The minor fall, the major lift

The scales had fallen from his eyes.

He had come to the realization that there was a maze inside everyone’s head; each person’s mind was a labyrinth of missed connections and untapped potential.

The thing that the wishes had done, was to make James’ mind more efficient.

Now he could call information up at a moment’s notice: every experience he’d ever had, every idea that came to him in the shower and then slipped away while he was brushing his teeth ... it was all there for the taking. All it required was access and the Djinn and his magic were the keys. Of course, eventually humanity would catch up with James’ abilities, but for the moment his was a toy no one else had.

A secret no one else had, called his brain...

James rolled up, locked his bike, and headed into Burger King. He walked over to the counter, salivating at the offerings and took a moment to choose. He got a burger, fries, and a shake.

As he sat down, he decided it was going to be a cheat day. In his later life he couldn’t have them because of his heart. He’d had a heart attack at 65 and from then on, was not allowed red meat and had to watch his cholesterol. Sure, he would be more careful later on when his ticker would start causing problems. But for right now he was going to enjoy the fact that he could stuff his face and not worry about the consequences.

His order arrived and James took his tray to an empty booth and started stuffing his face. He wiped his mouth as Jessica walked up.

“James.”

He grinned, “Hi.”

She studied his food, “Hungry?”

“Yeah I had a quick run after school and I get hungry after running.”

She nodded.

“May I steal a fry?”

“Sure,” he pushed the bag of fries forwards as she sat down.

“Would you like anything to drink?”

She nodded and said, “A small vanilla shake.”

“Right. I’ll just be a second.”

The counter wasn’t crowded so he was back quickly. Sitting down, he passed her the drink, straw and napkin.

As she unwrapped the straw, she said, “I am impressed. Most guys forget about the napkin.”

“If I were like most guys, we wouldn’t be here. But the floor is yours. Please feel free to go ahead and ask your questions.”

Jessica smiled and said, “Don’t worry, this won’t hurt. I was just surprised. Last year you wouldn’t have acknowledged me if you ran into me and knocked me down. Now, you’re taking the initiative and that’s something I’d never believe of you.”

“True, but I have changed.”

She agreed, “I like everything in its place. You were in the loser category and not worth consideration.”

“Ouch...”

“Don’t be offended,” she responded with a wide smile. “You earned your category last year. You were the classic picture of a slacker. But now, you don’t fit in any category – you aren’t a jock but you are in great shape and jog every day. You are getting great grades and even have a responsible job. Finally, you no longer dress like a loser.”

“Where did you get all of this information?” James questioned.

“When will you boys learn that girls talk? Once you get noticed, the information is known. So what happened to cause such a dramatic change?”

“Truth be told, I had a run-in with Rachael.”

“Your oldest sister?”

“Yes.” He nodded, “We had a bust up at dinner and it threw out some hard truths that needed to be aired. So instead of fighting, sulking or calling her a name, I decided on a different route.”

“What was that?”

“To listen,” he shrugged. “I guess that’s a part of maturing, of growing up. Suddenly my ears just switched on and she told me exactly what was wrong. I guess I needed to really hear it.”

“But now you see?”

“Yes,” James nodded. “Now that I have started to sort myself out, it seems that I am a good student and can complete my assignments with time to spare. So I got a job rather than repeat last year and play videogames. Each success has built on the previous one and now I actually have confidence, which is what you’re probably reacting to.”

She stared at James for almost a minute before answering, “You are right. Only the jocks have the gumption to approach me and that’s due to their success on the team and the fact they don’t care about anyone other than themselves.” She paused, then continued, “What are your goals, now that you are serious?”

“Jessica, I haven’t come up with any yet. I am still trying various things to see what I like. That’s why I am pushing for more advanced classes to see if they interest me. I just know that I can’t go back to drifting anymore. I was a waste of space and have made too much progress to stop.”

“This is certainly different from what I expected. I still don’t know where to pigeonhole you. You’re not a nerd or a jock or a slacker or a rich kid or...”

James interrupted her, “The thing I’ve discovered in my short span of life is that nothing is ever just black and white. Most things are different shades of gray. For example, I thought you were just a dumb cheerleader.” Her eyes widened, and he shrugged. “But like you with me, I’ve learned not to make assumptions about people; you’re not dumb, you’re incredibly intelligent. You’re not just a cheerleader, you have other talents as well. People are complex and we are still young enough that we can easily change. You may be doing yourself and everyone else a disservice with the pigeonhole approach. After all, what does it buy you?”

