An Anomlay of Coincidence

It was a damp, rainy day outside in the usually vibrant New York City, but the rain cancelled that description. People paced briskly down the sidewalks, umbrellas open, rushing to get to the comfort of their home. A small little building nestled on West 43rd Street had a sign placed on its door which read: "The House of Peace. Meet new people! Guest room open to all!" The mahogany door was ajar, awaiting its next visitor. And the visitors did come...

Dennis Baker, 55, was as tough as nails. His life had been full of hardship and deprivation, and he didn't take no for an answer. He was born into a rich family which sometimes didn't realize he was even there. At 15, he ran away, striving to find his own path. Eventually, he ended up in a construction job, and rose to the top because of his grit and toughness. Yet there was one person in the world he fervidly hated, John Jefferson.

John Jefferson, 27, was someone you might call a goof off. He was orphaned, and at 18, had dropped out of high school, thinking it was unimportant Although he had hoped to find a suitable job for himself, his high school dropout record did not help him achieve that goal. Crestfallen, after another rejection he passed by the "BULLDOG INC." construction site, and, on impulse, thought that could be his job. It was. The circumstances were such that he was hired almost on the spot. John earned the respect of the other workers not by his devotion, but by his skill at slouching off almost all the time and avoiding detection. It was another odd aspect of his skill that his constant complaining served to enhance his stature. This made him and Dennis far from "buddies".

Linda Rossi, 53, was a lost soul. She was an artistic, loving woman. Born in Italy, she had traveled to America, hoping to sell her artwork. Unfortunately, no one appreciated her style, so she took on the job of a clerk, dreading it every day. She did meet Dennis though, and Dennis was the one she knew would be able to guide her through life. One day though, in a fit of lunacy, she left him, hoping to find someone better, and promised she would be "right back". Dennis is still waiting for her.

One by one all of these people strolled into the guestroom, unaware of who the other visitors were and would be. Unaware of what and who they were and were going to be.

Dennis was the first to enter the guest room. The room was the size of an average living room, with a few light bulbs planted in the ceiling. A few dilapidated couches were placed in a circle, and the white paint on the walls was slowly peeling off. A piece of paper was taped to the wall which read: "Owner not here at the moment, back soon!" Dennis plopped himself onto the nearest couch, and waited for the next visitor.

John, bored and tired, thought he would give it a try, and entered the guest room. He sat himself in the couch opposite to Dennis, unaware of who it was because Dennis, unhappy and sleepy, had tilted his hat over his head.

"Uh, bro, you awake?" John asked.

Linda wandered in next. Today she was not quite so lonely. In a cafe, she had met Louis, an artist like her, and they were able to bond over that fact. As she walked in, the scene seemed like something out of a movie. Dennis was staring with hate at John, who was nervously sinking in the back of his chair. John noticed the newcomer and directed Dennis's attention to them.

"Oh Dennis, look!" He chuckled nervously. "More partygoers!"

As soon as Dennis turned, his face went slack.

"Linda?" He stuttered. "W-what are you doing here?

Before she could answer, Dennis' emotions erupted convulsively and he boomed; "You! You BETRAYED ME!", his anger waxing. "I can't believe you. Three years ago you said you'd be right back, and now here you are. This is "right back”??? What kind of BS? What is..." But his anger had become too intense and the words escaped him.

"Listen Den," Linda muttered nervously. "We might have changed plans-"

"Changed plans?" Dennis boomed. " You ran away for THREE YEARS!"

John was now completely embedded in the couch.

The tension in the room was reaching its apex. But before anything got worse, the door swung open. A kindly looking man who appeared to be in his mid 40s stepped in cautiously. He was dressed in a dapper suit, and a salt and pepper stubble beard masked his face. When Linda saw him, she started fidgeting with her purse.

"Hello!" The man said. "My name is Mark and I am the owner of this establishment. "This guest room was for building friendships, not destroying them! Now, what is the issue here?"

Dennis yelled- "This woman betrayed me!"

"I didn't betray you!" Linda yelled. "I just moved on!"

"THEN SAY THAT INSTEAD OF SAYING I'LL BE RIGHT BACK!" Dennis hollered.

Another man with glasses came into the room. Linda saw him and smiled.

"Hey Louis, come sit with me" She said

"Okay," Mark said. "Let's try to focus on other things. Kid on the couch, what's your name?"

"J-John." John muttered

"Last name?" Mark asked.

"Jefferson." John responded

"Hey, That's my last name too!" Louis said. "Hold on a minute. What is your grandmother's name?"

"On which side?" John asked

"Father's" Louis responded.

"Margaret."

Louis's face turned white. "How about mother's side?"

"Um, I think it was Constance."

Louis and Linda looked at each other, and were both about to say something, but were cut off by Mark, who strolled over to Linda

“Hey Linda listen, after this is over, you wanna go and get a drink and go to my place?” Mark said.

Louis was taken aback. “Hey buddy, listen,” He said. “Linda is my girl, so don’t even think about-”

“Your girl?” Mark and Dennis both said in unison, and then looked at each other, as Linda slowly slouched lower and lower in her couch. 

“Yeah my girl!” Louis yelled as he stood up. “What’s going on here?”

“What’s going on here is Linda is my girlfriend and the rest of you should back off!” Mark shouted.

“No, she’s mine!” Louis and Dennis said in unison.

The tension in the room was now so extreme that John could not stand it anymore.

“QUIET EVERYONE!” John yelled, and everyone did. “Let's get this straight. You all think that Linda is yours?”

“YES!” They all yelled.

“Linda, we need some answers.” John asked

Linda rose slowly and looked at John. “Johnny, listen,” She said shakily. “You are Louis’s and my child.”

John’s eyes widened. “WHAT?”

“Wait Linda,” Mark stuttered. I thought WE are together!”

“We are friends,” Linda explained.

“Friends?” Mark yelled

“WHAT?” Louis yelled. “I’ve known you for over ten years!”

“Me too!” Mark said.

“Me too!” Dennis said.

“OKAY! So I might have had kids with multiple guys! The one I truly love though, is-”

Before she could say, Louis, Mark, and Dennis all rose, looking at each other with hate, and jumped at each other in anger and jealousy.

...and in the end the House of Peace became the cradle of war. Those who study what happened on that day long ago called it the Anomaly of Coincidence.