ninanevermore: (Ferris Wheel)
[personal profile] ninanevermore
With nothing better to do last night and a whole lot of questions that I wanted answered, I paid The Carney a visit. I've still being seeing him on my drives into work, and we've waived at each other, but I hadn't talked to him since the last time I wrote about it here. I just haven't had anything that I wanted to discuss with him urgently. I did consider asking him what he though about meeting Anna Nicole Smith, but I figured that since he met the real Marlyn Monroe when he let her off the Ferris Wheel, a cheap copy of her probably didn't impress him all that much.

When I approached him, he was leaning against his gate eating a corndog. Like his choices in beverages and his chain smoking, the item he consumed was something terribly unhealthy, but it's not like he has anything to worry about. He is death. He could eat a dozen corndogs and have a funnel cake for desert, with no detrimental effects whatsoever. His cigarette sat on the fencepost, a slow spiral of smoke rising from it's glowing tip and disappearing into the darkness around us.

"You killed my job,you son of a bitch," I told him. I didn't shout at him. I admit it was more whiny than angry.

The Carney raised his eyebrows and pointed at me with his corndog. Like me, he raises both eyebrows, not just one the way the Cajun Queen does.

"I had nothing to do with that," he said amicably, "I killed you mom, and your grandparents, your cousin, your uncles, and even a few of the people you went to school with. Your job died because of poor management and market conditions, among other things. If you wanna complain about that to someone, talk to Fate." He punctuated this speech by taking another bite of his corndog.

"I knew that," I admitted, "I just wanted to bitch to someone, and I don't really know anything about fate. I'm not even sure I believe in fate."

"She's real enough," he said.

Fate is a woman? That figures, I thought.

"You'd probably like her," he said.

"What makes you say that? She's been a bitch to me."

"She's been pretty kind to you, from what I've seen."

He had a point: she has been. Unemployement had put me in a sour mood. I watched the Ferris Wheel spin and wondered about what was in store for me next. I don't like uncertainty. I guess no one does, but I have a particularly strong aversion to it. I watched The Carney munch on his corndog and I found myself thinking I kind of wanted a bite of it, since I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. But I don't like eating after people, so I decided against it. Besides, he's Death, and if eating after him is not some kind of bad luck, then nothing is.

"So, about Fate. What's she like?"

"Well, when she's happy, she's beautiful," he said, "When she's in a good mood, she's as sweet and generous as anyone you've ever met. A real peach. But when she's in a bad mood, she's hell on wheels and ugly as all get out. That's when my workload picks up."

"No kidding?"

"Most of the time, though, she's just kind of fickle. She does things just because, to see what'll happen and how people will take it. She likes to play."

"What makes you think that I would like her, then?"

"Because she reminds me of you most of the time."

I looked at him long and hard as he finished off his corndog and stuck the stick in the pocket of his jeans. Death is a lot tidier than most people would think. The grounds around the Ferris Wheel gate are pristine. I don't know where all of his cigarette butts end up. I guess everything that he sticks in his pocket disappears, or maybe gets transported over to another part of the universe.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not fickle. And I don't play with people. Just because some of them don't get my sense of humor is not in any way my fault."

"I didn't mean it as an insult. She is what she is. You are what you are. The two of your should go out for a night on the town. I think you'd hit it off. I could introduce you to her, if you'd like."

I took a deep breath and exhaled while I thought about his offer.

"I'd rather you didn't. I've got to get out and look for a new job. I think right now it's in my best interest to network with people who exist somewhere outside of my head. If it gets to the point where all my friends are just immortal elements of human existence, people are just going to think I'm weird."

The Carney laughed and took a drag on his cigarette.

"I won't be driving by you so much," I said.

"I'll still be around."

"I know that. I just won't be out this way very often, until something comes up."

"You know where to find me," he said.

And I do. He's always there, always waiting, operating the ride of life and letting it's passengers off when their times come. The car I'm riding in just swayed a little, but it's no big deal and not exactly a life or death matter. It's just a shift in the speed of my trip around the Ferris Wheel. I was ready for a change anyway. It feels like this will be for the best, and I'm curios what the view will be as the Ferris Wheel takes me higher.


~ \ ~ \ ~ \ ~ \ ~ \ ~ \ ~ # ~ / ~ / ~ / ~ / ~ / ~ / ~

Date: 2007-02-18 05:50 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] welfy.livejournal.com
Only you could make losing your job such a beautiful story.

(Stupid Fate!)

Date: 2007-02-18 06:20 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] babyalligator.livejournal.com
i was going to say that!!

Date: 2007-02-18 08:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] neanahe.livejournal.com
I only report what I see and do.

And Fate isn't stupid. From what Death tells me, she's smart as a whip. ;D

what the view will be

Date: 2007-02-18 10:03 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] regatomic.livejournal.com
get a job ya bum,..o.0

hanging around with nerdowells, free ride or not,..;)

Re: what the view will be

Date: 2007-02-18 08:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] neanahe.livejournal.com
I'm trying, I'm trying! This kind of thing can take a little while.

can take a little while.

Date: 2007-02-18 08:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] regatomic.livejournal.com
indeed, the worst work i ever did was job hunting,..
good luck,..:)

Date: 2007-02-18 03:10 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hermes-wade.livejournal.com
THAT...was very cool.

