Hallucinatory Peregrination

2











         At 3:30 pm on Friday, I am at the Poquoson Seafood Shack where I work as a Dishwasher and Mrs. M, my boss, is asking me about what days I could work next week and I tell her the usual Saturday (though I can’t work tomorrow) and that I know that I can’t work Tuesday, but I may be able squeeze in Wednesday and Thursday.  She writes the information down and I went back to work.

         That morning I had woken up at 9:05 after sleeping in for an hour.  I got up out of my bed and went to the bathroom.  I toke off my clothes and got ready for my shower.  Some people go into the shower and then turn on the water, but I prefer the other way.  I like to turn on the water first so I can adjust the temperature, and then run my hand underneath it until I reach the right temperature.  When I’m in the shower, I first scrub with soap and then rinse.  After that, I wet my hair and then wash it with whatever shampoo I use.  I don’t usually have a specific soap that I use; however, my only concern is that it has to be body wash and not regular, plain old hand soap.  After I get out of the shower, I dry myself and shave.  I like to use Gillette Fusion Razors and Barbasol brand shaving cream, because I like the smooth feel of it on my face and it seems to cut down on razor burns, which I got frequently with my previous Gillette shaving cream.  After I am done I go back into my room and wrap a robe around me. 

Both my parents’ work, so when I go down to breakfast I am the only one there.  Sometimes it bothers me and sometimes I simply don’t care.  This morning, I don’t care. I fix my self a bowl of Raisin Bran, a couple untoasted Pop Tarts, a ripening banana, a glass of orange juice, and a glass of milk.  As soon as I am done, I always clean my dishes and put them in the dishwasher. When I am done, I go upstairs back to my room and pick out clothes to wear for the day.  Since I am working in the afternoon, I will probably wear the same clothes all day.  I pick out my blue Seafood Shack T-shirt, some old faded blue jeans, and my white Nike’s.  When I notice a small tear on my jeans, I sigh and get out a new pair.  These ones are not that faded but it doesn’t matter.

I am usually on the computer in the morning, just to check out the messages and other useless, trivial information and bavardage that are on my Facebook.  Seeing that nothing has changed in the 16 hours I’ve been away, I log off.  I try looking for this video on you tube that my friend told me about, but either it’s been deleted or copyright infringement has taken place because I can’t find it.  Bored, I try and pass the time by playing some dumb game I’ve been playing on the computer for a few weeks.  I keep losing so I eventually give up.  I go downstairs and turn on the television.  Nothing is on so I decide to watch the DVD I got from Movie Stop.

I am in the middle of watching Close Encounters of the Third Kind, that scene where Richard Dreyfus is building a model of Devil’s Tower out of mashed potatoes, when I get up to go to the bathroom.  You know something? Why do some people ask to use the “bathroom” in public places, like restaurants? There is no tub in there.  I guess it’s because people are so used to being in their own home and using their own can and there’s a tub in there that the word has somehow seeped into the subconscious, like osmosis.  So there I am, in the bathroom and the downstairs phone rings.  I’m in the middle of taking a long piss and the phone rings. When I am done I wipe, wash my hands, and bolt downstairs.  There is a message from my mom, that she wants me to run to Fresh Food Superstore and pick up hamburger beef, sharp cheddar cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes.  I look sown at my Casio watch and see that the time is 11:30 am.

My car is a black 1976 Oldsmobile 442 with the smaller version of the 8 Cylinder Engine.  It is a smaller version because the car was built in the middle of the 1970’s gas crisis and was built to be fuel and energy efficient.  Back then, the new year models came out in October of 1975 and my father bought it from a dealer in Kansas City, Kansas.  Dad had driven it for 12 years until we moved into our house off of Little Florida Road.  After that, it sat in our garage and got old.  The paint was chipping and you could see rust forming in small to large splotches.  Various spiders and their clans made there home in almost every possible orifice. Cardboard boxes, antiques, various papers, a DVD player and a disassembled Lamp/Fan had been piled on top and created a small mountain.  One day I determined that it was by-time I should fix it up.  I spent 6 months of my life, 24 paychecks, and 16 months of allowance fixing it up.  It paid off and now I’m driving it.

I am walking around in Fresh Food Superstore 20 minutes later with the hamburger under my arm and my hand scratching my head, wandering around looking for the cheddar cheese.  Luckily I see my friend Ramsey and he guides me over to the cheese and dairy section.  As we are walking, Ramsey sparks a conversation.
“So Lee, how is it going?” He asks.
“Oh, it’s going.” I respond with a wide grin.  “Are you working here all day?”
Of Course,” He says, an exasperated sigh following quickly.  “I can’t wait to give my two weeks notice.  You have no idea!”
I think about my job for a second and then say, “Oh, I think I might have an idea.” And Ramsey gives me a look.  He turns back to front and we continue on our way.
“Anyway, other than that I am doing fine.  I get off at 830 tonight.  What are you doing?” He inquires.
I tell him that I get off at 5 but then I have to eat dinner with my folks, but maybe I could fit in some time to see him.  We end up at the cheese section and I eye the Kraft’s.  I thank him and say bye.  He walks away and I pick up the cheese.

The Food Fresh Superstore is Poquoson, VA’s Premier Supermarket.  It is where all the Poquosonites go to retrieve the food quantities for the week.  There is really nothing else much to it. The only other interesting thing is that they have the local high school, the aptly name Poquoson High School, memorabilia and other high school football celebratory T-shirts.  The also have boxes and boxes of opened commemorative merchandise from the botched Homecoming football game that we lost pathetically.  It was actually quite funny.  The whole week the football team had taken over the school, banishing lesser individuals, or “retards” in their words, and generally “hillbillized” the school population.  After all is said and done, the Fresh Food Superstore is still a good place for locals to get food in a local town.  When I finally got done with the shopping, it was 12:30 pm.  I paid for the food and waved bye to Ramsey, seeing him one more time.  I walked out the sliding doors and made my way towards my car.  I quickened my pace since I had to be at work in thirty minutes.

