The Interview
Simon Sarkowsky sat on a hard wood chair placed in the center of an aseptic steel gray windowless room. Athough not knowing what to expect he had dressed business like with a patched sleeved navy tweed sport coat, button down white cotton shirt accessorized with his favorite blue striped power tie. Italian wool-gray slacks and wingtip shoes projected a persona of success. He remembered that he was to have a business interview and that he was running late. That was all that he remebered.
Across from him stook a splintered wood desk and behind that a cracked green leather swivel chair. The lighting was poor but he could see a manila folder and a computer placed on the opposive corner of the desk.
Being a curious and compulsive natured creature he leaed over to take a peak at the computer monitor, when the door swung open and in walked a tall pasted complesxioned man wearing a smartly tailored white suit and shoes so polished they emitted a golden sheen.
"Hello, my name is Michael and you have been expected."
Expected!, Simon confused hesitated but lifted up from his chaIr and took Michael's extended hand and shook it. The hand felt puleless. Simon dropped it and sat back down.
Michael went over to his desk and sat down, the chair crackled as he make himself comfortable.
Simon gained his composure,"who are you; what is this place , why am i here?"
" These are all excellent questions."
Michael looked down at his label and brushed off a piece of lent. "Would you believe I've spent centuries trying to find a decent dry cleaner."
Michael composed himself . " I am the archangel Michael. Perhaps you've heard of me."
"I can't say I have."
Michael's expression osified. "you would have if you had ever attended a synagogue,church or mosque."
"I was never a religious man; can't say i ever bought into all that holy moly mumble jumble to tell the truth."
Michael folded his hands and gazed into Simon's lifeless eyes. "Interesting, were you always a trughtful man?"
"Look Michael!, I've been a buiness man selling for over thirty years and truth came in all shades. Truth was in making the sale."
"It appears that work was your raison d'etre."
"My what!"
"Your reason for being."
Simon's curiosity coud not be contained. "What gives with the manila folder and computer on your desk. I dont see any cords or terminals."
"Ah, the folder contains an outline of you history and the compter has you entire life down to the minutes and seconds."
"That computer must have some size hard drive."
"It has an 'E' drive."
"What the hell is an 'E'drive?" Simon's impatience was becoming visable.
"Please, we don't use that word here."
"Sorry!"
"An 'E' drive is an eternity drive. Thee is no limit to its storage capacity."
Michel thumbed the minila folder. "I've looked at some of your files. You haven't contributed much to the betterment of your fellow man. I don't see where you have ever volunteered or donated to any causes to benefit those less fortunate than yourself."
Simon clinched his fist. "Wait just a damn minute." Michael interrupted ,"language please."
"I bought two cases of Girl Scout cookes and gave them away to the people woho came into my store.
Michael scrolling through the computer screen, "yes, I see that you did but you payed withga check that later bounced."
"It was an over sight. I made it up to them later."
"And you did make it up to them but it was a year late."
Simon squirmed in his seat. The wooden chair was becoming uncomfortable.
"How much longer do i have to stay here?"
Before Michael could answere the door opened. Simon looked up with a perplexed stare.
Michael swung his chair around. "Moe, Ali, JC glad you fellas could stop by."
After Michael had given each of the men knuckled greeting the three men circuled around behind Simon.
"Simon, these three gentelmen are going to by you guides. Listen to them and learn. When they have finished with you they will return you back to me and I will debrief you and render my decision."
"What decision, what the hell are you talking about?""Please Simon remember we dont use the'H' word around here. We consider it poor taste."
"Let's just say it will be one of those date,time and place decisions."
"We need to get going."JC exclaimed. "I can't be hanging fround here all day."
Simon got up from his seat and was steadied by the three men as they paraded out of the office.
As the four meandered down a crystalline path they came to an adrupt halt.
Simon barely avoided crashing into Moe who was in front of him. "Why are we stopped?"
"Look over to the right. There up on the hill . Tell me what you see."
Simon did as JC directed.
"It's just an old lean-to with a canvas roof ant looks like it came off some type of sailing vessel."
"Look again." Moe and Ali chimed in.
Simon strained to see what they were so excited about.
In the spot were the lean-to once stood an alabaster walled castle spread across the hillside.
Simon rubbed his eyes and looked again. "I can't believe it. I know i saw a lean-to. I swear!"
Ali interupted Simon,"don't swear and your first lesson is never formulate your opinion based on an initial observation."
"Ok,ok you made your point. Can we please move on."
"Hey boys, how's it hanging?" In front of the castle stood and old man with a face resembling crumpled writing paper. He sported a stylish goatee nd shoulder length silver hair. His dress was a mixture of tattered jeans into which was tucked a tie-dyed t-shirt with the pharase 'I am , I am' embrodered in large gold letter across the front. Simon was starting to wonder if someone had slipped 'acid into his drink the other night while at his local hang out.
"We're just fine. We have a new 'angel flake named Simon, he may be only here temporarily". Moe pushed Simon out front.
"I know this is Simon. I've know Simon from the time he was part of the primordial clump from which i created the earth."
Simon took his hands and squeezed both sides of his temples. "I don't understand whats going on."
