Flyday

“Hey!”

Dominique barely opens his eyes, enough to look around the room. He sees no one.

The voice comes again. “Hey! Can you hear me?”

Dominique sits up in bed, and fully opens his eyes. He looks around the bedroom again but is still unable see anyone.

He hears the voice a third time. “Are you awake? Come on man, wake up! We need each other’s help!”

A thousand things cross Dominique’s mind, not the least of which is the possibility that he is going insane. He blinks and more thoroughly inspects the room. And yet, not a soul in sight.

 He cries out. “I can hear you! Who are you and what do you want from me?”

The voice replies, “I want you to shut up and listen. First and foremost, I’m hungry, you need to get me some food. Second but no less important, you are late for work.”

Dominique looks at the clock and the voice is correct. He hasn’t much time to get ready, he has missed the bus already but can catch a cab to work and still make it.

He shouts, “voice, whoever you are, thank you. What would you like to eat?”

The voice tells him, “whatever, just toss something on the counter and get out of here!”

Dominique complies. He opens the refrigerator, removes some melon, and puts it on the counter. He quickly dresses and makes his way downstairs.

Chalking it up to his mind playing tricks on him or perhaps his subconscious, Dominique has dismissed the voice before he gets home.

That evening Dominique returns home having had a rough day. He wants nothing more than to take a shower and sit down on the sofa for a nice rest before dinner.

He slides his key in the door and turns the handle. He enters and puts his keys on the hook. His studio apartment is small, but he does not make enough to warrant anything larger.

Besides, why would he? Its not like he has friends that come over. And certainly, he has no love interests.

Small is good, he has few possessions and it is easy to keep clean. There is no real downside.

He walks into the kitchen and sees the melon on the counter. He laughs to himself. “Wow, I sure was out of it this morning. I really did put food out for that voice. my psyche. It’s a good thing my mom wasn’t here, she would have me committed.”

He swipes his hand across the counter, scooping up the melon. He tosses the melon in the trash can.

The voice calls out once again. “Hey! I wasn’t done with that you Jerk!”

Dominique steps back and shudders. “What the!? Who the!?”

The voice answers. “Dude, seriously, calm down!”

Dominique takes a breath and replies. “Okay, I need to call a psychiatrist.” He pulls his phone out and starts to do an internet search.

The voice begins laughing. “Dude! hold the phone… Literally. You don’t need a shrink; you need to listen.”

Dominique continues to search.

The voice firmly orders, “put the phone down! Put it down before I have to hurt you!”

The phone falls to the floor.

The voice continues. “Seriously? Your going to drop your phone? Those things are expensive. You cannot afford to replace that. what are you thinking?”

Dominique shouts. “Okay! I have had enough! Who are you?”

The voice answers earnestly. “I don’t have a name Dominique, but I am a housefly.”

Dominique is shocked. “A housefly?”

“No, I’m Lying to you!” the housefly says sarcastically. “Yes, I am a housefly. I’ve been watching you for most of my life. Last night, I saw that you had not set your alarm and I couldn’t let you be late for work again. They would have fired you for sure.”

Dominique pulls out a chair and sits down, trying to grasp what he has just been told.

After a minute he asks. “So, can all houseflys talk?”

The housefly lands on his shoulder and replies. “A few can, most can’t. In fact, most don’t even think. They act on instinct alone. A select few of us, on the other hand, are fully cognizant.”

Dominique shakes his head as if to trying to comprehend what he has just been told.

The Housefly rubs his face with his hands. “Look, Dom, you don’t mind if I call you Dom?”

Dominique replies, “No, not at all.”

“Okay Dom. We, those of us that do think, keep our secret held close. We know what humans do to things that they don’t understand… They study them… In a laboratory… With scalpels and tweezers and microscopes. And none of us want that business. You understand? So, you must promise me, you’re not going to tell a soul about me talking to you.”

Dominique smiles. “Are you kidding me right now? If I told anyone I was talking to a housefly, they would have me committed.”

The housefly stops touching his face and pats Dominique on the shoulder. “Good boy. So, why don’t you get a shower and then we’ll have some dinner. We’ve got a lot to talk about.”

Dominique is still not sure if he has lost his mind, but he has decided to go with it because he really doesn’t have much of a choice.

He stands up. The housefly departs his shoulder and lands on the counter. “While you are in the shower, can you put a video on your phone for me?”

In a daze, Dominique reaches down and picks up his phone. He asks, “any particular video?”

The housefly nods his head. “Yeah, so, there is a documentary, it is about the life of a housefly. Kind of sad but is special to me. One of my ancestors is in it.”

Dominique puts his cellphone on the counter and turns on the video on. He makes his way into the bathroom and begins his shower.

When he finishes, he dries off and puts his night cloths on. He returns to the kitchen where he finds the Housefly wiping his eyes with his little arms.

The Housefly lifts off and lands on Dominique’s shoulder again. “Hey Dom, how was the water?”

Dominique shrugs. “Okay, I guess. How was your documentary?”

The housefly retorts. “The same as it is every time. But I like to watch it because it reminds me of the fragility of life. So, Listen, I was thinking. My life is nearing its end. Do you think you could open a window and let me out? I figure, I had better find a mate and pass on my lineage before it’s too late.

Dominique walked over to the window and opens it up. The Housefly lifts off and makes his way to the opening. He turns to Dominique. “Thanks buddy! I won’t see you again so, it was nice knowing you… Friend.”

The Housefly exits the apartment and Dominique can’t help but feeling a little sad. Dream or not, that talking Housefly was the only friend he has had since he has been in the city. He calls out to the now distant Housefly. “See you, Buddy.”

Several weeks have past and Dominique has decided the housefly was a figment of his lonely mind. He has written that day off completely.

He awakens on a Saturday morning and stretches. He makes his way to the kitchen to find some breakfast.

Upon the counter stands a housefly. Dominique reaches for yesterday’s newspaper to flatten the housefly when it the housefly looks up at him.

A soft feminine voice comes to his ears. “Are you Dom? My father told me so much about you. He said you were his best friend for a whole day.”