PART THREE h - Therapy

  "Oh, him. That. Well… naturally, there was a thorough investigation. MP gets his face blown apart? You have to answer a few questions, fill out a few forms."

  "More than that…"

  "Yeah. Here's the deal. Upon investigation. The guy had a base house, because he was married. He had a wife and kid. They weren't home when this happened. They were staying at a retive's house."

  "Were they split up? That's why he was drinking."

  "No. The… wife? Had one of those crazy ex boyfriends. You know, stalker kind of deal? Wouldn't leave her alone. The guy had called before, she had called before. This wasn't the first time, that house had reported someone sneaking around at night, scaring them. Trying to get in, or just scaring them that they were trying."

  "They arrest him?"

  "No. Couldn't prove that was him at the house before we got there, probably scared him off. But. Because this had been going on? The guy had a reason to have a gun, and be ready for the crazy guy to come in, if he ever got ballsy enough to make it into the house."

  "He didn't go to jail for shooting the MP?"

  "No. See, he had documentation, from calling for this before. Now… we got there, and we're going around the house with little fshlights. The guy called MP's, they said sit tight till the MP's arrive. Here we are, fshlights, sneaking around. When we went to knock on the door twice? Guy was scared. Prowler… now two fshlights… now knocking at the door, twice… he had a good reason to shoot through the door. Some crazy asshole was stalking him and his wife. Accidental shooting, guy acted in reasonable fear for his life and home."

  "Wow. Wish they got the… crazy stalker. He caused all this, and your buddy almost died."

  "I know. Well, like I told you before. Karma. You put good karma out? More good karma comes back in. But, you put that bad karma out? More bad karma comes in on you. This stalker guy? Had been putting out bad karma, and… no one had to do a thing, because the universe took care of him."

  "Really? He get run over by a truck or something?"

  "No. The MP's found the guy one night. Other end of the base, different MP unit. They found someone, ying in a pool of blood, he got hurt real bad. Funny you said, ran over by a truck? Cause he was ying in a parking lot, and with all the damage and blood… they initially thought he'd been run over by a truck or a car or something."

  "What happened to him?"

  "Oh. No one knew. He didn't even know. He was in a bar… he wakes up in the hospital. They found a picture on him. Someone id a photograph of a woman on him. That homeowner? Ended up being his wife."

  "Oh. The husband got him."

  "No. They thought that. Husband? Was with people all night, on camera somewhere. Wasn't him. Then, they thought maybe the MP that got shot? He was somewhere all night, people all saw him. Wasn't him. No… no one ever found out what happened to him. I mean, he don't even know. But that photo left on him? I bet he figured out it must have had something to do with her."

  "Did the whole thing… stop, get better?"

  "Yeah. Real quick. Seems crazy stalkers can't stalk so well, when they get hurt so bad, they have trouble walking. Now… see, this is a perfect example, of yet again. Karma. You, don't have to do anything. The universe? Will hand out karma, to the people that deserve it. Good people? Get good karma. Bad people? They attract bad karma. Its automatic. All you have to do? Is… let the universe, put you, wherever it is that you're supposed to be."

  "You make it sound so simple."

  "It is. Now, this isn't a religion. Its a philosophy. Remember, I told you before. Religion? Is for people who're afraid of going to hell. Philosophy? Is for people who have already been there. Now… let's pretend. That everyone in the whole world? Practiced karma. If everyone, only put good karma out? Which is doing nice things for people. There would only be good karma going around. I mean, its obvious it would work. If everybody, only did good things for people? Where would bad things come from. They wouldn't exist. We would all be doing good things for people, and only good things would happen to us, when other people did those good things to us. Life would be heaven."

  "But, its not."

  "No. Unfortunately, there's always assholes. Putting bad karma out. Getting it going around. Take that stalker. He's scaring his ex girlfriend. Scaring the new husband's wife. Guy’s new wife and kid, have to leave home, scared. So, he's there waiting for the bad guy. Now? My buddy, the MP… he gets accidentally shot in the face. All because of that asshole. Then? The universe saved up all that bad karma, and sent it back where it belonged. And no one had to do a thing, it just happened."

  "How do you know when you're where you're supposed to be? Where the universe wants you."