Shocked, Jessica said, “I’ve always done it this way. Why waste my time with a loser or someone who doesn’t have the same interests?”

“That’s the same thing for me,” James shrugged. “The way I see it, most boys are trying to get into your panties, or up your top. Am I right?”

She flushed slightly and nodded, “Yes.”

“So to me, you were out of my league,” he said. “I figured that I wouldn’t stand a chance with you, or actually scoring a date, so my old philosophy was, ‘Why bother?’”

She nodded her head slowly. Then probed, “Are you trying now?”

He shrugged an affirmative, “Because why not? My ideas changed that night and as my confidence grew and you started to look at me more, I realized that perhaps my viewpoint was wrong. If anything more comes of this, I will be overjoyed. If nothing comes of it, I will be happy to have made a friend.”

She nodded, “I agree.”

“The sad part about all of this is that you’re cutting off your nose to spite your face. You’re walling yourself off from too many different things if you exclude too many people from your life. And in the end, that means you miss out on many different type of people and experiences. Is that what you want, that’s what I asked myself. Does that make you happy?”

“Of course, I have control over my life and the respect of people I care about.” She responded heatedly.

“If you say so. But if you change in college, you won’t have a safety net.” James decided it was time to end the conversation. “This has been enlightening and I hope you are happy with my answers,” James replied as he stood up, “But I have miles to go before I sleep.”

She nodded her thanks, grabbed her coat, got up and left, leaving James holding his tray, watching her go. He sighed and thought about how shallow she was, just as he had been. He had thought along the same lines and realized how horrible it was. He had also realized that he could have ended up dating her, but that it would not have made him happy. Short term, he guessed yes, but the plans that were forming in his mind, meant that she wouldn’t have been around for long term. The last thing he wanted to do was end up like Trump and Melania, where it got so bad in the end she didn’t want to even hold his hand.

From his 83-year-old perspective, he knew that she was pursuing the wrong things and would end up with a player who would take advantage of her.

Such a shame for a great looking girl.

James got home and parked his bike. He had a lot to think about. He grabbed a coke and said hellos, before making his way up the stairs. He saw Amanda on his way to his room and she asked: “James, how did it go?”

“I don’t want to be rude,” James said. “But Am, give me a minute.”

She nodded, “That bad?”

“Not bad, it just... , “ he smiled and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He walked over to his wardrobe and opened it up, he reached in and picked up something he hadn’t looked at in decades. He walked over to his bed and sat down, his fingers moving over the strings, and idly started plucking at it.

I’ve heard there was a secret chord That David played and it pleased the Lord But you don’t really care for music, do ya? Well it goes like this: the fourth, the fifth The minor fall, the major lift The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Well, your faith was strong, but you needed proof You saw her bathing on the roof Her beauty in the moonlight overthrew ya She tied you to the kitchen chair She broke your throne and she cut your hair And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Well baby, I’ve been here before I’ve seen this room and I’ve walked this floor I used to live alone before I knew ya And I’ve seen your flag on the marble arch And love is not a victory march It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah

Well, maybe there’s a God above But all I’ve ever learned from love Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya And it’s not a cry that you hear at night It’s not somebody who has seen the Light It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah

Eventually, at evening time, James wandered down to the smell of food. His mother looked up.

“James?”

“Hey, Ma’.”

“You okay?,” she asked carefully.

“Yes,” he laughed. “You don’t have to tread on eggshells.”

She nodded. “Want to talk about it?”

He sighed and leaned against the kitchen wall, “We sat down and talked and I came to a realization about her and about myself and about how all of this works.”

“What was your realization?”

“I shouldn’t think with my dick,” she coughed a snort. “That only ends with me in a situation that I might not be able to get out of. Basically, it leads to bigger problems.”

She nodded, “While I don’t like the language...”

“Sorry,” he said interjected.

“ ... I understand what you mean.”

“I want something more,” James finished. “I could’ve flattered her, could’ve whisked her off her feet, blown her away. But do I just want someone pretty? Or do I want something else? I think I want someone who I can talk to, laugh with, be laughed at by and it never be mean. It’s time to take a hard look at myself and figure out where and what I want.”

“I thought you were doing that.”

“No. Truth be told, I can feel myself falling into old habits and I don’t want that,” James grinned. I want to avoid a lot of angst when I start dating. Make sure you tell me if you see me making a mistake.”

“I will,” she nodded.

So he stepped it up. James began working really hard on his coursework, and started pushing himself further with his training. Amanda got up the next morning to find him doing push ups in the hallway. She stood and watched him moving up and down on the floor.

