Play At Life

Ah! Emorydale! My thoughts cheered, reaching the city limits after my long trip. With me, I have a small suitcase with my name tag, Will...Watson...Wendell Hosle, and 800 currency. I’ve always wanted to live my own life and this is the perfect place to do so! I drink in the metropolitan scenery here as I think about what to do next. What should I do first to settle in? 

Finding employment and a place to live would be smart things to do, but then again, exploring the city isn’t bad either, right? I notice several restaurants, shops, and city monuments along my way. I pause outside the library. Its stone and glass facade make it look the part of a stately institution. The natural light outside brightens the common area, revealing full, tall book stacks and mahogany study tables. 

What a great place to start becoming the most well-read person in town! I thought before moving on to lingering in front of the fitness center. Looking in, I see rows of treadmills and weight machines, aerobics, and yoga classes. 

I should get a membership! I thought excitedly. I could be a top athlete here!

But for all that dithering, I find myself gravitating towards the city park instead. That’s fine, though. One can never get too much sunshine and nature, can they? I spend several hours feeding pigeons, small-talking with others, and watching a street musician. Despite needing as much as I can get to establish myself here in town, I give him a little money. I think again about how I need to move forward with settling in...but plan to do so right after I use the park facilities.  

No sooner do I finish business do I stumble into a cookout party! I’m not well-acquainted with anyone yet, but no one seems to mind either. I help myself to a hot dog and play catch with some young people. 

As the sun sets on my first day in Emorydale, I realize I haven’t been as productive as I could’ve been but I’ve had a lot of fun! I need to find a place to sleep for the night. I think some apartments are across town but I don’t have enough energy to make it the whole way. The closest resting point to me is to sleep on a public bench in the middle of town. Couldn’t hurt, right? 

Wrong...the bench is not a comfortable spot for much sleep to begin with. Worse still, I wake to a ski-masked burglar making off with my suitcase. Luckily, the police were on his tail as quickly as he disappeared. 

“Your belongings are accounted for, good citizen!” The officer claimed, returning my suitcase in no time at all. “But sleeping in public after dark is both dangerous and against city laws.” Oh, dear... “I have to put you behind bars for the night, but consider this a warning!”

So, I'm escorted to the police station and slept in the cell. That bed is only marginally better than the bench but I was able to get enough rest for getting to the apartment complexes in the morning. I have some interesting options.

One is the Frugale Apartments, small spaces with basic furniture and inconsistent appliances for fifty currency a month. Pets aren’t allowed. Then there’s Spendthrift Place, costing 250 currency a month, but offers more reliable appliances, more comfortable furnishings, and pets are allowed. I pause in the courtyard that the buildings share as if to deliberate my decision. Frugale Apartments is better for my budget. I could stretch my money while spending more time developing my skills and connections to get a great job.

On the other hand, the environment of Spendthrift Place sounds more pleasant. I could finally get a good night’s rest, but I would just need to start a job right away. Or is there a scenario where I can get a great job right away and afford Spendthrift Place? I thought I’d go to the employment office to see...

“Well, Wendell...” The counselor started after he evaluated me, “You have basic skills, no connections, no assets, and 795 currency. You should be a good fit in one of these jobs...”

Assistant towel technician at the gym- pays three currency an hour; the workday is four hours a day, six days a week, and offers an athletic boost. I’d be responsible for maintaining the gym’s sweat towels almost every day. The work itself didn’t sound all that great but I’d have ample time for other things. 

Assistant book stacker at the library- pays four currency an hour; the workday is three hours, five days a week, and gives an intellect boost. I’d be in that amazing library most of the week but all I’d do is help reshelve the reading material. It's two currency less than the gym position, but I’d get a head start in boosting my smarts. I’d also have a little more spare time with this job too.

