Vick and Mick

There are several kinds of premieres in life.
Well, you could say, this story is one of them.
First of all, due to the fast incremental grow of my English speaking friends, I decided to write this story in English. It is a sure thing, I wanted them to know, what an wonderful artist with words and sentences I am. And I wanted them to be part, of my experience as a writer of short stories. How else, can you be a part of a writers art, as with living his stories as his reader ? It is in this way to, that I should probably be able to give all my SL friends, a present in the form of a story, to demonstrate my gratitude to them, for helping me this far in the fascinating place SL can be. So if you are a SL friend of Teejoo, please see this story as my gift to you, in the hope we will learn to know each other deeper than in the past.
This story is in one more way a premiere in its kind.
Usually, as most of you know, I only written fiction, complete fiction, with, I do confess, only some small parts of real life scenes. Now, this story is quiet different. It happened 10 steps from my front door, and I, myself, was an acting part in it. All the way.
So, for a change, this story, is a “real happened”story, and not fiction at all.
And it is, once more, the prove that reality is often more horrifying, than any fiction.
Life can play many tricks, I assure you, but I guess, it will always need a storyteller.

This is the story of Vicky and Micky.
I don't want use they real names, thats why i use these.
You must admit, it does sound good to :-)
Mick now, is 82, his companion Vicky is about 69, if I recall correctly.
They like to make pictures, just as I do.
Ever since I know them, they travel all around the world, taking pictures of everything they see and everyone they meet on they journeys. And they have seen a very big part of our world, believe me.
I learned to know them, because Micky once took a post package in for me, and delivered it to me in the evening. We talked, and that was the beginning of a very nice friendship. Just a few days later, he met Vicky. And a few months later, as she moved in with him, he introduced me to her. Some of you may know the I ride motorcycle. Well, there is still a taboo around that you know. Many people don't like to talk to bikers. They are seen as dirty and mean. I am sure, thàt is the same story everywhere. Now I am a real bikes, I ride all year. Have a total of way over half a million kilometers on mi counter. And Micky had much respect for that. Well, he was right you know, to much guys become newborn biker in they midlife crisis, and only ride in summer and when the weather is good. They do like to call themselfs the bikers of the new generation. I must confess, I am one of the old generation, thats the good generation, the one I like :-)
But I was talking about Vicky and Micky.
I came often to their house; it was one of the smaller houses in our neighborhood, specially made for the elder people. They lived in one of those houses, not even 2 minutes away from me, in walking distance. We all three loved taking pictures with our cameras. Al thought I must say, I shoot digital, and, they never found they way up to digital, they still shoot on films one has to develop. So, by the years, I saw a lot of the pictures they made in albums, as they saw many of me on my PC . Micky loved mi bike, he knew all the history of BMW boxer bikes, just as I did. We talked long hours sometimes. About traveling by bike, and about the good old days. I am sure, you know the stuff. And I kinda felt sorry for both of them, to be alone, just the two of them. Just like me. No friends, no kids, no relatives. Just like me.
We understood each other very well.
And I learned to know some nice and good old neighbors.
Believe me, even for an old biker of the year 2008, this is rare thing.

