Friend Fiction: A Black Hole At The Assylum Bar: Chapter #3: "Frances and Mr. Skeleton Have a Heart to Heart" By: MR. OMAR KING

 

3.

"Frances and Mr. Skeleton Have a Heart to Heart"

When nighttime comes, and the light dims in the ward. Life wakes up and plays.

Lunatics and staff and more folks in the Asylum are strapped in their rooms.

Suffering through the night. Restless. Nothing to do.

Just watching brownish orange lights pierced through curtains and spot the ceiling.

Listening to the guards and other staff pace back and forward through the hallway.

Whispering amongst each other; thinking that they are really slick for whispering;

thinking that the lunatics won’t hear their conversation.

Yet they do. On and on about the mundane stuff, what they had for supper; who they saw and spoke to;

where they’re planning to go; where they dream to be than here in the Asylum; what movies to watch;

who’s really good at flipping coke bottles.

The whole nine yards. Sometimes there would be conversations of sex and other things.

One in particular. Michelle and Lisa (roommates) both heard a voice; a young man; whispering;

discussing about these sex stories;

how he rented this adult movie in the back room of a video store; took it home; played it;

watched an hour of a young,

ripped guy entering his hard member into some girl’s snatch and pounded away.

The whole conversation was disgusting. Michelle couldn’t believe what she was listening to;

Lisa couldn’t care any more or less; anything to entertain her through the night.

I tell ya, man, it was some crazy shit watching that porno; stoned.

And then my neighbor was pounding on my door and shouted to

TURN THAT SHIT OFF! FOLKS ARE TRYING TO SLEEP!

And I had no idea I had the volume of sex on full blast. Really zoned out. Jesus, man.

Next time when you want to get stoned and watch adult movies, call me.

I’ll keep an eye out and keep you company.

What the hell are they talking about out there, Lisa? Beats me, Michelle.

All I heard was cock and pounding. In what order?

Who gives a shit, old lady? I do, young lady.

I’d like to know what kind of obscenities are being said from outside our room.

Keep it down, they’ll hear us. You mean they’ll hear you, Lisa. Shut up.

Got any plans coming up? Nah- not really. You?

Thinking of watching the game play on TV. What are they saying now out there?

Something about a game? And television?

Wait, is this mystery guy gonna be on TV like how Sailor Moon was.

Not sure, Michelle. Quit talking, I’m trying to listen to the conversation, Jesus Christ. Sorry.

Yeah, it’s gonna be loads of fun staying home alone; glued to my couch; living off of chips and dip;

watching the football game play right in front of my eyes. I heard glue.

Does that mean anything? Yeah, if you don’t shut up, I’ll glue your lips shut.

You need to respect your elders more often, young lady. 30 is not that young, old lady.

Not compared to 74, young lady. You haven’t lived to see the things I have seen.

Or feel the things I felt. Nor have you spoken to the people I have acquainted with in my lifetime.

I gathered enough knowledge more than your coke bottles you drink off of.

Yeah - yeah - yeah- you’re old, I get it.

Hold on, Zac; I heard something. I didn’t hear anything. No, man, I heard whispering. Where? Not sure?

Being here is giving me the creeps; let’s get out of here. I’m right with you. The two guys left. Wait a go, Lisa.

Me, what did I do?

You blew our cover by mouthing off too much.

I wouldn’t be mouthing off if you wouldn’t have shut up with your questions and let me listen to the conversation.

Truth be told; I wanted them to go back with the porno story.

Hearing about it made me feel some kind of way. It got you horny, didn’t it? That’s none of your business, lady!

Please, we’re roommates, we tell each other everything.

Even though I loathe hearing those kinds of things outside of our room.

I can’t help but wonder what it’s like? What is it like nowadays to have sexual relations with the opposite sex?

It’s been an awfully long time since anybody popped my cherry.

I am gonna vomit if you continue on with that subject. Pop cherry-pop cherry-pop cherry-pop cherry-pop cherry

- POP CHERRY! POP MY MOTHA FECKING CHERRY!! SHUT UP YOU FECKING WEIRDO!!!!

Make me, bitch. Are you sure about that? I am positive. Yeah? Yeah! HA-HA-HA-HA; what’s so funny?

You thought I was gonna beat your ass. You sounded aggressive;

I thought we were gonna throw fists at each other; I wasn’t ready to fight an old lady.

