Part I. "Extraordinarily Ordinarily Gray

He wasn't the perfect picture of health when "say cheese"
meant a photo of him eating it.
Joe reached for the tums to relieve searing heartburn
from last night's imported pizza and his passion for juice
which became a major breakthrough for taste buds.
He turned the televison set off, tiring of listening to news
broadcast and variety shows which existed on alternate channels
in a limited selection since cable service had been disconnected.
Surfing the net with a remote control was not his ideal of a good time.
And the thought of becoming a confirmed couch potato made his skin crawl.
Joe was anxious, easily excitable, action-oriented man
with lack of physical stature being balanced by a keen sense of intuition and a knack for good luck, and tonight,
lady luck visited him in New York City which could be like a lean
mean old rich lady, and yet be seductive and full of vitality,
hypnotizing the most fainthearted in a crowd.
Curled up in a corner, lottery tickets numbered from the top of a police car made the "pick four".
Pale and ashen face yearned for more, making money burn his pockets
till reality sets in, those bills.....Bills!
Joe blew out the flickering candles which were casting shadows all over the large single room apartment.
Wisps of smoke twirled into the air from a abandoned cigarette in a dive.
He listened to the tapping sound of flitting wings of moon moths gathering around the window.
This sound reminded him of youth in a small Midwstern town, Greenvale, where he drove along winding back roads at night with a former girlfriend, named Clarisse in a green iridescent T-bird.
He always had to keep the headlights on when coming to a stop near steep ravines.
The undesirable sight of a myriad collection of winged creatures in the beams were not exactly a romantic effect.
Particularly when the locals in town were spreading rumors of an
potentially fatal mosquito virus.
Their town had been targeted for DDT spray that year, testifying to
the obnoxious fumes mingled in mace to his face.
Clarisse was definitely into a lot of no's,
and he had, had it up to here with slaps from others.
Joe lurched out of the stinging past when a honking car blared up at him.
An irate driver was busy giving a tail gater the finger.
Joe looked down at the driver from his vantage point,
and absentmindedly thought about the streets full of people
always trying to spoil things, especially on a friday night,
in the wee hours of the morning.
He backed away from the window, realizing in a moment all the anger
inside him that was coming forth.


End of Part I.

Note: Joe Gray is a dull guy getting his feel for life.