Call Me Methuselah by R.G. Hendrickson

Author:R.G. Hendrickson [Hendrickson, R.G.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: JMS Books LLC
Published: 2021-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Oscar lounged on the couch in his new furnished apartment, simple but comfortable. The laptop sat on the coffee table at a perfect height for typing. He liked it here, but the noise from the next unit bothered him, TV sounds audible just enough to distract.

Footsteps outside followed a shadow across the drapes, which he’d closed because of all the passersby. Fine for now, later he might find something quieter and reclusive. No rush, Karen would help him look.

His phone beeped, a text from her. Radhi called and wondered why he hadn’t heard from you. Here’s his number again if you need it, 702-555-0134

Oscar welcomed some interest from a prospective double. Friendliness helped to broach the difficult topic of sharing identity. Oscar avoided nervous or unpleasant candidates.

Radhi, on the other hand, seemed a little too eager. He couldn’t have known yet about the offer, so his interest must have related to something else. Oscar wondered what it was, maybe simple curiosity. People tended to fascinate on their look-alikes.

Not such a big deal, really, most human faces looked quite a bit alike to begin with, even if not identical. He’d learned from living long enough doppelgangers often occurred, except people seldom found theirs. He had on occasion, but probably only because he’d searched much longer than most.

An interesting article came to mind that he’d read recently. Because people looked so much alike, the brain became particularly good at discerning faces. Humans identified each other this way, while other animals relied on scent or sound. In fact, the temporal lobe recognized faces so well, people sometimes saw them where they weren’t, like Jesus on toast.

Oscar didn’t want to presume, but if Radhi’s interest in him were romantic or sexual, that wouldn’t do. That type of thing had certainly never happened with Mr. Flowers, for good reason. Number one, neither Oscar nor Mr. Flowers had any interest in each other that way, and two, in Oscar’s experience, business didn’t mix well with pleasure.

True, handsome Radhi gave Oscar a warm feeling all over, at least from the picture. Oscar surprised himself with that reaction. He’d thought he put those feelings behind him, ever since Jack. Now young Radhi rekindled them. So very young in every way, though a contemporary by appearance, not really, what would they ever talk about?

More to Oscar’s taste, Jack appeared older than him when they met. Still, he struggled with communication. Jack probably never really understood Methuselah. How could he?

Maybe worth a try, he should talk to Radhi sooner than later, before Dr. Killington turned up in the States. Oscar decided to stick to business and see how it went. He dialed Radhi’s number.

It rang, no answer. Voicemail kicked in. He didn’t leave a message and hung up. He could try again later and didn’t expect a return call, since his number was private. Miguel had assured him it wouldn’t show up in caller ID.

His phone rang. It was Radhi’s number. Oscar touched the screen. “Hello?”

“Is this Oscar?”

“Yes.”

“It’s Radhi. I missed your call.

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