“Officer, you just have to do something,” Ken said from the corner of 5th Avenue and 36th Street, smoothing down his blond locks. “Look at her up there. She’s going to jump any moment.”
“What does it matter to you folks, anyway?” the policeman said with the New Jersey accent in his voice that always made Ken think of bologna sandwiches and beer. “She falls, you just put her back together. Or you can get another one.”
Ken didn’t want another one – he wanted his Barbara, she was the only one for him. And he had to get her right in the head again. Ever since that nasty Emily Waterston had thrown her away, his dear sweet Barbara had been beside herself. Why, the liquid tears feature had malfunctioned and now she cried all the time, even without a master to push the button on her back.
“Barbara,” Ken screamed up the side of the building, hoping his beloved would hear him – he never called her Barbie, that demeaning nickname that all her masters had called her, he always called her by her given name. She deserved all the dignity in the world, his glorious, statuesque lady of poise, grace, and long blonde hair. “I’m coming up to get you. Please don’t jump!”
Barbara looked down from the ledge and began to cry. “What’s life worth, anyway? These little girls always grow up and then toss me out with the garbage or give me to some bratty little Episcopalian in Westchster. I’m going to jump –“
“No,” Ken screamed up. “We’ve got a life together, sweetheart –“
“Good-bye, Ken,” Barbara said. “Now’s my time …”
Ken ran into the building, up the stairs to the eighth floor, past the policeman guarding the room, out to the ledge where his beloved stood, leaning forward and ready to jump.
“No,” he said. “Let’s run away together to St. Thomas. We can live on the beach and drink rum and coke all day long. Please, sweetheart, just for me … Barbara.”
The tears stopped pouring from his very own’s ducts, she turned to him and kissed him on the cheek.
“It’s too late for us, Ken. Good-bye.” And then she jumped – so Ken jumped after her, and they both fell to their demise at the feet of the New Jersey policeman.
“Oh, brother,” the cop said. “I’ve seen it all now. Wait ‘til I tell Sid from homicide about this one.”
No comments:
Post a Comment