April 20, 2069 was the date. I had just retired the day before and was about to live out the rest of my days in peace and silence. At least, that is what I thought would happen. I received a call from my former boss, JoJo. After thanking me for my many loyal years of service as a Goldman Sachs investment banker, he asked me for a favor. “
I need you to pick up an old friend of mine at the airport. He is 6’ 2” and is in his mid 60’s. He will be wearing a well fitted Italian suit and fez.” “
A fez?” I questioned, “
Is this man from Turkey or something”, “
Precisely” he replied. He didn’t need to describe him anymore, I knew who he was referring too.
I drove to the airport in complete silence, recollecting the events of twenty and forty years prior. I walked in and looked around. It is jam packed with people but I managed to spot the top of a red fez sticking out from the crowd. I approached and was greeted by the same Turkish man I met two score years prior. He was holding up a piece of paper with “Daniel Goodman” written on it. “Hello Daniel, my boss JoJo told me to pick you up and deliver you to him. ” He nodded his head in affirmation and we made our way back to my car. After putting his luggage in the truck, he and I departed with him sitting in the passenger seat.
He seemed different from the last few times I had seen him. He emitted an air of acceptance and the smell of depression and broken dreams was no longer pronounced. When I met this man, he was driving me somewhere, now, it is the opposite. “My name isn’t really Daniel Goodman” he said with his deep accent. “It is Barl E. ” “What does the E stand for? ” I questioned. He looked down and muttered “Erdoğan”. He didn’t say much after this so I turned on the radio and we listened to Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson and Physical by Olivia Newton John. We arrived at our destination shortly.
JoJo told me to take him to his favorite Dominioan’s Pizza branch restaurant. JoJo was already seated inside and he was joined by the office mailman T. Sorianov and his son, Imperiius. The five of us sat at a large circular table. The four of them started talking about their lives and what got them to this point. I thought for sure Barl E would bring up those outlandish talking point of many years ago like “Baloominati” and “PIPI” but he didn’t. No one did. The four of them had what most would call a normal conversation among friends. Not wanting to be the only one not contributing to the conversation I asked JoJo, “How do you know Barl? ”. He sat back in his chair and replied “That is a very long story. Lets just say, we shared time in the sun”. It was starting to get late. The sky dusked and the shadows got long and hard. We paid the bill and the five of us got up to depart. The last thing JoJo said was “Welp, goodnight all” and everyone went their own separate way. None looked back.
Then I remembered. I still had Barl’s luggage in the trunk of my car. I dug it out and began walking in the direction Barl headed off into. I arrived at a cemetery and found Barl standing over a grave. I returned his luggage to him and he thanked me. He then pulled out the Kirby plush I delivered to him twenty years prior and placed it in front of the stone. After this, he disappeared into the night. I never saw him again.
Barl was a man who got everything he wanted, and then lost it. Maybe Kirby was something he couldn't get or something he lost. Anyway it wouldn’t have explained anything. I don't think any plush can explain a man's life. No, I guess Kirby is just a piece in a chess set...a missing piece.
