he was panting trying to cool
down from the dry sauna a mixture of euphoria and nausea he took himself a bit
furthur than he intended but his bestial
intentions always exceeded and superseded
hiswha reason commonsense thinking he became hellbent allowed his base being
his primordial ooze to win in matters of endurance it was always an interesting fascinating battle
usually
his grit won out and that wasnt to say
the animal he was he endured didnt ante-up certain physical stipends for its overreach
but ultimately what he taught himself he had skin in the game
he was really panting brightred overheated
he stood still arms dangling eyes closed riding it out
itd pass eventually
Ya awright man
a voice from his left he was facing his locker and in the lockerroom he was oblivious to men around him
he was on his thing
they were on theirs
Man Ya awright
Yes Thank you Pushed it bit too far
Ya wanna sit down
Nah Want the blood pumping No kinks in the hoseif ya catch my drift
I do I certainly do
Thanks again for asking
Youre welcome
My names Jerome he tapped his left arm with his
fingertips saw that he had his eyes
closed
he twisted his trunk left and extended his hand Jerome Im Joe
Jerome took his hand
they shook
it was always a good thing when taking a mans hand and shaking it you could feel his timber strength resilience recognise theres a real man behind it
he didnt mistake too many handshakes over the years
kinda like ones eyes a window into their soul
he hadnt mistaken many of those either
Cant open my eyes just yetcolours Theyre trying to decide if they want to gang up on me and take me into the black Pass me out
Sure ya dont wanna sit
Nah
Played this game before Always seem to be able to ride it out If I feel really faint Ill set my ass down
Hah man I know the games we play with ourselves
Yeah Makes us better at some obscure level I supposehuh
At some level Youre pinking up the flush is slipping
Yeah I can feel that from here inside
Thats good Good
he panted opened mouth for a few moments Yeah That is good
one eye peeled open
the opened locker stared back it him
it didnt try to dodge him or dip or slip stood right across from him face to face
Better
Yes Jerome Better
he opened his other and sighed Much better Stable
he turned to Jerome I want to thank you again for your concern extending his hand a second time
Jerome grinned shaking his hand again Sumptin tells me you would have done like
I believe I would A pleasure meeting you
Well man Gotta run Ill catch ya around
Great Ill be around
Jerome shouldered his gym bag and
made up the narrow aisle between the lockers and loose wood benches
Whew he breathed under his breath
he really rocked himself
but when you get to where he was now that discomfort puts up a milepost of its own and he knows he can even furthur if he wants when he prepares slips into the mindset to challenge it not that the milepost wouldnt slap him upside the head next time and beat him its a game
Whew
across the bench from him up into the lockerroom stood two men
they didnt say anything to him
he couldnt say that hed ever seen either one of them
they were talking real quiet
their eyes followed Jerome as he went out through a door at the end of the row of lockers there was a small counter and sink and mirror there
the door was opposite it
the man facing him raised his voice a bit just a bit so he could overhear him but he only glanced at him he said I suppose theyre letting in all kinds now
he spoke in a loud voice Yeah All kinds now Lettin in all kinds now
the man with his back turned so they both faced him
I dont know Id be concerned They let you in
they glared
he expected theyd glare
they could glare their outrage all to hell for what he cared
they mumbled again real quiet
as if they thought he was trying to listen in
No he wouldnt listen in on ignorance
wasnt worthwhile
he toweled off he had to walk home yet hed shower at home
the couple of crows kept to their mumbling they wore their outrage on their twitchy shoulders craned their necks made emphatic hand gestures
he had a gesture for them but he withheld it
he exited the lockerroom in the other direction going around a wall into a large foyer another lockerroom was there and the assembled partition heads the side by side urinals and beyond into the bright tiled antiseptic-smelling showers
as he went around the wall he heard first of the two he faced bark Nigger
Ignorant Maybe now theyd jerk each other off
he didnt care Jerome was black he didnt care what colour a man was he didnt care he was white he had nothing to do with who his parents were where he was born no one did people forget that simple fact forget the fortune of their birth
the misfortune isnt forgotten
maybe it can be improved
depends on the person
mileposts
its also not to say a milepost would slap you down when you tried to pass it
thinking this out
since the Day-between-Two-Ts, February Eighth
1132, Sunday, 12 2. 17
1132, Sunday, 12 2. 17
1438 days or less
