First and Final Chapter
“Friday the 13th means nothing more or less than any other Friday – there’s not a Friday that I’ve ever lived through that made my week better or stood out as special against any other day of the week”.
“You’re just bitter, Joe. Go on, admit it. You’re a grumpy old man who’s lost interest in his job and can’t see the good in the world because you’ve blocked it out. Come to think of it – why did you decide to block out anything that makes a life worth living?
“Don’t start on me, you jumped-up rookie greenhorn”.
“Nah – I mean it Joe. There must have been a time in your life when the sun shone bright just for you, and just waking up in the morning reminded you how good it is was to be alive? I feel that sometimes Joe – like I’m alive and it’s a good thing and sometimes I even feel like we’re getting somewhere with the things we do. You know – good things. Things that make you stand a little taller, and walk a little straighter with your shoulders square and your eyes sparkling. I’ve felt that Joe, and you know what?”
“Nope, I don’t know what and I ain’t interested in your sparkly big-eyed interpretation of pretty much anything”.
“It’s the point of it all, Joe. The point of it all. If there ain’t no point then what are we slaving away in this dump for anyway? I’ve got a reason – Molly, and our little girl that we’ll have once she pops. That’s a lot to live for Joe. I can put up with what we do because I’m helping to make things better. And you’ve got to admit that there’s an awful lot around here that could be made better.”
“Just kick that door in.”
“No – you kick the door in. You know I’ve hurt my knee and kicking a door in isn’t going to make it any better.”
“So it’s a sparkly world that needs a bit of cleaning up but you’re already telling me that you’re not going to do this or that just because you’ve got a bit of hurt. Grow up kid. There’s a lot of hurt in this part of the world. So much hurt that the only way you’re gonna get anywhere is to block yourself away from the hurt and the dirt and the smell and just do what you gotta do to get things done. Now kick the fucking door in.”
“Ow. Shit, you’ve gone and made me swear now. And my toe’s probably broken. Why are we going in here anyway? What’s this door got behind it that the one across the road doesn’t?”
“It’s just a fucking door, right? Kick it in and all the fucking doors of opportunity will open wide for your poor miserable fucking soul you shithead. Move. Get out of the way.”
“No need to get all snarly Joe. Shit Joe – who’s that there? Molly? No – fuck, no Joe. You can’t! No Joe. Fuck, please Joe. Don’t do it. Please Joe, no."
"No.”
