Continuous

Continuous

A fable by Lee Gerstmann

One:

In one neighborhood, there is not much to do. One can imagine attending a large party or meeting up with others to dance in a parking lot but the reality is altogether different. A man wanders down the street on any given day, looking at the sidewalk and the walls of apartment complexes, reminding himself today’s journey is nothing more than a way to make time pass as he takes each step. A woman walks towards him, a coincidence of geographic placement. They will pass each other and go their separate ways. However, she figures a quick hello will not hurt. She extends her hand, hoping he will shake it, making just enough of a difference on an otherwise typical morning.





Two:
They shake. Something new is happening. The air seems to be fresher, even if just a little bit. A connection is forming between them as they understand what they have in common regarding monotony. He is experiencing a moment more entertaining than counting how many blocks he has walked. He says, “I’m Lee.” She says, “I’m Jenni.” They look at each other, not saying any more for now. The day is still early and quiet and they feel satisfied with what has happened so far, without needing extras. There is always tomorrow to add another chapter. This has been a big step in itself, like getting out of bed before fully awake. As soon as they part company, they will have all day to think about what might happen next.





Three:
She keeps shaking his hand and he is not sure how he feels about the situation. She says, “I’m so glad you’re my friend.” He responds, “We just met each other but I guess you’re my friend.” He realizes there is not much to do in this town so maybe a handshake is a big deal but something seems strange about the way she continues going at it. However, he does not want to judge her so quickly. She could be momentarily euphoric and will come down from her high soon. She says, “This is wonderful. I’m now really happy.” He says, “I guess I can understand how you feel.” She says, “Of course you can. You’re my good friend. We know a lot about each other.” He senses she is getting carried away in a situation getting too awkward for his comfort.





Four:
She is still shaking his hand and apparently will not stop. He is getting caught in a situation becoming as continuous as his ordinary routine. Perhaps this town is about consistency and each action, regardless of what it is, goes on and on. However, he is afraid they will stay like this all day unless he chances appearing rude and yanks his hand away. He tries but she keeps holding on. Up and down their hands go as if the moment is frozen and nothing can interrupt. He asks, “Can we stop now?” She says, “But I’m your good friend. I want you to shake my hand.” He says, “You can’t hold on forever.” She says, “I like your hand. I want to keep it.”




Five:
Everything is getting complicated. He should have disregarded her initial greeting and kept on his safe course, continuing his day with no surprises. He says, “If I have given any wrong impressions, I apologize. I did not mean to make you think I had unlimited time to stay with you. I need to leave and I need you to let go of me.” She says, “No. That can’t happen. There’s no turning back. I like your hand. I need it.” He pleads, “I beg you to listen to reason. We can’t go on like this. We lead separate lives.” She says, “You’re the one who needs to listen. This is not temporary. This is continuous. I’m not going back to the way things were.”





Six:
He is tired of playing her game. If she needs a security blanket, he will not volunteer to be one. He attempts to escape but she is nervous and secures his hand with both of hers. She asks, “What are you doing? You’re making this difficult for me. Please stop.” He says, “As soon as we break contact, you’ll see how silly this has been.” She says, “Uh oh. I think you’re really trying to put an end to this. I can’t let you do it. I have nothing going on in this boring town. I finally have something and you’re not going to take it away from me.” He says, “You’re dealing with something imaginary.” She says, “I’m not imagining anything. As you can see, I’ve got you.”





Seven:
Their entanglement seems more purposeful the longer she holds on but he is reluctant to incorporate this experience in his regular environment. They have different lives and different addresses. His walking through town with her attached to him will cause problems. Purchasing items at stores and eating food at restaurants will be difficult. He asks, “Don’t you realize how crazy this whole plan is?” She says, “I’m not worried. You’re my good friend. We’ll get through this together.” He asks, “Why can’t you stick to one of your other friends?” She says, “You’re perfect. You should be happy.”




Eight:
He says, “I’ll be happy when I get loose from your trap.” He feels like he is a bee and she is a flower and this whole thing is meant to be a hard lesson. He should have been happy with the way things were instead of thinking he needed more. She is delighted with their union but this makes him more determined to break it off. As soon as he pries her other hand away, he will work on the hand holding his, like peeling layers of a predicament. As he struggles, she giggles and says, “This is fun. I am so glad we are working together as a team.”






Nine:
He cannot take this anymore. He says, “You’re driving me crazy! This is like being handcuffed! Release me now or I’ll scream!” She says, “We can go to the park. There’s always a breeze and the pigeons are nice to watch.” He yells, “Don’t talk about any damn pigeons! Someone is bound to walk by and see I’m in trouble and come to my rescue! You won’t be so quick to smile, then!” She says, “There’s a movie theater with cheap prices where we can watch something. I like comedies but I’m cool with adventures movies, too.” He screams, “Damn it! We’re not a couple!” She asks, “Do you like to ride the bus?”





Ten:
Somehow, and he is not sure why, her question strikes a chord. He purposefully avoids riding the bus unless in the case of emergency and he has occasionally voiced his opinion on public transportation to others. He says, “Well, in all honesty, I prefer to walk. Bus fares have gone up and there’s less time on the transfers so I don’t like to support being ripped off. Plus, there’s really nowhere to go in this town. The best thing to do is just walk around the neighborhoods.” She says, “I agree. There’s not much to do.” He is about to feel more at ease until she says, “I like your hand.”





Eleven:
He can now see what she is doing. Her plan is to shake him out of his rut and focus on her as opposed to inanimate objects that pose no challenges. However, he has strong feelings of independence and he chooses to put up a bit of resistance to show he can present a challenge, as well. He yanks his arm away and mentions, “You should know I can be a rebel and I’m not easily tamed. I’m still trying to go.” She says, “I like that about you. I’m a rebel, too. That’s why we have to break the rules of convention. We can’t allow time to tell us to stop. We have to keep this continuous.” He says, “Maybe you’re right.”





Twelve:
A new level of awareness has come over him. She has been that element of unpredictability he has searched for while wandering through town. However, their chance encounter is not fleeting but lingering. For them to separate would be the conventional conclusion like just another numbered moment on the shelf of memories. He looks at her face of contentment and he is pleased. He sees she presents that part of him he could not have shown on his own. He is not sure if she feels vice versa but such is not his concern. The most important thing is continuity.





Conclusion:
She removes her other hand, showing a sign of trust towards their progress. She asks, “So, we’re friends, again?” He answers, “Indeed.” She says, “Good. It is nice to meet you.” He says, “Likewise.” They shake hands, on and on, in a continuous reaffirmation of what sharing moments have been all about. Her grip is firm enough for both of them and their hands move up and down with the rhythmic consistency of a bilge-pump while they make comments like “Put it there, buddy”, “Cheers”, “Congratulations” and the more traditional “How do you do” as the day rolls on and nothing else matters.