Tuesday, May 18, 2004
A couple of years ago I had my very own rubber band ball. The days had been slow at work and it appeared to me that our office had an abundance of rubber bands laying around, so I decided to create my own rubber band ball. At first it was difficult. I would get frustrated when it would start to unravel on me. But as the days passed and the more I poured my love and sweat into this little creation of mine, I became attached. I would lock him in my desk drawer before I left work at the end of the day and I would get jealous when co-workers would walk into my office and pick him up and start bouncing him like he was a child’s toy. “ Give me that!” I would snap.
Soon, he was big enough to be given a name. Alfred is what I called him. Together we would fight crime. It was cute in the beginning, because he could come along with me and ride inside my pocket. Now of course he has to ride in the passenger seat of the car. He is a good partner. He is the silent one and he lets me do all of the talking.
One day we pulled up on a house, where a probationary with a warrant was said to be staying. I got out of the car, and then open the door so he could be rolled to the front door. Alfred was massive; I had to look around him when I rolled him, because I no longer could see over him.
I knocked on the door and we heard some commotion coming from inside the house.
“ Probation” I yelled. Still nothing. At that point Alfred and I took a step back and I rolled him into the door, knocking the door off its hinges, right then, the guy we were after tried to pull a gun out of his waist band, but before he could get it aimed, Alfred had rolled up on top of him and the gun when off. It was silent. I rolled Alfred back only to find the bullet had bounced off Alfred and killed the guy we came to arrest. Then I looked at Alfred and he looked at me.
I knew that look. Something was wrong. When I looked down I saw that several rubber bands had been broken and that he was unraveling. I started to cry as Alfred shrunk. I sat there in a pile of rubber bands as the medics and police wadded through what was left of Alfred.
I miss my friend Alfred, big old ball of rubber love.
Soon, he was big enough to be given a name. Alfred is what I called him. Together we would fight crime. It was cute in the beginning, because he could come along with me and ride inside my pocket. Now of course he has to ride in the passenger seat of the car. He is a good partner. He is the silent one and he lets me do all of the talking.
One day we pulled up on a house, where a probationary with a warrant was said to be staying. I got out of the car, and then open the door so he could be rolled to the front door. Alfred was massive; I had to look around him when I rolled him, because I no longer could see over him.
I knocked on the door and we heard some commotion coming from inside the house.
“ Probation” I yelled. Still nothing. At that point Alfred and I took a step back and I rolled him into the door, knocking the door off its hinges, right then, the guy we were after tried to pull a gun out of his waist band, but before he could get it aimed, Alfred had rolled up on top of him and the gun when off. It was silent. I rolled Alfred back only to find the bullet had bounced off Alfred and killed the guy we came to arrest. Then I looked at Alfred and he looked at me.
I knew that look. Something was wrong. When I looked down I saw that several rubber bands had been broken and that he was unraveling. I started to cry as Alfred shrunk. I sat there in a pile of rubber bands as the medics and police wadded through what was left of Alfred.
I miss my friend Alfred, big old ball of rubber love.
