Chapter 56: Chapter 56: The Old Man Who Ran

Theo who was moving looked at his landfill as if he was abandoning it. The Corporate group who wanted to own his landfill didn’t waste time in acquiring control of the place.

“I don’t think you should look like this, Theo.”

“Why not? I get to sell my land and my baby. I am saddened by this.”

“Your face has a ‘finally I’m out of this shithole’ look instead of anything sad, Theo,” Robert commented.

“Bullshit. I have a good heart, but it can’t be helped that some of them are getting kicked out.”

“Is that why you want me to hold a shotgun while they are escorted out? At this point you look like you want to look and laugh at them, Theo.”

“Busted. Okay, I just want to see these junkies being kicked on the ass. But the corp might just turn them into wage slaves to watch the landfill. They already know the damn place so might as well pay them and have something. Doubt these fucks would bother to dip into this landfill. They are working in a corporation because they don’t want to swim in trash and shit. But a cleaning company might come.”

“Spoken like a master of capitalism.”

“What? Are you going to lecture me about the morals of it? I own the place. My father and my father’s father who inherited this from my great grandfather’s mother owned this. We fought for this. People scold the rich because they know how to play the game, and fail to see their inability to examine the fault within themselves.”

“Preachy even for you.”

“Cause want equality when in truth they want equity. Equality doesn’t work when one has a prior advantage. Sameness and fairness can be troublesome to deal with. You want to be rich? Work hard for it like my Pa said.”

“Says the guy who owned a landfill.”

“Like I said. I worked hard to keep it. Did well enough that my ass can now retire finally. Folk who speak that crap tend to pummel all the efforts I made because I had a better starting line. Like I’m disqualified immediately. Fuck them for belittling that. Just because you didn’t have the advantage, doesn’t give you the right to scorn me for having the privilege. It’s like they forget that this privilege was earned.”

“Didn’t mean to poke a nerve.”

“Well, you did. I can’t take that shit lying down. Besides, it’s not everyday that a delivery fucken boy says that shit to me.”

“I haven’t heard your auto-injector pumping your blood pressure down.”

“Fuck off, Robert.”

Theo checked his luggage and then nodded.

Robert shouldered the shotgun and then climbed on the back of the truck while caressing his chin.

“Had a dream of retiring once. Do this big job that will land me enough cash to buy a cottage in a safe city and spend my natural days watching a great view.”

Theo snorted, “Great dream. I’ll make sure to send some pics to rub it on your face and pour salt on wounds.”

“I’d just block you anyway.”

“Fair point.”

Theo took something out of his pocket and lit up. It was an ancient cigar that was wrapped in this plastic.

“You know. I once told myself this. “Theo, once you get enough money. You will save goodbye to this shithole and then smoke your last cigar. You will look at the corpo fucks that will buy your landfill and then sneer at the junkies, hobos, and squatters that have been pestering you and savor their fucking defeat as you fuck them over and make them realize that you were only holding back. That they should have been nicer to the old man that tolerated their existence”. Does that make sense?”

“Good lord, you are vengeful.”

Theo laughed heartily, “They deserved it. Maybe if they were nicer, they’d be getting less shit from me. I could have put a good word on them or give them a fucking place to stay. Think about it. I gave you a fucking apartment that you only needed to pay the utility bills and even recommended you to Pei. Do you know why?”

“Kindness of your heart?”

“Ew. Never say that shit to me. I did it cause you were useful. You did good and had the right timing. You saved my skin as well. That’s enough to give you gratitude. I don’t take that lightly.”

“So if they were nicer and had nice timing. You might have done something?’

“Yeah. I might have cared more for them.”

Theo suddenly became melancholic. His face was full of regret. Like he was looking at some distant past.

“Hmm… back when I was in my mid-twenties. My Ma was a kind of person that can be really weak. The kind that brings people down because of how she speaks and how she acts. I hated it when she did that. But I couldn’t leave until they gave me something. I was hoping to take this landfill so I had to endure. Listen to her constantly in pain. I hated listening to it. It hurt. It really hurt, but at the same time I was angry. Angry at my inaction. Angry at how I choose to be afraid of helping her.  Still could remember my Pa’s patient. How the bastard could endure all that. She was my mother. I loved her, but I became angry, and upset that I wanted nothing more than a peace of mind. I wanted to become independent, but lacked the ability to do so. No, if anything I was just acting like a coward. A retard that was afraid to take a step out of his damn bubble.”

“Hard to believe that. Can’t connect that man to you right now.”

“Is it? After one soul-crushing despair. I kept on moving. But as you can see I’m a lonely fucker who in the end ran a landfill. Got this far because I didn’t want to deal with that anguish.”

“So you fuck off away from your family?”

