The Enigmatic Mr. Dawsley

  “Yes and do not call me sir.”

  “Sorry, Mr. Dawsley.”

  “It’s quite all right. Hand me those keys, will you?” said Dawsley, pointing to a ring of shining keys hanging upon a peg on the rack containing many others. The man nodded and retrieved the keys. He handed them to Dawsley and Dawsley bade him farewell.

  We returned to the path, this time walking back the way we came. Dawsley walked with an excited bounce in his step and he was whistling an upbeat tune. I, however, was slightly more nervous. I had no idea what our plan for the day was to be and so could not mentally prepare myself. Dawsley, on the other hand, seemed content to stroll into any situation, good or bad, with a tune and a smile. It was quite admirable.

  We came to a large garage at the end of the driveway which was behind the house. Dawsley unlocked a door on the side of the garage and we entered. The room was much larger than one would have guessed just by looking at it from the outside. There were a number of exotic cars that I could not name for the life of me. I was never a car-fanatic as so many other men tend to be which left me at a loss in situations such as this one.

  Mr. Dawsley approached one shining green car nearby and pressed a button on his keychain. The garage doors opened when he did this.

  “Whoops!” he exclaimed, as he looked at his key again and pressed a different button. The head and tail lights blinked and the car chirped to signify that it was unlocked. He entered the driver’s seat and I quickly ran around to the passenger side and entered. Dawsley adjusted his mirrors and his seat. He could not seem to adjust his seat to the ideal setting and so he played with the controls for several moments. He finally gave up with a deep sigh and turned the key in the ignition.

  The car took off down the driveway almost immediately after starting and we managed to just make it through the gates which would have surely harmed us greatly had we been going faster or they slower. I gripped the armrests until my knuckles were white. Dawsley was cheerfully laughing and swerving around on the street like a mad-man.

  “Could we please go a little slower?” I asked.

  “Oh, what fun are you?” he responded as he sped up.

  This shining green coffin for two continued to swerve up and down the streets of Atlantia with total disregard for the many accidents that were almost caused. I was sweating and praying and still squeezing the armrests. What a reckless fool this man was! We sped past a police officer who quickly threw his sirens on and began pursuing us. Dawsley observed this in his rear-view mirror and frowned. He came to a stop so abruptly that I felt as if I was about to pass through the windshield. Even the police officer had not anticipated such a halt and his squad car traveled several yards past us before it stopped. He put his car into reverse and backed up until he was behind us.

  The officer got out of his car and slammed his door furiously. He approached us swiftly and Dawsley rolled the window down to greet him. The fool was smiling as if we had just won some sort of game. The conflicting reactions to the events did not bode well.

  “Are you nuts?!” shouted the officer.

  “Good day, officer!” exclaimed Dawsley.

  “Step out of the car, pal.”

  Dawsley opened the door and exited out into the street. The officer spun him around and cuffed him, reading him his rights. After he had done that, the same was done for me and we were both pushed into the back of the squad car.

  “What is to become of my car?” asked Dawsley.

  “It will be towed and impounded.” replied the officer. “If I had my way, it would be set on fire and the remains dumped into the Atlantic.”

  “Well that would just be downright cruel, dear officer.”

  The officer laughed in disbelief and shook his head angrily. He started the squad car and we drove off, the shining green car becoming smaller in the distance as we went further away. The trip was a silent one. I stared out the window, but was too afraid of my fate to take in the sights of Atlantia. A day ago I was a law-abiding young man who knew what to expect on a trip out into the world. Now here I was, a criminal on an adventure with an eccentric billionaire that ended with us going to jail. I felt like a fool.

  Chapter 2

  We came to the station several minutes later and we were brought inside. They took our possessions and placed us in a holding cell containing actual criminals. There were three men in the cell when we came in and each one looked like they wanted nothing more than to break every bone in my body. Perhaps that was my fear taking control of my judgment, but regardless, I was afraid. Dawsley smiled and introduced himself to all three. He shook each of their hands as they exchanged confused glances with each other.

