Chapter 6: Evolution of a Dream (February 2-3, 1983)

February 2, 1983

It’s just another Monday at Rykes Securities. Joe was manning the monitor, and his picture of Pam was staring back at him to help him through the day. He just got back from his lunch break, which he spent by eating in his car, listening to some music, and dreaming of a lonely stage and guitar. Just as he sat back down, he noticed the same kid from yesterday walk into the elevator with the same guitar. He peered over at the clock; it was 12:20 PM on the dot. At first Joe couldn’t really tell if it was the same kid from yesterday, but once he started watching what the kid would do once the doors shut, he knew it was the same person.  “This kid is a grade- A weirdo” Joe said to himself. He noticed that today there was some music playing while he was watching, although he could not see from where in the elevator it was coming from. The kid was not playing his guitar, just staring and holding up signs once again. Joe did notice that the kid’s mask was of one of his favorite old movie characters from when he was a kid, a “downright badass” as Joe would put it.

February 2, 1983  12:20:00 PM

Joe didn’t show any of his coworkers what was going on, because he thought it was just a weirdo being a weirdo. He had once seen an old man walk into the elevator only to begin peeing in the corner, so nothing surprised him anymore. Right when he got home that night he decided to try to play whatever he was hearing in the elevator once that kid came in. He thought it was strange that this kid had any impact on him at all, but it didn’t bother him nonetheless. He ended up writing a whole song based on the little lick he heard earlier, but he never recorded it or wrote down the fingerings. The day went on as usual, with another spectacular dinner and a great night with Pam. They decided to pop in a movie, which was risky because the two were currently on a streak of picking awful movies. Joe blamed it on the fact that he was forced to watch so many “stupid girly movies,” but a few of them were his choice. 

February 3, 1983

Today at work Joe was thinking of setting a trap in the elevator for the kid in case he decided to come back again. He wanted to shut all the power off in the elevator on him once he stepped in, but he eventually decided against it as he wouldn’t be able to see his reaction anyway. He took his lunch break at 11:30 today just to make sure he’d be at the monitor in time for 12:20. This was becoming something of an event for Joe. It didn’t mean much to him, but for the first time he had something to look forward to at his job other than going home.  Right on time, the kid entered the elevator at precisely 12:20, and today decided to give Joe a bunch of words that began with the letter “F.” “This stupid kid must be trying to improve my vocabulary or something,” decided Joe.  The kid was wearing the same mask and playing music again, and was in and out of the elevator in less than a minute. 

February 3, 1983  12:20:00 PM

Joe decided to force one of his subordinates, a new intern named Vinney, to finish up his shift. He despised this new intern. He was young, ignorant, and smelled like a dirty sock dipped in a garbage can. “Hey Vinney, guess what youre going to be doing for the next few hours?” Joe imposed on him. “Um, kissing your ass as usual boss?” Vinney hissed back at him. “Yea but you’ll have to blow me a kiss today, because I’m leaving, have a great night buddy!” And just like that Joe got in his car and went home to his wife. Today he decided to tell her about these little skits he had been watching for the past few days. Pam laughed with him and thought the kid was pretty funny, and she found it interesting that he had a mask of his favorite old movie character. That night they decided to watch that very movie, simply called “Halo.” Much to Pam’s dismay, Joe was still infatuated with the main character as much as he was back when he was a kid. “I guarantee you he could kick any dinosaur’s ass!” he argued with Pam after the movie. When they first met, Joe went on for days about how he believed this character would be able to change the weather and eventually take on God in a final battle, and win. These were the moments when Pam worried about Joe’s mental stability, but it was all in good fun. This character was the only idol that Joe ever looked up to who was not a musician. He loved him, however, because he exhibited a very distinct emotion that Joe could identify with: overbearing passion.