Welcome to Boomtown - Chapter 5
Floating. Earl tried to open his eyes, but the lids were too heavy, so he continued floating. He couldn’t feel his limbs, but this didn’t worry him. He remembered floating a few other times in his life; times he had intentionally tried to forget since they always had something to do with the bumps on his head. Mary. Mary and floating. He remembered now. He met his wife on the line at Best-O’s yet he met Mary years before during his trip to Scotland. They were the same person, but events almost took her from him. Again, it all revolved around those damn bumps on his head. It had something to do with a bus. His thoughts were fuzzy, and years of trying to hide them didn’t help. He had experienced one of his “attacks” while on a crowded bus. The rumbling, accompanied by noises that pierced the innermost core of his brain, caused him to scream out in agony. His arms flailed as if driven by a force beyond his control. The bus driver slammed on the brakes. The bus veered sharply, cutting off several cars in the next lane, and came to a stop. None of the passengers sustained injuries, but Earl was told that they were lucky the bus stopped when it did. A tractor trailer hauling propane ran the red light and would have struck the bus dead center, causing an explosion that would have taken many lives. Earl was taken to the local ER, even though he tried to tell everyone that he was fine. Of course, the ER doctor was fascinated by the bumps on his head, especially when she learned that they were not caused by the accident. That’s when The Men appeared. Earl had not yet attained US citizenship, so when The Men came to his door asking questions, he tried his best to be helpful. That was almost his downfall. The Men seemed to know a lot about head bumps, and Earl felt relieved that he had finally found someone with whom he could share his burden. When The Men asked him to pack a bag and accompany them for a few more medical tests, Earl happily complied. He would finally get some answers! The next six months were a blur in Earl’s mind. No one knew where he had gone. One of his neighbors vaguely recalled two strangers coming to visit, but he was unable to provide Mary with any helpful information when she came searching for him. Earl had vanished. The next clear memory Earl had was of a warm day, and he was walking along a familiar road. He patted his pockets and found a key with an address written on a label. After asking directions, Earl found himself in front of a building that looked familiar. The key fit the lock on apartment 42, and Earl realized that he was home. He collapsed on his bed and slept. When he awoke, he took a shower and put on fresh clothes. Then, he investigated his surroundings. He found a folder on his kitchen table filled with bills marked “paid.” Why would someone pay his bills? Why would someone sequester him for months and keep him drugged? That was the only explanation Earl could think of for his lack of memories of the missing time. He also found a large stack of twenty dollar bills; it was almost as if he was being paid for his time away. He also found a slip of paper with the address of Best-O’s written on it. Underneath the address appeared the words, “You work there.” The next morning, Earl went to work. When he walked through the front door, a woman standing at a counter dropped a sheaf of papers and let out a small yelp. “Earl! Where the hell have you been?” she asked. “I really don’t know,” Earl replied, “But I’m here to work.” He was ushered into his supervisor’s office, where he attempted to answer the questions thrown at him. After a frustrating hour, he was sent out to his station. That’s where he saw her. She was beautiful, with eyes that sparkled and a smile that lit the room. She seemed to know him, and he had a vague feeling that he should recognize her. He smiled as he passed her and went on to his station. It only took him a few minutes to get back into the routine of his job. It felt good to be back in familiar surroundings. When the lunch bell rang, Earl followed the other workers to the cafeteria. He suddenly realized that if he turned around, she would be there, and she was. She put her hands on his shoulders and whispered, “Earl?” It all flooded back to him immediately. “Mary? Oh, Mary!” He grabbed her by the waist and twirled her around, much to the enjoyment of the other diners. He held her hand throughout lunch, making eating difficult, but neither of them felt very hungry. He realized that this woman had somehow saved him and he never wanted to lose her again. She would be his wife, no matter how hard he had to work to gain her love. ***** Floating. Voices. He could feel his limbs again. He tested his eyes. They opened. Kavitha was standing over him, a look of concern showing through the thick lenses. “Ah, you have come back to us,” was all she said. “How long have I been out?” “We kept you sedated for a few days to give your brain time to calm down. You have been out for three days now.” Kavitha gave him a friendly pat on his shoulder. “You are quite the wonder, Earl.” “What do you mean? Did something happen?” Earl tried to sit up, but Kavitha gently pushed him back onto his pillow. “Why would you ask such a question? Have things happened before?” Kavitha seemed truly concerned. At this point, what harm would it do to admit it? He obviously had no control over these events and he was already in a hospital. What more could he lose? Nothing could match the emptiness felt by losing Mary. “Yes. I’ve had…experiences…several times during my life and they usually involved a potential catastrophe. This time…the child in the room across the hall…” Earl’s voice tapered off as he spoke. He was afraid to ask anything specific. “Ah. So we have you to thank for that. The distraction caused by your collapse saved her life. That is all I am allowed to say.” Kavitha stood there, and Earl felt as if she wanted to ask questions but was too polite. “How do I do it? I have no idea. Has it happened a lot? Not really, but it has happened quite enough for my liking. It’s not something I can explain or control. It just happens. I don’t talk about because it only gets me into trouble. I don’t know if it’s a gift or a curse. All I know is that it didn’t help me save the one thing worth living for. My Mary.” Earl realized that tears were running down his cheeks. Kavitha reached for the box of tissues and waited for him to regain his composure. “There is something else I need to tell you,” Kavitha’s hand rested on his shoulder. Earl liked the weight of it; he couldn’t recall the last time he had felt comforted by human contact. He looked up at her expectantly. “We contacted your children. They are outside, waiting to see you.” This was the last thing Earl had expected to hear. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and let the coughing commence.
