baseball game. But that was all over, whether I wanted to believe it or not. Our new reality involved monsters of mythical proportion. Every day was to be a struggle to survive. That was truth. Living was now a burden to be hefted onto one’s shoulders until the accumulated weight of despair broke our backs.
Paul leaned in for a man hug, as I did my best to console him, my gaze was driven skyward because of his head.
“Holy shit!” I exclaimed as I nearly kneed Paul in the nose as I jumped up. I ran up to the cell bars trying my best to suppress my enthusiasm until I could make sure that the idea forming in my head could hold any water whatsoever.
“What is it Mike?” Paul asked, doing his best to wipe away the tears that had built up under his eyes before I could notice. MAN CODE Alert. Dudes don’t cry in front of other dudes. They just merely ‘Sit on their keys’ bringing a tear to one’s eye.
Alex and BT had come over to watch and to see why I was so interested in the bars.
“What’s up Talbot? You already going stir crazy?” BT asked. He laughed as he said it probably thinking it was exactly what was happening.
Alex however was taking more notice of what I was doing. “Hex heads Mike?”
I nodded. “All the way around Alex.” I answered enthusiastically.
“Who’s a hex head?” BT said angrily, thinking that he might be the butt of a joke he didn’t understand. Personally, that was like poking a bear with a beehive. Why would you even want to go there?
“No BT.” Alex said diffusing BT. “The bars are mounted into the ceiling and walls with hex head screws.”
“Who gives a shit?” BT asked “Hex heads, screws, nails, magnets, fucking bubble gum, what’s the difference?”
“This means we can take them down.” I answered with excitement in my voice, more people were taking notice, but I think only to witness the completion of my mental breakdown. “We’re going to need tools Alex.”
“I’ll look Mike, but I’m still not sure what taking those down is going to accomplish.” Alex said.
“Alex how far away do you think the cab to the truck is?”
“Maybe five, six feet, seven at the most. Why?”
“How long across do you think these bars are?” I asked him.
“Eight…oh I see where you’re going.” Alex answered happiness and hope spreading across his face.
“What?” BT asked. “I don’t get it.”
“Don’t worry big man. You’re going to play an integral part in all this, that is, if we can find some tools.” I told him.
BT didn’t ask any more questions, but he did have a concerned look.
Alex came back a few minutes later. “Man, all I could find was a pair of channel locks under the sink.”
“Shit, not exactly what I was looking for, but it’ll have to do. You sure there wasn’t a ratchet set there too.” I asked, only half kidding.
“Yeah, Mike I’m holding out on you.”
“See, you’ll get this sarcasm thing down eventually.”
“Let’s hope.”
That dampened the mood a bit, but it didn’t extinguish the flame completely. It was slow, finger cramping work, but an hour and a half later we had removed two cell bar assemblies. Of course it was the very last screw that threatened to sideline the whole plan, repeated attempts at trying to remove the stubborn nut had turned the hex head into a near cylindrical fastener, only BT’s unbelievably strong vise-like grip was able to find purchase on the head, he didn’t actually unscrew the nut, he had sheered it off. Didn’t matter to me how it came off as long as it did.
CHAPTER 11
“Alright I’m going to need some help standing these things up.” I told everybody. BT grabbed one set by himself. Travis Brendan and Alex grabbed the other. “BT you want some help with that one? I need it over here, I want to lean the two sections together so they form an ‘A’.”
BT strained, the cords in his neck stuck out like thick ropes as he manhandled the five hundred pound bars into place.
Paul leaned in for a man hug, as I did my best to console him, my gaze was driven skyward because of his head.
“Holy shit!” I exclaimed as I nearly kneed Paul in the nose as I jumped up. I ran up to the cell bars trying my best to suppress my enthusiasm until I could make sure that the idea forming in my head could hold any water whatsoever.
“What is it Mike?” Paul asked, doing his best to wipe away the tears that had built up under his eyes before I could notice. MAN CODE Alert. Dudes don’t cry in front of other dudes. They just merely ‘Sit on their keys’ bringing a tear to one’s eye.
Alex and BT had come over to watch and to see why I was so interested in the bars.
“What’s up Talbot? You already going stir crazy?” BT asked. He laughed as he said it probably thinking it was exactly what was happening.
Alex however was taking more notice of what I was doing. “Hex heads Mike?”
I nodded. “All the way around Alex.” I answered enthusiastically.
“Who’s a hex head?” BT said angrily, thinking that he might be the butt of a joke he didn’t understand. Personally, that was like poking a bear with a beehive. Why would you even want to go there?
“No BT.” Alex said diffusing BT. “The bars are mounted into the ceiling and walls with hex head screws.”
“Who gives a shit?” BT asked “Hex heads, screws, nails, magnets, fucking bubble gum, what’s the difference?”
“This means we can take them down.” I answered with excitement in my voice, more people were taking notice, but I think only to witness the completion of my mental breakdown. “We’re going to need tools Alex.”
“I’ll look Mike, but I’m still not sure what taking those down is going to accomplish.” Alex said.
“Alex how far away do you think the cab to the truck is?”
“Maybe five, six feet, seven at the most. Why?”
“How long across do you think these bars are?” I asked him.
“Eight…oh I see where you’re going.” Alex answered happiness and hope spreading across his face.
“What?” BT asked. “I don’t get it.”
“Don’t worry big man. You’re going to play an integral part in all this, that is, if we can find some tools.” I told him.
BT didn’t ask any more questions, but he did have a concerned look.
Alex came back a few minutes later. “Man, all I could find was a pair of channel locks under the sink.”
“Shit, not exactly what I was looking for, but it’ll have to do. You sure there wasn’t a ratchet set there too.” I asked, only half kidding.
“Yeah, Mike I’m holding out on you.”
“See, you’ll get this sarcasm thing down eventually.”
“Let’s hope.”
That dampened the mood a bit, but it didn’t extinguish the flame completely. It was slow, finger cramping work, but an hour and a half later we had removed two cell bar assemblies. Of course it was the very last screw that threatened to sideline the whole plan, repeated attempts at trying to remove the stubborn nut had turned the hex head into a near cylindrical fastener, only BT’s unbelievably strong vise-like grip was able to find purchase on the head, he didn’t actually unscrew the nut, he had sheered it off. Didn’t matter to me how it came off as long as it did.
CHAPTER 11
“Alright I’m going to need some help standing these things up.” I told everybody. BT grabbed one set by himself. Travis Brendan and Alex grabbed the other. “BT you want some help with that one? I need it over here, I want to lean the two sections together so they form an ‘A’.”
BT strained, the cords in his neck stuck out like thick ropes as he manhandled the five hundred pound bars into place.
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