Pizza baker at Cal Alpone’s Pizzeria- pays five currency an hour; the workday is seven hours, five days a week, and gives a cooking boost. As the name implies, I’m responsible for baking the pizzas at one of the best pizza establishments in town. This one is a little out of the box for me. It’s the biggest paycheck, but it's the most work too. Plus cooking would be a practical skill to have.

I really want one of the assistant jobs. I sit at that desk for a moment, willing myself to choose between the gym or the library. The gym...the library...the gym...the library... But for some reason, I'm compelled to accept the pizza baker position instead. What went wrong?!

“Great!” The officer commended my decision. “Your first day starts at noon today! Congratulations!”

Wait?! Today at noon?! It's ten-thirty when I finish at the employment office and the pizzeria is across town of course! I had to make a decision quickly: hoof it and be late and lost or hail a taxi. A taxi would cost more of my precious currency but I didn’t want to be tardy on my first day either. I bit the bullet and opted for a fifteen-currency ride. 

When the vehicle pulls up, my boss, Cal Alpone, is outside the restaurant, smoking a cigar and chatting with other fellow smokers. He is broad-shouldered and thickset, wearing a sportcoat and fedora. I make eye contact with him but bumbled out of the car. What am I getting myself into?!

“H-h-hello!” I manage to speak after getting enough of my wits and feet about me. “I’m Wendell Hosle, I-I’m the new pizza baker here...” 

“Ciao, Wendell!” Mr. Alpone’s arm and mouth opened wide as if greeting an old friend. He moves towards me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. “Welcome to my establishment! Let me show you around!” He ushered me through the entrance and guided me through the restaurant. I was being led to my death for all I knew but feel some relief when I instead met an atmosphere bustling with restaurant patrons, wait staff, and kitchen personnel. 

“Tony here manages the kitchen,” Mr. Alpone introduces me to a guy wearing a chef’s hat and apron. “He’ll show you the ropes with pizza baking. He’ll should have you goin’ in time for the dinner rush. Good luck, Wendell!” Mr. Alpone patted my shoulders again and departed the kitchen, leaving me with Tony, a man who appeared younger, but no less Italian with his dark hair. I imagine some kind of brutal gang initiation was ahead of me for sure until Tony actually taught me how to use the oven and other kitchen procedures. He even let me toss a few doughy crusts before the evening got underway.

“Have any questions before the rush starts?” Tony asked while he gave me last-minute instructions.  

“It’s not necessarily work-related, but uh...What’s Mr. Alpone’s deal?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Is he...secretly in some kind of cartel or hitman business?” 

“Oh, no no...Mr. Alpone just obsessed with this famous Italian immigrant who was in the liquor business a hundred years ago. He’s a big kidder, so he he likes to use the image to fool with people. Mr. Alpone is one of the most stand-up guys in Emorydale. He’s a fair boss. He pays all his taxes on time, serves on the community board, supports the schools and museums, recycles, helps old ladies cross the street.” Tony finished with a laugh. I laugh too, starting to feel better about where I was. 

I continue thinking about the apartments as I worked. Finally, I’d soon have a place in Emorydale to call my own! A nice one at Spendthrift at that! If I stick with this job for a while, I’ll have a few months saved up in no time! However, my energy was so drained at the end of my shift that I couldn’t get back across town again. I knew resting on the bench would get me in trouble but I still had no other options. I barely slept for an hour before the officer approached me. 

“Good citizen!” He started, “Sleeping in public after dark is dangerous and against city laws!”

“But, officer, I...” I tried to explain myself.

“This is the second time we’ve dealt with this matter!” He continued, my reasons not mattering. “I have to take you downtown again and you’ll be charged a 200 currency fine!” 

I'm released the next morning with just enough time to get back to the apartments and make a decision before my next shift at the pizza place. With only 580 currency left, I reluctantly change my mind about signing for Spendthrift and get an apartment at Frugale instead. 

