The Activists: A Novel by Link Rainer

Author:Link, Rainer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: River Grove Books
Published: 2020-07-07T00:00:00+00:00

20

MALE BONDING AS THE BIG GUY APPEARS

The Kids previously found an empty farmhouse at the edge of town, and they head there to get some relief. Later, in the evening, they intend to go to an event in town they heard about. Just like at home, each of them crawls into a corner of the abandoned living room to be alone. Izzy writes; Zoom takes out her sketch pad; Roxy makes plans; Fritz studies opening moves on his magnetic chessboard, his reliable travel companion. Alone and with silence the mind can rejuvenate.

Roxy is rejuvenated first and starts a conversation. “Hey, what do you guys think about this place?”

While scorn is normally not her style, Izzy blurts out, “Well, for one thing, we’ll be the only ones thinking in this town.”

Here comes Zoom. “But you know, the feeling I got in that church is that humans are like herd animals. We flock together, dress alike, think alike, act alike. Not just here, maybe everywhere. We are different than these people, but you know, maybe back home we, too, are part of a herd.”

“You really think that? We are alike like these people are alike?”

“Yeah. I think that’s possible.”

Fritz jumps in and calls the people pawns. He says, “They look alike and act alike. These dudes are carrying a lot of excess weight around. Notice how everyone moves slowly, like pawns with magnets attached to their feet on a magnetic chessboard. If I lived here, I’d be a knight or a bishop dashing around.”

Izzy adds, “Maybe all the knights and bishops left town, maybe that’s why there are so many empty houses.”

“Yeah,” goes Roxy. “I’d escape also. Leave everything behind, just get outta here.”

Back to Izzy. “Talking about the church, though. There doesn’t seem much to do here, yet there is a lot going on in church. I think they go to church for fun. Sure, I bet they watch a lot of TV, but the church thingy is live theater. There’s a stage with different performers. And what do they do? They entertain.”

“Yeah, maybe. The preacher was cool, and the Jesus thing, man, that was dramatic. The only thing missing were some trumpets.”

It’s early evening and the Kids want to make sure they don’t miss the next event. A crowd is already forming down the road in front of a bar. Of course, the bar has a neon sign, “Jesus Saves.” Underneath that is also a neon sign that blinks on and off showing a dancing couple, he with a cowboy hat, she with curves. On the other end of the building is a neon image of a cocktail glass.

The crowd consists of men, mostly in their twenties and thirties, but some are older, and they’re all in a good mood. Many of the guys wear camouflage, the military uniform for human ants that bond. Maybe once they read the poem Izzy wrote they will condemn the camo clothing to cleaning rags, but don’t bet on it.

Drinking outside the bar is

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