Ali stepped forward. "I'll try to make it simple. That figure up there is our boss. We prefer to call the boss 'G'. We all repect the 'G'."
"Listen boys, I ordered a birthday cake from the bakery down the road. It's for my friend Lila and she is turning fifty.
"Fifty years." Simon asked.
"No, fifty thousand, and she looks marvelous." G just grinned. "Could you pick it up for me when all of you are finished."
"Sure thing boss" JC said.
"Must be angel food." Someone muttered.
"Very funny." Moe replied.
Simon blinked for a moment and looked again and there stood a Rubenesque woman with plum shaped cheeks, short curled blond locks, and a smile that revealed teeth in need of serious orthodontic work.
"What the ---"Simon stopped short. "What can on say but I didnt see that coming."
Simon rubbed his eyes and this time when he looked he saw a slender built woman with cafe au lait skin and trailing ebony hair down to her waist . She wore a white linen robe with a right shoulder strap held up with a heart shaped ruby pin. Simon felt her brwon eyes burn into his soul. In a celestial moment she was satisfied with what she saw. She nodded her head and smiled, then turned back to the castle. The images on the hill faded away.
"I don't understand. Can someone please explain?"
"Let me,let me." Moe was waving his rod like a schoolboy having the right answer to a quiz. Ali and JC looked at each other and shook their heards. "He hasn't changed in over two millennia. Go right ahead Moe we've have all the time in the universe."
"Simon my dear man, 'G' can be many things to many people. An avatar placed in the minds of all humans. He can be a cosmic messenger boy, a small voice that lives wtihin each of us , or Kali goddess that empowers. The list is eternal. The important thing is how you perceive 'G' for 'G' is your personal 'G'".
Simon scratched his heard I'm not understanding."
M friend Isaac Newton once told me after recovering from a nasty bump he recieived while sitting under an apple tree, "truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things." "Just keep it simple Simon."
As they proceeded down the road they crossed the path of a young boy not more than ten years old clutching a broken kite and crying.
"Wait fellas I have this." Simon went over and sat down beside the boy. He removed a handerchief from his pocked and dabbed the boy's eyes dry.
"What happened to you and the kite?"
The boy sniffled. "My little sister and I were flying my kite and a storm came up with lighting flashing everywhere. She was holding the string and I grabbed it from her and told her to run back to the house. Just as I turned away i felt a surge flow through my body and here I am."
Simon was caught up in the moment and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Let me take a look at your kite." Simon fidgeted with the kite. "Here's the problem, this piece of strut has a slight crack." Simon took his handerchief and grabbed a corner in his teeth and ripped off a strip of cloth. He then bandaged the two loose ends of the strut together. Having conviced himself that the two ends were secure he handed the kite back to the boy.
The boy tested the kite by standing tand throwing it up into the air. The kite held firm.
The boy grabbed Simon and gave him a hug. "Thank you mister. Yor're a kind man."
Simon was speechless. He had never done anything to be thanked for much less ever been referred to as being kind.
The three guides looked at Simon. One comitted that he looked taller.
As they began to proceed, Ali noticed the light coming from the crystalline path starting to dim.
"We need to get Simon back."
As they arrived back Simon was experiencing a warm glow inside him.
"Here's were we leave you. Michael is waiting . We hope to see you again when ever that will be."
When Simon went back into the office he saw Michel scribbling some notes with a quill pen.
Simon sat down. "Not using a 'Mont Blanc'?"
"Nah, I'm old school."
"Simon, Ill get right to the point. I've been watching and listening to you and I feel you have the potential of becomiig a real 'mench'."
Simon sat up tall in his chair,"You mean i have more time." "But before you answere that could you tell me how much time exactly."
Michael just smile,"dont push it." "Goodbye Simon."
A bright light flashed into simon's eyes.
"His pupils react and his cardiac monitor shows a normal sinus rhythm." "Mr Sarkowsky, Simon wake up". A voice bellowed out . Simon saw a clouded vision of a woman leaning over him.
He blinked and the image of a woman in a long white coat was stareing down at him. "You gave us quite a scare."
"Where am i?"
"Your in the ER at Mount Olive Medical . We just call it 'MOM' for short."
"How did I get here?"
"Three men brought you in. Apparently you were crossing a street and got knocked back to the curb by a commuter bus. They called for an ambulance ad accompanied you here."
"Are they here, I would like to thank them?"
"no, they said they had urgent business elesewhere."
As Simon's vision became clearer his gaze focused on the doctor's name badge,'Dr. Angelica Gabriel and on the lapel of her lab coat a small red heart.
"What are you starring at?"
" I don't know. Your eyes they tend to sparkel. You look so familiar."
" I can see that this experience has left you delusional." the doctor laughed
Simon felt the bump on his head. "You may be right."
"We are going to keep you over night in our neuroscience observation unit. If everything checks out in the morning we will discharge you to home."
"Listen I'm off duty now."
"So your done for the evening Doc?"
"God no!, My daughter's Girls Scout troupe is meeting and planning their annual cookie sale."
Simon just smiled," you can count on me buying your daughter's entire allotment."
Angelica took Simon's hand. "I can always spot a kind man. I will look on you tomorrow."
The End
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