Your knowledge cannot stand against her force; for she foresees and judges and maintains her kingdom as the other gods do theirs. The changes that she brings are without respite: it is necessity that makes her swift; and for this reason, men change state so often.
~The Divine Comedy, Inferno, Canto VII
As the elevator rumbled its was further down the tunnel, Jim stood in silence, watching the rock walls slowly pass by into the dark. He’d never taken geology but he found it interesting that the walls got darker as they descended. He eyed a spot on the wall…it looked like someone had written on it in chalk, but the water trickling across it had erased it almost entirely from the face. About halfway (judging by the time it normally took) between the levels, he felt the pulley roll over a hard object on the wire, then strike the other side with a loud click.
“What was that, Michael?,” he asked.
“What was what?,” Michael replied as he tinkered with the control panel.
“That loud clicking sound! Did you not hear it?”
“Probably just the lock to keep this from going back up once it’s down.” Again, a perfectly straight face told Jim that he really wasn’t fibbing.
“That is just…great,” he replied under his breath, to no one in particular.
Their transport ground to a halt, settling next to the fourth identical platform Jim had set foot on thus far. Michael’s key once again fit the lock and he leaned into the door, not budging it. “A little help, Jim? This thing’s pretty heavy.” Jim aided his guide and pushed…the door swung open fairly easily with the two of them. They stepped forward onto a foot bridge spanning a narrow crevasse between the rocks…upon reaching the opposite site, Jim noticed a striking difference between this area and the last few. It was bright and warm, with no sign of any strange features that would indicate that it was a place of punishment. There were a few small buildings tucked into the right-hand hillside…they looked nice enough, yellow with grey trim, well kept shrubs and even a garden in one of the yards. The left side was dotted with fruit orchards, apples and plums dangling from the overflowing branches. Even the people bustling around the street looked healthy and well-fed…maybe even too much so, if he were to be honest. Michael motioned for him to follow him, and they walked down a winding, cemented path to the grassy field blanketing the area between the trees and houses.
Suddenly a booming voice split the air…”Jim! Look out!!” It was too late for Jim to react to the unseen threat though, as he felt a piercing blow sting his forearm. It was quickly followed by another on his chest and Jim cowered to the ground, unsure of what was happening. Michael grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet as he noticed a large figure moving quickly toward him. The man was dressed in all black with the exception of his face, which was dotted with welts and recognizable as the same source that had produced the warning he’d received….Kevin Malone. His portly coworker turned and shielded Jim from the onslaught as they all shimmied into one of the buildings.
Once inside, Jim cast an uncertain glare at Kevin’s attire. “Is that a paintball outfit?,” he asked.
“Y-Yes,” came the reply.
Michael looked on sternly. “Don’t you know, Kevin, that you are not allowed to wear anything but the standard uniform in here?” He swung his arm toward the window, and Jim noticed that everyone outside was wearing a thin, toga-like outfit with no head covering. Most of them had the same welts Kevin had on his face and plenty more on their arms and legs. “Now tell me who smuggled this in here so I can punish them. Was it Rosie? Al?”
Kevin smirked. “Creeeeed,” he giggled.
“Creed? He’s not even in here…how would he..”
“Creed is a man who knows how to get things…if you know what I mean.” Kevin continued to giggle.
“So where is Creed, if he’s not here?” Jim interjected.
Michael looked at him and sighed loud. “I’m not allowed to tell you that…how much crap is it that I can’t even tell my best friend about Creed’s whereabouts?”
Jim quickly cut him off. “We’re not best friends though.”
Michael looked as though he’d been kicked in the shin. “Well, I can’t tell you either, then,” he growled. He turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Jim started after him but decided to let him go, knowing that he’d have forgotten about the incident in twenty minutes…he’d probably get teary eyed, apologize profusely and try to hug him. He turned to say something to Kevin, but the chubby accountant was sprawled out on the floor, fast asleep. He wandered down the short hallway in search of the bathroom, his eye catching a small charcoal drawing tucked on the end wall. Coming closer, he could see that although the peripheral setting was blurred, it was a sketch of a salt shaker…spiral glass and small holes that he could nearly see glistening in spite of the time that’d passed since he’d seen that exact shaker….
“Oh my God, Pam! You did not!!” He was laughing so hard his stomach had begun to hurt.
“Yes, yes I did, Halpert. And if you keep laughing at me like that, I’m afraid the days of you and me hanging out are over.” She was unable to keep a the smile from her face, even though she was sticking her tongue out in disgust at the repulsive taste.
Calling me by my last name already. She is SO great, he thought. “I know, Beesly. If you keep on pouring salt in your iced tea like that, the high blood pressure will get you before you’re 30.”“Oh, shut up!” She slapped him on the arm. “You know that thing looks just like a sugar dispenser. It even has the pour spout!”