  “Whatcha in for, Dawsley?” asked one gentleman named Killer.

  “Oh, just a little car trouble. You see, my friend Truman and I were driving more dangerously than one ought to. So, that rude officer out there arrested us and took my vehicle to an impound or something along those lines.” replied Dawsley. “Why are you here, Killer?”

  “Litterin’”

  “Such foolish laws on this island! Someone ought to do something about them.”

  “Hah! That’ll never happen.” said another man named Hopper.

  “And why is that?” asked Dawsley.

  “You think them politicians give a care about us ne’er-do-wells, as they calls us? The laws theys make to keep people in here while theys take all the money is all thats cared about.”

  “Well that’s downright terrible.”

  “Aye, it is pretty awful. You sell an ounce to some teen once and suddenly you’re Al Capone.” interjected the third man, named Tat. “The laws just ain’t fair.”

  “True words, brother. By the way, I ain’t no teen!” replied Hopper.

  “Fooled me. When a cop asks if ya got drugs on your person, only a fool or a teen would say yes.”

  “Don’t you go callin’ me a fool!”

  “I’ll call ya whatever I please!”

  The two men began to scuffle in the cell which entertained Dawsley. I pressed my back against the bars of the cell to keep as far from the fighting as I could. Killer sat on the bed connected to the wall and picked at his fingernails, completely disinterested in what was going on not three feet from him. An officer shouted from behind me.

  “Knock it off in there you two!”

  The men let go of each other and brushed themselves off. They sat in opposite corners of the cell like children and pouted. Dawsley sat down on the floor, which was surprising considering the quality of his clothing, and began to hum quietly. After a few minutes he looked over at me.

  “I think I’m doing quite well out in the world thus far.” he said.

  “How do you figure?” I replied.

  “Well, I have friends and a place to spend time with them. It is a bit dirty and confining, but I find it relaxing nonetheless.”

  “This is a jail cell!”

  “Must you look at it so negatively?”

  “It is a negative place!”

  “Well, I disagree.”

  Before I could respond, the door I was leaning against moved and I fell backwards onto the floor. Killer chuckled and Dawsley guffawed. He stood up and walked over to me, offering his hand to help me up. I took it and he swiftly pulled me up to my feet. The officer that opened the door was laughing.

  “Sorry about that.” he said. “Anyway, you’re free to go.”

  “Why?” asked Dawsley. I could’ve smacked him for asking.

  “Your father knows the chief. I think you can put the pieces together from there.”

  Dawsley frowned and bade farewell to the inmates he had befriended and they wished us luck. The officer led us into the sort of waiting area where they had brought us in and gave our possessions back to us. I walked out and Dawsley followed. Standing on the sidewalk, I remembered that the car had been taken. Dawsley was slow to the realization.

  “Nice fellows in that jail.” he said. “Where are we off to next?”

  ?
??We need to find your car.” I responded.

  “Ah, yes, my car. We could walk instead if you like. It’s a nice day.”

  “Aren’t you worried about your car?”

  “Why should I be worried? It’s been impounded. It isn’t going anywhere.”

  “What if something happens to it?”

  “Like what?”

  “I don’t know. Something bad.”

  “Dear Truman, you’ll have to be much more specific if you wish to raise my anxiety levels.”

  “All I’m trying to say is that it might be a good idea to pick up your car before going elsewhere.”

  “Last time we took my car, we were arrested.”

  “Well, your driving was a bit erratic.”

  “Nonsense! I was taught by the best instructors money could buy. We paid them very well and they told me how great a driver I was!”

  I did not wish to argue any further, so I nodded and sighed. Dawsley took a deep breath of air and smiled. Without any warning, he began walking down the street. I jogged over to him and matched his pace. We had not gone twenty feet before we were asked for money.

  “Any spare change, mister?” asked the feeble-looking man.

  “What for?” replied Dawsley.