“I did. My little brother even tried to strangle me with his augments. Smashed my face with a chair and had me bleeding. Had the option to sue him, but didn’t do it. Not because I was some guilty asshole. But because he was family… despite it all. Shit, I think I respected him for being more helpful than my landfill-taking ass.”

Robert couldn’t process it immediately.

“That’s a lot to unpack.”

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“Not trying to be pitied or anything. Just thought of telling you about it. I want someone to hear before I just mull myself to death in my cabin and spend the last of my days thinking about it.”

“I don’t know what to say, old man. You really one lonely fuck.”

“I get that a lot. But I can see that you aren’t a socialite either. I can’t get a bead on you, Robert. I get a feeling that if I asked. I’d be dragged down. My cowardly self is telling me to never hear you out.”

“One hell of a sense there.”

“It allowed me to retire… in this day and age.”

“Can’t argue with that.”

“Robert. You got one hell of a storm brewing in you. The kind of storm that you’d want to scream your lungs out. The kind that gives your stomach one hell of an ache. It’s a demon never leaving you. That make sense?”

“I heard that there’s a drug for being senile now.”

“Fuck you too.”

Theo enjoyed his cigar while smiling at the folk being escorted out of the landfill. It took minutes for the goddamn cigar to run out.

“I had enough taking in their misery.”

He threw butt on the floor. Robert climbed on the driver’s seat and waited for Theo to come inside. He drove out of the landfill while ignoring the corporate crew coming in.

“What about the truck? Selling it for a price?”

“I am. Going to sell it to Pei for some strap of cash. I think he told you to deliver it to him.”

“Aww, I thought you’d give it to me too.”

“I ain’t that generous, fucker.”

The car passed through a crossroad. It was morning and yet there was barely sun because of the steel and glass towers blocking the sunlight. The glare was so horrible that Robert had to filter it.

“One thing for sure. I’m not going to miss this shithole.”

“It’s not so bad. You can find decent folk around.”

“You can, no doubt about that. Still, one way or another this city creeps up on your ass. Makes you miserable. My advice is to be content with your lot and never step beyond the lot. It might sound pathetic, but trying to be something in this city means you fight the other retards trying to be special. This city, and Coronado is a nightmare. Even Neo-Tortuga isn’t as bad as this shithole from what I hear.”

Theo leaned on the seat. His eyes half-opened. If anything, Robert found some hesitation from the man. Like he didn’t want to leave.

“Too late to go back on this deal. Doubt those folk would just show a smile and let you have it all back.”

“I ain’t that young. As usual, this old man’s afraid of leaving his safe place.”

Robert arrived at the airport before Theo’s flight. In the background was the loud jet–turbines and the collection of voices from all kinds of folk. He leaned on the side of the car and pocketed his hands.

“Theo. I appreciate the help. Finding some asshole in his landfill and instead of putting a bullet on his head. You decided to give him a chance. I don’t care if it’s a whim or not. Don’t really want to hear the reasoning, but thank you for lifting me up. I don’t know a lot about you, but I can guarantee that you’re one of the best people I have ever met.”

“Only one of the best?”

“Yeah. Can’t give you the top, mate.”

“Fuck it, I can deal with that.”

“Really. Thank you for giving a lot to a stranger.”

“Now you’re being sappy. Told you that I didn’t do that shit because I have some heart of gold or something. You know what/ Let’s just go that I did it out of a whim. Makes this shit easier and I don’t have to remember you other than the asshole that came out of nowhere and helped me around the time I retired. Like a good deed before I rot myself in that place.”

“Guess this is the last time I’ll be hearing from you.”

“Hopefully. No offense mate, but I don’t plan on meeting old and new folk once I get there. I want to spend time in silence. Get that reward. It might be miserable to you, but to me it’s the end that I was craving for my whole life. Folk have a lot of dreams about how they want to die, and mine might be lonely and miserable, but it’s the choice I made. We gotta have different opinions in regards to how we should face the last days of your life and I intend to spend it alone and in peace. I got enough of the noise of the world. Right now, let’s just say that I’m running away.”

Robert nodded. He held his hand out and shook Theo’s prosthetic hand, “Happy retirement, Theo. I hope that you get to spend that quiet time you always wanted.”

“Oh I will, stranger. I will.”

Theo took his things and started walking to the entrance of the airport until he got out of Robert’s line of sight.

Robert just stared at the entrance.

In a way, he admired Theo for how he did things. It was a fortune to meet someone who knew what he wanted. To others he was a defeatist, a man who couldn’t shine bright, but to Robert he was a man who got to enjoy his wish and reached the dream that was hard to accomplish in this kind of era.

In a way, Robert  was so envious of Old Theo for being able to do that.

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