9

No T.V. dinner

 

   The next day, while Kenny was at work, Ronny prepared a distraction for Kenny. Ronny removed the back of the T.V. and examined the inside for a wire he could break loose. It had to be something that would not be too hard to fix. Ronny noticed the wire leading to the antenna on the inside of the cover. He loosened the screw that held the wire to the contact until it hung loose. He quickly reattached the cover to the back of the set and made sure the area around was free of any indication of his activities. He knew Kenny would head straight for the T.V. after dinner. Getting Kenny to fix the set would give him the opportunity to see the back of his neck.

   Ronny began preparing dinner before Kenny got home. The chicken in the oven smelled good and Kenny would appreciate a good meal. Ronny had even thrown in a couple potatoes a while before the chicken. That and a can of mixed vegetables would make a nice square meal.

   As Kenny came up the stairs, Ronny composed himself. He didn’t want to act the fool like he did the previous evening. Kenny came through the door.

   “Wow! Something smells really good.”

   “Hey, Kenny, what’s up? Yeah, I figured I would make something good for dinner tonight. Chicken, baked potatoes and veggies.”

   “Sounds excellent, man.” Kenny peeled off his jump suit.

   “Go ahead and get cleaned up, man. This stuff is almost ready.”

   “Cool. I’m hungry.” Kenny headed for the restroom.

 

   After they were done eating, just as Ronny had anticipated, Kenny went for the T.V.

   “Hey, Ronny.”

   “Yes?” Ronny had practiced what he would say to Kenny about the T.V.

   “What’s wrong with the television?”

   “Oh, I’m not sure. I went to try to watch it earlier and all I could get was snow. I figured you would be able to fix it.”

   Kenny moved the antenna around to try to get a picture.

   “I tried that.” said Ronny, trying to assure Kenny that nothing could be fixed from the outside.

   “Well,” said Kenny, “I guess I’ll have to open it up.”

   Kenny went to get his tool box while Ronny watched him. Kenny returned and got on his knees behind the set. He pulled a screwdriver from the toolbox and proceeded to remove the screws from the back of the set. After he removed the cover, he placed the screwdriver on the table next to him, and began to look around inside the T.V.

   “This is such an old set. I hope it’s not a bad tube,” said Kenny. “I don’t even know if there are any tube testing machines around anymore.”

   “Well, have a good look around since you have the back off.”

   Kenny was in the perfect position for Ronny to get behind him, and he wouldn’t think anything was suspicious. He would just think Ronny was curious and concerned. Ronny came up behind Kenny and looked down at the back of his neck. There they were. Three little scratch marks. The top one was the longest, and the bottom one was the shortest. Ronny got a lump in his throat. It was true. His worst fears were real. Somehow, he and Kenny were the same person. The shared circumstances between them were too many to be mere coincidence anymore. His immediate reaction was hasty after all the frustration of trying to achieve this one moment of revelation. I could end this now, he thought. Kenny will not be the one to take over.

   Kenny continued looking around inside the television. Ronny slowly reached for the screwdriver at the edge of the table. He picked it up and raised it in the air above Kenny and readied himself to bring it down hard on the center of Kenny’s skull.

   “Hey, Ronny.”

   Ronny began to shake. “Yes?” he replied.

   “I think I found the problem. It looks like a loose wire. I don’t want to let go of it. Would you hand me that screwdriver?”

   Ronny slowly lowered the screwdriver. “Sure,” he said and reached over to the table. He tapped the screwdriver to the table surface to make it sound like he had just picked it up, and then handed it to Kenny.

   “Thanks man,” said Kenny. “Hold on to this cover for me for a minute.”

   Ronny held the cover so Kenny could replace the wire and tighten the screw. He tried not to shake. He felt sick over what he had almost done. How could he have even thought of something like that? Kenny was a good friend and he almost killed him. He was more than a friend. He was part of himself and Ronny may have wound up killing himself in the process. There had to be another way to merge the two of them together. 

   “There. It’s in good and tight now. Turn on the set to make sure it works before I put the cover back on.”

   Ronny walked around to the front of the set and turned the knob. In a moment, the sound came on.

   Kenny said, “It sounds better anyway. Let me know when the picture comes up.”

   As the T.V. warmed up, the picture came to life. “Yes,” said Ronny. “It’s working fine now…Thank you, Kenny.”

   Kenny looked up at Ronny, who almost looked sad. “Well, you’re welcome, Ronny.” Kenny reattached the back of the set, then looked at Ronny again who was sitting on the couch looking at the set. He had such a faraway look on his face.

   Kenny said, “Ronny, dinner was really good tonight. You relax and I will do the dishes.”

   “Yeah, OK Kenny…Thanks.”

   “No problem, buddy.” Kenny went  to the kitchen and began filling the sink with hot water. Ronny sat on the couch staring at the T.V., but thinking about the whole situation. He had no idea where to turn. He felt helpless. Only a couple weeks ago, nothing was wrong. Everything was going great. He wished everything could return to the way it was.

