A Tale Of The Seventh: About Jack

from my story book Paradox of fiction

About Jack

“Well, tell me, buddy. Are we missing anything?” “Nope. All ok.” Jack settled comfortably into his spot.

“It’s weird, but lately, the only real peace I’ve felt has been with you.”

“Really? You sure you’re not going gay on me?”

 “No, relax,” he laughed. “Perfectly straight…at least I’ve got that figured out. I like women. Love ’em. Over time, I’ve even come to appreciate their moods. An eternal romantic.”

“You’re on a roll,” Jack chuckled back. “Shall we have another?”

“Another? Jack, tonight we’re having them all. I’m in the mood to finish every last one…until they kick us out of this place.”

“Another glass, or another shot? Her or him?” Jack teased.

“Good point…a little bi-curious phrasing for a drink. But if it came down to it, I’d take whatever was offered.”

“You’re drinking like something’s eating at you, pal.”

“Maybe…a bit. My conscience, perhaps.”

“You do something?” “I’m always doing something.”

“That’s true, but you’re not a drinker. Barely touch the stuff—aside from your precious red wine. You only come to me when you want to drink. I know you too well… way too well.”

“Almost sounds like you regret knowing me.”

“So, what is it? What did you do?”

“Well, yeah…I did something. Had to. You know me. But I overdid it. She didn’t deserve that.”

“ Did you hurt her?”

“Yeah… Even though they can be cold as hell, I went too far this time. Love’s a bitch.”

“Wait…you actually fell in love? And you didn’t hit her, did you?”

“God…., no. She might’ve deserved a smack, but no, I just acted like an absolute idiot.”

“Wow. That sounded heartfelt. You’ve got to tell me the whole thing. I’m intrigued now, Mr. Romantic.”

He downed another shot in one go.

“You know, it was like Fast and Furious… but Italian style. Do you believe in love at first sight, Jack?” “Look…love isn’t exactly a word I associate with you. Fast and furious? Sure. Love? Not so much. I know you too well.”

“No, you don’t. Or maybe you do. It doesn’t happen to me often. Compared to you, I’m a nobody. Actually, compared to anyone, I’m a nobody. A nobody flying under the radar.”

“So, what did you do?” “I just…took some things back.”

“Your things?” “No.”

“Stuff you gave her? Jesus, you’re an idiot. A rookie move. You, of all people, playing the Messiah…”

“I’m not playing anything… It wasn’t about the stuff. I just don’t know how to handle this kind of thing. I hate arguing… It was just too much at the moment. It was supposed to be a lesson, you know, a bit of training.”

“Sure. Always the teacher. Were you two together long?”

“Not at all… just a moment. There was nothing she asked for that I wouldn’t give her. But it was doomed from the start. Whatever I did, it was wrong. But I couldn’t stop it. You know how it is… give a thirsty man a drink.”

“Thirsty? You’ve got a wife, a family… You look happy. What, was this some fling that got out of hand? Sex, drugs, rock ’n’ roll?”

“No fling… femme fatale. Seriously.”

“Ah, a midlife crisis?”

“Maybe a crisis… maybe just… I don’t know. An escape from monotony? I felt good with her. Really good.”

“Did you fuck together?”

“No. Whenever the word ‘sex’ came up, I had no idea what to say. It wasn’t about that. I just felt good with her.”

“Which probably wasn’t so good for her…”

“Maybe… probably… I don’t know. She was the only person who ever left me completely clueless. Totally blank. Honestly, I don’t blame her.”

“So, you got dumped,” Jack snickered.

“We weren’t even dating. We weren’t doing anything, really… So, no, it wasn’t about getting dumped. We just parted on bad terms…”

“Hold on… you weren’t dating, you weren’t sleeping together… Did you even do anything?”

“No. But I miss her… She doesn’t miss me. That’s fate.”

“A young girl?”

“Of course… But at this point, every woman’s young compared to me.” He took another sip.

“Where’s your wife? Haven’t seen her around…I’d call my brother, but I bet you’re out of ice… Let’s head back to the bar, and I’ll finish the story later.”

“Okay.” He poured one last shot, screwed the cap back on the Jack Daniel’s, and placed the bottle in the ice box. He wanted to finish the story. Hundreds, thousands of kilometers apart, each going their own way. But in similar directions. Once related…born of the same mother. A magnificent supercomet. Torn from their home, they set off on a journey. A long, immeasurable journey, hidden from the eyes of onlookers. Separated for so long that the concept of unity meant nothing to them anymore. They flew through time, maintaining their course. Until one moment.

