The Universe is a Very Big Place (13 page)

"Artist, my ass," he said when he discovered his job would be airbrushing off the wrinkles and veins of women who modeled in the penny saver ads. His artistic talents were being wasted. To compensate, he tried his hand at painting in his apartment at night. But everything he created was flat and uninspired. Not much better than his pictures of corn. What he needed, he decided, was a muse. But muses were few and far between in this oven city and he considered, not for the first time in the last seven days, going back to Samson.

"You could always look up Amy," Pete suggested helpfully on the phone. "I hear she’s single again. At least get laid while you are choking on the heat. Kind of like a souvenir."

"You do realize that’s your cousin?" John asked, too tired to even be disgusted.
 

Pete chuckled on the other end.

"Give it a few more weeks and see what happens. You were so sure about going. I’m sure whatever you are looking for is bound to pop up sooner or later."

John heaved an agreement into the receiver and went back to watching the cartoon network.
 

He had been certain at the time but maybe he had just been crazy.

Spring was summoned to Kimberly’s office the moment she arrived into work.
 

"Don’t hate me," Debbie said, handing her the neon pink post-it note. "...I’m just the messenger."
 

Spring entered the room and was relieved to see that Sarah was also there. Kimberly stood akimbo before her, like the warden of a POW camp.

"First things first," Kimberly said, never taking her eyes from Sarah. "Jane wants you to come up with an act to perform at the city centennial. Something lively and relevant. Maybe a dance."

"A dance?" Sarah’s thin knees clattered together. She looked at Spring for support.

"Kimberly," Spring said. "Sarah can hardly walk in that thing, let alone dance."

Kimberly gave Spring a wan smile and tapped her chin. "I’m thinking..." She paused. "...Fred and Ginger."

"Fine. We’ll figure it out. Can we go now?"
 

Sarah looked paler than usual. Spring touched her arm and noted that it was warm.

"Not yet. These promotional videos need to be delivered to all the VIPs in Phoenix. Today." Kimberly picked up a stack of DVDs from her desk and divided them between Spring and Sarah.

"VIPS?" Spring held up a DVD. On the cover was a cartoon depiction of Casey in a ten-gallon hat. In rodeo scroll were the words
Cover It Up or Cut It Out, Cowboy.

"Business owners. CEOs. The Mayor."

Spring tried again, hoping Kimberly had a pragmatic side. "Can’t we mail them? It will be cheaper in stamps than in gas."

"Jane believes that personally delivering them will help establish a bond with the community. Going as Casey is a good political move."

"As Casey?" Sarah’s eyes widened with disbelief.

"She doesn’t look like she’s feeling good." Spring said, looking at her friend. "Maybe it’s not a good idea to put her in the costume today."

Kimberly surveyed the woman. "If she is healthy enough to eat that entire box of donuts I saw her inhaling earlier, she’s healthy enough to do her job." Kimberly pointed towards the door indicating that the discussion was over.

Though it was only May, the heat was unforgiving. Sarah panted as they carried Casey out to the car. “I don’t think I can do this today,” Sarah moaned. “I’m not sure what’s wrong but I haven’t been feeling good all morning. My stomach hurts and I’m peeing so much I should be wearing diapers."

"Maybe you should use a sick day and go home," Spring suggested.

"I can’t! I’ve used all my sick days. And I wasn’t even sick."

Spring stood in the parking lot wondering what to do. Putting Sarah in that costume would be dangerous. "I could wear the costume," she said, swallowing.

"What?"

"I could wear the costume. You can drive your car and I can be Casey." Spring bit her lip before she could take back the offer.

"Thank you!" Sarah said, relief rolling over her face. "I would have puked if I had to put it on today. It stinks inside. Like kitty litter that hasn’t been scooped in a week."

Sarah’s car was small and Spring felt claustrophobic. Sitting in the passenger seat in full costume, she tried to breathe in as much air as she could. But each inhale only succeeded in shrink-wrapping the material tighter onto her body. Sarah flipped through a variety of channels from rap to country as she sped down the highway towards their first destination.

