27 Jun Chapter 7: Mix (Unedited)

The warmer weather caused for fewer layers, so Jay was out for a brisk jog, trying to shed a few pounds from the winter’s appetite.

He was jogging down an urban street, lined from left to right with healthy trees, when he notices Littea on the opposite sidewalk, walking with her head down and with her earphones in.

Jay crosses the street and taps Littea on the shoulder, a bit startled she stops, turns to him and takes off her earphones.

Jay says, “Hey… it looks like you finished your tattoo, that’s pretty cool. It’s a full filament light bulb now, huh? It looks nice.”

With little emotion and extreme lethargy, Littea looks off to the distance while saying, “Yeah. I’m thinking about getting it removed.”

Jay with some sincerity and interest, “Why?”

Littea snaps back, “Why do you care?” She then pulls her phone out and walks over to a nearby bench. Jay, sensing that she was probably offended by something walks over and sits next to her.

Jay looks around for something to say, “I wrote you something – want to read it? If it makes you laugh… are we cool again?”

She presses a button on her phone to call a Taxi, puts her phone in her pocket, crosses her legs and with a tone like she is trying to force herself to cry says, “I guess you’ve got five minutes.” Then leans back and puts both hands in her jacket pockets.

Jay pulls out his pen and a few pieces of paper. She looks at him and says with a straight to the point tone, “I thought you wrote it already?”

Jay looks at her, laughs and says, “I did.” She rolls her eyes and Jay can’t help but notice how similar her mannerisms are to that of Jane’s. But, he begins to write:

Littea,

First and foremost I wanted to apologize if I had offended you and I wanted to say thank you for making that introduction for me. You didn’t have to do that.

You also didn’t have to motor Botin to try and help my career. I will say that this is very odd… probably the oddest friendship, or companionship, or whatever it’s called, that I ever been through.

But anyways, thanks for looking out.

Sincerely,
Jay

He hands the note to Littea, who pretends to reluctantly read it. After a few seconds of reading it, she breaks into a heavy-laughter, but she realizes she is laughing and causes herself to get serious.

She stops reading for a moment and then she quickly says, “Don’t worry. I didn’t do anything like that. Just a guy I met and thought he could help you.” and continues reading. A few moments later her taxi pulls up next to them.

She gets up, walks to the car and with a half-joking, half-serious tone looks back at him and says, “been through? What is that supposed to mean? I’m not a ‘been through’ type of woman. “ She winks at him and then gets into the car and it drives away.

Jay decides to keep sitting on the bench and use the tranquil setting to get some writing done:

Observation:

The universe is so vast. Sitting here, on Earth, looking up at the Moon, in that space, within that universe, it looks so small. But up there, its importance is so large.

Something we perceive as so ambiguous controls the tide, the water, the 75% of the world’s landscape. Without it… there’d be nothing, really at all. So the Sun and the Moon, in tangent, explain that the universe can’t be random.

I suppose this observation is meant to be simple, like the moon, the sun, the stars and all other intricacies, perhaps even mysteries occupying the universe – the weight is heavier than what is just perceived.

After he finishes writing he hears a man walk up to him and say, “Hey brother, what you working on over there?”

Jay responds, “Oh, just some notes, some observations – ideas I have. I’m a writer, actually working on a book right now… and I like to take little notes, things like that, that I can maybe write about later on. You know?”

The man responds, “I can dig it, man. Let me take a look at it.” Jay hands the man his paper to read. The man spends several minutes reading it without saying anything, “This is some deep stuff man, even if it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. It’s got something to it…”

Jay intervenes, “Yeah.. I just try to write things the way they are read, you know? Like… there’s a difference between reading and reading. Some things that one may read, you kind of read it with your own perception, but then there are some things you read that you, sort of, read with an altered perception. The latter is what I try and achieve.”

The man takes a few moments before he responds, “I see what you’re saying, but, like what you said about reading, well things that are read should also sound good too – know what I’m saying? What’s written on paper and read, should also sound as good when read out. Dig it?”

Jay ponders for a second, “Yeah… I think so.”

The man tries to clarify, “Written down or written out. Either way, it should have some theatrics, some flow. For example,” the man steps back as if he’s just changed his entire character,

“It’s all about characters…
They call me 2 witty,
Because I’ve always got at least two women with me,
But, if she calls me without make-up on,
I’m like 2 busy,
But, you know I still call her up late night,
When the liquors got me like I’m 2 dizzy-

Something like that – got to have a little bounce.”

Jay gives off a subtle laugh, “I like that. Makes a lot of sense actually. I appreciate the advice – you said your name is 2 witty?”

He responds, “That’s just what I like to be called and what people know me as – so I just stick with it.”

Jay looks at his watch, “Well 2, I’m supposed to head to my woman’s place, she’s cooking lunch – which she never does so I’m trying to take advantage of that. Want to roll with me? I’ll show you some of my other work.”

2 nods his head and says, “Yeah – I’m down. Does she cook good?”

They take a taxi back to Jay and Jane’s place and walk inside.

Jay yells out, “Jane – I’m home.” There is no response. Jay yells out again, “Hey woman – I’m home.” They both hear a sudden burst of laughter, “I’m in the kitchen”, Jane yells out.

Jay and 2 walk into the kitchen and Jay begins the introduction, “Jane – I want you to meet my new brother 2 witty, he’s a writer too and he’s got an interesting way of combining words… it’s cool.”

Jane cleans off her hands on her apron and walks over to shake 2’s hand, “Hi 2 witty, it’s a pleasure to meet you. So you’re a writer too? What do you write about?”

2 responds, “Everything really. I mean, wherever the flow goes and the flow goes wherever I’ve been or haven’t been, mentally or spiritually. It’s mostly stories though.”

Jane has a good way of sounding inviting, “That does sound interesting. Do you have anything I can read?”

2 looks around and takes a whiff of the food being cooked, “Smells good in here. What are you making? Well, I don’t really write anything down, so I don’t have anything to give you, but I could say something – if you want.”

Jane looks a little confused, “Let’s hear it then!”

2, again, steps back and appears to morph into another character,

“I treat my woman like a trick,
when I’m treating my boo,
And if she get wet,
it better be like a warm tub too,
that I come into, like four times,
all rawhide, no rubber duck, ununiformed too.”

Jane, on the verge of laughter, “I like that, actually, a lot. It’s clever.”

2 responds, “Thanks Jane. I Just have fun telling stories through words rhyming – it’s fun. The more time I spend in my conscious the more substance, that’s the truth.”

Jane says firmly, “I can tell.”

2 looks over at Jay, “Why don’t you give it a try, Jay.”
Jay nods his head, closes his eyes for a second, “I tell my witch like this…” He opens his eyes and turns to Jane who is standing there with a big smile, her hands crossed and a raised eyebrow.

Jay continues,

“ I tell my witch like this,
it is what it is, and what it is,
is that she ain’t nothing more to me than,
lips, tits, make me a sandwich,
meet on the mattress, then do the dishes,
in that order,
like it’s my Christmas wish list”

Jane starts laughing, “Really?”

All three of them start laughing and carry out a few more minutes of conversational intellect.

Jane then interjects, “So… should we eat?” They all sit down and enjoy a meal together; Jane had made some sort of stew. Jay showed 2 more of his work and they exchanged random bits of advice.

After about an hour or so, 2 notices his phone ringing, stands up and says, “Well, it was a pleasure meeting you Jane. And thank you for the delicious food. Jay, it was also a pleasure meeting you my brother, keep doing what you’re doing. I’ve got to step out now, but I’m sure we’ll run into each other again soon.”

Jay and Jane in almost unison, “Stop by any time.”