Dead Voices by F. G. Paci

Author:F. G. Paci [Paci, F. G.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781771833196
Publisher: Guernica Editions
Published: 2019-06-15T04:00:00+00:00

Johnny Reno Does Manhattan

After deplaning at the Newark airport with his backpack and walking stick, Johnny headed straight for the monorail which took him to the Amtrak station. From there it was a short ride into Penn Station where he bought a Metropass for his stay in New York in the middle of October. He was operating on a tight budget, after all, which had forced him to book a room at a derelict hotel in lower Midtown.

Not one person recognized him on the subway. He could’ve been totally invisible. These days, he well knew, one had to be on American TV or in the movies or hit it big in the music industry to achieve world-wide celebrity-status. Though he had been on the air for years, it was only a small renovation show on the Home Network in Canada, a show which had a miniscule rating in an already overloaded market. Plus, he had been syndicated in a few Canadian newspapers. But who in the States watched Canadian TV, let alone read Canadian newspapers? Who in the States knew about Canada period?

Yes, he was an unknown quantity in the biggest English-speaking market in the world, and he’d have to do something about that.

As Johnny regarded the other passengers, he ran his fingers over the intricate patterns he had made himself on his walking stick. It was rough and coarse, with no handle, a solid rod of maple that had a delicious resin-y odour and could be used for more than one function.

There was something to be said for anonymity, nay, even invisibility. He could go anywhere and not be hassled by autograph seekers, gawkers, and generally despicable media types who hounded the celebs beyond endurance. He didn’t have to put on his public face, could just be himself, and observe the world as any Joe Blow, which was all right with him, since he had to admit he didn’t exactly blend into the crowd.

He looked a little awkward, to say the least. Not exactly cutesy, let’s say, with his over-bite and preponderance of facial hair and whiskers. Nevertheless, he was wearing his colourful Hudson’s Bay jacket and a new pair of overalls, which gave him — he gathered, at least — the appearance of a hard-working and no-nonsense guy.

Johnny Reno, they called him, a name that was more than just an image. His show featured all types of renovations. They did structural carpentry, flooring, plumbing, and electrical wiring, repaired roofs and decks, installed skylights, windows and doors, along with dry-wall — in general did anything needed to improve the home, inside and outside. One time they had transformed an adjacent garage into a nursery room. His speciality, however, was wood.

He got off at 23rd and Eighth and walked the short distance to the Chelsea, where he quickly checked in. The place was old and run down. Casper had recommended it, saying a lot of famous people of the past had stayed here, including Mark Twain and Dylan Thomas and Popeye.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.