Status: COMPLETED
Our Memories Blanket Us With Friends We Know
This Riddle Of Revenge
It's evening and Frank pulls up in his pickup, after work. He notices the flag on the mailbox is up. He opens the box and Gerard's new letter is inside. He looks at it as he walks along the jetty. It has a return address: 1620 RACINE. And that's the end of it.
As Frank lets himself in, something leaps onto him.
" Agh! What-"
It’s the stray dog, which Frank has evidently kept. It licks Frank’s face " Oh yeah. You. "
He puts the dog down. He opens Gerard's letter and begins to read.
*~~~*
Frank grins as Ray Toro makes his way over to him.
" He’s back! " Ray yells
" Believe it or not. " Frank says with a grin
" What the hell are you doing here? You’re supposed to be busy, mr. important man. "
" Never too busy to look up an old friend and buy him a drink. "
" I am truly touched. "
" And I had to run an errand in town. "
They embrace each other and laugh. " It’s good to see you. " Ray says as he looks Frank up and down.
" Still a short shit I see. " Ray giggles
" Shut up man. " Frank hits him in the shoulder. " Anyway this bar is a bit crowded let's have some burgers and beers. What do you think?
They both sit down at a two seater table and Ray starts the conversation. " So. How’s life in condo world? "
" Well, it’s a challenge managing a project so big, sometimes it’s frustrating, but basically I-"
" Just tell me how much money you’re making. " Ray cuts in.
" Forget it man. " The drinks have arrived and both the men thanked and laughed.
" Come on, a hint. " Ray wined
" I bought a house. "
" That much? "
" On the Lake. "
" Shit. "
" Don’t worry. I’m mortgaged up to my eyeballs. "
" Still. Lake House. God. I guess that makes selling out your dreams and betraying your talent totally worth it. "
" Yep. I even got a dog " Ray just rolls his eyes at Frank
"Don't have to many beers, I'm taking us somewhere. "
*~~~*
Frank drives around to the North Side.
Frank pulls over to the side and hops out. Ray follows. Frank walks down the street, looking for an address. " 1620 Racine. " He says
" What is it? "
" I’m not sure. "
" Who lives there? "
" I don’t know. "
" So why are we going? "
" I don’t know. "
" Okay. "
Frank crosses the street, notes an address on a building. " Here’s sixteen hundred. " He looks to the paper then up at the numbers on the walls then back to the paper.
" So sixteen hundred and twenty should be... " Ray's puzzled too. He walks to the next lot down. He is standing in front of a recently-dug foundation, no building. They both stare at it.
" So should we buzz up, or what?" Ray inquires.
Frank takes a piece of paper out of his pocket. Gerard’s last letter. The return address is correct: 1620 Racine.
" Perhaps there has been some sort of mistake. "
Frank looks at the letter itself. It is dated MARCH 20, 2004.
*~~~~*
Gerard is in his loft at work and is studying a new letter from Frank. “Mistake... tried to deliver this in person... wrong address... also the date (?!)”
He picks up the pad and begins to write, exasperated.
*~~~*
'I got your last letter. I’m not quite sure why I’m writing back but I guess I want to get to the bottom of this.
Frank's in his kitchen, reading the letter.
' By the way, for some reason the mail isn't getting forwarded to me. I've had to drive up the Lake House to get it. Anyway, no, I did not get the address wrong. I know where I live. Okay, it’s ugly, but it’s not quite an open pit.'
Frank smiles.
' And I know the date, too. It’s 2004. '
He laughs. This is some sort of insane joke.
'Just curious' The letter reads 'What year do you think it is?'
Behind Frank- the calendar on his wall is open to the MARCH, 2002
As Frank lets himself in, something leaps onto him.
" Agh! What-"
It’s the stray dog, which Frank has evidently kept. It licks Frank’s face " Oh yeah. You. "
He puts the dog down. He opens Gerard's letter and begins to read.
*~~~*
Frank grins as Ray Toro makes his way over to him.
" He’s back! " Ray yells
" Believe it or not. " Frank says with a grin
" What the hell are you doing here? You’re supposed to be busy, mr. important man. "
" Never too busy to look up an old friend and buy him a drink. "
" I am truly touched. "
" And I had to run an errand in town. "
They embrace each other and laugh. " It’s good to see you. " Ray says as he looks Frank up and down.
" Still a short shit I see. " Ray giggles
" Shut up man. " Frank hits him in the shoulder. " Anyway this bar is a bit crowded let's have some burgers and beers. What do you think?
They both sit down at a two seater table and Ray starts the conversation. " So. How’s life in condo world? "
" Well, it’s a challenge managing a project so big, sometimes it’s frustrating, but basically I-"
" Just tell me how much money you’re making. " Ray cuts in.
" Forget it man. " The drinks have arrived and both the men thanked and laughed.
" Come on, a hint. " Ray wined
" I bought a house. "
" That much? "
" On the Lake. "
" Shit. "
" Don’t worry. I’m mortgaged up to my eyeballs. "
" Still. Lake House. God. I guess that makes selling out your dreams and betraying your talent totally worth it. "
" Yep. I even got a dog " Ray just rolls his eyes at Frank
"Don't have to many beers, I'm taking us somewhere. "
*~~~*
Frank drives around to the North Side.
Frank pulls over to the side and hops out. Ray follows. Frank walks down the street, looking for an address. " 1620 Racine. " He says
" What is it? "
" I’m not sure. "
" Who lives there? "
" I don’t know. "
" So why are we going? "
" I don’t know. "
" Okay. "
Frank crosses the street, notes an address on a building. " Here’s sixteen hundred. " He looks to the paper then up at the numbers on the walls then back to the paper.
" So sixteen hundred and twenty should be... " Ray's puzzled too. He walks to the next lot down. He is standing in front of a recently-dug foundation, no building. They both stare at it.
" So should we buzz up, or what?" Ray inquires.
Frank takes a piece of paper out of his pocket. Gerard’s last letter. The return address is correct: 1620 Racine.
" Perhaps there has been some sort of mistake. "
Frank looks at the letter itself. It is dated MARCH 20, 2004.
*~~~~*
Gerard is in his loft at work and is studying a new letter from Frank. “Mistake... tried to deliver this in person... wrong address... also the date (?!)”
He picks up the pad and begins to write, exasperated.
*~~~*
'I got your last letter. I’m not quite sure why I’m writing back but I guess I want to get to the bottom of this.
Frank's in his kitchen, reading the letter.
' By the way, for some reason the mail isn't getting forwarded to me. I've had to drive up the Lake House to get it. Anyway, no, I did not get the address wrong. I know where I live. Okay, it’s ugly, but it’s not quite an open pit.'
Frank smiles.
' And I know the date, too. It’s 2004. '
He laughs. This is some sort of insane joke.
'Just curious' The letter reads 'What year do you think it is?'
Behind Frank- the calendar on his wall is open to the MARCH, 2002