Coming in with a hindrance

         Coming in with a hindrance

There lies a city of, well I would not call it sin, but more like a city of gossip where one person’s busy life schedule is another person’s inquisitiveness, run on schedule. Also, that person has accomplices in this life of telltale informant which make him or her more aware and more ready to reciprocate. This may sound rather brusque and strict but in this particular city, gossip is often done with tact, friendliness, and with good intentions. However, though most who live in the city may not agree, some of the political and business strategies have made the same claim but their effects are more noticeable to others.

       This particular city is located in between three or four rather large cities but those who live here will attest that information about others seem to travel on a quicker, more upbeat, at least at the beginning, rate, and reaches most of the residents who are ready and willing to receive it and make their own determination. Most cities have some degree of gossip in their composition, however, here, at the present time, this seems to be more of a main concern than a sideline. It is now early spring, in the present year of 2002, and there is a slight ray of sunlight and light cool wind swaying over the city. Michelle,, who works in retail, mild mannered, sincere, and usually friendly but who often notices the arrival of potential gossip, looks down one of the many short streets of the city. She takes two steps and says softly but alluringly “There is a stranger who has come to our fair city, and several people laugh slightly at the use of the word ‘fair, for they know that when they gossip, it may seem slightly unfair. They all look curiously at the stranger.

Joe, who is middle aged and usually calm and composed and participates in gossip in a limited capacity but is usually open and willing to discuss, walks a few feet toward the stranger. He then calmly says “You are new into town but I have a feeling your business will not be for long.” Several of the town residents talk among themselves at the stranger, who they thought would be a little confused at this remark. The stranger, then looks at the others and then at Joe at says in a light fashion “I may be, but I really don’t feel the need for any corroboration. I can’t explain it so I will just say “Hi everyone, I come from, well not too far away from here.” Michelle stands beside Joe and motions for the stranger to enter like he was crossing a line into another plane, however, she assures him, it is not quite that way.

Several more residents then arrive at the place where the stranger stands and a few begin to talk about some of the gossip that they discussed about each other. A few indicated that some of the rumors that they heard were not exactly true, but it was hard to distinguish which ones were more credible than others and that this particular town was gaining a reputation for a place where gossip is prevalent and energizing. Susan, usually compassionate and curious and a slight degree of formality and wisdom, then goes to the front of the group and encourages the others to back off a little and give the stranger room to enter, not that he is entering a different land or crossing over into a different plane, but to be welcomed to this town. The stranger then walks slowly but steadily to the others and says “Somehow I knew you were going to say something like that, just as if I guessed what a couple of other people might say. Call it intuition or foresight but I am usually not that way, so it is a bit of a surprise for me too. My name is Carl Walters. I do feel welcome despite the stationery and serious movement, and you sir, I believe want to say something to me.”  Rick, a man of mid- twenties, mundane but curious and adventurous, approaches Carl after looking at several other people, shakes Carl’s hand, and then with a bit of inquisitiveness and anxiousness, states “I am glad to meet you, and,” raising his voice a bit, and looking to the side of him says “And so is everyone else, though they may not attest to that.” The other people laugh slightly and began to make comments about how they are happy to meet someone new, and also with someone who perhaps has not so new things to gossip about. One of the residents talks to another about a couple of things they had heard when they met someone, and another person reminds them that the gossip started to spin out of control and it was hard to distinguish what was actually or mostly true. Another resident discusses with a few of his friends some of the things they had gossiped about someone who was only here several weeks and then that person reminded the group that they, themselves, started gossiping about each other as well and it took us time to resume our normal gossiping living.

As the bunch began to diminish, Carl walked slowly around to several of the houses that lay on the small street where they had gathered, and he looking at each and at the scenery as if he had been there before but could not remember when. He slowly looked at several people who decided to watch Carl go over to this small house at the end of the street where there was a vacancy for a short period of time. Anthony who was middle aged and a resident for a long time, down to earth, usually serious but open for some humor and a little gossip, then walked a few feet behind Carl and said “I guess that is the place that you will be from now on, and I would not worry. The same words were spoken to me, and I thought they meant 27 weeks, not years, but it will pass.” The other residents laughed at this, though there was a bit of truth in the statement. However, Joan who was Anthony’s next-door neighbor, in her fifties and pretty witty and active, but sensible most of the time, then said “Carl, Anthony was just kidding with that last remark. He likes to do that sometime, so I wouldn’t worry about it too much and “Suddenly as Joan was talking, she noticed that Carl who was somewhat serious for two seconds looked at Anthony like he understood his type of humor, and she did not need to say anymore. A few of the residents then informed Carl that this was a town of gossip, but the friendly type, at least what it was supposed to be, and that he might as well be ready. Rick then reaffirmed what was said and then added cheerily, “You might as well here it from us, the way gossip usually goes here.” Carl, then broke in with a slight smile and nodding his head, then said, rather seriously “For someone new to this town, I had a feeling one of you would say something like that. I am not intuitive my nature, but for some odd reason, I had a notion that there was more gossip that meets the eye.” Joan then walked over to where Anthony and Carl were talking and said “Or in this case, to the ear, because that is where I get the sensation the most.” They laughed but then turned away from each other. There was a short time of silence as everyone looked around the town together. Suddenly, Joe and Susan, who by this time had time to reflect on what they had learned something about each other, by way of gossip, both walked slowly to Carl and stood close. They each advised the others to let Carl settle in his new place, a place new to him, but old to us, is this was something they all agreed in.

