Project Liberty

He started what was going to be his last journey. Just before he left, he opened his day planner, November 1st. His secretary comes in early and marks in his meetings.

The crisp air hits his face when he steps out of the revolving door. The sky a magnificent orange pink is one only one would find in a fairy tale or a romance novel. He makes a left, trudges a few blocks and a half, and turns right.

Only a few more feet now. Then I can be lifted, return home, and be happy. I can finally be at peace with myself.

He arrives, no man’s bridge, as the kids named it these days. Once a marvelous wooden bridge, now sits covered in slimy moistened green moss. Once used by the car of the century, is now only used by joggers and dog walkers. Except occasionally, some snobby teenage high school student is getting their senior photos taken at it. He rolls his eyes. Now it will be used as a memorial bridge for the greatest guy this town never knew. A jogger, long-legged and beautiful, jolts past. An old, pungent gray-haired man makes his way slowly with his dog. “Muffins,” he paused to catch his breath while heaving, “Slow down boy! I ain’t as young as I used to be.” Ha. What a name for a Rottweiler. Finally, he makes it to the middle of the mile long bridge without any interruptions.

He puts his hands together, gets on his knees, and bows. “Dear Lord, I’m sorry for all the inscrutable sins I’ve made in my life. I’m asking you to come into my heart and warm it. I pray my brother Phil isn’t hurt too much by my decision. Lord, I’m sorry I haven’t prayed or talked to you in a few years. Will you forgive me for my sins and the one I’m about to make? I’d like for the town to wish they got to know me. I hope someone shows up to my funeral. I know I did nothing but work for the last twelve years. Maybe had I gone to some of the community’s functions people wouldn’t find me to be a creep. I mean, I don’t blame them. I leave before sunrise and return after sunset daily. Hell, I work a half hour away. Oops, sorry for cussing, Lord. I bet they think I’m a hermit and never leave.”

He pauses for a minute and takes a deep breath. He opens his eyes as another jogger runs past. “And Lord, I pray that I made my mom proud of who I am today, because we both know I didn’t when I was young. In Lord’s name Amen.” He climbs onto the unstable guiderails. Looks down and ponders what it might be like in Heaven or Hell. What’s this going to feel like? Is it going to be quick? Am I actually ready for this? Can I leave this behind? Of course, I’m ready. Why am I having second thoughts on this now? What am I really leaving behind; a job I slave away at for nothing, a town that doesn’t give me the time of day, I have no friends, none of my family members speak to me and I have no pets I need to worry about. He swallows his salvia, gasps a deep breath, and closes his eyes one more time.

“Hey! Get down from there!” Some golden brunette haired lady sprints over to him, grabs him by the back of his jacket and pulls him down onto the bridge. “What the heck are you thinkin’? Why would you go and do something like that?” She doesn’t take in a breath. “Why? This isn’t the way to solve any freaking kind of a problem! I can’t believe you would go and throw this life away! What were you thinkin’? You have everything to live for!”

He stands up, brushing the dirt and rocks off his royal blue suit, “You really wanna know? Do you really wanna know? I have nothing! No one! I can’t even make my mother proud! Not a single damn person will engage in conversation with me. Even the cashiers at the grocery store down the street won’t ask how my day is or flash me a smile. They’re too worried about getting off work.”

She grabs the brown leather leash that lay beside her. Until then, he didn’t realize she had a dog. What a beautiful beagle. I’ve never seen one with such beautiful colors. The brown spots with creamy white beneath them, that’s a beautiful dog. No, a rare dog. “It’s getting dark, would you like to help me finish walking Holly? I’ll talk to you until we must split. Unless you’re going the opposite direction home.” She smiles and points to the other side of the bridge. “Oh, I haven’t properly introduced myself, I’m Liberty. Nice to meet you.”

Such a beautiful name. Her smile is accepting. She’s so infallible. I need her, no I covet her. I’ll get her. She’ll be my wife, we’ll have kids together, and we will love in the nicest cottage in the suburbs. We’ll have a big, beautiful wedding and everyone will come and be in awe. Look at her; she’s the cutest thing I have ever laid my eyes on. “I actually live here in town. So, I’m not going that way. So, sure, I’ll help you walk Holly.”

“Tell me, where do you work?” Liberty was making conversation.

“The hotel in Chatterscreek. My office is close to the top. I’m the head accountant. Seems too fancy to be in a little town like that, but it brings in money. Heard the mayor’s going to try to set up some great amusement park and mall within a few years.”

“That’ll be good for the town. At least, I think. I work over in the bakery here, over on fifth street.”

He looked at her in surprise. Ain’t bakers supposed to be covered in flour from head to toe all the time? Being a baker makes sense though. She’s so sweet. You must be sweet to be able to make sweets. I’m pretty sure it’s a job requirement. “Oh, neat. You’re the baker?”

Liberty just grinned. “Oh, no. I’m there after closing to count the stock and order stock and clean up.”

“Well, my street is here to the right, I better be getting home Liberty. It was nice to meet and talk with you. Thank you for a lovely walk.”

“Really? Mine too. Ain’t that something?” She giggles, “Small world after all!”

“Yea. I guess so.”

They walk until he reaches the front of the red brick building. “Well, I live up in 3D. Just ring the bell if you ever need anything.”

“Alright. Maybe. Well, I better get home and order some pizza before my husband gets home. My house is the little one across the street. We’d love to have you over for dinner sometime. You take care.”

“Okay. Well, I have some work to get done too. See you around.” How come I never noticed her before? You think we would’ve run into each other at some point.