They both slipped into a fit of laughing…there were a few puzzled glances in their direction, wondering what the commotion was. He was pretty sure that over Pam’s shoulder he saw one of the waitresses nudge another, point at them and faux swoon as she placed her hand over her heart. Had he not been so completely content in the moment, he’d have been worried that they were causing a scene. Truthfully, this was by far the best first date he’d ever been on. He and Pam had just clicked when they met on Monday, sharing an unseen connection…like a thread into each other’s mind that ensured that awkward pauses and uncomfortable silences would never be a problem when they talked. It was Wednesday morning when he summoned the nerve to ask if she wanted to grab lunch with him. She normally left the office for lunch anyway, and he’d “forgotten” his lunch that day, so it was convenient. She didn’t need any prodding to agree, and when he suggested Cuginos as they strolled through the front door, she enthusiastically responded, “Ooh, I love Italian food!” He felt the heat shoot through his chest and a slight tingle in his toes as he looked down at her with a half-smile and shot back, “Well, that’s perfect, because it just so happens to be my favorite too.”
Now here they were, laughing and joking like they’d known each other for years. Jim offered to call the waitress to bring her a new iced tea but Pam didn’t want to cause an inconvenience…she’d just go to the front counter and ask for a new one. As she stepped to the counter, Jim spotted the familiar slim figure of his mother come walking through the side entrance, University of Scranton Art Department tote bag, small sketchpad and umbrella in hand. She strolled up to stand next to Pam, not noticing Jim, as they had a corner table on the same side. He couldn’t help but notice the identical relaxed posture of both Larissa Halpert and the woman whose company he was now enjoying…he wasn‘t able to stop the smile from spreading across his face as he watched this scene play out from afar. He secretly hoped they’d somehow speak to each other, and he strained his ears with a voyeuristic curiosity to hear as he heard Pam speak up.
“Um, could I get a new iced tea, please?,” She said.
The waitress stared at her blankly. “What happened to that one? It looks full to me.”
“Oh, uh, I accidentally grabbed the salt shaker instead of the sugar.” He could tell she was probably blushing, as she tilted her head slightly downward. He heard his mother chuckle, and knowing her inability to resist such a golden situation to start a conversation, even with perfect strangers…Game on, he thought.Larissa spoke up. “That sounds like something one of my kids would do, except they’d do it on purpose. When the boys were little, they’d stick anything in each other’s drinks. Every night at dinner was like Christmas, with the “gifts” they’d leave each other. And the fighting afterward every time,” she chuckled.
Pam mimicked her laugh,, saying “Yeah, well I don’t think I’ll ever live this one down either. Maybe literally, with as much sodium as I ingested in the one sip of it I could stomach.” His mother laughed heartily as the waitress handed Pam a fresh iced tea. She began to turn before looking down at the older woman’s bag and stopping. “Nice bag,” she said, “do you take the community art classes at U of S?”
“Actually, hun, I work in the art department. I’m an advisor.” She smiled warmly. Jim thought that she’d be more than pleased to find out they had another connection besides art.
Pam stood back, slightly shocked. “Oh wow. I started taking some art classes at LCC a few years ago but I kinda got sidetracked. I’d really like to take some more but I don’t know if I can fit it in with my new job and all. Do you offer any night programs?” She meekly looked down at her hands, and Jim wondered why the hesitation.
“Absolutely we do,” his mother offered. “I’m sorry, what’s your name?” She extended her hand.
Pam extended hers and they shook briefly. “Pam.”
“Nice to meet you Pam. I’m Larissa. I’d really like a chance to get to know you better. I think you might be very interested in what I can offer you at the University of Scranton.” She held out a small business card, placing it in Pam’s hand. “Here’s my card…give me a call sometime in the office and we can talk about our programs, ok? Do you have any samples, because I could send them to some of our professors and give you a hand with the application.”
Pam was beaming again. “Gosh, that’s really nice of you.” She glanced at the card. “Yeah, I’ve been doing some painting on my own lately, plus I have stuff from when I was in classes.”
“That‘s good then.” his mother replied. “U of S is a great option for locals like yourself. We accept transfer credits, so if you wanted to work toward a degree, you’d already have a start. I really hope to hear from you, Pam.”
“Yeah, maybe I will,” Pam said.
“Great, and definitely send in your samples too. I’ll bet they’re great.” his mother responded warmly.