  "Old story. The universe, wants you on top of the mountain. Its where you're supposed to be. But, you can't know that. But, you practice good karma. Neighbor's kid, is looking for the animal that got out. He can't find it. Would you go looking and get the animal? Now… a person with bad karma, will say… ain't my problem. Get the hell out of here. Find your own damn animal. I got my own thing going on. Bad karma. Now… if you practice good karma? You go. Hey, kid. Stop crying. I'll look for the animal. And… you see tracks. You follow the tracks. The tracks, seem to lead up the mountain."

  "Hmm."

  "So. You follow the animal tracks, and now you're on top of the mountain. You find the animal, and you're leading it back down, to the neighbor's kid. When you see someone, who almost fell off the cliff, and is going to fall off. You rush over to help, and you save them. Wow. More good karma. Now? You and the person you saved… come down. The kid? Is all happy, you found the animal. The person you saved? Is quite tickled pink you happened along when you did. Now. One day, when you need it? The universe sends you someone to help you. Because. You helped the kid, you let the universe put you on the mountain, just where you needed to be. Without all that? You would never get helped by some other random person. When you need it."

  "I see that."

  "So. When you do one good thing, for the neighbors kid? It led to another, even greater thing. You do one little good thing, and it sets up a chain of other good things. Now. If you put bad karma out? What happened instead. You said no. The kid loses his animal. The person? Fell off the cliff. And? When you need help, no one comes. Because you were putting out bad karma. So, its now your time to get more of it. You do one bad thing, and it sets off a whole chain of bad things."

  "It does make sense."

  "It does to me."

  "Do you think I'm where the universe wants me, Wizzy? Do you think you're where you're supposed to be?"

  "We never really know those things, Light. We have to guess. Now… you had bad things happen to you, when you were young. I think you were supposed to be a dancer. A real star. Those legs, the way you move. To me, that's my guess. Now. A couple people, did some very horrible things to you. They took that away from you. You couldn't enjoy dancing anymore. Then, Teddy Ball found you. And, he found a whole new use for those long legs of yours. He found a whole new use for your… bance and agility and air you can get. He made you… a star again."

  "Maybe."

  "Well. I think the universe led you here. You're a big star here, doing what Teddy Ball taught you. You… escaped. You finally got to experience boys again. You found Hurry. She's helping you get better. And you're helping Hurry, too. She wants that ring, and I think you're getting it for her. And you're becoming a star all over again, doing it. The coach is happy you're here. Hurry is happy you're here. I know I'm happy you're here. You think even Teddy Ball is happier here?"

  "He says he is."

  "Well… everybody's happier. Everyone? Is doing good things for everyone else, all that good karma going out, and going around. We can't know, we can only guess. But? I think, maybe you're right where the universe wanted you to be."

  "And you, Wizzy?"

  "I think I am. I know I wouldn't have run off and joined the service, if I hadn't of been the show boyfriend three times in a row. I know, I turned into something else there. I got to save my friend, the MP that night. Everybody was happy about that. That led to me meeting my… mentor. He? Helped me understand I could be both people. The geek I was in high school, and the newer, tougher guy I turned into. I could be both. I shouldn't re-enlist as an MP… I should go to college, like I originally would have done, if I hadn't of been running away from the show thing. Then, I get here. Four years ter, not four years earlier. Which has me see you. Which, somehow leads to me and Hurry. Which brings me to you."

  "And you're happy?"

  "I am. I know the first two years, I was just living in a dirt hole. Not having any luck with girls. Not even with you. But? No more dirt hole, no more… tampons out of toilets at 4:00 am. Now? I live where the rich kids live. I eat healthy food, comes in by the truckload. I have a soccer rodeo calendar girl, and… now another soccer pole vaulter calendar girl."

  "You are happy."

  "Very. I used to wonder what was wrong, what did I do, to deserve being the Groundhog. No girl. Living in a dirt hole, fixing toilets. Now? All luxury, two gorgeous calendar girls… now I wake up some days, and question what the hell I did so right, to deserve all this."

  "I just wish I could sleep. Its not fair I keep you two up."

  I weighed in.

  "You got about 4 hours. More, even. That's not too bad, based on everything. I think he's right. You were able to get some sleep, you're not that bad. Losing sleep? Is kind of like… mother nature's antidepressant. Its probably better for you right now, than any… antidepressant pill anyone could prescribe. I'm tired. Anyone mind if I go back to bed?"