Bull shit, you ain't going to do nothing. We both know if we fight, they’ll sack us away in the padded room.

And we wouldn’t want that, would we? No, I don’t want to be in isolation again.

Remember the last time I was sacked away? Yeah, that was years ago.

I’ve lost sight of the days and nights being stuck in that room.

Nowhere to go. Nobody to talk to.  Frozen in time.

Don’t want to go back again. Never. Don’t worry, friend, I won’t let that happen. As long as I am around.

I won’t let those pesky orderlies put their meaty hands on you. Fecking assholes.

They don’t know how to treat a lady right.

I bet their mother never taught them any manners. How to behave in the presence of women such as us.

But let me tell you this; if it’s a young girl; slender and fit; beautiful pinkish hair;

and tits solid and bouncy than our tits; you bet your sweet ass that they’ll be gentle and kind;

go above and beyond for that girl.

Hell, they’ll even act like foolish wolves like in those cartoons to get inside their sweet virtue.

Maybe we should fight and then have those young men put their hands on us.

Anything to have the touch of a man, huh.

May not be as nice as those beautiful girls they touch.

But at least we’re being touched. Sure, if you say so.

What’s wrong, Franny? Why do you look soar? These straps are too tight, Mr. Skeleton.

I  must get out of these things. Won’t you help me? Won’t you please help me?

Oh Franny, you know I can’t do that.

You know if I let you go; you will run loose; make a big scene in the ward; you’ll be waking everybody up;

they will catch you and lock you in your room. You won’t be able to attend that Halloween party you are looking

forward to.

Everybody will have fun without you. Do you want that to happen, Frances? Do you?

Don’t look away when I am speaking to you. Look at me. Look at me. Look-at-me. Answer me, Frances.

Yes, Mommy, I won’t be bad. I promise. Please don’t be mean to me. All I want is you to be nice to me.

Not too much to ask. How dare you talk back to your mother that way.

Father James won’t like it when he finds outthat you've been mean to your mother. Fathers James or Mike or Sister Diedre are the ones that are mean.

They make me want to hit them. Punch them. Pluck their hawk eyes out and squish them like a grape.

Always coming over for dinner. Always talking  about the bad things rather than the nice things.

I don’t want to hear about the world turning black and coming to an end. I want to hear about the nice things;

the animals; and the care bear show; you know about the care bears, right Mr. Skeleton? It’s good,

but not as good as those colored horses in that Pony Show. Rainbow and niceties I live by. I am not a sinner,

you know. I am a good  girl. With goodness in my soul that runs through my vines. You know Mr. Skeleton.

I am not retarded what those people make me ought to be. I am just as smart as anybody else.

I’m just as smart as them. I know that Sister Diedre has a black soul, black as the devil’s horns.

Always looking down at me. Always scolding me. Always whipping me. Whipping the devil out of me.

Jokes on her; the devil was inside of her all along. It didn’t matter if she beat or whipped 

I never sinned in my life and never will. My heart is as big as hers.

I may be bold to say this, but I think Sister Diedre is a bitch; I’m sorry for saying that;I learned that word from Michelle. She’s an old friend of mine, Mr. Skeleton.

She is always nice to me. She makes me feel at home. She’s like a sister to me.

Though I have a sister of my own; a twin; she comes to visit me once and awhile;

she sometimes brings my nephews and nieces around here. They come and see me.

Linda is 30 and Martin Jr. is 27. They’re always so nice to me.

They always hold my hand and caress my palms. They treat me like a baby.

Sometimes I have to remind them and myself that I am not  a baby. I am 67 year old. I am a grown up.

I need to behave like one.  I am still learning. It’s taking time.

But sometimes, Mr. Skeleton, sometimes I slip up and act like a child when I shouldn’t be.

They don’t like it. People in the asylum are so mean to me. Always calling me retarded.

Always treating me like a child. Not taking what I say seriously. It's a very lonely life being Frances.

Don’t feel bad about yourself, Franny.

They are only mean to you  because they don’t understand you very well; not the way I do.

You're a very nice girl. But I am not  a little girl. But you are to me. You are very sweet and innocent.

That is something these folks around here don’t have. And they loathe you for it. Especially the staff.

That’s why they are always mean to you. Do you think so? Yeah, I do. I sometimes think the other way around.