On Monday, it was about 13:10, I know, cause I watched the clock just a while before, I heard a loud knocking om I front door. Bell rang a couple off times, and the banging started again. I rushed to the door, imagining plenty of weird stuff, and opened the door. There was Vicky. All red in the face, and crying her eyes out. Come quickly, there is something wrong with Mick, she said crying. Clearly she was very upset about Mick's condition. I went with her to they house in a hurry, and asked her if she called a medic. Well yes, she had. Once in the house I saw old Mick had slipped out of a resting chair, and was laying on the ground on his back. It seemed to me, he slipped out of his lazy chair on the ground. I immediately noticed this was something seriously wrong. He was not breathing any more. As I tried to give him mouth to mouth, I noticed he was pale, cold, and already had dark blue lips. I felt no pols what so ever. And when I tried to open his eyelids, they were very heavy and difficult to open. The old Mick had passed away, I suddenly realized in a shock.
The moment I looked at Vicky, and she started to cry even more loudly then before, the doctor came in. Obviously, Vicky had left the door open. I think you are to late, I said silently to her. The doctor being a lady, you know. She studied Micky quiet well, for several minutes, but she couldn't find any life in the poor chap. Anyone called for a ambulance ?, she asked. Well, no, no one did. So she called for one on her cellphone.
I think there is not much more we can do, she said to Vicky, but I asked for a reanimation car ambulance. Vicky cried even more harder than before, and louder, as if she wanted the neighbors to hear her sadness.
While the lady doctor gave her a sedative, to calm her down, the ambulance arrived. And with them, the cops. In our country, as like in more I guess, there is always an investigation, when someone dies at home. To exclude criminal intension's, or not. After a short try in reanimation, dead Mick was put on a stretcher, with a blanket on him, and pulled in the ambulance. She drove away with a lot of noise, as if there could happen a miracle to Mick's condition. The police consisted of two woman cops. They first talked to the woman doctor, and then noted our statement. Concerning myself, there was not a lot to tell, so that was rather quickly done. So after a while I stayed back with Vicky. We decided to get in my car and drive to the hospital. Maybe there they could have don something to get Mick back ? I did seriously doubt that, but I just couldn't take away all hope for Vicky. Of course, once there, we found out very fast, that all hope really was gone. We were able, though, to take a look at Mick, as they had brought him in. He already was in a separated room for the passed away people. Needless to say, that Vicky was .. well, hopeless. You understand.
I took her home. Well, I took her back to Mick's home I should say. She seemed all confused in the car, but I thought that was due to the tranquilizers the lady doc gave her. So I left her at home, what else could I do ? I mean, I surely didn't have all day, no ? Even a guy like me has to do some shopping and working. So I confess, I left her alone. Since there was no relative or family I could bring her to. Believe me, I asked. Twice.
So I did what I had to do, for what was left of the late afternoon. Feeling bad. And thinking about Mick. What a swell guy he was. What a good friend. Hell, he was the best friend I had in my own neighborhood ! There was not an other person I saw that much, or had talked to. Yes, although old of age, he was younger of mind than many other people I know. And yes again, although old, he was a very good friend of mine. But than again I could think the same about Vicky. And now she was all alone in the world. Just as I was. I decided to pay her a visit as soon I was getting home. When I parked my car in front of mi house, I saw two police man coming outside her and Mick's house, saying goodbye to her, and coming up to my place. It was clear, they wanted to talk to me. Again.
This time the two police agents were of opposite sexes, where i mean, an older guy, and a brand new lady cop, as I understood very fast. They presented themselves, and asked if they could come in to talk to me. Now tell me, would you say no to a cop ?
Once inside, the lady went straight to the point. If I recall my statement from before, and if I had something to add. Well no, what should I have to add ? So she told me, that the medics of the hospital had assured them, that Mick should have been dead quiet a while before the ambulance picked him up. At least 1:30 or 2 hours, the older man pointed out to me.
To be completely honest, I was not at all, less astonished concerning their mistrust, because, don't cops mistrust everyone ? I guess, mistrust comes with the job. Or at least, with that job. I told them, that indeed, I noticed some things on Mick when I found him, that made me wonder, but than again, all and everything happened so fast and quickly, that I didn't spend much time thinking about it. But I did notice, as I told before, that Mick was quiet cold indeed, and his eyes opened a bit hard. They seemed to buy my explanation, after all, it was all I could give them. Then they told me, they had spoken with Vicky about their concern. It so seemed, that the lazy chair where Mick died in, was not visible from the kitchen. I did know that. And after diner, Vicky spend her time in the kitchen, cleaning up, and in the garden. So, as they have the habit to eat very early, they usually are finished eating before twelve o'clock, Vicky disappeared in the kitchen after diner. And after diner, Mick laid himself down in his lazy chair, as he always did. Now Vicky was talking to Micky, several times, being busy in the kitchen, but he never answered, as he did often when falling asleep in his chair. And Vicky, used to that, never checked on Mick. So the assumption now was, Mick died quickly after diner, sitting down in his lazy chair, and Vicky only found out more than an hour later. Fetching me. And the lady doctor.
The cops seemed to be pleased with all the talk they done, and with my reaction, they put some thing on paper, let me sing it and politely sais no to the bear I offered them, and then left.
Now, you can start to think this is the end of the story of Mick and Vick. Well, it was surely the end of Micky. And it could have been the end of this story. But, as every story, the clue lies in its tail, as we say over here.
Tuesday, I had a busy day.
Didn't see Vicky or anyone, I was away from home most off the day.
But on Wednesday, about eleven, I had a phone from the police office. Again, you could say. I had the older person on the line, who I met late on Monday. If I knew about any of Mick's relatives . I only could say what I knew, no, as far as I knew, Mick had non. Just as Vicky. Where the top cop answered, that I seemed not to know my neighbors that well. As it turned out, Mick has been married before. Even twice. Not only he had several kids, but he even had a grandson, almost as old as I.
And, as he continued, not only I seemed not to know this, but even Vicky. Which they found quiet suspicious. Not to mention strange. But as he spoke to me, he didn't blame me, cause I was after all, just a neighbor. There would not be an investigation, he told me, Mick died of natural causes, as the doctors testified, so there was no need for any investigation. So he left me on the phone, very surprised. Very surprised indeed. With Vicky, Mick had his third wife. At least. Hell, I would never had won from him in that race ! What a guy. What a secret guy. The rest of the day I kept wondering. About Vicky. It was true, she never seemed to be interested in the past, all her love went to voyaging and taking pictures. And of course, to Mick. I was quiet puzzled, and that was the least I could say.