  “I’m just looking to buy a sandwich.”

  “Sounds harmless enough!”

  Dawsley produced a twenty dollar bill and handed it to the man. He was shocked and ran a bony hand through his long, greasy hair as he marveled at the bill. I was not as convinced of the man’s intentions as Dawsley was. I had seen men like this take money and use it to buy drugs or alcohol. I tried to get Dawsley’s attention to subtly alert him to the possibility, but he was too focused on the joy of the feeble man. The man immediately turned around, ran down the alleyway he had been standing in prior to our arrival, and handed the bill to a shady-looking character. He was then handed a small bag of powder.

  “Mr. Dawsley! Look at what has just happened!” I exclaimed.

  Dawsley looked and watched the man. Finally he shrugged.

  “What of it?” he said.

  “The man just spent your money on drugs.” I replied.

  “That is his business.”

  “You don’t feel cheated?”

  “Why should I? His priorities are his priorities. It is not my place to decide what that man should and should not do.”

  “But surely you don’t wish him harm.”

  “Of course not! I gave him money in order to help him. If he does something else with it, again that is not my business. Shall we continue walking?”

  I nodded and a smile crept up and took shape upon my face. This man was turning out to be quite a remarkable human being. One does not expect as much from the extraordinarily wealthy, which I must admit, is not a fair judgment to make before getting to know them.

  Chapter 3

  We walked along the sidewalk for several more minutes. Dawsley would occasionally ask a question as to what a particular person was doing, such as handing out fliers for an organization. I would answer and he would nod, as if he were a scientist recording data for some experiment. He had the energy and curiosity of a child at a zoo.

  There came a point where Dawsley came to a complete stop. I did not notice for a few moments and foolishly walked on whilst speaking to no one. When I realized I was alone, I turned around and saw him staring across the road at a fiery-haired woman sitting on a bench alone. I walked quickly back over to him.

  “Do you see something, Mr. Dawsley?” I asked.

  “I see many things, dear Truman.” he replied.

  “Let me try again. Are you looking at that woman over there?”

  “Indeed, I am. What do you suppose her name is?”

  “I haven’t the slightest idea.”

  “Nor do I. Perhaps we shall solve this puzzle.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “Follow me.”

  Dawsley took off across the street before I could protest, nearly being run over by two different cars going in opposite directions. They blared their horns and I ran across, apologizing as I went. The woman looked up to see the source of the commotion, but came face to face with the beaming Mr. Dawsley and his out of breath companion.

  “Hello there.” said Mr. Dawsley.

  “Hello yourself.” she replied. She was quite a striking woman, having an air of high societal status. She seemed confident and relaxed. She wore a red coat that matched the color of her hair.

  “My name is Dawsley. What is yours?”

  “Ellie.” she replied.

  “A lovely name for such a lovely woman.”

  “Why, thank you. Who is your friend here?”

  “This is Thurgood Truman.”

  “Nice to meet you ma’am.” I said as I extended my hand to her. She shook it surprisingly firmly for such a dainty-looking woman.

  “Please don’t call me ma’am.” she replied. “If you knew the ma’ams I know, you’d understand why I wouldn’t wish to be lumped in with such a crowd.”

  It was this reply that sent Mr. Dawsley spiraling downward into the murky pools of love. I saw his face light up and his smile become even more genuine than it already was.

  “Do you have any plans for lunch?” he asked her.

  “I’m afraid I do.” she said. “My boyfriend is bringing me to the Atlantis. I’ve heard they prepare a fine meal there.”

  I could see that fire in Dawsley, which had been burning so brightly, quickly smolder out into nothing but ash and smoke. He quickly put on a false air of contentment and continued the conversation.

  “I see.” he said. “The Atlantis is said to truly be a fine establishment. I would have thought a woman such as yourself would have dined there before.”

  “I am new in town.” she replied. “Just moved up from the Carolinas.”

  “Your accent hardly shows.”

