RICHIE

The midnight text about Richie’s crime spree –

four bombs set off at different San Diego Chase ATMs,

hostages held in a branch office – had to be a nightmare.

I roll over, desperate to swim back to sleep

but my keen-eared bassets, not liking

unexpected mid-slumber disturbances –

have entirely different activities in mind.

A muffled groan from my semi-dozing mate

signals her annoyance as I shuffle across

a wooden floor to let the dogs out to scare 

still sleeping quail by honoring their own

ancestors with guttural howls at the full moon –

the neighbors are not amused.

Joe, my insomniac best friend from high school,

had sent the text to me – with a CNN attachment- –

completely forgetting we live three time zones apart.

We three were the biggest nerds

in home room – so forming a cabal

for camaraderie – and protection – made sense.

Richie was brilliant – didn’t matter what

subject – he was a genius – multi-lingual,

math and science whiz kid – eidetic memory –

idealistic – he was the real deal.

Full-blown scholarships to Stanford, Loyola,

De Paul and Princeton – PhD. in computer science

with a Harvard law degree when he became bored …

what a waste this will be … it can’t be true … it can’t

A life that inspired my awe … admiration … jealousy –

quiet, unassuming, witty and laser-brained – Richie –

his life was perfect – until it wasn’t.

Clicking through the attachment sent my phone

I wonder why it is we lose track of people –

friends who were around as we all began

to become who we would eventually be … later….

but what about Richie? … How does anyone that

smart, successful and sensitive get so bent?

A disembodied voice from the other side of the bed

asks, none too gently, Are you through 

playing with your phone? –

the emitted blue light is disturbing her –

I’m not, so I exit the bed 

heading for the kitchen to call Joe.

What the hell happened? A sociologist from USC

Joe knows a lot of people in S.D. and L.A.

they tell him Richie just plain lost it – big time.

Joe tells me that after years 

of doing business with and for Chase

they turned down financing a plan

Richie had to convert abandoned 

buildings to housing for the homeless – 

he felt it would create jobs, add to the tax rolls

and get people off the street – it was altruistic –

Chase wasn’t – 

they told him, point blank,

there was no profit in it for them –

this, after saving them tens of millions in taxes.

He decided to put a dent 

in their profit margin – hostages were just 

collateral problems – 

unfortunate and unforeseen.

We finish talking after a while – swapping

lies -checking up on each other’s life …

sliding back into bed, a soft, tired voice asks,

How’s Joe? – this woman knows me too well –

or does she? Does anyone know what anyone

else can do when they get to that point –

that point screaming – “Enough bullshit…Enough!!!”

Drifting back to sleep I hope

Richie finds a way to get out alive …

I also hope there’s enough milk

for waffles in the morning.

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N.T. Chambers has a background that covers a broad spectrum. A former editor, educator and professional counselor, recent works, which relate to the emotions and experiences intrinsic to human nature, have been published in over 50 different venues, in more than forty venues. Among them are the following: The Banyan Review, Mantis, Flint Hills Review, Red Coyote, Salmon Creek Journal, Share Literary Journal, Bright Flash Literary Review, Quibble, Blaze Vox 23, Emerald Coast Writers, Orchards Poetry Journal, Cool Beans, Black Coffee Review, Academy of the Heart and Mind, Grassroots, Book Ends Review, SBLAAM, Journal of Expressive Writing, The Madison Revue, Havik, Libre, The Mid-Atlantic Revue, Harrow House, Micro Romance Journal, Wayfarer Magazine, Laurel Review, Fourth River, Hive Avenue Literary Journal, Flora Magazine, Panorama Journal of Place, Time and Nature, The Madison Review and the Kennings Artistic and Literary Journal.