“How many?”

“30,” he lifted up and wiped the sweat off. “Let’s go.”

“She really did a number on you.”

He shrugged.

“Thanksgiving is coming up,” she said as they did their stretches.

“That’s going to be fun,” he replied sarcastically.

She laughed, “Oh God, it’s going to hurt.”

“Yup,” he nodded. “I wonder what I’m going to get criticized about this time.”

“Me too,” she nodded. They started running and she broached the subject of Jessica, “How did it go?”

As an answer he shook his head, “Sorry about yesterday, but I had a lot to digest.”

“I haven’t heard you sing in a while,” she commented.

“Not too bad I hope. I was a bit rusty.”

“I’ll admit, it almost brought a tear to my eye.” His eyes widened as they ran. “I figured, from the way you sang, she tore your heart in two.”

“She didn’t,” he shrugged. “She made me realize something about myself and where my life was headed. I realized just how shallow she is.”

Amanda nodded in understanding, adding, “She’s pretty and so guys don’t expect more.”.

Eventually, though, as he predicted, Thanksgiving rolled around and James was shunted into the basement. It had also started snowing and everything was a picturesquely white.

He missed the snow ... It didn’t bother him to jog though it, although he did let Amanda off the hook because it gave him some time to think to himself.

For the most of the day he stayed out of the way, helping out where he could. He did his homework and any chores without bitching and even did a few extra tasks to lighten the load. The girls appreciated it and he was pleased with their nice compliments. He thought to himself that it would be nice to see his grandparents. By the time he was 80, they had been dead decades earlier and for all their foibles, he missed them dearly.

Originally, once he finished high school and moved through a series of dead end jobs, he lost touch with them. Now he had to look forward to an awkward afternoon of football on the TV and stilted conversations with people he only saw a couple of times a year. Since he still looked 14, he couldn’t talk to them as an adult. With his birthday coming up on Sunday, he would be reduced to answering questions, mostly about school and birthday presents. It wasn’t until years later that he realized his grandparents didn’t get along. As a kid, it went over his head and he certainly couldn’t mention it now.

As the years progressed and they got older, more fights would happen, which was sad to him. He had tried to step in on occasion but only ended up getting yelled at by both sides.

James also noted that this would be the end of the 30 day trial that he had set with his parents. So far the stocks had performed as predicted. He had kept a discreet eye on them, both mentally and physically, writing everything down.

The one thing that he had taken away from his part-time job was to make notes, writing everything down. He showed his work and offered physical proof to his customers. It was one thing telling them that something had worked, it was another thing entirely to show them.

Still with all the craziness to come, he would wait until after everyone had left before he showed his parents the information. Besides, James had a plan to help grease the wheels.

The first arrivals were his mother’s side, including Mom’s sister, Beth, and her husband and two sons. Since they were Rachael’s age, he didn’t have a lot in common with them and his memories were not pleasant.

They always treated him as a nuisance and generally ignored him. That was fine; he intended to continue his campaign to keep the family happy and it was only for a few hours.

The noise in the house really increased as the women congregated in the kitchen while all of the men sat in the living room in front of the TV. When James walked into the living room, Grandpa Max and Gil, Beth’s husband waved at him while the boys ignored him. James looked at the game and realized who was playing. He quickly flitted through his memories but decided not to ruin their fun by that pointing out that the Lions would win by 6 points. As he sat there and half listened to the women chatting, James couldn’t help but think of clucking chickens and chuckled at the thought.

“Son?”

“Chickens,” James jerked his thumb in that direction. The men chuckled and he got slapped on the shoulder.

“Don’t tell your mother that.”

“I won’t tell if she doesn’t ask...”

Grandpa snorted and they went back to the game, “I bet twenty bucks Minneapolis will win.”

There were a series of male grunts, now James was oddly reminded of being in the zoo, his uncle pulled out a twenty, “I’ll take a piece of that action, we’re winning.”

“Me, too,” Dad nodded and pulled out a bill. All in all, sixty bucks were placed on the table. James sat back and watched the game. Eventually his father’s parents arrived as well. It annoyed James that only he, Gil and Dad stood to greet them and really showed the tension in the room when they walked in.

Along with his grandparents, Dad’s sister, Claire, and her daughter, Jill, were there. Claire immediately apologized to Dad, “Sorry that Jim couldn’t make it. He had a last minute assignment that became a mess.”

Jill piped up with, “Yeah, it will be at least two more weeks before he will be finished and can come home.”