  "Do… you mind if I stay up with Light?"

  "Its fine. Do you two mind if I get a couple more hours of sleep?"

  Both agreed that was marvelous. He said, that he read somewhere that if you were up two hours early, you were supposed to watch your favorite movie. He asked Lightning if she wanted to watch her favorite movie. Which of course, needs no hard guesses to figure out. He got some leftover Chinese he had made before out, and microwaved them some. She went and got her bnket and pillows, so they could eat and watch the Wizard of Oz, on low, on the living room big screen TV.

  I smiled at him and waved before I went up. He smiled and waved back. I went to sleep. When I got up at the correct wake up time, shortly before the arm, I had a quick morning pee and then took a little nap. Then I crept downstairs. The Wizard of Oz was pying on tiny volume. It had repeated. He had been sitting up against the couch on the floor, pillows behind him. Looked like she had been ying her head on his stomach or thighs. I'm guessing at this. Looked like he fell or slid down and alongside her, ying sideways using him for a pillow.

  So, they were more or less half hugging each other's thigh, shin, knee area. He was stretched out straight, she had one leg cocked up. Which put her ankle about in his hug. Bnkets and pillows all over, two empty ptes and empty mugs pushed aside. Something about the whole scene, reminded me of a young kid couldn't sleep with a bad dream. Then an indulgent and friendly father with a great attitude fell asleep watching the kid's favorite movie for the umpteenth time. Teddy Ball is even in this little sleepover pileup.

  He's good at this. Real good. He can give a sort of "natural" therapy to a person. I don't know if he was always like this. Empathetic and kind. Maybe he picked it up off his mentor. God, I can feel that little stab in my tummy now too. Wishing that mentor was still around. Coming to visit his former pupil, get to see him work his magic. Because if he's a natural therapist, great at it? How awesome was that guy, you know? Some kind of modern day goddamn zen Buddhist master.

  You didn't find him sitting on top of some mountain either. On accident, following the animal tracks to help out your neighbor's kid worried about the lost animal. You saved someone about to fall off the cliff. Then you, the animal, and the person you helped? Stayed and talked with the master. He told you a few easy parables, listened to your stories, told you some of his own. And somehow expined the whole universe to you. How it worked, and it was easy. Here's all you have to do, and here's how to choose. You all walked down the mountain, and lived happy lives, always following the kind few words of the master you chanced upon.

  Anyone that man met? He touched and changed their lives, effortlessly. Wow. Now I'm watching him do it. For me, for her. He had compared his mentor to some zen Buddhist monk, the kind you find in some temple. But they didn't just teach you the mysteries of the universe, did they? No, they taught you to defend yourself, or to kill with a wave of your hand, as well. Only if you were worthy, only if you were good and had something pure in you. A rare sigma male, had mentored a younger rare sigma male.

  The story, had so much easy detail that I judged it to be an accurate retelling. The time his buddy got shot in the face and he had a touch of PTSD that went away. He was talking to me too, I'm sure of it. The disturbed immature 14 year girl was sitting with him, not the bright and sensitive and mature beyond her years 19 year old. She took his parables for parables. I read his code loud and clear. Damn it, I might have heard the coded nguage of Moody and didn't hear it for what it was. But? I know his. I know him, and his rare personality type.

  Sigma lightning struck, and struck hard. Once the thought occurred to me, the whole story unfolded itself to me, like a little movie in my head. He can't sleep. He runs around with the MP's he follows to the gym and the range. They're watching him, for his images and not sleeping. MP's were going and interviewing the poor homeowner. He went with, he's a scene witness too and they're keeping an eye on the guy that just happened to be there and save their MP buddy's life.

  They're going over the story again and again with the poor homeowner. Too easy. He heard it all, of course. Looked at photos in the living room, they're in the kitchen. Having coffee, interviewing. He palmed one little picture of the wife. He couldn't sleep anyways. He found the guy, the crazy stalker ex boyfriend ruining their lives to the point the man's wife and child moved out temporarily. He studied his habits.

