Chapter Nine
Jay decided not to call Aimee the day after her phone was unavailable. He would let it go. Immerse himself in his work. His usual routines. Get up, play flute, work, have lunch, work some more, play some more flute, listen to music, do his household chores, play some more flute, and then go to bed.
That was the plan, but she called him that night...
‘Hi’
‘Hello Aimee. I missed you.’
‘Me too. I’m sorry I didn’t ring you yesterday. Every Thursday I go and visit my parents in their residence. It’s on the other side of the city, so I didn’t get back until late. I would’ve rung you on my mobile vid-phone, but I didn’t like the idea of phoning you with other people around.’
‘I understand. I suppose you don’t want to hang around either. I mean, when you go out...’
‘Of course, you wouldn’t know...You really don’t know what it’s like, do you?’
‘Know what it’s like? What do you mean?’
‘I mean to leave. If it’s true that you haven’t been outside for five years, then you wouldn’t recognise the city anymore.’
‘I never did identify with it. Anyway, I can see what it’s like from the News Channel. It doesn’t seem like a place I need to know.’
‘Hah! There you have it! You don’t really believe those lies you see displayed on your TV channels, do you? You must know it’s all propoganda.’
‘Well, there must be some truth in it. I mean, those people and places exist.’
Aimee was staring at him now with an incredulous look.
‘I mean,’ Jay started, ‘of course, the Corporation has got it all tied up. That’s why I don’t watch TV that much. There’s so much self-promotion going on.’
‘It’s all lies Jay. You’d understand that if you stepped outside. There isn’t anything you’d see on the TV that shows you what’s really out there. And I’m not talking about outside the city. I’m just talking about inside our so-called “well-run machine of a city.” that the Corporation boasts about. Even I don’t know what goes on outside.’
‘I don’t know what you mean Aimee.’
‘I know you don’t. That’s what I find so incredible. You don’t know anything about the crime, the city guards’ brutality, or the people who disappear...’
‘Disappear? What do you mean?’
‘Yes, disappear. Haven’t you ever wondered what happens to the people whose credit runs out becasue they lose their job, so they can’t pay the rent or their vid screen bills, or even buy food to eat? Where do they end up?’
‘What do you mean? People lose their jobs? I’ve never heard of that happening. Credit running out? I thought the Corporation ran programmes to help the sick, for example.’
‘Yes, well that’s what they want you to believe, don’t they. They’re very good at eleaborating their lies. So many people like you accept them at face value. That’s how they can keep going. But I’m not sure it can go on like this for much longer.’
Now Jay didn’t know what to ask. There were lines of thought opening up here that were entirely new to him. And he wasn’t sure if he liked the place they would take them. Or if he even wanted to know the truth. Still, curiosity got the better of him.
‘What do you mean exactly, go on for much longer.’
Aimee sat back in her black plastic chair and kicked off her shoes. She yawned, and rubbed her eyes.
‘I’m sorry’ she said, ‘it’s been a long day.’
‘I should let you go. We’ve been talking a long while already. You...’
‘No,’ Aimee interrupted, ‘you should know about this, if of course, you want to.’
‘Go ahead’ Jay said, ‘Tell me all you know.’
633 words
6436 words
43564 words to write
19 days left to go
= 2292 words to write per day if I want to finish on time.
That was the plan, but she called him that night...
‘Hi’
‘Hello Aimee. I missed you.’
‘Me too. I’m sorry I didn’t ring you yesterday. Every Thursday I go and visit my parents in their residence. It’s on the other side of the city, so I didn’t get back until late. I would’ve rung you on my mobile vid-phone, but I didn’t like the idea of phoning you with other people around.’
‘I understand. I suppose you don’t want to hang around either. I mean, when you go out...’
‘Of course, you wouldn’t know...You really don’t know what it’s like, do you?’
‘Know what it’s like? What do you mean?’
‘I mean to leave. If it’s true that you haven’t been outside for five years, then you wouldn’t recognise the city anymore.’
‘I never did identify with it. Anyway, I can see what it’s like from the News Channel. It doesn’t seem like a place I need to know.’
‘Hah! There you have it! You don’t really believe those lies you see displayed on your TV channels, do you? You must know it’s all propoganda.’
‘Well, there must be some truth in it. I mean, those people and places exist.’
Aimee was staring at him now with an incredulous look.
‘I mean,’ Jay started, ‘of course, the Corporation has got it all tied up. That’s why I don’t watch TV that much. There’s so much self-promotion going on.’
‘It’s all lies Jay. You’d understand that if you stepped outside. There isn’t anything you’d see on the TV that shows you what’s really out there. And I’m not talking about outside the city. I’m just talking about inside our so-called “well-run machine of a city.” that the Corporation boasts about. Even I don’t know what goes on outside.’
‘I don’t know what you mean Aimee.’
‘I know you don’t. That’s what I find so incredible. You don’t know anything about the crime, the city guards’ brutality, or the people who disappear...’
‘Disappear? What do you mean?’
‘Yes, disappear. Haven’t you ever wondered what happens to the people whose credit runs out becasue they lose their job, so they can’t pay the rent or their vid screen bills, or even buy food to eat? Where do they end up?’
‘What do you mean? People lose their jobs? I’ve never heard of that happening. Credit running out? I thought the Corporation ran programmes to help the sick, for example.’
‘Yes, well that’s what they want you to believe, don’t they. They’re very good at eleaborating their lies. So many people like you accept them at face value. That’s how they can keep going. But I’m not sure it can go on like this for much longer.’
Now Jay didn’t know what to ask. There were lines of thought opening up here that were entirely new to him. And he wasn’t sure if he liked the place they would take them. Or if he even wanted to know the truth. Still, curiosity got the better of him.
‘What do you mean exactly, go on for much longer.’
Aimee sat back in her black plastic chair and kicked off her shoes. She yawned, and rubbed her eyes.
‘I’m sorry’ she said, ‘it’s been a long day.’
‘I should let you go. We’ve been talking a long while already. You...’
‘No,’ Aimee interrupted, ‘you should know about this, if of course, you want to.’
‘Go ahead’ Jay said, ‘Tell me all you know.’
633 words
6436 words
43564 words to write
19 days left to go
= 2292 words to write per day if I want to finish on time.
posted by blog-efl at 11.11.04
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