Date: 2007-02-18 08:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] neanahe.livejournal.com
Wade, my buddy, my pal, you really should have friended me ages ago. Admit it, I'm one of your favorite relatives of an ex girlfriend, aren't I? ;D

If you want the back story on me and The Angel of Death, when you're board someday click on the tags for "carney" and you can find out all about him (including why he appears as a carney to me)...

Date: 2007-02-19 12:23 am (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
Ha, ha, ha...favorite relative of an ex-girlfriend. I like that. :) I've noticed a shift in how I refer to Aly these days: I now call her the mother of my goddaughter instead of my ex. ;)

Glad you have these stories tagged. I will go back in time and start at the beginning.

Date: 2007-02-19 12:24 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hermes-wade.livejournal.com
Doh, that was me. :)

Date: 2007-02-18 03:14 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] porcelian.livejournal.com
I love it!!!!!

Date: 2007-02-18 08:10 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] neanahe.livejournal.com
Thanks. ^_^

Date: 2007-02-19 04:42 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] noblwish.livejournal.com
I'm tellin' ya, your Carney stories and death-related poems together in one book would be LIFE AFFIRMING!!!

Think about it.

Call me. ;D

Date: 2007-02-19 08:10 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] neanahe.livejournal.com
What, on a phone?! Are you nuts? Don't answer that; I already know the answer.

Date: 2007-02-19 04:49 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] megan9mm.livejournal.com
i bet Nietzsche was pissed when he found out that Fate's a woman.

Date: 2007-02-19 08:12 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] neanahe.livejournal.com
If I decide to go out for drinks with Fate, I'll ask her about that. ;)

Date: 2007-02-19 10:04 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] manicmandi.livejournal.com
You really should write a book. Maybe Fate took your job so you COULD write a book *shrug* I hope you find one soon if thats what you want though. Me, I'm still working on what I wanna be when I grow up... or something.

Date: 2007-02-20 03:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] neanahe.livejournal.com
Writing a book would be a time-consuming labor of love, and the idea of no one wanting to publish it after I finished it would be enough to crush my spirit, I think. I'm bold in my own way, but I'm not brave. For the time being, I have bills to pay that require a more steady source of revenue than writing would allow.

Date: 2007-02-20 08:32 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] manicmandi.livejournal.com
I totally know what you mean. I am going to have to get a job just because I need a car. One of my friends wants to sell me a 4yr old car for 7500$ and I have 4500$ (2000$ to sell my car and 2500$ for the hospital money). My in laws and parents won't help get the other 3K and we have nothing for calateral to get a personal loan. Why would I even think they'd help with that though? No one I'm related to cares if I die from Bulimia. I donno why I ever thought they'd help with getting a car that actually runs.
Both of our cars on on their last legs :o/
Sorry I don't mean to be negative in your journal. That's actually rude of me. I'm just so frustrated because I need so much (dental work from purging for 15yrs, treatment for my bulimia, a working car...etc etc) and no one in my family cares :o(

Date: 2007-02-20 08:51 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] neanahe.livejournal.com
No harm no foul. I realize my problems are small potatoes compared to some. Everything is relative, and when it's raining in my life I realize it can be pouring with thunder and lightening in someone else's.

People care about you, hon. It could just be that they've felt so helpless for so long about your bulimia that they are too emotionally tired to show they care any more. I know that that sucks, and I know that everything you are going through is very hard. Hang in there. (*hugs*)

Date: 2007-02-20 09:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] manicmandi.livejournal.com
I would say that its because they are emotionally drained from dealing with my bulimia. Except, when I told my mom in 1999(the first time I was hospitalized for it) I was bulimic, she said "well its obviously not working because you're still fat." My sister said I have "mental munchausens" meaning I fake psychiatric illness for attention. Flaws in that theory...IF I were doing it for attention in the 15yrs PREVIOUS to this one, why the hell would I HIDE the shit I do? Until recently my in laws didn't know about it. My in laws aren't responsible for me so why would they help out financially? Maybe if they thought I was worth saving they would? The only member of my family that would help me is my dad and he has no money. My grandparents bought my sister a new car for xmas but, I can't get help for this thing that's gonna kill me. I'm not important to anyone but my kids. Yes I know I have friends who care and would be sad if I died but they'd go on. Maybe miss me now and then but that's it. I wouldn't want anything else from my friends anyway. Its my family who NEEDS to help and NEEDS to love me. They just don't and never have and that hurts. Again I'm really sorry I shouldn't put all this doomsday shit in your journal.

Date: 2007-02-21 08:00 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] neanahe.livejournal.com
Not all families are good families. If they were, Dear Abby would be out of a job and all those head shrinks would be flipping burgers for a living. It sucks that your family is not more supportive. :(

On the other hand, the whole industry built around psychology and self-help books is grateful that families like yours exist... 0_o

Date: 2007-02-21 08:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] manicmandi.livejournal.com
Maybe I should write a book and get in on that! My book wouldn't help though cause itd be all doomsday n shit lol.

Date: 2007-02-20 06:19 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] broken-alice.livejournal.com
I can't wait for your first trip to The Bar with Fate. I bet she's a funny drunk.

Date: 2007-02-20 07:18 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] neanahe.livejournal.com
I would guess she's an emotional and unstable drunk, but I could be wrong about that. If and when she and I go out, I'll let everyone know.

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