Now still, this is not the end of this story.
O no, its not.
On Wednesday evening, Vicky came to me on visit.
They used to come to me on Wednesday evenings, you know, we did have our habits after all.
She told me the visit of the cops. She had seen them once more than I did. And the countenance of that visit, I knew. Then suddenly, she told me she had had the visit of their landlord, Mick did rented the house. She had to leave, even quickly, before the end of the month. So the little house would be free to rent to others. There even was a waiting list. And Vicky was surely not on that list. So she was kicked out I asked her ? Well yes she was. And no, she had an alternative. As I was in for an other surprise, she did have a small house on her own. For years already. And she kindly asked if I could help her with my little van to move back. Now how can one say no, to an old lady friend ? And there was an other surprise. This afternoon, she had a visit from Mick's son and grandson. They came to make the inventory of the countenance of the house of Mick. All would be sold as quickly as possible. That was the other reason she wanted to move quickly. Otherwise she would think that those people would sell her part of the furniture to. No tears no sorries, no emotions. Just about the money. Thats how kids seem to grow old these days.
So I helped her move. I even got an old collectors item photograph apparatus, and some nice paintings for mi help. I must say, she wasn't the same Vicky I knew before. There was a crack in her. And it was a big one.
When I left her, I wondered, witch number of secrets, she would have kept for the future.

I must say, these are extraordinary times we live in today. I do realize that. Believe me. And I am amazed about it. Every new day. Believe me again. But I do wonder, day after day after day. With our gigantic communication possibilities, our world wide web, the Internet and cellphones, our world sized catastrophes and crisis, our jumbo jets and our space rockets, I often ask myself the same question. It turns and turns circles in my head at continuing and accelerated speeds. I wonder why, at a time we were never so close to each other, why we now are so far apart from each other. In the year 2009, loneliness and egoism, were never in human history so big and widely spread. And I do know it sounds like a cliché. Never in human history people were so far from each other, and yet so close together. In a world thats constantly getting smaller, never has there been so many people, man and woman, living alone, and feeling alone and lonely. There is an enormous difference between, what people feel, what people think, and what people think they feel. Our feelings have no parallel progress with progress of our technology. As humans, we are getting older than ever in our history. Thanks to medicine and progress in modern science, they tell me. The older we get, the longer we live, and the more we feel lonely, and abandoned to our selfs and our own faith. Now I wonder again, but tell me please, is this progress, really ? Maybe it is ? Maybe it isn't ? I am sorry to say so, but, personally I am not that sure about it. I often say, and being a computer technician, I think I can know, that technically we do live in the 21ste century, yes, but our emotions are still the same as when we lived in our caves, centuries ago. When our emotions will get to the same standards as our technology, then, and only then, we will be really human humans.
Mick and Vick, they were the finding example for all of this.
They were so close to each other, and yet so far away.
They got so old, but in no means, I would say, they became wise enough to be honest to each other.
So why did they lived together ?
Maybe it was for human warmth.
Maybe it just was for not being alone in a cold house.
Maybe it was for the little things in life.
As every person in life has his or her mystery, the answer to that question will probably always be an other mystery to me.

There is no happy ending to this story, my dearest reader.
After all, does every story really need a happy ending ?
I guess not, but however, it does need a storyteller.
How else, would it make you think about the essence of all of this ?


Januari 2009