 

10

A call to Suzy

 

   At the garage, business was running as usual.

   Kenny just got a distributer cap back in place and was reconnecting the spark plug wires when he noticed it was lunch time.

   “Hey, Bulldog. I need to make a phone call. Do you mind?”

   “No, go ahead, but try to make it quick.”

   “Thanks.” Kenny went to the office and sat at the desk as he picked up the receiver. He dialed the phone.

   “Hello?”

   “Suzy, it’s Kenny.”

   “Hey, sweetie, what’s up?”

   “Well, I wish it was something good. I think we have a problem.”

   “What is it? What’s wrong?”

   Kenny hesitated for a moment. “It’s Ronny. He is beginning to destabilize.”

   “Oh, no.” Kenny could hear the seriousness in Suzy’s voice. “Are you sure about this?”

   “Yes. He just about killed me last night. He was ready to put a screwdriver through my head.”

   “Oh, man, that’s pretty serious. How did he find out?”

   “Common injury.” Kenny said. “I’ll tell you more later. I’m on the phone at work.”

   Suzy asked, “What about a receptacle?”

   “I started working on one but it failed. I think the encapsulation is weakening. How is Sharlina doing?”

   “Well, to tell you the truth, she has been acting weird, ever since she saw that painting that Ronny did. You know, the one with the chairs?”

   “Yes,” said Kenny. “He kept that one.”

   “Sharlina has been remembering things that didn’t happen here. I have been playing along with her, but soon, she is going to figure something is up…It may be time to move on.”

   “I was thinking the same thing. I suppose we have observed enough at this point.”

   “Well…” Suzy thought for a moment. “It’s about as much as we’re going to for now anyway. I’ll start preparation for departure.”

   “How soon?”

   “We shouldn’t wait too long. Sharlina and I will come by soon. A day or two maybe.”

   “OK, Suzy…I’ll talk to you again soon. I love you.”

   “I love you too Kenny. Bye bye.”

   “Goodbye, Suzy.”

   Kenny hung up the phone and went to the refrigerator to get out his lunch. Bulldog was already having a sandwich.

   “Date with Suzy?”

   “No,” said Kenny. “Well…kind of. It’s something I can’t really talk about.”

   “Don’t mean to pry,” said Bulldog, looking apologetic.

   “No. I know that, man. Yer cool, Bulldog.” Kenny thought for a moment. “Bulldog, this does involve you…sort of. It would be unfair not to at least tell you something.”

   Bulldog looked curious. Kenny continued. “I think I may have to quit this job.”

   Bulldog looked confused. “Well, if you need a raise, I mean, yer a good mechanic and…”

   Kenny interrupted. “No, Bulldog. You are not the problem in this situation. You are just an innocent bystander. I’m sorry, man.”

   “What’s the problem then?”

   “Well…I have a chance to move out of state.”

   A look of a combination of relief and disappointment came across Bulldog’s face. Then he said “Well, I understand that. Shoot. If you got the chance to move up on out of this crummy town, then do it…but I sure will miss you around here. It ain’t easy finding a good mechanic.”

   “I know, man. I feel really sorry about that.”

   “Ah, well, don’t worry about it. I’ll find one. Heck, what do you think? No one can replace you?” Bulldog laughed.

    Kenny smiled and said, “So, we’re good then?”

   “Yeah, we’re good.” Bulldog looked down at his lunch and then back up at Kenny.  “So what did you bring for dessert?”

   Kenny smiled. “Nothing for you, man…Here, have a cookie.”

   Bulldog laughed “Thank you, Kenny.”

   “Yer welcome, Bulldog.” Kenny took a bite of his sandwich. He began to think about the problem at hand.

 

11

Ball of confusion

 

   Ronny tried to make sense of it all. Could Kenny just be a figment of his imagination? No, Ronny thought. that can’t be. Am I just his imagination? No. I would not be conscious of that, or even alive. Am I so schizophrenic that I only think there are two of us? No, Kenny brings food home and pays half the rent. How can we be the same person when we are in two places at once? Is any of this real at all? Am I in a coma? Am I dead? Is this just some amazingly long dream?

   Ronny looked around the apartment. It all seemed real enough. He began to look at things in more detail. He looked closely at the texture of the walls, and of the things in the room. Everything looked like all was normal. Then Ronny’s eyes stopped on the painting of the chairs on the opposite wall. He thought something about it looked different. He got up and walked across the room to take a closer look. Something was different. It was something about the window in the painting. It was the jar. Something was in the jar. It was the clay baby.

   Ronny’s knees buckled. “What in Hell’s name is going on?” Terror gripped Ronny’s mind. His chest hurt and he felt weak. “I didn’t paint that in there.” Ronny gripped his head. “Did I?” His mind spun in ten directions at once. He began to feel as though he would lose consciousness. Then, something in the air began to resonate. He turned and felt a vibration under his feet and the air became very thick and tight. With a lurch, as if something hit it, the couch moved about two feet, hitting the end table and knocking the lamp over. Ronny went limp and fell unconscious to the floor.