The crying and wailing woke him from a deep slumber. Was someone in distress? Shaking off his stupor, he attempted to glance but it was so dark he could not even see his hand before his face. Before he could figure out where he was, the sounds became louder. He called out: “Who is there? Can you hear me?” He got nothing but silence in return.
He spoke louder and asked: “If you can hear me, tap on the wall.” Still nothing. Well, this is puzzling as he distinctly heard the loud crying. Somebody was there; someone close to him. Of that he was now certain. Then it happened.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.
“I said tap, not bang!”
The powerful sound reverberated throughout his enclosure causing his ears to ring and ache. It was like an echo chamber inside his head. Then he heard her speak. It was a woman.
“Where am I? Why is it so dark? What is happening? I don’t understand!”
“Calm down lady and we’ll figure this out. What is your name? Mine is John but my friends call me Jack. Again, what’s yours?”
He could hear slight snuffling noises from the other side of the metal wall.
“Janie, but first names only. I do not feel comfortable giving my last name. Nothing personal but I simply believe it’s safer. I don’t know you and you don’t know me. Let’s keep it that way. Okay?”
“Yeah, I am good with that. What do you think happened to us? These are strange, bizarre circumstance we’re in; that’s for sure.”
“Agree. This place is like the Black Hole of Calcutta, only darker.”
He snickered at her response. At least he had a little sense of humor left but wasn’t certain if he possessed other senses.
“Perhaps we may’ve been kidnapped,” she continued. “And are being held for ransom. That’s my guess but on second thought, perhaps not. I don’t have any money to speak of except my monthly disability check from Uncle Sam. How about you? Any money?”
“Nope, same here. No big bucks in the bank either.”
“I’m chilly. All I’ve got to keep me warm is this silly sheet. At least our captors could have given me a decent blanket. Those cheap bastards! First there’s no light and now I don’t even have a pillow. When we get out of here, I’m going to complain like crazy about the service. It really sucks, big time.”
“I know, I know. I fumbled around for a light switch but couldn’t find one to save my soul. If it was not for this sheet, I could be frozen stiff or a frozen stiff. Thank God for small favors.”
“Hey, here’s a thought. We were scooped up by ICE, a case of mistaken identity. They’ll release me soon when they realize I’m a bona fide U.S. citizen, born in Chicago USA. Oh, I see a juicy lawsuit coming! Illegal detention and all that stuff. I’ll finally have enough money to rent an apartment and live a good life for a change. Halleluiah, I’ve just landed feet first in tall cotton!”
“Possibly, since they have been operating in the city recently. So, Janie, what you’re saying is that we’ll be sprung soon once they properly confirm our citizenship. We both know that bureaucratic snafus happen all the time. Read the papers, it’s true.”
“But what if our detention is more permanent? Say we are in jail or prison. Take it a step further and say we have been convicted of some horrible crime. What if we are on death row awaiting to be executed? I don’t want to die. Certainly not like that.”
“Janie, you are letting your imagination run wild. I don’t remember committing any crimes. How about you? No, I didn’t think so. That’s not the answer to our predicament. What are your last thoughts, memories before you ended up here? That may solve the riddles as to why we’re here.”
“Good question. As I recall, I was sitting on a bench at the pocket park near the lake. The one just off 23rd Street. It was a sunny, mild day and I was feeding the pigeons. Someone left a half bag of popcorn, so I fed the birds. I about emptied the bag when I had a severe coughing fit. It felt like I couldn’t catch my breath, spitting up gobs of phlegm. My lungs were on fire. No matter how hard I tried to stop the hacking, I couldn’t. The very last thing I remember was dropping my cigarette and seeing one of the pigeons swooping down, grabbing it in its beak, and flying away. Then I went to black until I awoke here. How about you Jack? What was your last memory?”
“Sorry, I don’t feel like sharing. It’s too painful.”
“No fair Jack. I’ve shown you mine, now it’s your turn my friend.”
“Okay, okay. But when we get out of here, I want you to promise never to mention what I’m about to tell you. Promise?”
“Yep, I do. Cross my heart and hope to die. So please go ahead and start talking.”
“I had fallen on tough times. My life was in the toilet, scatological speaking. I was a basket case without even the pretense of a basket. I lost my house in a nasty divorce; the kids disowned me, and my car was repossessed by my creditors. I’d sunk into a deep depression and couldn’t climb out to save my life. I took the train into the city to see the lights and the people. It did not lift my spirits. On the contrary, I even felt worse as I saw people laughing and enjoying themselves. I checked into a YMCA and went to the rooftop to get a better perspective on my life. Peering over the edge, I saw how useless, irrelevant I had become. That is the last I remember.”
“That’s a sad story, Jack. I am terribly sorry you had to endure the pain of loss, the loss of everything you owned and everyone you loved. I hope better for your future when we get released. Soon, I pray.”
Just then the door to Janie’s room opened, letting in light. She excitedly exclaimed “Jack I’m going home! See you on the other side my new, best friend, good luck.”
***
The tray smoothly traveled out of the freezer, spot number 9. The diener positioned the gurney to match the height of the tray and rolled the body onto it. It was now up to him, and he alone, to finish the last stage of processing. He carefully checked her toe tag to make sure it accurately reflected his records. It was critical that no mistakes were made. The toe tag stated the following:
Name: Jane Doe
Address: No fixed
Gender: Female
Cause of Death: Myocardial Infarction, Pneumonia
Date of Death: On/About June 15, 2015.
Place of Death: Lakeside Memorial Park, City
Next of Kin: Unknown
The diener was satisfied with the records, all the information was correct. After signing the existing death certificate, he pushed the gurney to the conveyer belt and flipped the switch, setting the machinery in motion. Jane’s body easily moved from gurney to belt in one swift motion.
He then played Chopin’s Funeral March on his audio cassette, turning up the volume to help soften the sizzling, popping sounds of burning flesh and bones. The corpse would reduce to fine ash in about 3 hours, tops. The classical song was a tribute, a customary send-off for the dear departed at the morgue, a final goodbye.
John, aka Jack, Doe patiently waited his turn.