  When the chess pieces put themselves on the board in just the right pces? He crept out and sigma lightning struck in that parking lot. You were terrorizing a woman and a child, breaking up a family. You got my buddy shot in the face, and almost ruined the life of a good man for your shit. He hurt him, bad. So badly, he didn't know what hit him. Literally. He passed for ran over by a truck. He dropped the picture, so he'd know exactly what it was for.

  The husband? Had a perfect alibi. The MP shot? Perfect alibi. All the other MP's that were friends with the poor guy got shot, would have had motive. They were in the clear too. It just… happened. Hell, he probably helped arrange the perfect alibi some way himself. Gently. Without being obvious. You know guys, how about a party? Him, the homeowner, you guys… dinner and a few drinks. What are we celebrating? Hell guys, celebrating our battle buddy lived and he's getting better.

  And when the other MP squad investigated? You looked hard at the husband. Alibi. The guy shot in the face? Alibi. His MP friends… nothing. You run out of suspects. If you even knew, there was a computer guy living there by some stroke of the universe's weird way of operating? You asked around. Oh. That's computer boy. He's the Wizard. Reads a lot.

  Is he like the MP's? Oh, no. Quiet, polite. Why, you can get in his face? He shies away from trouble. Hell, he probably was on camera too, and walked out the back door and returned in minutes. Took a shit, right on camera.

  No. You'd be looking for a different personality. Some alpha male. Not some quiet little computer programmer group beta. A wall flower, a shrinking violet. The intellectual, in the service for computer college money. Electronics hobby. If you dug enough? Look, that quiet beta? Our mascot, we take him with us. His nerves are shattered, from seeing his friend's face blown apart in front of his eyes. Computer guy, not an MP, sir.

  How silly of me. And when you talk to him, look at him. Get your cop's feel. When his sigma personality has him running in default beta mode? All boyish charm, something sweet and innocent. He has it now, and I bet younger he had more of it. No, you sat and looked at your suspects. In a group, brainstorming. Someone asked about him? They ughed. Right, just kidding.

  Now. Sitting here quietly, marveling at him. I'm his… soul mate or something. He was impressed with green queens, but they would mate with obvious alpha males. He found his corn queen. And now that the little movie is done running in my head, I'm realizing it. He's still pying chess. He never stops. For two years? His buddy's, thought they were one up on their fighting instructor. He was one step ahead of them, the entire time. Instead of butting heads with the boys natural inclination to snatch up stray girls, he had used it to his advantage. They thought they were winning, with their usual winning strategy… and they were just doing his own work for him. While he sat back, smirking.

  He's pying another chess game now, too. He knows, part of the therapy for Lightning, is to be able to tell details of the horrible things that happened to her, and not freak from it. He told me, get details. Names. Rough dates. Descriptions of people, pces, and things. Anything I could get, and put it aside. What did the business do, what were the buildings like. Where did these things occur, show me.

  My buddies? Oh, they're all cops now. All over the pce. It'll take me a while, to figure out just the right one. Its coming to me like a crystal ball, and I can divine the future. I'm looking into Teddy Ball and seeing it, like one of his action movies he likes. He likes the ones with the unstoppable hero running around, sure, the typical male comic book superhero story turned into a juvenile action flick. But, he particurly likes the other ones.

  One guy, runs around the whole movie. On the edge of it all. Taking it all in. And in the end, that one little side character? Actually set it all up. Had everyone hang themselves. The guy that just smirks, pulls the string, and the big complicated pn springs. Interlocking impossible mechanisms all click and whir, and the trap closes.

  Its too perfect. He knows there's a very bad alpha in a small town somewhere. Surrounded by his henchmen and corrupt power structure he sits on. The sort of bad alpha, who should know to be wary of a sigma male. They're terrified of them. They know they're out there, and you can't see them coming.

  He's arranging a gigantic sigma lightning strike. I read his coded messages. You, Little Lightning? You just concentrate on putting good karma out. Then? More good karma will come back to you. The universe, will bring bad karma back to these people. Its just how the universe works, honey. You don't have to lift a finger, its automatic.

  And when you don't reap your bad karma, it builds up and multiplies. When it comes home to roost, its bad. Don't worry honey. One day? People like this will piss off the wrong person. They always do.

  They already have.

  They just never met him, and have no idea. They have no possible way, to see it coming.