I’m shown my living space, which was meager and sparsely furnished as expected. I walk into a common area that combined a little kitchen space and a living room. Off to one side is a bedroom filled with nothing more than a squeaky metal frame bed. The bathroom is an even smaller space off the bedroom. If not for the presence of a shower, the room would have a lot in common with an outhouse. All the appliances are used and old. I thought I’d freshen myself up but the shower water is nothing but cold and the toilet somehow clogged right after I used it. The quality left a lot to be desired but at least I had a place to sleep after dark now. Maybe I could make some upgrades when I had the money and time.

Three more busy work days go by before I’m waking up to my two days off. I’m laying in bed wondering how to make them count. I could sleep in to fully restore my energy but that would take most of the day. With a fresh paycheck in my pocket, I could shop for some new home items to improve my apartment and personal care. I could socialize and entertain myself around town to destress. But if I read this book Mr. Alpone suggested: “Scrapeface’s Liquor Legacy”, I’ll get a bonus added to next week’s check. 

After mulling it over, I figure out how I could kill a few birds with one stone. I could wake up now, get a coffee at Bucky Star’s Cafe, and read there. I’ll be starting the day early, getting a boost of energy, I’ll be out on the town, and be doing something productive pretty much all at once! How come I didn’t think of this kind of multitasking before? 

I find the coffee shop busy though. Come to find out, it hosts open mic events on the weekend. I change my mind to enjoying the people and amusement here and now and reading later. My coffee drink should energize me for most of the day. I end up spending most of the day getting to know most of the people there, including the pretty barista. Thinking about my book again, finally leave with several more friends--and a love interest--than I had before. I have a home, a job, and now friends in Emorydale!

I want to start reading right away, so I sit down on a nearby bench. It's seven o’clock. Nine pm is after dark, but I think reading this through in one sitting shouldn’t take all of that long. I'm nearly done when, all at once, my coffee crash puts me right to sleep and nine o’clock hits. 

“Good citizen!” The officer wasted no time confronting me again. 

“Oh no! I was just--” He startled me awake.

“This is the third time we’ve had to deal with you sleeping in public after dark! This time you’ll have to spend a day in the cell and pay another 200 currency fine!” 

I comply with defeat. The first time I got in trouble for this, I just didn’t know. The second and third times were badly-timed accidents but I finally learned how to get on my feet. Could I not get a little more slack or something instead of spending my only other day off in jail?  Am I in control of my own life at all?

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“Wahh! I’m in jail again?!” Five-year-old Theo fussed as his video game character got into trouble. “This game is so hard!” The game in question is Play Your Life, a new simulation title his thirteen-year-old cousin, Jackson, recently got. Theo chucked the console controller into the beanbag gaming chair and pouted at the predicament in which he found himself. The tantrum drew Jackson’s attention, who had been messing around on his own tablet while allowing his cousin free rein on the game. 

“Everyone tried to tell you,” Jackson reminded him, crossing the room to manage the system. “This game is too much for you by yourself.” Theo had argued with his parents and relatives about being “allowed” to play his cousin’s game independently. Eventually, concessions were agreed upon that either Theo and Jackson would the game play together--with Jackson doing most of the work-- or that Jackson would watch him play. The teenager was even more than willing to oblige his cousin, but the kid still squabbled to be the one in control. 

“I’m five years old but nobody lets me do anything by myself!” Theo complained.

“It’s not much easier when you’re my age, either,” Jackson mused. “Look, you saw that this game has a lot of reading and choices, right?” 

“Uh-huh...”

“Well, you have to build your reading and decision-making skills in real life to play this game better on your own. That’s why it was better for us to play together.” 

“Oh,” Theo was starting to see reason. His family wasn’t being mean; they were just trying to look out for him. 

“Now, do you want to try Play At Life again together, or do you want to change to a game you can play?”

“Um...I want to try Play at Life again...with you.”

“Good deal!” Jackson reset the game. “I’ll read it to you and we can talk about the decisions we gotta make for our character, ok?”

“Ok!” They fist-bumped and walked through the game together.