  “I should hope so. Nothing annoys me more than a Southern belle.”

  “Ellie the belle.” I said. They both looked at me and I lowered my head in shame. It was a stupid thing to say. Luckily, it was swiftly forgotten and they continued speaking with one another.

  “So who is the lucky man?” asked Dawsley.

  “You will meet him in a moment if you stay.” she replied.

  “Then we shall.” answered Dawsley for the both of us.

  A moment later, a well-dressed man in a three-piece suit and a monocle approached. Dawsley looked at him and frowned. The well-dressed man returned it.

  “Dawsley.” he said.

  “Finlow.” replied Dawsley.

  “I see you boys know each other.” said Ellie.

  “We attended prep school together as boys.” said Finlow with a hint of superiority in his voice. “A tragic ending to that tale, however.”

  “I am inclined to agree with you, Finny.” said Dawsley with a hint of superiority now in his voice as well.

  “You know how I hate to be called Finny.”

  “I thought you hated to be called Fanny.”

  “What a childish thing to have said as an attempted insult.”

  “All the boys seem to have disagreed.”

  “It is good to see you still holding yourself to the standards of a prep school boy.”

  Dawsley glared at Finlow and it was returned. Ellie seemed to ignore the hostility and continued to sit on the bench calmly. I stood nervously, as was the usual action for me when conflict arose.

  “Enough of this idle chatter.” said Ellie finally. “We have a lunch to attend, Samuel.”

  Finlow nodded and extended his hand to Ellie, never breaking his cold stare at Dawsley. She took his hand lightly and stood up from the bench.

  “It was delightful to meet you boys.” she said with a wink and a smile. Finlow turned with her and they departed down the street to a parked limousine.

  “He never had any taste in cars.” said Dawsley.

  “I take it you two were never very friendly.” I replied.

  “I des
pised the man from the very beginning.”

  “Surely something very serious must have happened to turn you two against each other for so long.”

  “It is very true, dear Truman, but it is not a story I wish to tell at the moment. This is my day out in the world! It is time to meet more of the people.”

  “Are you sure? Our track record has not been so good thus far.”

  “Nonsense! We have met nothing but good men. Other than that fiend, Finlow of course.”

  “If you say so.”

  I did not feel like debating him. Dawsley had turned out to be a very stubborn man, albeit a goodly one. He gave me a pat on the shoulder and we began walking once more.

  “What a lovely woman.” he said after a period of silence.

  “She was quite a woman.” I agreed.

  “She reminds me of the plant known as the ‘burning bush’”

  “The Biblical tale or the one seen nowadays?”

  “The one seen nowadays. The scientific name escapes me at present. It is a bush with vibrant red leaves. Rare and beautiful, yet it turns up in the most common of places.”

  “I know that plant well. As a matter of fact, it is one of my favorites.”

  “Then you have wonderful taste in plant life, dear Truman. Are you a collector, so to speak?”

  “I am afraid not. Until recently I have not had the funds to take care of any other living thing other than myself.”

  Dawsley smiled at me and gave me another pat on the shoulder. As we walked, I could tell that his thoughts were filled only with images of Ellie. He had been so stricken, that surely he would be content with never seeing another woman again. We came to a corner and stopped for a moment, waiting for the crosswalk to tell us we could cross the street safely.

  Chapter 4

  “Where shall we go, Truman?” asked Dawsley.

  “I’m not too sure.” I replied.

  “Well, where do you usually go?”

  “I don’t live in Atlantia.”

  “Ah, yes, I had forgotten. No matter! Where do people tend to gather?”

  “Bars tend to be popular. Parks as well.”

  “Then we shall travel to both! Which would you prefer first?”

  “I think afternoon drinks would be a great first event.”

  “I am inclined to agree. Let us find the most run down, horrid bar conceivable.”

  “Why would we want to do that?”

  “I grow tired of upscale drinking. It is most boring and the conversations are dull and predictable. We must go to a place where the liquor is sweet and the livers rotten.”