He unlocks the door and swiftly slams it. He jumps up two levels of stairs. “Damn it! Why can’t I get the key in?” Well dummy maybe it’s because you got the wrong key in the door. “Oh thanks”, he mumbles to himself. He fondles in his pockets for a moment before finding the correct key. Well at least nobody saw that.

He goes straight to the window and sits down. Of course, of course, of course. She’s married you fool. What was I thinking? Why didn’t I see a ring? She must not be happy. She wants me. I must see what this guy looks like. I don’t care how long I need to sit here. He probably stays out late, cheating on her with some horrific spawn that’s way too young for him. He’s going to. Wait. Maybe he already has hurt her. Maybe that’s why I didn’t notice a ring. He better watch out. She’s gonna leave him before he even knows it. And Liberty will be mine to come home to every night. How could someone not come home early nightly to that perfect smile and that perfume? She’s such a wonderful delight.

He skips to the other room, pulls out an old box and grazes with amazement. “This brings me back. Oh, the good ole days of hunting with my father. Boy was he a lady killer.” He begins to chuckle.

Leaving the destruction behind, he goes back to the window and chair. How could he make her live in such a tiny house? She deserves much better. And only one thing stands in my way. But soon enough, I’ll have her.

He awoke in the middle of the night; grabs the binoculars and stalks the house. Ignoring the rest of the disaster, he finally sees the man. “Look at his slender self, all happy and such. He’s way too late. He’s definitely cheating on my sweet Liberty. I was right. How did he get such a sweet soul to be his? He’s foolish. I know how to treat a woman. She will know what chivalry is and I will show her homage. I will not do what this fool has done. Liberty,” he pauses. Her name sounds so sweet rolling off my tongue. “Liberty. Liberty. Liberty.” Each time sounding sweeter and sweeter. “You will get breakfast in bed and will rarely have to lift your precious fingers.”

After watching a few weeks and devising multiple plans he had given up. He picks up the phone book to order dinner. Pizza or Chinese? Suddenly, while flipping through the pages he starts frantically searching.

He dials 195-592-6392. Come on. Come on. Answer already damnit. I’ve waited weeks for this.

“Hello, this is Marty’s. How may I help you?”

“Yes, I’d like to get one for two weeks.”

“Alright. Let me look and see what I have open. Give me a few moments.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

“Sir, are you still there?”

“Yes ma’am!”

“We have one available. But it’s the farthest back on our lot. If you don’t want that I understand. I can give you another number for the one 10 minutes farther down the road.”

“That is actually perfect,” he snickers, “I can stop by and get the keys tomorrow?” Thank God. Now, all I have to do is wait for the husband to leave.

“Yes, that’s fine. Your unit number is 911. I’ll be here tomorrow from noon until five.”

Thank you. Have a nice night now,” he snickers again.

He crawls into bed. Tomorrow is going to be great.

He punches the alarm clock in hopes of hitting the snooze button. Just an extra 5 minutes. He fumbles around trying to find the phone. He coughs repeatedly, “I cannot come into work,” he coughs again. “I’ve come down with a cold and the flu.”

“Alright, come back to work when you’re feeling better. Now go get some rest so you’re able to come back to work Monday.”

“Thanks Beatrice.”

He gets dressed in some old tacky clothes and goes to stalk Liberty’s house. Anticipation grows as he sees her husband leave. He knocks. Come on. It’s our time. It’s my turn to show you how love is really supposed to be. He knocks again abruptly and rings the doorbell impetuously. Liberty finally answered.

“Hey, you wouldn’t want to help me move, would you? I know it’s an odd request, but I only need a little help and we can stop and get coffee after.”

“Yes, absolutely, just give me a minute to get everything situated.”

“That’s fine. Ill grab some boxes and I’ll meet you at my car.” They pack up the car and leave.

“So, what are we doing?”

What do I say? “Oh, yea. I’m moving. Closer to the hotel. So that way I can walk to work.”

They pull into Marty’s. “I thought we were going to your new place?”

“I just want to work on one room at a time. So, I needed to rent one of these. I just need to go grab the keys from the office. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Forty minutes pass, “Sorry Liberty, I didn’t know I had to fill out a bunch of papers.”

She closes her eyes and sighs. “Alright. I gotta get supper cooking soon.”

He grabs a chair out of the trunk. “This was my mom’s. Let me put it in first and then I will help you get out.”

He let her out of the car. “Why don’t you take a sit and rock in this chair. I promise that this will be like no other rocking chair you’ve ever sat in.”

Liberty did not notice the handcuffs on the chair until it was too late. “wh-what are you doing?” She exclaimed.

“I can’t have you running off darling. I need to do this. I gotta go find a more permanent option for the start of our lives. Ill only be gone an hour. I promise darling. I won’t leave you here long.”

It’s so close to our time Liberty. Our love is unchangeable. Nothing can come between us. We are going to live a life of grand adventure. He gets excited, can’t sit still in his seat, and decides to head back already.

He notices Liberty’s perfume lingering. It brought the calmness of the midmorning meadow breeze. But then he notices her, beautiful but stained with tears. Her quiet sobbing was like scratching a chalkboard. He brushes her golden locks out of her face. His soft lips contact her moistened lips. He looks at her in dismay. That wasn’t how I thought it was going to go. Look at her, I can’t make her stop crying. She must still be in love with the stupid, boring husband of hers. She doesn’t love me. She doesn’t feel anything but fear for me. There is no adventurous life. I can’t make her love me. What have I done?

“Liberty, I’m sorry. Goodbye.”