Everyone just went about their business and the man continued to read his flaming paper, though by now it was just a mass of smoldering black embers burning in his hands.
I couldn’t understand… I looked out the window then back to the man in front of me. The newspaper was nothing but grey ashes floating in the air and now his hair was on fire! I listened to it sizzle and pop and burn. The stench was overwhelming… But still he just sat there looking straight ahead like nothing was happening.
People sat in their seats talking naturally, casually, calmly looking out the windows. Meanwhile the bus was getting hotter and hotter and hotter.. I had to get out. I stood up…
I reached up and pulled the cord. It fell off right in my hand… Burned in two.
I walked quickly down the aisle to the door. I could smell burning flesh and hair. Droplets of sweat drenched my body. As the bus pulled up to the next stop, I pushed the exit button and glanced across the aisle. A chubby young woman with long dark hair noticed me looking and winked… Then her hair burst into flames! She started laughing. She kept staring at me as the door hissed open… I could feel her eyes burning after me as I staggered out onto the wet pavement.
I stood there and breathed and l watched the bus roll off. I could still hear her awful laughter rolling away with it… I stood watching the bus until it turned a corner and disappeared.
Then I felt the first drop. I looked up and saw the rain suddenly coming down over my bare head… I looked around. It was suddenly dark as night and the streets were deserted. The pavement was slick with rain and it reflected a beautiful shimmering greenish blue light… A neon sign blinking steadily on and off halfway down the block.
I pulled my thin wet jacket up around my neck and walked down to where the sign was. It said BAR.
I pulled the big wooden door open and stepped inside.
There were about fifteen men sitting around at different tables in sweaty undershirts and short sleeves. I sat down at the bar and ordered a double bourbon. As the bartender made out my change, he looked up.
“Hot enough for ya?” he said.
I ignored him and sipped at my drink and he walked off down the bar, polishing a glass.
There were two men sitting at the other end of the bar drinking beer. I watched them distactedly. One man turned to the other with a cigarette in his hand.
“Got a light?” he said.
“Sure,” the other man said.
I watched as he reached into a briefcase sitting on an empty bar stool beside him. He pulled out a huge blowtorch and aimed it at the other man’s head and turned it on full force. There was a big whooooosh as flame consumed the other man’s head.
I looked down and drained my glass. I heard what was left of the man with the cigarette say “thanks, pal.”
I bolted for the door and ran off down the street into the rainy world.
Copyright Jonathan Shaw 2009
HA!
Beautiful expression of seemingly opposite natures…