After rushing home and putting away the food and leaving a note for my parents, saying when I’d be home, I left for work.

I got to the Seafood Shack just as Jordan, the guy who works before me, left.  I waved to him and he got into his car.  Terry was inside and gave me a high five. I said my hellos to Mrs. M and Sam then went to work.  The place must have been really busy because there were an equal amount of kitchen ware and plates and glasses and silverware.  Now when I work, I work hard and diligently.  Having said that, if I feel overwhelmed, I’ll take little short cuts.  That means the big pieces of kitchen ware I’ll put in the dishwasher and the smaller bits I’ll do by hand.  I always need to clean everything one last time in bleach, so when the big stuff are done in the dishwasher, I throw them in the bleach.

The one thing I don’t like about work is that some days the time is really fast and other times it is eternity.  Today is a really fast day.  It is already 3:15 when I leave my station to go to the restroom.  That is where something really weird happens. 

I am in the restroom peeing into the toilet when I hear a rustling sound coming from the sink.  With my peripheral vision, I can see something white on the sink. At first I think it’s just my imagination.  I keep thinking that until the thing moves.  I drain myself and then move to the sink.

There is a large white rabbit on the edge of the sink, its beady eyes looking at me. I shake my head and look back at it. The rabbit shakes its head quickly, apparently mimicking me. I slowly move towards it and it inches back.  I lunge for the sink and the rabbit inches back more.  He then turns about face and leaps into the drain pipe and scurries down it.  For a few minutes I stare at the sink transfixed.  I slowly moved towards the drain, my gaze still focused on where the rabbit leaped in.  I peer over the hole and look down.  It is pitch black, lest for the light coming in from the overhead.  A shiver runs down my spine and chills my bones. In a trance, I somehow manage to wash my hands and walk out of the restroom.  After a few moments I successfully shake off the eerie feeling and I traverse back to the dishwashing station.  Mrs. M is waiting there with a piece of paper in her hand.  It is 3:30.


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         I have just run a set of dishes and glasses through the industrial dishwasher and am cleaning a colander when Terry comes to my station to bavardage with me.  He looks for a CD on the shelf next to the player and, finding it, turns around to face me.
         “What are you trying to do?” He asks, inquisitively.
         I run the colander under the water and move it into the bleach.  I look up at him.
         “I don’t know yet. Why?” I say.
         “Well Harry is in town with his friend from JMU. He has a shit ton of acid.”
         When he says “acid”, my expression changes and for some reason my mind goes back to the incident in the restroom.
         “Hey, I know how weird this sounds.  But everyone should try something new once in a while. And plus, it’ll only be this time and you’ll be with us.  Nothing bad will happen.”
         For a few moments, I am looking out the window.  I can see the wet marsh and sense the slight smell coming in.  The sun is starting to set.  I mull his invitation over in my mind.  I look down and take the colander out of the bleach.
         “So, what’s it going to be?” Terry returns me to reality.  I excuse him for a second and go to ask Mrs. M if I can have a break.  She reluctantly says yes.

         A few minutes later, at 3:45 pm, Terry and I are at an empty seat and are having a bite.  He is explaining the plans for the weekend.
         Ok, so we don’s have to work this weekend so we have the whole time.  Now go over the details again?” I ask, concerned.
         “We both get off at 6:00.  At 7:30, I’m gonna go pick up Harry, which means we’ll be at your place at 7:50.”
         “Alright, then what?”
         “Derry, his friend, is staying at the Omni hotel next to 64. We should get there around 8:30 pm.  We go to dinner at the hotel.  Which, by the way, is kind of pricey so be prepared.”  He says, and shoots me a glance, and a quick smile.  “Later, after that, is when we do some acid. Then we just wait around a few hours and then go to our motel.”
         I take a sip of water. “Where is our motel, anyway?”
         “The Motel Super 8 on J. Clyde. Why?”
         “Just curious.”
         We sit there for the last 3 minutes and finish up our meals quietly.  When we are finally done, it is around 4:05.

         That last hour is extremely busy and I am constantly on my toes.  There seems to be an endless flow of dishes then at about 4:50 it ceases.  While waiting for Michael, my replacement, to get here, Terry comes over to talk to me.  He follows me over to where I am putting dishes away.
         “Did I tell you about Royce?” Terry asks.
         “No, I don’t think so,” I admit.  “Who is he?”
         Terry sighs. “Come with me.”
         We walk outside near the dumpster.  It is cold outside and I’m shivering.
         “Okay. Royce is this guy that I will sometimes buy from.  He is crazy, wacko.  Whatever you do, don’t get on his bad side.”
         “Wow,” I say, semi-serious, semi-sarcastic. “Anything else?”
         Tony’s expression is completely serious, and so I change my attitude.
         “Years ago, he was in an accident.  He spilled some cleaning chemicals, bleach or something, into his eye and now he is permanently blind in his left eye.  People call him The Cyclops like in that one story by Homer.”
         I wanted to laugh, but stopped myself when I saw Terry was still serious.
         “Is Royce coming to see us?”
         Terry shakes his head. “He doesn’t see us.  We see him.”
         Just as Terry says this last part, I see Michael pull up and gets out of his car.  He sees us and walks over to where we are.
         “Hey fellas, what is going on?” He shouts.
         Terry stars to say something but I cut in.
         “Mike, glad you could make it.  I am just going to go punch out.  I’ll see you next week.”
         I punch out and wave bye to everyone. Tony flashes me a glance and I return it.  At 5:08 pm, I walk out the door and go home.