Bam!

Bam!



By Richard Wallberg



“I’m sorry Mrs. Chang,” Mark said over the phone. “But your policy only covers damage from accidents and weather or loss of the vehicle from theft. It doesn’t cover damage due to theft.”

“But because of those chop shoppers we don’t have a car,” Mrs. Chang said. “Isn’t there anything you can do for us, Mr. Sullivan?”

The 32-year old adjuster slumped further into his chair. “I’ll take it up with my supervisor; see if I can’t grant you an exception.”

“Thank you, Mr. Sullivan.”

“Don’t thank me yet. This will probably raise your deductable. I’ll let you know by Monday. Goodbye,”

Mark hung up the phone and ran his hand over his red hair. The only sounds he could hear now were the office symphony of ringing phones and the tapping of keyboards. He really didn’t want to just leave the Changs hanging. They were a nice family that just didn’t read the details of the cut rate plan they got, which was what marketing probably wanted them to do. He turned his green eyes towards the clock on the wall of his cubicle. It was a quarter past four which meant only forty five minutes left in the workday. Looking over at the supervisor’s office he noticed through the narrow window in the door that the lights were out and since he was nowhere else on the floor, the manger either went home early or had gone to another floor to talk with another department. He jotted down a note about Mrs. Chang, took out a copy of Fortune Magazine he had in his briefcase and started to read what he hid in it: the latest issue of Green Lantern.

Ever since Mark was a kid, he loved comic books and superheroes, back to when his father introduced him to Superman. “He’s like our family,” his father told him. “He came from another planet while your great-great-great grandfather came over from Ireland. Then while Superman fought for truth and justice, there has been a Sullivan in the NYPD ever since.”

Mark’s cubicle was filled with reminders of his passion and his heritage. Three bobble heads were on the top shelf of Batman, The Hulk and a Leprechaun with “Happy Saint Patrick’s Day” written on the base. On one of the walls was his clock with a face resembling Captain America’s shield, a crucifix, and a calendar offered by the NYPD. Mark continued to read his comic. Green Lantern Hal Jordan used his power ring to burst through a wall. He had just got to the good part as Green Lantern and the villain Evil Star were coming to blows when Bruce from the next cubicle over came in.

“TGIF, right Mark?” said the well built African American with a shaved head.

Mark turned the magazine page while keeping his finger on the page where the comic was hidden, a trick he learned in Catholic School to keep the nuns from catching from reading comics instead of his textbook, Sister Macy always could make his knuckles sore for hours.

He and Bruce got along well since Bruce joined Empire Insurance two years ago, and since then they carpooled together.

“Yeah, sure,” said Mark.

“So Aisha and I were going to go dancing tonight, want come with us?” Bruce said with a grin.

Mark shrugged his shoulders. “I wish I could, but I’d just end up sitting at the bar all night again.”

Bruce shook his head. “Man you got to have a little more courage than that. Miss Right just isn’t going to fall out of the sky.”

Mark looked for a way out of the issue and saw the memo about the Changs and remembered about their problems. “By the way, is there anyone I can talk to about extending coverage for a family of four with a Saver’s Shield Plus plan?”

“Changing the subject?” Bruce said with a glare.

“Yes.” Mark said curtly. “I really want to help them and I know it’s probably going to be a stretch, but do you know anything I can do to fast track this?”

Bruce “Roy’s a stickler for procedure, but he seems to streamline things for Fatima. Since he’s in a meeting with customer support maybe you can ask her to hand in your request before he gets back.”

“Thanks, Bruce.”

Mark put the magazine on his desk while sighing deeply. Then he got a copy of the Chang policy and started moving to the back of the office. Once again he had to stand back while someone else had to take care of his problems. It was always like this ever since his father was shot and killed on duty just days after he gave him his first Superman comic. He remembered his mother was always afraid something like that would happen and she became very protective of him ever since. After school he would be brought by one of his police officer uncles to his apartment or the local Boys and Girls club. One time he went down the street by himself to the corner newsstand to get an issue of The Amazing Spider-Man and when he got back his mother was in tears.

“Promise me you’ll never do anything dangerous,” she said.

“Ok, I promise.” said Mark.

“I’d just die if anything happened to you.”

