Solomon's Private File #136
These stories about Stephen and Solomon take place starting in
1950's. Stephen wrote about his life in letters to a penpal, and then
in a secure blog, in case he lost his memory again, in the master
computer in his school for gifted students, which he started attending
in 2016 in a new incarnation, until his death. Now his son Solomon is
attending the same school, and is writing in his own secure blog for
his future incarnations.
All characters are fictitious, even if some of them might have names
that belong to some actual people, or act like people we know.
Solomon is 19 in this story, in the Spring of 2046.
Solomon's Private File #136 "Galagos"
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I ported to the studio of Galagos, the space artist I had taken to
the moon, by appointment. He ran over and hugged me tightly. I said, "I
like hugs a lot, but if you want an extra career, a football linebacker
might work." He laughed. He said, "This new studio is magnificent!" I
said, "Only because you're in it. No, seriously. Empty, it looked
horrible and lonely." He looked at me in appraisal, and said, "You're
an artist. You understand. Your real face is only a part of all of you.
You didn't use disguises only for protection of identity." I said,
"Right. In them, I could have a more er, reactive face. And be more
personable, and less er, imposing." He said, "I get that. Do you miss
them?" I said, "Like abandoned friends." We hugged.
He took me on a tour of the place, which included his paintings. Then
he showed me his new sculptures in bronze. I said, "Er, wow! Yes, I can
say that, too." Chuckles. He said, "Foundry cost a lot, but when I said
your family was my sponsor, they gave me unlimited, or so they said,
credit." I said, "Like all things in business, it means that until they
say it doesn't." He grinned and nodded. I said, "I have a problem with
your work." He looked almost hurt. I said, "I want some, but it would
be kept away from the world." He looked a little surprised. I said, "We
have a business side, where we do product research and development, and
administer large charities, and a big corporate office, which shouldn't
be known to the public. Too many fanatical nut-cases out there.
Administration is a lonely thing, but with your work in our offices,
that would be gone forever. However, I couldn't justify with that,
depriving the public of loving your work as much and as often as
possible." He teared up and was almost in shock. I said, "Anybody who
wouldn't feel the same, doesn't know a thing about art, so be prepared
to hear more of that, soon." He had to say "Wow!" I said, "Sure, and
you'll get a lot of them, but if they ask you for discounts for wows,
you could say your own wows to counteract that." He grinned.
I said, "You've had some one man shows. Well, they couldn't be two
man shows unless somebody cut you in half, and that would be bad,
because you KNOW one half would be arguing with the other.
'No, that color isn't right.'
'It is so! But that star should be over there!'
'No, you blind fool, that's a planet!'
'Well, what do you expect, you're the half with the eyes.'"
He laughed hard. When he could, he said, "Hawk?" I said, "Ask him
yourself." He was about ask how, when Hawk ported in, still laughing.
They hugged with love, and they both almost squirted. I said,
"Something's come up. I'll be back in a little while." Hawk laughed
again, and I ported away.
When they were all out of stuff to squirt, and were dressed again, I
ported back. I said, "To resume; your shows. What do you REALLY want
with them?" He said, "BIG! Fancy party. All the people who think
they're the best, and the people who are disgusted by them, who really
are the best. The filthy rich, and the more rich who are really filthy.
All the shakers and movers who aren't dancing, and those who dance to a
different deliriously demented drummer. News people who make more news
than they report, and those they report on who want to make more news
than the world can stomach, but demand more. That's what I want." Hawk
said, "Wow! I think you've been exposed to Solomon too much." I said,
musically, "Oh Hawk, it wasn't me with the exposure here." More loud
laughter. I said, "I see a two step process. A proposal. The Stephen
Gallery, with us known as your sponsor. We'll be there to start, and
then leave the field to you. Well, Hawk might stay and provide laughter
instructions." Pokes. I said, "We promote that heavenly, er, heavily."
Grins. I said, "Then we announce a bigger event, with important guests
lined up. Some will come just for those guests, so we'll have to have
towels for that." Hawk laughed loudly. I said to Galagos, "You'll have
to get used to that, but you do know how to recharge that personal
vibrator." He laughed, but Hawk was louder.