He thought he saw Pam blush lightly. “That’s nice of you. It might be tough though with my new job and…”
His mother smiled sensitively, sensing uncertainty in Pam’s voice. She cut her off…“Well, I’m not sure how fulfilling your new job is…maybe it‘s comfortable and you can see yourself there the rest of your life relatively happily. But just remember, it’s never too late to go after what your really love, honey. Just give us a chance.”
Jim could hardly believe the conversation he’d just overheard. He sat as Pam said goodbye and made her way back to their table, then watched his mom wait patiently for her order to be done. After a few minutes, the waitress handed her a small box and she turned toward the exit. Jim smiled as his mother caught his eyes from the front, then turned abruptly and walked hurriedly toward the table.
“Jim!” she exclaimed as she set the pizza box on the table beside them.
“Hi mom,” he said, standing up to give her a hug. He could see Pam’s eyes wide in their sockets, shock written across her lips. He slid his plate over next to the window and motioned for his mother to sit down. She did, folding her hands as she placed them on the table in front of her. She smiled broadly, looking at Pam and then back to Jim. It seemed as though each of them was looking back and forth between the others, unsure of how to proceed. Oops, I wasn’t supposed to have heard their conversation, Jim remembered. “Oh, mom, this is Pam. Pam, this is my mom.”“Pam and I are a little familiar with each other already, honey. We met at the front counter…she was thinking about signing up for some art classes with us,” his mother responded.
“She also told me a few inside secrets about you and your brother that will come in handy some day,” Pam said with a bit of glee. All three laughed and Jim threw up his hands as if to signal his innocence.
Larissa used her hand to shield her mouth and turned to Jim. “She is adorable,” she said quietly. Jim could tell by her wild grin and chirpy voice that she was pleased, and he knew Pam could hear what she said because he saw her turn a slight shade of red. The older woman stood up and grabbed the pizza box from the adjacent tabletop. “Well kids, I have to get going. Your father is waiting on this pizza, and you know how he gets when he’s kept from his food.” Jim laughed, and she continued…”Pam, sweetie, please do call me. I’d love to help you out. Or, you could just stop by the house sometime.” She gave Jim the look that he knew meant he was expected to be bringing her by for dinner ASAP...she looked ecstatic, beaming and proud of her son‘s good taste. Pam, however, looked a bit uncomfortable. “Well, I’m going now…you two have fun on the rest of your date.”
Pam cut in. “Oh, Mrs. Halpert, this isn’t a date.” She laughed nervously. “We’re just friends out having lunch together…I’m engaged, actually, to Roy Anderson from the warehouse at our company.”
Jim felt the panorama around him cut to a tiny focus…the stab of pain in his chest felt as though it might kill him, and his stomach twisted into a knot immediately. He tried to put on a face that belied his devastation but he could tell by the look of concern on his mother’s face that she had caught his reaction and knew he was hearing the news for the first time as well.
“Oh. Well, congratulations then. But you’re still welcome to call me.” She gripped Jim’s shoulder sympathetically and kissed his cheek. “See you later, honey,” she said. She turned back to Pam. “Remember what I said, dear…it’s never too late.” She smiled and then turned to leave, turning her bag on her shoulder. It accidentally clipped the salt shaker , sending it cascading to the floor, shattering into dozens of jagged shards. She offered to help clean up but Jim waved her off. He was going to have to pick up this mess himself.
It was funny how the mere thought of that moment made his stomach churn, but he suddenly needed to find that bathroom more badly than he had before. He exited and made his way to the living room where Kevin was watching the Victoria’s Secret fashion show and giggling loudly. He decided to leave him alone and go find Michael…anything to get the hell away from here, he thought.
Stepping outside, he didn’t need much time to find Michael. He was sitting Indian-style in the middle of the grassy expanse, being pelted periodically by flying candies in the exact same spot, just below his collar. He walked over to him, hands inside his pockets. “Michael, listen…I’m sorry about that, back there. You’re a good friend, and I should have treated you as such.”
Michael turned and looked him in the eyes…he could see that he’d been crying. “Oh, Jimbo, you have no idea how that makes me feel!” He stood up and tightly hugged him. “You can be like the son to me that Ryan never wanted to be!”
“Oh, I don‘t think I want to get into that kind of thing,” Jim replied. Changing the subject quickly, he asked “So, why were you being hit in the same place every time?”
“It was hitting me in my grief bone,” Michael responded as though a grief bone were a real chunk of calcified material somewhere within his body. “In here, the guns will hit you in the place that you hurt the most every time. The gluttons in here can’t come outside most of the time, and they can’t eat from that orchard over there until the lose enough weight to meet the standards.” He waved at the copse of trees lining the opposite wall.
“Weird,” Jim replied thoughtfully. “Can we go now…I’d rather not be pelted with tiny candies again.”
“Absofruitly, Jimster. Let’s go.”
