Chapter 18: Jake

Jakes Journey

                Jake felt about ties the way most people feel about collars. Where he recognized that it would make him more attractive to a certain type of person, he was not at all certain if those were the type of people he wanted to attract. Generally Speaking he did not need to wear a tie, in fact most of the places he went a tie would be  inappropriate. Yet for some reason (probably the same reason other people put on collars) Jake was wearing a tie. Granted it was a hideous tie, the type which looks like someone caught, murdered, and skinned a couch from the seventies. But it was a tie and he was wearing it. By wearing we mean tied in some fashion around his neck. For in truth he had no idea how to tie a tie and no one was around to tie it for him.

               

Jake was alone. He had left the van shortly after 3am and was currently sitting at a table by himself at the local diner. He had been sitting since 4am. He had brought his note book. If you asked him he couldn’t exactly tell you why he had left the van.  How he had ended up back at the diner was a little less confusing or at least for him.  It had seemed like the only logical choice. He needed to wander and the only thing that was open within wandering distance turned out to be the diner. This was not exactly what he planed but he really hadn’t made any plans. So sufficiently choked he began to write in his note book, what he wrote or why he wrote was less clear. What was clear was that he was upset and that something was changing. He felt different. He was different.

 

 

 

A red haired woman sat down at his booth. She lit a cigarette and looked at him.

 

Woman: What’s that tied around your neck?

 

Jake:  It’s a tie, I am being professional.

 

Woman:  I don’t think that’s the way it works.

 

Jake: No, it goes around the neck I looked it up.

 

Woman: Ok

 

Jake: I don’t usually wear them.

 

 

Woman: I can tell. Why are you wearing a tie?

 

Jake: to look professional.

 

Woman: It’s four o’clock in the morning. The only people here are truckers and prostitutes; no one cares if you wear a tie.

 

Jake: I care.

 

Woman:  at least loosen it you’re turning blue

 

Silence.

 

Woman: So what are you doing?

 

Jake: I am writing

 

Woman: what are you writing?

 

Jake: I’m not sure.

 

Woman: what do you mean?

 

Jake: I’m just transcribing dialogue.

 

Woman; What?

 

Jake: Oh I have an audio graphic memory.

 

Woman: So why do you carry a tape recorder every where?

 

Jake: Oh that’s for other people; I send it in with my stories.

 

Woman: What?

 

Jake: Yeah I send in stories of my adventures with the tapes and they give me money.

 

Woman: Who gives you money?

 

Jake: the government,

 

Woman: You’re a Spy?!

 

Jake: Oh no not at all, I don’t sneak around or anything. Everyone knows what I’m doing. I just write down everything everyone says and send it in once a week.

 

Woman: You’re a (censored) Spy! I can’t (censored) believe this!

 

Jake: I didn’t mean to.

 

Woman: I got to get out of here. I can’t believe this.

 

Narrator: The woman with red hair leaves the diner in a hurry taking her green back pack with her.

 At this point Jake realizes that the woman with red hair was Anna wearing a wig and becomes even more troubled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scene: Sarah’s Hotel room.  (The scene is a typical North American hotel. there is a night table between two twin beds, and a writing desk next to the window in front of the wall heater.)

 

Jake: Where is Anne?

 

Sarah: I haven’t seen her. Why?

 

Jake: I think I may have upset her.

 

Sarah: What did you do?

 

Jake: I might have accidentally told her what I do for a living sometimes between writing.

 

Sarah: What?!!!

 

Jake: it was an accident.

 

Sarah: Do you realize what you did.

 

Jake: I didn’t mean to.

 

Sarah: You know you can’t tell people about that.

 

Jake: I didn’t mean to, it was not like I knew it was Anna. I thought it was just some lady with red hair.

 

Sarah: That makes it worse. You do realize people might try to kill you.

 

Jake: I don’t see why.

 

Sarah: You realize you work for the government right.

 

Jake: Yes.

 

Sarah: To report acts of terrorism.

 

Jack: no.

 

Sarah: What do you mean no.

 

Jack: these people are my friends.

 

Sarah: Jake they are terrorist they break the law.

 

Jake: but they are nice to me.

 

Sarah: that doesn’t mean they are nice people.

 

Jake: But Anna is nice.

 

Sarah: Anna is a terrorist.

 

Jake: She is my friend.

 

Sarah: we aren’t having this conversation, this conversation never happened. You can’t tell people about this stuff, you could get killed. Like it or not, you are a spy.

 

Jake: I never wanted to get anyone in trouble.

 

Sarah: They are terrorist.

 

Jake:  Anna never hurt anyone, never killed anyone, and isn’t planning to blow people up. Hurting civilians.

 

Sarah: Why are you defending her? This isn’t like you Jake it never bothered you before.

 

Jake: I didn’t realize what I was doing before. Now I know, and it’s different.

 

Sarah: Look they are the bad guys. Not you.

 

Jake: it only sounds that way because you are using the word terrorist. It’s a loaded word.

 

Sarah: I can’t believe your defending terrorism.

 

Jake: I’m not. I think it is awful when anyone on any side hurts or kills or maims people for any reason. Especially when those people are children or civilians, or otherwise not in a position to change anything. It’s like killing someone’s cat because you don’t like how they run their house. It’s stupid and it’s wrong. Bombing schools and churches is wrong. Burning down houses with children it is wrong. Torturing people is wrong. And the fact that the United States government is the one sanctioning it doesn’t make it right, it makes it worse. And the fact that when a group of people disagrees so strongly with what is going on that they block traffic, or destroy property, or leak the fact that these things happen, that they are called terrorist, is not only wrong, but incredibly ironic.

 

 

Sarah: ok let’s not get political

 

Jake: No this isn’t political it isn’t about sides, it’s about being human and not thinking it’s ok for people to torture other people, for any cause or reason. It’s about believing that it is never ok to kill civilians especially children for any reason. Terrorism is evil, and I hate it. The only reason I ever agreed to do this was I thought could stop that. But obviously I can’t. All I can do is make things worse.

 

 

Sarah: Jake you need to calm down. You know what would happen if they heard this. Seriously. I’m telling you this as your friend. Calm down. Forget about it. Turn in what you have. And walk away. The damage is done. We aren’t getting any more info here. You blew that. But do us both a favor and shut up before anything worse happens.

 

Jake: We aren’t friends, we never were. You used me. I see that now, the dumb smuck with his head in the clouds doesn’t know what’s going on. Well guess what I figured it out, and I m leaving.

 

Sarah: Jake seriously. Don’t do this. It’s not worth it. Besides it’s not like you can quit. And regardless of what you think, I am your friend. I know you’re mad. I know you liked Anna. But seriously. Stop.

 

Jake leaves the room. Sarah sits on the corner of the bed and swears to herself then starts making the Necessary phone calls.