  Light has one thing wrong, in her fucked up fairy tale. Hell, the whole fairy tale and its characters and situations are all rearranged and screwed around with. He's not her tin man. No, someone a long time ago gave him a nickname, and it stuck. He's the Wizard. But, this Wizard is running a double blind. Sure, there's a man behind the curtains. You pull back the curtains, and he's actually a small man, and not scary and powerful at all.

  And that's his secret power. Nothing to see here. But, he's back there. Behind the scenes. Smart. Cunning. Ruthless, even. Some… agent of the universe, charged with handling karma. Behind the curtain. Where all the ropes and pulleys and switches and everything gets controlled that you see on the stage. If all the world's a stage, and we're merely pyers? He's the director you never think of. You see the heroes, the vilins. The victims, the ordinary people. You see the stagehands sometimes, if you notice. You see the security guard, the kid making popcorn and handing out cold drinks and candy. There's some old guy tearing tickets in two, and seeing you to your seat.

  But, you never see the man behind the curtain, who's really making it all happen, what you see on that stage.

  I know how he operates, in a way. His buddies he enlists? They won't be doing him a favor. No, he'll be doing them the favor. Hey, guys? Want to all get together, cooperate, and bring down a huge case and be the heroes? Make your careers as the best and the brightest at what you do? Take all the credit. You guys? Were great. You changed my life. Here.

  And? They'll listen and hear it out and take a look. Because this is the Wizard. The mascot, that they learned should hear the stories, and point out little things for them. Hey, we're stumped. Run it by the Wizard.

  Hey, Bobby? You gotta see this one. Where did you get all this? Wow. This is too good to be true. Can't be. Bobby, it came from the Wizard. Oh… right. Well, that's usually another matter then, isn't it. Let's see that all again.

  He's the Wizard.

  He even wore green for four years.

  I can hear Right going to the bathroom upstairs. I let her sleep in too. I'm looking down at them, and its really cute. I could get so jealous so quick under normal circumstances, and so easily. I don't have the heart to bang pots and pans together and startle them. I settled for nudging him with my foot. Gently, gently. He's stirring now, and rolling into her leg and ankle to get away from my offending foot. I finally get his confused eyes opening, looking around to see where the hell he is, why I’ve been repced with her. He looks up at me, I assumed a cocked hip and crossed arms and my faux pissed face. My best imitation of phone cunt. Its not convincing.

  He looked into her ankle and knee area, up at me gring down at him. Over at the TV, back again at it all.

  "She got some sleep."

  "And what exactly went on here…"

  He kissed her ankle and knee to rouse her, smiling.

  "Nothing. I need my head examined. Know any psych students I could get to take a look at---"

  "Not off the top of my head. The other kid is up. Would you like examined by a Women's Studies student? I can arrange that. You wanna expin this to her?"

  "Oh, Christ no. It'll be all patriarchy crimes against the poor oppressed women. I perpetuate rape culture. If I'm mean to women? I'm a sexist asshole. But if I'm nice to women? That's a microaggression."

  "Well. You actually do listen to all her rants. I'm impressed."

  He rubbed his chin on her ankle cupped around it a couple times, to more fully rouse her. She's stirring.

  "Okay, I was kidding. But now, I'm jealous. Kisses…"

  I held my foot out for him. I got a smile and some kisses on my ankle, top of foot junction. She's waking up now, eyes are slits and some stretches.

  "Mm. That was you. It tickled. You need a shave… why is it light out?"

  "Because I let you sleep in. Figured you could use it."

  They're both up against the couch now. He got the TV and the DVD pyer off. Right came around the kitchen. She took it all in. He looked up, upraised palms.

  "Its not what it looks like. We ate leftover Chinese."

  She looked around some more.

  "If anything was going on, you'd both be getting Hurricane-d right now. Are you gonna get your zy ass up and make breakfast? I'm starving. Then you two can go back to kicking it to the Wizard of Oz, for all I care."

  I picked up the dishes, Light gathered up bnket and pillows and trotted them up the steps and back to her room. His big contribution was the remote went back. I shook the dishes at him.

  "Dish viotion, mister."

  Lightning heard it and responded.

  "Actually? I'm starting to miss dishes everywhere."

  I softened.

  "Yeah. I know what you mean."