13 The disposable cell rings!

Spin balance cover picture

The disposable cell rings!

 

 Hello?

 

 

 Sparks we must go to London

 

 

 London?

 

 

 Yes

 

 We have to look for something there

And two people inquiring

Draws less attention than one

 

 And it allows separation

 

 I need you to run interference

Or search while I do

 

 

 What are we looking for?

 

 

 Really Sparks?

 

 

 No, you’re right I’m sorry

 

 How long this time?

 

 

 At least four days

 

 Book a one-way flight

And when you arrive

Call me from Heathrow

 

 Use the number in your phone

 

 Be there Sunday

 

 

 Ok, Sunday

 

13001


 

Hot date?

 

 Susan knew who would call

on that phone

 

 

 Just the evil doctor woman

I think she wants me for my body

 

 

 She should talk to someone

Obviously low self-esteem issues

 

 So we’re going to London?

 

 

 That wasn’t really a question was it?

 

 

 Not really, no

Besides you owe me paperboy

 

 

 Owe you, for what?

 

 

 Minneapolis

And not telling me until you got back

 

 

 (Randall pivots)

Low self-esteem?

 

 

 (Susan laughs)

Relax, I was messing with you

 

 My God, it’s London!

Do you know how many bookstores?

How many publishing houses?

And shopping?

 

 Besides

You owe me for charity work

 

 

 Charity work?

 

 

 (she laughs)

Yes, putting up with you

And it’s probably deductible

 

 

 The charity work?

 

 

 The trip silly

Because of all the publishers

 

 During the day

You can be James Bond

And I’ll explore London

 

 At night we can enjoy each other

 

 Or you can go alone

With the hot doctor

 

 It’s up to you?

 

 

 Two tickets sounds wonderful

 

 

 Glad to help clear that up honey

 

13002


 

Minneapolis

 

Might have been a misstep

 

London will be better

Especially with Susan there

 

Still, she brought it up

I wonder if she wonders?

 

Minneapolis

Was another place

Another time

 

Another test

Another me

 

A ghost

Thank God

 

13003


 

Bars of guilt

 

Sweat of betrayal

Not of the ones we love

 

But of who we become

If we allow

Even a moment

To falter

 

Guilt stalks

 

Veritas

Truth can set you free

You may never

 

Shame

Our silent prison

 

One bullet

Two hearts

 

Bars of guilt

A near misstep

 

Indelible ink

 

Want that

On your conscience?

 

Be smart

Wake up!

 

“Try to keep up will you”

 

13004


 

Where are you?

 

 Randall?

 

 

 Hmm?

 

 

 You don’t want me to go?

 

 

 I definitely want you to go

 

 What you said

(he pauses)

 

 Susan

I don’t want anyone else

I love you

 

 

 Ah baby I know

I was teasing you, I’m sorry

 

 

 I just wanted you to know

 

 

 I do know

And I appreciate it

 

 That’s so sweet

Thank you

 

 Sometimes I forget

That my big tough guy

Is all soft and squishy inside

 

 

 Are you teasing me again?

 

 

 No love I’m not

 

 I’m just trying to say

I love you back

The same way

 

 No

If I was teasing

I’d have called you a Chicophiliac

 

 

 What’s that supposed to mean?

 

 

 An emotional bleeder

 

 

 I will get even someday

 

 

 Don’t ever count on it

(she smiles)

 

13005


 

As for Minneapolis

Paperboy

 

 The reason a guy won’t shut up

About his girlfriend?

Is that he’s attracted to the girl

He won’t shut up to

 

 And he’s upset about it

So he overcompensates

 

 Being attracted isn’t a sin

If you don’t give in

 

 Man who’s not attracted to L

Probably doesn’t have a pulse

 

 When a girl knows her guy

She expects him to be attracted

 

 She wants him to resist it

And come home

 

 Some don’t

 

 They love their girl alright

 

 They just love themselves more

 

 And some come partly home

But he’s not the guy that left

 

 A girl knows

 

 Either way it’s a shame

 

 No

 

 Before her guy comes home

He's got to dismiss the attraction

And let go of his guilt

 

 Since she already did

When he came home

 

 Then he’s home and life goes on

 

 So yeah I get it and I love you

 

 And that’s all I have to say

About Minneapolis

 

 

 Do they teach you girls this

In some secret class?

 

 

 No baby

I'm just smarter than you

 

 It takes a village

 

 Lucky for you

The hot doctor told the truth

 

13006


 

Heathrow airport

 

A glass world

skywalks and sculpture

 

UK’s premier international airport

second busiest in the world

busiest in Europe

 

Collage of yesterday and tomorrow

with so much to see

 

Choose a little, enjoy your time

 

Takes a second lifetime to see it all

 

Welcome to Britain

 

13007


 

Arrival at Heathrow

 

 Randall calls Lydia

on the disposable phone

 

 

 Yes?