Since then he tried to avoid what could hurt him, while he imagined that he had adventures in the comic books he read from outracing a train heading towards a cliff with the Flash to fighting Baron Zemo alongside the Avengers. His promise prevented him from joining the police academy and following in the family tradition, something he had always dreamed of. While he kept in good shape by playing basketball he wasn’t good enough get a scholarship, so he went to business school and wound up working at Empire Insurance, a company whose employment practices seemed to consist of gathering people of diverse ethnicities and background then mash into one soulless mass.

Mark snapped back to the present just as he got to Fatima’s cubicle. It was decorated simply, a number of small ceramic cats on the top self and next to her computer a photo of a young girl next to an older man from the top of the Empire State Building. Mark cleared his voice. “Do you have a minute?”

Fatima turned around after closing the program she was using; her black hair, brown eyes and brown skin spoke to how her parents brought her to America from Iran when she was just a little girl. Being around his age Mark found her very attractive but thought she’d never go out with someone like him; still he took the time to get know her a little and they got along well enough.

“How can I help you Mark?” she asked.

“I heard you have some clout with Roy. Can you convince him to extend coverage to damage from theft on the Chang Policy, their number is JT54182?”

Fatima suddenly got a sad look on her face, but her voice betrayed none of her feelings. “Sure thing, I needed to tell him something anyway.”

“Is something wrong, Fatima?”

“I just can’t promise you anything, but would please come with me? You’re a nice guy so I know I can trust you; just watch and you’ll understand what I need you to do.”

He looked over and saw that Roy had just come back to his office, it seemed like he was packing up for night.

“We better get going.” Fatima said.

Mark recognized the worried expression Fatima had; he saw it on his mother’s face just before she died two weeks ago. While Mark was in college his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, she fought long and hard against it but even after chemo and a mastectomy the cancer had metastasized to her lungs and she started to lose. The day she died she had asked him to come near her bed.

“I need you to do a big favor for me; can you go down to the newsstand on the corner by yourself and get me a copy of the Post? I can’t have the nurse leave at moment so I need you to do it.”

“Sure thing, but it doesn’t sound that big.”

“Please.”

“Ok, Mom.”

“I love you, Mark.”

“I love you too, Mom.”

Mark did as she asked and got a copy of the post; and the latest Iron Man while he was at it; but when he got back she was already gone. He had kept that newspaper, but still he had a feeling since then that she knew she was about to die. If she just didn’t want him to see her die, why didn’t she just ask him to leave instead of giving him a fake errand?

He still hadn’t come up with an answer when they got to Roy’s office. It was heavily decorated with a few photos of a number of college age men that followed them as they got older, plaques given by the company for excellent service as well as a number of fishing and bowling trophies. On his desk was a photo of his wife facing away from Roy’s side of the desk and towards the visitor, probably to make him seem more trustworthy.

“Wait here,” said Fatima. “And listen carefully.”

Fatima went in and left the door open a crack, Mark stood at an angle that let him see what was going on through the window in the door, but wouldn’t let Roy know he was there.

Roy was a tall man, approaching his fifties, with blue eyes and graying blond hair. It was well known around the office that Roy was an old college buddy of most of the board of directors and so he usually got his way. He was playing around with his organizer when Fatima came in.

“’Tima, it’s almost quitting time; what brings you here?”

Fatima spoke to him in a flat tone. “Roy, Mark asked me to change this policy to include coverage for damage from theft.”

Roy took the copy of the paperwork and gave it a quick glance. “Saver’s Shield Plus huh, well, they’re getting what they paid for. If you want me to change the policy then you know what it’s going to require,”

“That’s why I really came here. If you want to fudge the numbers to help these people, more power to you, but I’m done demeaning myself to you.”

Roy laughed. “I don’t recall you complaining about it in my bed or the supply room. After all this little arrangement was your idea.”

“It was my idea to have you bend the rules and use your connections to help some of these disadvantaged clients; your idea was that you would do in exchange for sex.”

“Hey you told me yourself you aren’t a practicing Muslim, so why the change of heart?”

“That’s my business; I just want to tell you I’m not degrading myself for you anymore.”

“Fine, but if that’s the case I don’t think there’s anything I can do for policy number JT54182. Now if you want me to change it then you be a good little bitch and pay up. I feel like going to one those cheap discreet motels tonight.”

Roy edged closer to Fatima, his eyes had the unmistakable glint of lust in them. He grabbed Fatima’s wrists and towered over her. He had never looked more like a super villain to Mark.