I’m the one loathing them. They look so complete and sure of themselves. Makes me jealous, Mr. Skeleton.

Makes me want to rip their faces out with my claws. And wear their skin on my face. That way, I will become an

adult just like them. Isn’t that a terrible thing to say, Mr. Skeleton? No, Frances I don’t think so. You’re expressinghow you’re feeling. And you feel angry and jealous. And that’s important to know that.

If you’re not aware of how you’re feeling, then you’ve not grown up. And you’re growing up, slowly but surely.

You’re becoming a woman. Do you think so? Absolutely.

And I want to thank you for trying to save me from that Halloween decoration. The moment I saw you,

I knew you had to be saved. You had to be with me. Only with me. And here you are! Right here with me!

Oh, it sure is nice to have company this late night. When it’s dark and awfully lonely.

Nothing to do but lay in bed. Let the night pass. It makes me want to jump out of bed and dance like crazy.

We wouldn’t want that, would we? I guess not, I’d get in trouble for being out of bed. That’s right.

I just can’t help myself. I’m just so happy! I want to be happy like this forever. Due time and you will.

The older you get, you’re one step closer to happiness. Oh? I thought it was death. Yeah!

When you die, you don’t have to feel a thing. You will be happy now you’ve died.

It’s a wonderful thing not feeling anything. Are you sure about that, Mr. Skeleton? I am positive.

Well. I can’t wait to die. Give it time. 

Nurse Blossom caught Black Jessica crying by the corner of her room.

What happened here, ladies? Jessica’s roommate Patty,

(Jessica’s roommate) was just as confused as Nurse Blossom was.

She told her that she has no clue what’s happening?

I was sound asleep like a baby, Nurse Blossom, when I suddenly got interrupted and woke up to a wail.

Woke up seeing Jessica wailing in her bed.

I hugged her and asked what happened, but I didn’t get a word from her. She was hysterical.

(Black Jessica can speak alright.

She is not mute, nor is she deaf.

She can give one phrase or two. But that is all one could get from her.)

Nurse Blossom turns the bedroom lights on and discovers a soaked bed.

She pissed the bed! Jessica, you peed the bed!? I’m Sorry.

Don’t be mad at her, Blossom; she didn’t mean to pee.

It just happened. But, Pat, if she had to go pee, why didn’t she ask? Why didn’t you call earlier?

I had no idea she already peed when I woke up seeing her cry?!

We taught her time and again that if she had to use the bathroom, just get up, press the button by the door,

buzz the staff, and we would come as fast as we could and take her to the bathroom.

You called us, Patty, and I thank you for that.

But Jessica needs to learn how to advocate for herself. Or she could’ve gone to the bathroom herself?

How can she when the door is locked, Patty?

No one is allowed to leave at night, you know that. Right, you make a good point, Nurse.

I still don’t understand why Jessica is crying? Beats me? I’m sorry! Jessica, hon, calm down.

Everything is alright, Nurse Blossom is here. She's gonna take care of you.

Come on, Jessica; let’s get you out of these pajamas and into a new one.

We wouldn’t want to get a rash, do we now?

Not at all, Nurse. Come on, Patty, you can help me gather those sheets and take them to the laundry room,

to get washed. Mrs. Massey will get to them tomorrow morning.

We will save her the trouble by putting them in the washing machine.

You got it, chief. She held Jessica by her side and escorted her to the Ladies Bathroom.

Otis, the security guard, pierced his head through the doorway of his little closet office and caught Nurse Blossom,

Black Jessica, and Patty walking ahead through the dark narrow hall of the ward.

Whispering, almost sounding like he was hollering, he asked Nurse Blossom where they were going.

Taking Jessica to the bathroom to get clean; she said and then continued; Go back to your office, Otis;

everything is fine here.

Okay, then, good night, Nurse Blossom.

Night, Otis. They continued walking their way to the bathroom.

Lisa? What is it, Michelle? Did you hear that? NO. Go back to bed. I could be wrong,

but I thought I heard Nurse Blossom outside our room, passing through?

I must be deaf or something because I didn’t hear what you heard outside our room.

Why do you always gotta be so mean to me when I am telling you something?

Because I am tired and want to go to bed, and you should too.

You weren’t tired when those fellers were discussing pornography.

Don’t get me started with that. I won’t. Go to bed! AS YOU WISH!!