Colin's point of view, unsafe environs.
“Uh, are you OK, Marv?”
“Yeah, how's it going, Colin?”
“Did something happen?” Colin asks.
“No, man, why? What's up? What do you mean?”
Colin looks around the room. Sort of gesturing with his eyes, curiously.
“Come on in and sit down, dude.” Marvin tells him.
“Where?” Colin responds.
Marvin uses both hands and forearms and sheds a layer of items from the couch. “Go ahead.”
Sitting gently on the very edge of the couch, Colin clears his throat.
“My man, how can you live like this?”
“Are you talking about the messiness and chaos?”
“Are you OK? I mean, do you get overwhelmed and then just let it go for too long? Is it depression? Is there anything I can do?”
“It's a tunnel-vision thing, I think.” Marvin explains. “I don't register the chaos because I'm focused on things. Some people are like this. There are people who can't focus if any little thing is out of place, and some people look right over the mess and noise of the environment like it's not even there.”
“Well, I'm definitely the former.” Colin says.
“I know that about you.” Marvin says smiling.
Colin asks Marvin how he finds things.
“It's a weird phenomenon; I just remember where everything is. My brain remembers where I left something, and it never takes me long to find it. In an odd way it increases my focus and keeps my memory sharp. That's weird, I know. It sounds like an excuse, and it may be, but it's still true.”
“When do you clean?” Colin asks.
“Well, I do a little clean-up once a week. I get rid of the kitchen mess, take care of the bathroom, pick up the clothing and get it into the hamper, and things like that. I've learned to use paper plates, and that helps. I just burn them in my fire pit outside. I stay away from plastic, but I use paper for everything I can. One thing I do take seriously is odors, I don't like odd smells, so at least I have that going for me.”
Marvin takes a paper towel and wipes down the PC Monitor. He wraps the cord around it and carries it to Colin. “Here you go man, I hope this can help you. It's good; I've used it for a couple of years.”
Colin responds. “Thanks. I can see your upgrade; that's pretty sweet. Look, I'm not taking this for free. Let's go to lunch; I'll buy.”
“I have plans for lunch; let's rain check, OK?” Marvin says.
Just then, out the window, Colin sees a very nice-looking woman coming up the walk to Marvin's. “Who's that?”
“That's the cleaner,” Marvin says. “She's as obsessed with cleaning as I am, too focused on other things to care about cleaning.”
“Well, don't let me be in the way.” Colin says. “I'll go ahead and move along, but lunch tomorrow.”
“Sure thing” Marvin says. “The messier it is, the longer she stays, and I make lunch. We have a nice time together. Today is her day here.”
“I see,” says Colin. “I see.”
The End577 Words