 Susan then took a couple of steps toward Carl, pointed to the house several feet from him, and said “There it is, and although I just met you Carl, I am sure this was better than some of the places you had seen when you were.” Suddenly she stopped and said softly. “Oh wait, that diversion of yours on some kind of land speculation was just gossip on their part, and I don’t know how I know about any of this” The other residents who were there waited for Carl to show some type of surprise or anxiety observed Carl cautiously, but he only showed a little amazement, and they seemed to understand this. Carl then laughed softly and said calmly “Ordinarily I would wonder how someone had an idea about that gossip, but not in this town and I think you all agree, that here, gossip is commonplace, and fun.

Carl then opened his door, and looked behind him and said serenely to Joe. “It is just like you, Joe, when you mentioned you were involved in certain financial matters, that the gossip probably involved something about moonlighting with certain investors that were not too cool with the law.” Susan, who had walked several steps toward the group, then looked at Joe and asked, “Joe is that the truth because if it is, I can see you are taking it rather well.” Joe then looked at Susan, and then at Carl and replied rather gently “That was just gossip from a few of the residents around here. There may have been a little truth in that but you know how gossip makes things more prevalent. I got to tell you Carl I am calmer than I thought about this gossip.” Carl then expressed his approval at everyone and said “I’m going to my place for a while to relax and then will join you later.” They knew that for some reason, and they all left for short time.

       One hour and twenty minutes passed, but in this town, that often seems like moments the way gossip travels around there. Carl then walked out the door and a few of the residents who were involved in their own household activities, then proceeded to walk toward Carl in a friendly, but vigilant way. Michelle who usually is one of the first to meet someone, walked over to Carl and several followed her. She said “Carl I would not worry about the gossip here too much because much of it is probably unproved information or stuff that has been exaggerated to a high degree. For example, Rick, I had learned something about you being involved in some type of secret biochemical analysis but with the gossip here that would embellish the simplicity.” Anthony, Joe, and Susan laughed softly from several feet behind and waited for Carl to speak rather sheepishly. However, Carl, who did not seem to be trying to hide anything, nor did he show any total inculpability, then spoke “ I can see how a minor hobby like that with a few biological ideas and chemical experiments can lead one to gossip but it is just a ordinary interest of mine, just like,” then turning toward Rick, who was interested in science and adventure himself, said “When I heard gossip about you Rick that you were involved in speculation of scientific equipment and were communicating with a few traders that were, not on the level, if you will. It was just gossip.” Rick then looked at the others and they all laughed softly, but each had a degree of concern about who will next be called to the gossip station, and what’ll be the subject, but it’s probably all in fun, because that is the way gossip here is supposed to be.

       After several minutes Joe who had returned to his house came back toward the group with both excitement and cautiousness, stated “ Why don’t we write down something about ourselves and then describe some of the gossip in this town somewhat, amplified and elaborated what each person had said and how gossip made it, well, sort of scary.” The other people looked at each other, smiling, and shaking their head, and then all agreed. Carl then looked at everyone and after a few seconds of thought, said “We all agree on something quickly and I am game if you are, so let us try it.” Each person, Joe, Anthony, Rick, Michelle, Susan, Joan, start to write down something about themselves that carried the true weight, and how that weight was magnified, changed, complicated by way of gossip. Carl, who was writing several things down slowly and surely as if he had done this before, then finished and began to walk beside each person in the group who had assembled themselves in a row a few feet from him. Joe then collected each of the resident’s writings and read each one individually. Everyone then laughed and expressed some wonder about how much of the gossip could or might be true under other, well, circumstances and each person reflected on his own statement. Now Carl then prudently but assertively, then took a couple of steps in front of the others and said slowly “I have written six things about myself, since there are six of you here, and although I, at least I don’t think, I have been here long enough for any gossip, I am going to hand each of you one item that I wrote about myself, and then you are to write what you believe would be the gossip that would result from that statement. “ Carl handed each person a statement and each wrote some gossip potential response. A couple of minutes of silence passed.

       After Carl read each response and shared it to the group, he asked them if they ever read a certain book, which had very similar gossip-related statements that each person had made. Rick then stood up and looked at everyone and then at Carl and spoke “Yes, we all did, and it seems like every one of the gossip type responses we made, bore a striking resemblance to what we had read. “ After the other residents confirmed this, Carl, with a type of calm, eerie, but informed way said he had read the same book and it could have been on his mind when he was writing potentially gossip-related statements on himself. One of the residents then asked the group to stand in front of Carl and that he share some of these. Carl, responded “With pleasure”, however everyone had a feeling it might not be so pleasurable. Carl then stated the ideas of advanced science and technology, land takeover, government appropriation, mind altering, but then paused at this last item. Carl read “Alien from”, well you”, pointing to the sky, “Out there.” The residents began to shake their heads and look at each other as a possible gossip culprit and indicate, without saying, how gossip can get out of hand. They all looked at Carl and then the group began to go to their own houses, when Joe showed a book to Carl and to the others, and the main character in the book had initials of CW. Furthermore, Joe signified that the book character did not remember any of these things when he went to a small town, similar to the town Carl was in right now. Susan, then took a couple of steps toward Joe and Carl, then clearly said “Look Carl, if you help us prove that the gossip related statements each of us made about ourselves was mere fabrication, then we shall do the same for you. “ The others then agreed, as did Carl, despite the fact that everyone, including Carl, was concerned why he was preoccupied with the sky and spatial activities since he had arrived in this town, similar to the character in the book. Carl then said to all “Gossip can be unnerving, even down here.”, and then he ensured to everyone, unsteadily, that the phrase was just a figure of speech. All laughed, and wondered.