That's what we did. We used the gallery next to the Tibet store in NY
for the first catered event. Expensive tickets. We had directly invited
some rich and important people, causing Galagos' eyes to almost pop
out. I poked him and said, "You wanted them, well, not as much as you
know who, so here they are. Remember, no matter how important and
powerful they are, YOU rule here. They are many. You, and what you do,
are unique. They are here to appreciate YOU, like they could never
appreciate each other, or even themselves. You create. The most they
can do is er, make big messes." That cracked him up, and of course,
Hawk. I said, "They put on their pants one leg at a time, just like
everybody else, but with a lot of help to keep from falling down. They
can never have what you have, a beautiful soul, but you can share some
of that with those YOU deem worthy of it. Make them pay for that
priceless privilege so you can continue to give to the world. Make them
see that, and they will pay more to be a part of that, and your real
gift." He shoved his adoration at me with his boa constrictor hug. I
whispered, "You must really love football." He had to laugh.
I called for attention. Mom and Hawk were behind me. I said, "I first
met Galagos when National Geographic invited him to join us on our Moon
mission. In approving his coming with us, I looked at his work, and was
very annoyed." Some mixed emotions happened. I said, "I was annoyed I
hadn't see his work before. Then I immediately had to tell my family,
and they looked, too, and felt the same awe that I had. Well, I knew
that because we share feelings. We decided to become his sponsor. Just
being that little part of his talent made us proud and happy. We kind
of like that a lot. That was then. Now is, er, well, now. We want the
world to share in our awe and appreciation of Galagos and his art, so
we forced you all to come here." Some chuckles. I said, "Didn't have to
force the media, though." More chuckles.
I said, "Being that this is Galagos's show, my mother and I will be
leaving. Hawk and his assistants from the store next door will handle
any needed transactions and other assistance. One thing about my uncle.
The saying goes, 'When you laugh, the whole world laughs with you.' I
would add to that, 'When you make Hawk laugh, you can't hear anything
else!' See?" They did, because he was laughing. I said, "Have fun, do
art. Some of them are for sale. If you disagree with their prices, they
may be negotiated upward." Chuckles. I said, "I'm serious. I expect
there will be some competition among interested parties. Referees will
be provided. They work on commission, payment in smiles and good will.
A percentage of the sale will go to charity. If you need more
motivation, there could be whips and chains. Oops, wrong motivation for
some of you." Hawk went almost hysterical with laughter. So did some
others, including one Senator who winked at me. I said, "Galagos, the
field is YOURS!" Mom and I ported away.
She said, "I can't believe you would say that!" I said, "Try harder?"
She laughed, and poked me. The event went really well. Galagos was in
heaven. Sharon was there, and announced that some of his paintings were
in the Smithsonian. Then a rep from the Met said the same for the Met.
Then more museum reps did that. Prices, already astronomical, went
higher in what evolved into a kind of auction. Hawk's helpers were very
busy. Near the end, I said in the S&M Senator's hear, "This is Solomon.
Only you can hear this. Er, and me. If you would like to stay after the
event for a few minutes for a little er, reunion, cross your fingers.
Oh, was it really that tough?" He tried not to laugh. I said, "Alright,
signing off."
After most of the guests had left, Hawk brought him to the back room.
We hugged. I said, "You met Hawk. Meet my mother." They said police
things and she left. We sat, and I said, "Privileged now. How are you
doing?" He grinned and said, "That comment, was it directed at me?" I
said, "No, but I was aware of course, of its special significance to
you, and for your information, my mother, well, we don't get heart
adorable kid. Like most mothers, she can't help still thinking and
feeling the same about me now. So when I do or say something very
adult, she's a little shocked. Yes, despite being, at one time, the
most powerful woman in the galaxy, she's still very much a human being.
We are first people, and then other things like Adepts and such." He
said with love, "I knew that. I'm doing well. The counselor you
recommended was very good. I need less of the more er, adventurous
things, and my wife helps with that, and has even come to like the
challenge of creating a variety." I said, "I'm glad for you. Your
happiness DOES show. Really floored at least one of your superiors,
your change." He laughed and said, "Funny, that. I still like to poke
him with it. More than he does." We both said, "Good!" And chuckled.
