“The storm is over”

It had been over 15 minutes since Jenny had written an entire page. That meant only one thing – writer’s block. She sat pondering, thinking, and typing without deliberate aim or intent. Then, like a flash of lightning, inspiration hit! She began typing:

(backspace, backspace, backspace)
“The storm is over….
A raven soars through the soft ocean breeze, uneffected and unaware, but knows only one thing – estrangement. Estrangement towards the torment that lie behind and ahead will bring a weathered man to his resting bed. The storm is over but not forgotten. And as the fog lifts away from the wreckage I will begin too…”

The ring of the doorbell.

“FUCK!!”

Jenny, angry and frustrated, bolts towards the door, and swings it open.

“I was on a roll and you interrupted my fucking…” She then realizes it is little Tommy Steadson at the door, the local lawn mowing boy.
She covers her mouth in embaressment.

“Hey Tommy. I’m so sorry. How are you today?” Jenny said apologetically.

“I’m good Ms. Schecter. Do you need me to mow your lawn today?”

“That would be great Tommy. I’ll give you 10 extra dollars if you don’t tell your parents about my potty mouth,” Jenny said chuckling.

“Okay Ms. Schecter.”

Jenny fumbles through her purse looking for money unsuccessfully.

“I can’t find any fucking mun…”
She slaps her hand back over her mouth acknowledging the fact she cursed again.
“I’m so sorry,” She mouths to Tommy.

“What are you writing today Ms. Schecter?”

“You know what…I really dont know,” Jenny says as she stares blankly at the sky towards an unexistant muse.

“Yeah…well….i’m writing a paper for my class at school?”

“Oh really? What is it about?”

“I’m writing about my trip to the zoo. My favorite animal is the Manatee,” Tommy replies gleefully.

“Manatees?”

“Yep, its a big fat sea cow – like my Aunt Suzy,” Tommy says.

“Oh my Tommy! Thats quite the description,” Jenny says, “I bet I could learn a lot for you huh?” She finally finds a 20 dollar bill and slaps it in Tommy’s hand. “There you go kiddo.”

“Thank you Ms. Schecter. Tell Tim I said hi,” Tommy said as he ran down the stoop and towards the sidewalk.

“I will…If he ever speaks to me again,” Jenny whispers to herself contemplatively.

The telephone rings from inside the house.
Jenny bolts back inside and rushes to the phone. A small piece of her wished it was Tim on the phone, but a much larger part of her wished for Marina.

“Hello?”
“Hey Jen, it’s me. I have the afternoon off. Let’s meet up downtown.”

It was Shane.

“Hey Shane. I dont know though. I’ve been trying to write all morning, but so far i have nothing but pages and pages of bullshit,” Jenny replied.
“It might do you some good to get away from the computer for a few hours.”
“Yeah…maybe you’re right. What do you want to do?”
“how about drinks at Cathouse. It’s ladies night,” Shane with a spark of excitement.
“hmmm…..i don’t know….i have a better idea Shane!”
“What’s that?”
“Lets go to the zoo. I want to see the Manatees?”
“Manatees?”
“yeah…the big fat sea cows. I’d really like to go.”
“Okay Jen. You are so weird but that’s why i love you. I’ll meet you down there.”
“Okay Shane. Bye”

Jenny grabbed her purse and rushed towards the car. She arrived at the zoo in record time. She couldn’t get there fast enough.

—————————————————–

At the zoo….

“Isn’t this amazing? Look how beautiful they are. I just want to let all of the animals free and run wild with them,” Jenny said as she spread her arms wide and closed her eyes as if she was talking to mother nature herself.

Shane glared quizzically at Jenny for a brief moment then flipped her Aviators back over her eyes, and flicked her bangs back into her face with smooth apathy.
“It’s great Jen. I love being sober in the heat of day with hundreds of grandma’s and thousands of ankle-biters running around.”

“Sarcasm is the root of all evil,” Jenny said, not loosing one bit of her enthusiasm for her surroundings.

“So is sobriety,” Shane replied.

“You don’t like it here do you Shane?” Jenny said while giving Shane her puppy dog look.

“It’s alright. I think i’ll get into the spirit a bit more if I had a drink,” Shane said, “I’m gonna grab one, you want anything Jen?”

“I have everything I need thanks,” Jen replied as she spread her arms for the second time.

“When I come back you better not be swimming with those things,” Shane said, “I mean it!”
Shane walked into the sea of people with an air of old Hollywood – too cool for school.

Jenny gazed back to make sure Shane was out of sight. When she certain Shane had rounded the corner and was out of range she stared deeply into the eyes of the Manatee that was obviously the focal point of the exhibit. He was the Alpha Manatee and his prescence was vibrant and tangible if only to Jenny. She shivered for a moment, overwhelmed by the Manatee’s primal aura that was exuding from his synthetic habitat.

Jenny waved her hand at the manatee in greeting. The Alpha Manatee waved right back at her.
Jenny jumped back in amazement.
“Oh my,” She whispered to herself, “He is communicating with me.”
Jenny raised her left leg. The Alpha Manatee raised its flipper towards the left to echoe.
Jenny jumped up and yelled “I love you!” at the Manatee.
The Manatee jumped from atop his rock, down into the water, and jumped upward, much like a dolphin, and yelped, “I love you!” right back to Jenny.
It sounded like your typical mammalian groan to the common bystander, but to Jenny it was phonetically perfect.
“Oh my Gosh! He’s talking right back to me!”
She felt a tap on the shoulder and whipped around in fright. “Oh my god, you scared me!” It was little Tommy Steadson.
“What are you doing hear Tommy?” Jenny questioned.
“I came to talk to the Manatees, I told you they are my favorite,” Tommy replied.
“So your telling me you can hear them talk? Did you hear him talk just a second ago?”
“Of course. They always talk to me,” Tommy replied nonchalantly.

“i thought you were supposed to be mowing my lawn Tommy,” Jenny said.
“I was going to Ms. Schecter but the Manatee beckoned me here,” Tommy replied.
“Well, I think you owe me my 20 back then,” Jenny said holding out her hand.
Tommy got really wide-eyed and ran into the crowd.]

“That little bastard,” Jenny mumbled to herself.

She looks back at the Manatee.

“I’d mow yo’ lawn but hey…I ain’t got no fingers,” said the Manatee.
“Wow, I thought a mystical speaking Manatee would speak better English,” Jenny quipped.
“Haven’t you seen the morons they hire up in this joint? They all idiots, and that’s who I learn shit from. Damn bitch!” said the Manatee in an overly aggressive tone.
“Excuse me?!” Jenny asked folding her arms in digust for the Manatee’s words.
“You heard me bitch!” quoth the Manatee.

Jenny walked away disappointed in the Alpha Manatee’s manners, or lack therof.

“Come back here! I ain’t got a lot of people that come by here to talk to! These other Manatee bitches don’t even speak no English! Damn! COME BACK!! C’MON BABY GIRL!!” screamed the Manatee.

Jenny could hear the desperate cries of the Manatee as she walked away from the exhibit.

“Of course out of all the talking Manatees I come in contact with the one that speaks Ebonics,” Jenny thought.

Jenny needed to find Shane…fast! She needed a drink.

She needed one now….