Drillmington: Approaching Solemnity

When the way the car rolled off the train struck her, she felt better. She had used the autotrain three times before. Julisia looked around as the vehicle came towards her like a specter in the night.

She applied her sunglasses and blew the brains out of the car. Her smile sparkled in the sunshine. She had the parrot yellow Fireline. As she zipped to Wilmington, she found herself surrounded by the ambience of the world coming to greet her.

When she reached her home, she saw TSL with the screw face smile and laughter emitting from his throat.

“I got it.” That’s all she said with a sense of glee and overwhelming confidence.

“This is great, babe. You deserve it,” TSL said.

Julisia stood with her hands on her hips and her head towards the sky.

“Let’s roll around the city,” she announced.

“Let’s.”

The roar and rumble and hum didn’t drown out their words.

“We’ve gotta discuss the whole matter of the snitch association,” TSL said. He mentioned it with certainty as if saying Christmas is December 25th.

“I know. We’re going to have to outline the whole snitching situation. The way we can do this is by continuing to be high profile/low profile as well. By night primarily, we’re going to have to upgrade our operations. We’re going to have to use more stealth.”

“Absolutely.”

“So, if we can get around in toys like this, then we’ll be permitted to enjoy our lives and continue to tour the state. At the same time, we can be legal vigilantes on a mission for Allah!” Her fiery rhetoric motivated her passenger and lover.

It took a while for them both to realize she was right. There was something beneath her words that made her feel as if she were still at the coffee shop yelling out orders. Top Shelf scratched his beard. He kept his head skyward.

“That’s if we can keep them both going. We have to be aware of the fact that the people we’re catching will be wondering who informed on them. We have to keep in mind the fact we’re doing a dangerous job with little to know training. We’ve got our wits,” he related.

The look that Julisia shot at her beau made her feel empowered. It was like a jolt to the soul. In the wake of the words that TSL had imparted, Julisia felt compelled to show him that her ideas mattered, too.

“Yes, but we’re not wearing capes or utility belts, either. We’re just tipping off the cops and facilitating various locations for them to catch these vermin.”

TSL felt the words strike his consciousness like a body blow in boxing. In his mind, he always knew he was dominant but she hit her targets. To be directly motivated and inspired by her rhetoric. It seemed enlightening to him. Even something of great worth to have a woman who wasn’t a doormat but could take orders just the same.

“You’re my manager. You’ll figure something out.” That was all he said and the topic dropped like a stone in the ocean. Where the conversation next turned depended upon what she wanted to do with it.

“Top, we’ve gotta decide one or the other. We can’t do both anymore. With this car, the house—we’ve got to be extra careful,” her tone was low and even, but it seethed with a sense approaching solemnity.

TSL took in the words and let them marinate. He understood her intention and the words spoken and answered, “Let’s just snitch. It’s steady pay and tax free income. We can bank billions if we broaden the network, too.”