I said, "The problem with stuffed shirts, is discovering what they've
got in there." He started to chuckle, and then became thoughtful. He
said, "That's profound. Something only you could say. I hope you say
that in public someday." I said, "Problem with that. I used to plan
everything, like the prime situation manager can't help doing. Now I
don't plan much of anything. I just do." He said, "Enlightened?" I
said, "Happened when I was eleven, and I've been trying to suppress it
for years. When my aura became visible, I had to accept it. The world
demands a restricted kind of behavior from the enlightened. I'm not
like they would expect." He said, "I think I understand. I had severe
constraints, too, and had to hide a controversial part of my life." I
nodded and said, "The injustice of public life. Higher standard that
isn't realistic, or real. My father wrote an important paper on the
cause and evolution of religions. That applies to our situations as
well. Want a copy?" He said, "Yes, please." I gave him a crystal, and
he read it them and said, "Wow! I see now. This is profound, too." I
said, "CNN used it in their series on religion. He gave it to them
after they had finished, and they had to redo a lot of it, causing some
interesting mixed comments." He laughed
He said, "The new file system is terrific. Really speeds things up,
which some don't like. I know, good!" We chuckled. He said, "I wish we
could have had this earlier." I said, "If I had offered it earlier, you
wouldn't have it now. They would have refused, mistrusting it. But
the right things happen at the right times. My group likes to praise me
for my planning, and I'd like to let them keep having the enjoyment of
doing that, but when I tell them I don't really plan these things
anymore, they just look at me in awe even more. I just can't win. I
He laughed some more, and then looked at me with love. I said, "I know.
I have a lot of that. What goes around, comes around." We hugged with
love. I said, "You need me, don't wait." He nodded. I ended our
isolation, and he went back to the main room to collect his purchase.
Then we had a show meeting, after we all hugged each other. I said to
the artist, "Head stopped spinning yet?" He looked at me strangely, and
when do you want the next show, even bigger and better, and where,
want to do you." I said, "Not monogamous?" He looked very embarrassed,
all knew it. He said, "A painting." I said, "So what's keeping you?" He
said, "Oh! I wasn't sure you would approve." I said, "Can't do that
without seeing it. I might not think much of one of me naked and
insane laughter. Even Mom had to laugh. For a moment, Galagos didn't
know how to react, and then he laughed. Mom said to him, "It's best not
to beat around the bush with him, or he'll run with it." Hawk said,
"But remember that even in that, what he says usually has extra
meanings attached. With this one, he showed you he can't be shocked,
and you shouldn't be, either." The artist nodded. He said, "You heard
what he said to me before the show?" They nodded. Hawk said, "More to
love him for." They nodded to each other.
Galagos said to me, "Naked, really?" I said, "There are conflicts
with that. Hawk, describe my body." He said, "An anatomist's wet dream.
Well developed and defined, and with a tigerish-like poise. Best
martial artist in the GC. Liquid gold in motion. A consummate actor. I
can't do justice to the face." I said, "Accurate. We don't indulge in
false modesty. We go on life and death missions, and I mean that of
billions. We have to know our tools completely, to use them most
effectively, which are us. I would make a great artist's model, if he
could avoid painting with his tongue and penis." Hawk nodded
vigorously. Mom tried not to smile. I said, "We're naturists, so nudity
isn't a problem with us at all, but there are societal constraints. I
still do work on Earth, and I'm a Rabbi. I shouldn't do anything that
could lessen my effectiveness." He said, "I have to agree, damn it! But
you didn't." He had some tears and said, "I don't know how you can be
so kind and thoughtful." Mom said, "We all feel the same way, who know
more of what he's done like that, that nobody, even his father who was
St. Francis, would have even thought of." I said, "I'm just being me."
We hugged all around, and with some tears. I ported home with Mom.
Galya said, "I have to agree. Super-thoughtfulness." Mom said, "There
is more to this. You warned off Hawk before, but not this time, where
you actually encouraged it." I said, "I knew Hawk was interested in
him, but it wasn't then the right time. Galagos' head was in his still
developing art. That relationship would have stopped it, and Gal would
have eventually blamed Hawk for ruining his life. Now he's in the
big-time, and firmly established. The relationship can be a true equal
one, and one more thing. He's a highly skilled visionary artist, very
good, but in a mostly technical way, prime for an upgrade. Now the
human element will enter his art, and he will become truly great,
possibly the greatest of his generation. Love will cause that. Hawk
I cried. They hugged and kissed me. I said, "I really love what I can
do to help people, and helping love to make people great, is the best
ever." Mom said, "You know he heard that. Think he'll tell?" I said, "I
hope not for a while. No extra-personnel distractions until after the
honeymoon period." Hawk said in our minds, full of love, "Got it." We
sent him extra love.
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Grant
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