09 November 2008

Crazy guy in 14 house

It wasnt right away that i noticed the guy was crazy. it took a few days.
he was fine playing spades, pretty good, actually. He could pick up my tells quick and throw just the right thing to roll us wheels and jump two-hundred points on the suckers sitting to either side. he was fine at dinner, easy conversation about his life before, about what he would do when he got out, about simple things in the world. never seemed crazy then.
but i started to pick up on things, things i hadn't noticed, or didnt' pay attention to, until just one day it caught my attention. like the disinfectant. after using the head and washing his hands with soap and water, he'd spray disinfectant on his hands and rub them together. that had to dry out his skin.
and he had a ritual for going to bed. when i noticed that, i watched it for three days before i asked him about it. three days of the same thing. he'd pull his covers back half way and sit down. he'd stare at his toes for a minute, then lift up his left foot, flip the sandle off, then his right, flip the sandle off, use his big toes to position them so they were even and right straight down from the side of the bunk. then with his feet together, he'd tap the floor on either side of his sandles, once, twice, three, no four times. then roll to the side, grab his covers and flip them up, and slide his feet under and lay totally flat before the blankets would sink over him.
if any part of this did not go exactly to plan, he'd put his shoes on and start over.
I dont remember his name now. i do remember he confided in me that the world would end if he didnt do these things exactly right.
i remember him. crazy or no, he was a good card player.

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