Mr. DARK SIDE, número uno

Book excerpt: CHAPTER 1 “In the beginning there was only Chaos. Then out of the void appeared Erebus, the unknowable place where death dwells, and Night. All else was empty, silent, endless, dark. Then, Love was born bringing along the beginning of order. From Love emerged Light, ….” greekmythology.com “Distal phalangeal fracture,” the too young Doctor stated, factually, as she pointed at my bare big toe. She glanced back at her computer screen. “Old injury.” I nodded. “Yeah. I don't remember doing it, the actual, ahh, event. But my Mother would tell the story about me, as a toddler, dropping Great Uncle Edger's model locomotive, either a Lionel or Märklin, the make changed each time she told the story, on my toe.” Uh oh, I getting ahead of myself. OK, let me start again. ... Mom, as in 'She Who Must Be Obeyed', had made it crystal clear. I was going to take advantage of our Heath Insurance Program's full medical exam and 'free' body scan. Part of her 'crystal clarity' was that I had no say in the matter. It had made me seriously think about giving up my rent-free living at home status. The small, semi-furnished, presently available, studio apartment just down the street from my favorite bar was looking better and better. A good deal better than sitting answering questions about the how and why of old injuries. In silence, I questioned 'why' it was so important to Mom that she'd have confirmation of me being a member of humanity. I did question though, in silence, for sure. Her demanding that she follow me in her car to the clinic and personally deliver me to the front desk, should have tipped me off to her motivation. Yup, it never dawned on me, at that instant in time, what she was plotting. Clueless, I dutifully sat as she filled out forms which she then allowed me to sign. Surprisingly, she didn't insist on accompanying me down the hallway to a small health clinic type room. The young woman, to my eye way too young to be a medical doctor, introduced herself as Doctor Hickok. Well, of course I asked about the OK Coral. Didn't even get a smile. All business, Doc Hickok. Yup, 'High Noon'.