It was all Mark could do to stop himself at just clenching his fists. The fact that Roy was helping Fatima get extra help for her clients in exchange for sexual favors sickened him. She was a pure and caring woman, and Roy was using that to take advantage of her. Mark wanted to just bust in and stop him like a superhero, but he knew that with weight he carried with the board of directors Roy would have him standing in the unemployment line, and even if could just turn around and try to become a policeman he would need a source of income until he got through. Still Fatima was in trouble and someone had to do something, Mark father had always told him that a real man was never afraid to do what was right, but a real man also stood by the promises he made. Mark was trapped between breaking his word or standing by while letting Roy continue to abuse Fatima’s kindness, if only he hadn’t promised his mother.

Then it hit him, she never let him go to the newsstand alone. Her last request wasn’t because she wanted a newspaper; she was telling him that it was ok for him take risks, that he shouldn’t give up on his dreams anymore. He knew that she was sorry she smothered him, and he also realized that even if she hadn’t had a change of heart, he couldn’t stand by anymore. Superman wouldn’t have done it, his father wouldn’t have done it and he wasn’t going to do it anymore either. Knowing the time had come to take matters into his own hands Mark opened the door and stepped into Roy’s office completely ready to save the day.

It was at that moment that Fatima kneed Roy in the groin. While he kneeled over moaning in pain grabbing his crotch, Fatima then threw a punch right in his nose. After a cracking sound Roy spun around and kneeled over his desk. He had one hand still over his manhood and the other covering his nose, and from the amount blood on his hand anyone could see that his nose was now broken.

Fatima spun Roy back around to face her.

“Here’s how it’s going down: Mark here has heard everything, so you convince the board to extend coverage on the every Shield Savers Plus plan fairly and then hand them your resignation or we’ll report you for sexual harassment!”

“If you do I’ll have your jobs!” Roy grunted through the pain. “With my connections your suit won’t hold water!”

“But your board friends won’t risk this happening to them again. We can find more work. No one will hire you once that report is stapled to every job application you ever file.”

Roy looked like he was punched in the stomach. ““Fine, but the board will want an explanation.”

“Just say it’s for personal reasons.”

“Ok, I’ll convince them, but after this is over we’re through!”

“You got that right.”

Fatima turned and left.

Mark turned to Roy and said. “If anybody asks about the nose, just tell them you fell down the stairs.” He then backed out still dumbfounded.

Mark caught up to Fatima quickly after that. “I was going to stop him; I was ready to stop him,”

Fatima gave him a smile. “That’s sweet of you but I could plead self-defense; Roy would have charged you with assault. Still I wouldn’t have been able to what I just did if I didn’t know you there backing me up.”

“And you were good at it too.” Mark made a punching motion, “‘Bam!’ like in the comic books; Evil Star wouldn’t want to cross paths with you.”

“Who?”

“Never mind. So do you want to say, go clubbing with me and Bruce?”

“Thanks, but I’m going out to dinner with my boyfriend tonight. Don’t tell anyone but his sister told me he’s going to ask me to marry him and I want him to think I’m surprised. I didn’t want to cheat on him, but his family was one of the ones I was helping out. Now that things are going to get better around here I can tell him the truth and knowing him he’ll forgive me.”

“Oh, ok. Congratulations then, he’d be nuts to hold Roy against you. Well I guess I’ll see you on Monday then.”

“Ok, see you then.”

They both went their separate ways. Mark knew he had lost any chance he had of being more than just friends with Fatima, but when he thought about it, he liked how things turned out. She was right about Roy charging him and the police academy wouldn’t accept anyone who had a felony charge. He decided then and there he would sign up for the academy and once he got through he would quit his job. Proud with himself Mark went back to his cubicle and sat down to finish his comic. He had only gotten to the next page where Hal Jordan has reciting the Green Lantern Oath to recharge his ring when he saw Bruce heading into the elevator.

“Hey, hold up.”

Mark put the magazine hiding the comic back into his briefcase and ran over to Bruce.

“Is that invite still good?”

Bruce gave him a big grin.

“As good as when I first gave it, what changed your mind?”

“I’ll tell you and Aisha tonight.”

Mark went into the elevator with his friend; he might get lucky tonight and meet a wonderful lady.

“And besides,” he thought to himself as the doors started to close, “I’m sure Green Lantern wouldn’t mind if he saved the universe without me for one night.”