CHAPTER 13 - HANCOCK RICHARDS

“Do you know if there are any details?” Priya asked Felicia the next day whilst slurping from a juice box in the cafeteria. “I have to admit the record is silent on that point. That’s pretty much everything I know” her friend articulated contritely. Nearby, the maintenance man Hancock Richards was mopping the floor, and stood to listen. “Talking about that are you … hehe … you’re much too young to remember those times”. “If you’re from that generation, you must have lived through it. Did you see him?” Priya enquired. Resting his hands on the tip of the pole, he furrowed his brow as if to remember, “Yup … I sure did. Saw him on the telly. He looks like a guy that just walked out of a bowling alley in full uniform, you know, the kind of douchebag that thinks he would look good dressed up as a pirate, only he’s the most powerful guy in the universe”. “Blimey. … are you pulling our leg?” Felicia blurted out. “Excuse my friend … Do you remember anything about that time before the loan was returned?” Priya asked, and under the table she stepped on Felicia’s foot to quiet her down. “The only thing would be I remember sitting on a bench with my daddy. He was reading the newspaper in the park and ignoring everything as usual. He loved to read the newspaper in the morning. Nearby there were chickens pecking on breadcrumbs. Then a chicken flew onto his lap with a tortilla in its beak and rolled up into it. Then it became a chicken enchilada and he ate it. After that I noticed that around the four corners of the park were walls with the background painted on them that I thought was just the background a moment ago, and we walked out one of the doors, and he told me that was one of his favorite restaurants, but I didn’t really understand what he meant till much later”. “Priya … I think this guy is trying to butter you up” Felicia whispered. “Must have been one of the virtual reality rooms back then. I’ve heard of that as well, how silly” Priya said, vindicating the storyteller, and he walked away, mopping the other end of the cafeteria.