Anecdotes of a Fleeting Mind -Chapter Three

JOSÉ

José was a poor man who had lost everything in his life as a result of alcoholism.

He used to be an important guard at the museum of prehistoric arts, but his drinking addiction upon discovering his wife’s affair led him to lose his job, his home, and eventually all of his belongings. He only had a pair of brown pants that, after so many years of use, were based only on strips of cloth of different colors due to the stains of countless drinks and bodily fluids, both his own and others.

His new home was the corner between the liquor store and the old watch factory, which had been closed for more than a decade since its owner died. He adored that place almost more than the brothel on 47th Street.

But, what gave him the most joy in his day-to-day life was the fluorescent vest he found years ago digging in the dumpsters. As soon as he put it on, he felt again the power and security of wearing a uniform. He remembered his life as a protector of justice, what he liked to call himself, and through every part of his being ran his love and pride for his country. From that day on, he never took it off. He even baptized his “unconditional friend” with the name Willy. And, despite the jokes of the pedestrians, he always considered him his best company, who never got tired of wiping his tears on the darkest nights nor the remnants of vomit the next morning.

DANIEL

Lastly, there was Daniel, a shy 27-year-old man with sudden mood swings.

His story is more complicated and certainly tragic. From the age of 6, after the death of his mother, Daniel was raised solely by his father, who would make his childhood hell with his cruel abuse while repeating over and over again that “he reminded him so much of his mother”, as if this gave him any right to his atrocities. Daniel kept that suffering in the depths of his being and took refuge in his world; he did what was necessary to survive.

One day, the young man woke up stunned in an unfamiliar room, one that reminded him of the visits to the hospital when his mother was sick. He tried to recall how he got there, but the last thing he could remember was being on his way home on a rainy afternoon. He didn’t understand what was happening. He couldn’t tell if it was real or it was another one of his nightmares. He had spent several nights without sleeping; the government had cut back on insurance and Daniel was no longer getting help to pay for the pills he was prescribed, so he stopped the treatment without much thought.

His eyes traveled around the room: white walls, a small window that overlooked a garden and a desk next to which his clothes were hanging on a rack; he hadn’t realized he was wearing a hospital gown. A chill ran through his body. He tried to rush to the door, but when he got up, a detail on the desk caught his attention. As he began to read the report, an indescribable whirlwind of emotions washed over him.

At that point, he knew his life was not based only on his ephemeral memories, but on a set of unknown anecdotes from his fleeting mind.