If it were a competition, would that moment be a win or a loss? Either way, it was the end. Beautiful and tragic all at once. In a single instant, the journey was over. These were tough bastards, so they didn’t care—not like the accidental witnesses, whose hearts would have pounded with nervous excitement. Their adrenaline would spike to the edge of unbearable. Just like it always does when something happens for the first time.

The first time. And the last. Only a condemned man or a suicide knows when it’s truly the last time. The last time, and then… nothing.

The energy would be transferred. Maybe, someday in the future, compared to the butterfly effect. A small, almost imperceptible change with unpredictable consequences. Even the Titanic could have been saved by a single high-quality telescope.

All they needed was Jupiter’s gravity. Just a little closer. But Jupiter had already decided how and when it would end.

Just a little longer… ten thousand kilometers left, and then it’ll be over. Five thousand. Breathe. Now.

Phew.

Why does everything suddenly slow down? And why so much light everywhere? It’s warm.

Dust you are, and to dust, you shall return.

One among many, passing through centuries unnoticed, had become their stage, their witness, and their end. Unrecognized, unnamed, yet real—they were here, and now they’re gone. Only in the memories of the accidental onlookers do they remain.

That’s what ran through his head. Nothing more.

“Jack?”
“Yeah?”
“Did you see it?”
“See what?”
“The meteor. It was beautiful.”
“Sorry, I was falling asleep.”
“Too bad… it was…” He trailed off.

Another one shot across the sky.

“Damn it, stop staring at that phone! You’re going to miss it.”
“I’ve missed so much already, and look… I’m still alive. Slice me up however you want, and I’m still here.”

“But you don’t see what I see.”
“I see other things…”

“Did you see that one?”
“Yeah… so what? They call it a shooting star. Go ahead, make a wish, buddy. I’m all set… almost.”

“It sparkled… like a sparkler. I can still see the trail.”
“Yeah, and now it’s gone. Period. Its time is up.”

“Sure… but I saw it. If I were the only person in the world, this show would’ve been just for me. I got to witness its premiere and its finale. A one-man show.”

“Oh, here we go… another philosophical night. You overthink everything, man. That could’ve been a damn rock aimed right at your head. Trust me, that would’ve been a much bigger one-man show—with a standing ovation.”

“But I’m sure I didn’t see it alone.” He stared up at the star-filled sky, talking more to himself than to Jack. “I couldn’t have been the only one who saw it… Wait, what were you saying? That I overthink everything? If I talk, it’s wrong… if I don’t, it’s wrong…”

“I’m not your judge. You just keep rambling on, and I’m over here doing my thing.”
“Everyone rambles, Jack.”
“I’m just trying to shape your rambling into something coherent. Most of the time, no one understands what the hell you’re trying to say. You talk too much, and you’re too quiet… everything’s too much.”

“Jesus… I’m just saying I like looking at the sky, that’s all.”
“But you say it in a way that I have to decode it. Your ‘that’s all’ is the most entertaining part. Every time you say, ‘that’s all,’ I see an entire list of things under ‘that’ and ‘all.’ I know you.”

“You know me? No one can say they really know me. If you did, you wouldn’t be sitting here with me… Jack.”
“Why do you think that? Maybe I enjoy listening to your crap… Maybe I like provoking you because I know you’ll take the bait. It always leads to some spectacular nonsense… never anything practical.”

“So you’re here just for the entertainment?”
“Fair trade. You enjoy my company, too.”
“No comment… but yeah. You’re right. You can’t just say everything outright. Not everything is meant for every ear, but you still have to talk about it.”

“So what are you trying to say?”
“I just want to sit here, stare at the sky… watch the ‘falling’ stars, and make the same wish every time.”
“What wish?”
“They say if you reveal your wish, it won’t come true… so tough luck, Jack.”
“Yeah, I don’t care that much, old dreamer. Besides, everyone dies… You don’t need to wish for that. It’ll happen anyway. Your wish is bullshit.”

“Whatever… The difference between us is that I like to hope, and you’re content just knowing. Like, I hope to squeeze another shot out of you, while you already know it’s not going to happen.”

Jack went silent. For the rest of the night, he shone as brightly as he could. Both his premiere and his finale.

Now, just a shell. A empty bottle humming the tune of the Titanic’s whistle.

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