Pas de Deux

The sudden discordant jangling of the phone interrupted his reverie.

2. Hello?

1. Hi, I haven’t heard from you in a while.

2. No, It has been a while. Sorry, you know, busy and all that…

1. How are you? 

2. I don’t know.

1.  I’m sorry, you don’t know?  What kind of an answer is that? What’s the matter?

2. I don’t know.

1. Excuse me? Come on, where are you?

2. I don’t know.

1.  What??

2. I went to bed last night. Just like I do every night, at home in my bed.  Just as I was falling asleep there was this bright white light like someone shined a flashlight in my eyes only a lot brighter.

1.  Okay…and?

2. I fell asleep. Next thing I knew I was here.

1. And here is?

2.  That’s what I don’t know.

1. Huh? Okay let’s start at the beginning.  You’re not at home?

2. Right.

1. But you were at home when you went to bed?

2. Right.

1. And obviously you’re awake since you answered my phone call and now you are talking to me.

2. Right

1. But you woke up somewhere else and you’re not at home?

2. Right again.

1. Okay, describe where you are.

2. It looks like I’m in a big room.

1. Okay, describe the room?

2. I don’t know it’s just a big room; I ‘m sitting on a long bench. 

1. How big is the room?

2. I don’t know. I can’t see the sides.

1. Huh?

2. Yeah, it’s not distinct. You know, how when you are at home sitting on your porch and it’s not quite daylight but it’s also not night time yet? 

1. Do you mean twilight?

2. Yeah that’s it. It’s like twilight here. I can’t see the edges of the room. It just sort of fades away. Does that make any sense?

1. No. Okay, let’s start with the basics.  Are you sure you’re in a room? How high is the ceiling? You can see the ceiling?

2. No, I can’t. It’s like the walls.  It just fades off into the distance. It’s lost in the twilight too.

1. Are there any other people there?

2. Yes, I can hear them. Well, whisperings and mutterings, anyway. I can’t make out any conversations clearly. I can’t see anyone else. I just hear them.

1. Huh?

2. I can hear other people but I can’t see anyone. I hear them talking but I don’t know what they’re saying. They’re in the twilight too.

1. Have you gotten up and tried to walk around?

2. Yes, just more of the same.

1. Huh?

2. Yeah, I got up and walked around but it is just all the same. I can see a little ways around me and I can hear other people but they don’t get any closer. It’s like the clear space moves with me.

1. So…

2. Oh yeah, I ran into this guy.

1. What? What guy? You didn’t tell me there was a guy.

2. Oh, I guess I forgot.

1. What did he look like? What did he say?

2. He was wearing dark blue almost black pants.  He wore a sky blue long sleeve shirt, and a dark blue vest that was the same color as his pants. He also had a gold pocket watch hanging between his vest pockets. Seemed like a nice old guy, happy but something deep and inscrutable about him too.

1. Did you talk to him? 

2. Oh yeah.

1. What did he say?

2. I asked him where I was.

1. And??

2. He said the waiting room, and he asked me what my number was.

1. Your number? You didn’t tell me you had a number. Who gave you a number?

2. That’s what I said. What number? I don’t have a number.

1. And??

2. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a book. He asked me what my name was. After I told him, he looked me up. He said, “Hmmm, Oh yes. I see. Your number is 5324.  He looked at his book some more, and then he said, “Listen for your number. When it’s your turn they’ll call your number. Now, don’t forget it, 5324. Humph, I wouldn’t be in any hurry if I was you what with that number”, then he walked away.

1. That was it?

2. Yeah.

1. So what did he mean, “I wouldn’t be in any hurry with that number?”

2. I don’t know. That’s when I first got up and started to walk around. I wanted to talk to him some more. You know, ask him some more questions.  But I couldn’t find him. Doesn’t make any sense to me? 

1. No it doesn’t. There’s no one else around you can ask?

2. Not that I’ve found. Not that I can see.

1. Bizarre.   Even for you this is bizarre.  So how were your holidays? Did you do anything special?

2. Oh wait a second, there’s an announcement. Like four groups of numbers. I can hear people getting up, saying goodbye and moving off. I can’t see them. They’re in the twilight. Just over there, but by the time I get there they’ll be gone. This isn’t the first time someone announced numbers.  The people sounded happy.

1. Well that’s good. So how was your holiday?

2. Oh you know, just the usual. The family all got together at Aunt Betty’s. Uncle Phil got drunk again like he does every year. Aunt Betty insisted he spend the night in her front bedroom. Uncle Joe took his keys. It was a good thing too; the cops were out in force. 

  Then there was the usual political discussion that just about broke out in a fist fight. Someone said they’d heard where the party had given out talking points just to get the other side going. Right?  Merry Christmas to you too, jerks. You’d think they’d know better. It’s just one day a year.  Seems to me that they just want to cause trouble.

   The meal was to die for. Aunt Betty is some cook. Cousin Julie baked an apple pie and Cousin Ruthie made enough cookies to feed a whole army of Santas. It was a nice day, but, you know, I’m glad it is just once a year. I don’t think I could take too much more of them.

  Did you do anything interesting?

1. No, just the family thing.

   So, what are you going to do?

2. I guess I’m going to wait. I still haven’t seen an exit anywhere.

Shh, wait. They just called my number. There’s a gate. Now why didn’t I see that before? I’m sure it wasn’t there a minute ago.

Hey, there’s that old man again by the gate. Did I tell you he had almost white hair? Nice hair for an old guy, full head of long white hair. 

Hang on, he wants my number. 5324. I’m walking through this doorway.   He told me to turn right and walk up this hill. He said someone will meet me there.

1. So where are you now?

2. I still don’t know. It is just more of the same vagueness.  There is someone ahead of me but I can barely see them. Everything is white.

Wait someone is calling me back. It’s the old man. He says I can’t take the cell phone with me. It should have been collected before. I have to turn it in. He said it’s the rules.

2. Hey, I got to go, Bye.