Meaning (Part one)

Meaning

“The lack of courage in the new generation disgusts me!” Cowen said while slamming his shot glass on the counter.

“Kids these days have forgotten the importance of hard work.” Robert said. “Hey darling, another round.”

The barmaid brought the two men their drinks. Robert was tall and well-built with passionate brown eyes, tan skin, and curly hair. Cowen was short, a little chubby, and had crew-cut hair and blue eyes.

“Maybe if you men stopped complaining about the new generation and tried to coach them, they’d be doing much better.” The barmaid said.

Robert and Cowen looked at each other and laughed.

“You know it’s time to leave when the barmaid starts giving advice.”

The two men staggered to the sidewalk and waved at a taxi passing by.

“If one of you two men need to puke, at least roll down the windows will ya?” The taxi driver said.

“We’ll be fine-this isn’t our first rodeo.” Robert said.

“Yeah man, we’ve been doin’ this for years!”

The taxi driver let out a sigh.

The city was illuminated by lights of all colors and sizes.

“You sure your wife will let you in tonight Cowen?” Robert asked.

“I ain’t out too late man, she better!”

“You clearly haven’t learned from the last time we went out drinking.”

“I was way more drunk that time! This is nothin’.”

When the the taxi arrived at Cowen’s house, Robert and Cowen said their goodbyes.

As Cowen was walking to his front door, Robert told the taxi driver not to leave yet.

“Why not? He seems fine.” The taxi driver asked.

“Are you married?” Robert asked.

“N-no, why does that matter?”

Cowen unlocked his front door and went in.

“Where the hell have you been? Do you know what time it is?” Mary shouted.

“Mary… I was out with the mates”

“Out with that sorry lot again?” Mary slapped him. “Are you drunk? I bet you were with one of those whores at the bar.”

“Babe try not to hit me. I’m already dizzy.”

“Get out! Get out!” She shoved him out the door and slammed it.

Cowen started banging on the door.

“Mary please! I beg you!"

“See why I told you to wait?” Robert said to taxi driver. “Nobody sees this side of Vegas.”

Cowen got back into the taxi with tears flowing down his face.

Robert gave the taxi driver the address to his flat and offered to pay him double.

The driver turned his head and said,

“Don’t worry about it man. This ride is on me.”

The two men stumbled into the door of Robert’s flat. Robert didn’t turn on the lights. Cowen reclined on the couch and Robert took a chair from the kitchen and sat across from him.

“I know you’re drunk and don’t want to talk about this, but you need to do something.” Robert said.

“What can I do? That’s the dynamic nowadays.”

“That’s why I told you not to get married.”

“Well dammit I don’t want to be alone!” Cowen shouted.

Robert stood up and went to his room.

“What’s mine is yours. Try to sleep well.”

Robert awoke to the sound of coughing. He went to the bathroom and saw Cowen hunched over the toilet. Robert went to the kitchen and made ginger tea.

“When you’re done hacking, come drink this.”

The sun was beginning to come up. Cowen sat on the couch sipping his drink while staring at the empty chair in front of him. Whenever Cowen tried to think about his decisions he felt nauseous. The chair struck him as absurd. He shook his head; the alcohol must have been strong. Robert woke up and saw Cowen sound asleep on the couch. He smiled then went to work.

“Robert, come into my office. Here’s another story for you to cover. Apparently there was another mass shooting.”

Robert slouched in the office chair.

“E-mail me all of the details and I’ll get on it.” Robert muttered.

“It’s a tragedy, ain’t it? I’ve been runnin’ this place for 20 years and I’ve never had to deal with this many killings.”

Robert grinned.

“The news is starting to look the same. I wouldn’t even call it the news anymore- it’s just history repeating itself.” Robert said.

“Everything is repetition.”

Sitting across from Robert was a young lady in her 20’s. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and wearing a sorority jacket.

“According to the information my boss gave me, you were there when it happened. I won’t ask you about what you saw, but about the kid himself. Are you ok with that?”

“Y-yes sir.”

“What was he like?”

“He was very quiet, and creepy! He would just… stare at me.”

“Are you sure that’s all he did? He never asked you out?”

“Well… there was this one time in the hall when he asked me to dinner, but I already had plans that night.” She hung her head down.

Robert smiled. He heard this story plenty of times.

“Even if you didn’t have plans, would you have said yes?”

“T-that doesn’t matter to the case!” Her blue eyes were flushed with tears.

“It does. I’m going to be blunt with you. His issue was entitlement, and yours was lack of sensitivity.”

The young lady began to bawl.

“H-he killed all of my friends.”

Robert stood up from his desk and hugged her. Her hot tears soaked into his peacoat.

“It’s ok. We always learn the importance of kindness when it’s too late.”

Robert came home to a note on the chair.

“Dear Robert,

Thank you for letting me spend the night at your place. I’ve decided to go back to California and stay with mom and pop. At least until I get myself together. Don’t forget to call!