 

 

 We’re here at the airport

 

 

 You and Susan?

 

 

 Yes

 

 

 Glad she could make it

Good to include her

 

 She can’t come with us

Where we need to go

 

 But that’s only part of the day

 

 I booked a room in your name

At Abbey Guest House in Abingdon

 

 It’s a Bed and Breakfast, very nice

 

 Do you have a pen?

 

 Write this down

 

 

 I do have a pen

 

 

 136 Oxford Road

Abingdon, Oxon OX14 2AG

 

 Telephone number is

01235 537020

 

 Get to Oxford

By airline coach service

Which runs direct from Heathrow

 

 Or catch a rail from Paddington

 

 The coach costs about half

 

 

 Oxford?

 

 

 Yes it’s northwest of London

About sixty miles

 

 Have you got that?

 

 

 Got it

 

 

 Good then

When you get to the Oxford Station

Get on the X3 bus to Abingdon

 

 The bus will take the slip road

off the A34

 

 A34 is a dual carriageway road

 

 Then up a hill and left

To a roundabout

 

 Once past the roundabout

Wait to ring the exit bell

Until just past the next stop

 

 The driver won’t stop

If you don’t ring the bell

 

 You want the ‘South Avenue’ stop

It’s the second past the roundabout

 

 Cross the road and down a bit

Look for 136, Abbey Guest House

 

 Ride takes about twenty minutes

 

 But if you miss the stop

Get off at the Boundary House

 

 It’s the third stop

 

 You’ll have to walk back

 

 Did you get all that?

 

 

 Yes and I recorded it

 

 But where’s Paddington?

 

 

 Go to the information kiosk

Ask for the Heathrow express

To Paddington

 

 Or take a taxi there

 

 

 What’s Paddington?

 

 

 The train station

Why?

 

 

 I just didn’t know is all

 

 

 You’ve never been to London?

 

 

 I haven’t been to the train station

Or Abingdon for that matter

 

 

 When you get settled in

Call me

 

 We’ll discuss tomorrow

 

 

 Tomorrow

Ok good

 

 

 Tomorrow’s a busy day Sparks

 

 

 Alright

 

13008


 

Paddington

Is the train station

 

 Of course paperboy!

 

 Harry Potter took the train

From Paddington station

To get home from central London

 

 Hello?

 

 

 I knew that

 

 

 Really?

 

 

 No

But it doesn’t surprise me

That you did

 

 

 So where’s Abingdon?

 

 

 Near Oxford

About sixty miles from London

Or a hundred kilometers

 

 

 Are there bookstores in Abingdon?

 

 

 I don't know

 

 

 Are we taking the train?

 

 

 Of course

 

 She said it costs more

But for Harry Potter

Definitely the train

 

13009


 

Abbey Guest House

 

 This place is amazing!

Lydia is amazing

 

 And the owner, Terry?

 

 She’s wonderful!

 

 She told me so many sites to see

And bookstores here in Abingdon

Oxford too!

 

 She said Abingdon is the oldest

Continually inhabited town

In England

 

 It drips with history!

 

 I love you Mr. Sparks

 

 

 You should see my encore

 

 

 Really?

 

 

 I don’t actually have an encore

 

 And why do I seem to be talking

With a British accent?

 

 

 I know, strange right?

 

 It’s like once you step off the plane

The place takes you

 

 

 So what do you think

 

 A shower first

Then check out the Spread Eagle

Public House my lady?

 

 

 Indeed my lord

The Spread it is

If it’s open Sunday

 

 When in Abingdon!

 

 

 Right then, but first

I suppose I’d better call the veil

 

 

 Yes

Thank her for me paperboy

 

 And call her Lydia

 

13010


 

Calling Lydia

 

 Yes?

 

 

 You said to call?

 

 

 I did

You made it ok?

 

 

 We did

 

 

 In the morning

Catch the X3 bus to the Rail Station

The bus you took to get there?

 

 

 Yes, the X3 bus

 

 

 Any bus will get you to Oxford

But the X3 stops at the Rail Station

 

 Try to get there by 7:00A.M.

I’ll meet you at the forecourt

 

 

 You couldn’t tell me that before?

 

 

 I’ll tell you more tomorrow

 

 Besides, it’s the cell phones

 

 I like to be thoughtful of the Civil

 

 Trapping cell phones overseas

Must be an additional irritation

 

 The more difficult the better

 

 

 7:00A.M. at the station then

 

 By the way

Susan says you’re a hero

 

 This place is

Wonderful and awesome!

 

 

 Glad she likes it

Tomorrow then

 

13011


 

Irritated

 

 I feel irritated, don’t you?

 

 

 Oh yes

Terribly irritated

 

 Cell phone traps

Especially overseas?

 

 Always make me feel

So irritated!

 

 

 Yes, so irritated

 

 (laughter)

 

13012