Daniel Charms, 31 Plays, #14

The Young Man who shocked the Watchman

- Look at yourself, - says the Watchman looking at a fly. If I cover it with carpenter glue I suppose it would never fly again. Isn't this amazing? Simply because of carpenter glue!

- Hey, you, satyr! - a Young Man with yellow gloves calls at the Watchman.

The Watchman realizes instantly that someone was talking to him, but keeps on looking at the fly.

- I am talking to you, you animal!

The Watchman squashes the fly with his finger, and not turning his head, says: - What the hell are you screaming for, you son of a bitch? I can clearly hear you. There is no need to scream!

The Young Man brushes off his pants with his gloves, and asks with a quiet voice: - Listen old man, how do I get to the sky?

The Watchman looks at the Young Man, squinting one of his eyes, than the other, than scratching his little beard looks at the Young Man one more time and says: - What are you standing there for? Go on, move along now.

- I am sorry, - says the Young Man, - but this is an emergency. I even have a room waiting for me there.

- All right, - said Watchman, - show me the ticket.

- I don't have a ticket; they said that I would be allowed in without a ticket,- said the Young Man while looking at the Watchman's face.

- Look at you... - said the Watchman.

- So? - asked the Young Man. - Will you let me in?

- Alright, alright, - said the Watchman - Go.

- But how do I go? Where? - asked the Young Man. - I don't know the way.

- Where do you want to go? - asked Watchman, looking at him seriously.

The Young Man cupping his palms around his mouth whispers: - To the sky!

The Watchman leans forward, moves his right leg for stability, carefully looks at the Young Man and asks with a rigid voice: - What the hell? Are you playing with me?

The Young Man smiles, lifts up a hand covered in a yellow glove, waves it over his head and suddenly disappears.

The Watchman sniffs the air. The air smells of burned feathers.

- Look at you! - says the Watchman, opens up his jacket, scratches his tummy, spits right in the spot where the Young Man stood only a minute before, and slowly goes back into his post.