Your dear friend,

Cowen.”

The plane ride from Vegas to San Francisco was quick. Cowen got to the airport and immediately called his parents. When they saw Cowen they were baffled.

“Cowen, what the hell happened to you?” His father said.

“Oh leave him alone! He’s clearly been through a lot Johnny.”

Johnny was old, but in surprisingly good shape. He always stood proud and tall and was an athlete his whole life. His blue eyes radiated masculine energy.

“Quiet Sheela! Go to the car.”

Sheela was equally as old. She had much more grey hair and her green eyes danced with life. She kept the curves of her youth.

“See? I have a handle on my women. Something you were never able to have.”

“Dad, come on. I’ve been through enough-”

“Look at how quickly she obeyed. Your mother is a fine one.”

Cowen hung his head.

“My wife never listens.” Cowen muttered.

“You didn’t train her properly. Let’s go home. I’ll set you straight.”

Robert woke up in Mary’s bed. Mary was asleep and had a slight grin on her face. Robert went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. He saw the marks of Mary’s love on his neck and back. He took a cold shower then got into his car.

The office was abuzz. Teenagers coming in and out and employees frantically taking notes.

Robert knocked on his boss’s door then let himself in. His boss was at his desk hunched over a large stack of paper.

“Yes, Robert?”

“Anything you need me to do? I conducted the interview with the young lady yesterday.”

“You’re going to talk to the shooter’s family.”

Robert rose an eyebrow.

“Are you sure that’s wise for me to do?”

“Your lack of emotion will make it easy. Get on it.”

Robert knocked on the front door of a rather large house. A very thin old lady opened the door. Her eyes reminded Robert of a somber dog.

“Can I help you?”

“I’m a journalist and I’d like to talk about your son.”

She began to close the door.

“If you give me a chance to hear you, you give the public a chance to hear the truth.”

The old lady held the door slightly open for a few seconds then opened it all the way.

“Come in.”

Robert sat on a rather old couch surrounded by old vases and old books on elegantly designed bookshelves.

The old lady sat on a loveseat across from Robert.

“I assure you, my intentions are pure.” Robert said as he clicked his pen.

“Let’s begin, what did your son do when he was at home?”

“Nothing besides sit on his computer all day. He rarely went out, and when he did it was always because I forced him to.”

“Computer? What kind of things did he look up.”

“I don’t know.”

“How was his relationship with women?”

The old lady looked scowled at this question.

“Please. Give the people a chance to hear the truth.” Robert said.

“He loved women but they didn’t love him. They made him feel like he was too ugly, too unworthy of their attention. He never knew his father, so I had to teach him what I knew about love.”

“What did you teach him about love?”

“To avoid it at all costs. But he didn’t listen.”

Cowen sat at the dinner table staring at his food.

“It’s your first meal with us in years and you’re going to just stare at it?” Johnny said

“Sorry. Still a little tired from it all.”

“Blah. You’ll get over it. We’re going to the gym tomorrow. I’m going to send you back to Vegas a new man. Eat up, you’ll need your strength for tomorrow.”

Cowen ate his dinner then excused himself to his room. His room was left completely untouched. All of his comic books were still on the shelf. Posters still on the wall. He laid down on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He tried to think about the past but began to feel nauseous. Whenever he tried to think about Mary, he felt was a burning sensation on his left cheek. He began to hate her more and more, and the feeling in his left cheek began to run through his entire head. He felt uneasy about Robert. Robert was his best friend, but Robert always felt distant and indifferent to him. He tried not to think about it too much and get some sleep.

Robert sat alone at his desk and continued researching the killer.

“Robert, you can go home now. You did the interview and your shift ended an hour ago.” Robert’s boss said.

“This is one of the most interesting events I’ve ever reported on.”

“I thought this stuff bored you.”

“The shooting isn’t interesting; but the shooter is.”

His boss looked disgusted, but then realized that Robert has always been this way.

“Take the day off tomorrow, you look extremely tired.” Robert said.

“It’s nothing. Have a good night.”

Robert drove to Mary’s house. As he was about to knock on her door, he heard sensual noises coming from her house. He smiled then drove back to his house.

“Come on Cowen! When I was your age I could run much faster!”

Cowen was dripping sweat on a treadmill trembling under his own weight. Cowen imagined himself choking his wife with his muscular arms, and that motivated him to work harder.

“Stop! Head to the weights.”

Cowen almost fell over as he got off the treadmill. He got to the weights and began to lift.

“Are you going to let a woman boss you around again?”

Cowen could barely speak.

“Answer me!”

“N-no.” he muttered.

“If a woman ever puts her hands on you, you put her in place!”

After a couple of sets the two boys went home.

“Don’t get too comfortable. I brought you here to help me pack for camping tonight.”

Cowen’s eyes widened.

“Wipe that cowardly look off of your face. Start packing.”

Cowen couldn’t wait to pin his wife against the wall and have her beg for mercy as he used his muscular arms to set her straight.