"Ever wonder about life?" Spring asked, trying to push out her words through what she guessed was the mouth hole.

"You think too much," said Sarah, lowering the volume on a country song Spring had heard many times before, but never knew the name of. "Thinking leads to expectations. Expectations lead to disappointment. Better not to think."

Outside the car she watched the metropolis whiz by. The city had grown a lot in the last few years. Smaller towns had melted together making it one massive landscape of adobe dwellings and superstructures. They were on their way to their first location, a private gym that Jane thought might play the videos while its patrons exercised.

"I hope this place has a bathroom. I need to pee again," Sarah said as she pulled into a long curved driveway surrounded by beautiful landscaping.
 
A large sign with fancy black lettering announced
Members Only
.

Spring laughed and shook her head. "I guess the Universe has a sense of humor."

"Yeah," Sarah said, nodding to a curious woman who walked by. "A very mean one."

Eleven

1984

Spring glanced nervously behind her, sure that she would see the disapproving stares of her parents. All alone. She let out a relieved breath. Time was short. Someone would soon notice that she was not manning her booth and her father would be scouring the fairgrounds looking for her. But she had to see it. Her first close look at a real school.

Spring pressed her face into the chain link fence that separated her from the buildings on the other side. She could hear children laughing, talking excitedly, being told to line up for lunch. "Pizza day," a woman said.
 
She could see artwork taped on the windows, testimony to the learning that occurred inside. She imagined the boys and girls with their crayons and glue sticks, making holiday decorations for their families. For their homes. It made her stomach swim.

A little girl ran out of the main building and towards a smaller one, but upon catching glimpse of Spring, changed direction and skipped towards her. Spring was about to run but her curiosity was far too great to leave.

"Hi," said the girl. She was wearing a purple jumpsuit and two ponytails secured by fluffy pink pompons.

"Hi," Spring said. "I like your jumpsuit." Spring reached through the fence to touch the material. It was soft and warm. Corduroy, like Daddy’s jacket. Spring wanted to climb the fence and play with the girl but she didn’t dare. Her mother was against public education.

"Thanks!" The girl beamed. "I like your dress too. All those flowers. Where did you get it?"

Spring paused. Lanie had made it. Lanie made most of her clothes. "At the mall. I had an Orange Julius, too." Spring had never been to the mall but had seen a few on the TV

The girl nodded. "Where do you live?"

Spring paused again. No one had ever asked her that question before and it made her nervous that she did not have an answer. She concentrated and thought for a moment. "In a castle on a hill. You can come there sometime if you want."

The girl laughed. "You’re funny." She reached through the fence and touched the ends of Spring’s hair. "I wish I had your hair."
 

Spring had heard that from some of Lanie’s friends but never from another little girl and it made her happy.
 

The girl said, "I gotta go now. I’m supposed to be getting a Band-Aid from the nurse’s office." She raised a leg and Spring winced at a small scrape on her knee. "Bye." The girl skipped off and Spring watched her disappear, pigtails flying behind her. She wished she could take her hand and go with her.

"What are you doing?" Spring jumped at the sound of her sister’s voice. "Daddy’s been looking everywhere for you. He says he’s gonna use the belt if you don’t get back to the booth. Show’s starting in a few minutes."

"Can’t you be the headless girl for a change?" Spring hated that job. It was a silly trick done with mirrors and nobody really believed it. She had to lie very still while people poked at her arms and tummy and tried to make her laugh or moan. Spring gave her sister her best pitiful look, hoping it would awaken something soft inside of her.

"No," said Chloe. "I’m too pretty to be headless."

Spring shoved her hands into her large pockets and followed, casting one last glance behind her at a school where a little girl with a purple jumpsuit was eating her lunch.

Spring returned home to see a familiar white van parked in her driveway. Jason leaned against it, snapping his fingers to the music of the Grateful Dead. Sam glared through the living room window and Spring thought if he concentrated any harder either the glass, or the vein in his right temple, would explode.