022 - Twenty-Two

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[TRANSCRIPT]

[click, static]

Breaker, breaker, this is WAR1974 calling out for Birdie. 

I’m making my way South now, for real this time—first stop, Memphis. I wonder if I could sneak into Graceland. I just—I can’t imagine living in a house like that. And I’m assuming….well, if Elvis and his family were still living there, surely they would have figure out how to get some kind of word out to…someone. They have, you know, private jet planes and everything. 

[click, static]

It’s weird to think about someone like Elvis just…vanishing, or whatever it is that happened to everybody. It feels like something that wouldn’t happen to famous people somehow. Like the privileged few would be privileged enough to skirt doomsday. 

[click, static] 

I can’t say that I’m too sorry that Dick Nixon seems to be out of the White House. It’s not that I don’t want anyone in charge, but I sure as hell didn’t want him in charge. 

[click, static]

Oh man, I just realized that there’s a good chance you’re someone in the government—it would explain why you’re transmitting a signal strong enough to be caught on my shitty CB. Unless I really am just damn lucky and picking you up on skip. 

[click, static]

If you have been listening to each of my transmissions, then you can probably guess that I’m…pretty much the opposite of a government worker. Though, that wasn’t always true—when I was eighteen, I worked in the post office for a few years. I’d hoped to pay my way through college, but I never did get around to going. Spent the money getting to New York City where I fell into what became my real profession. 

Maybe I’ll drive into the city on my way back—I can’t imagine what the city is like right now. All…empty. Sometimes I’d get overwhelmed by the crush, but I’d do anything to stand in the middle of the Village again and let thousands of people pass me by. 

I said New York was the closest to a home base I ever got and that’s true. I didn’t really have, you know, an apartment or anything, but I knew enough people to have a place to crash and sometimes I could find a sublet for a few months. 

I guess that’s why I didn’t think twice about packing my shit into this car and getting on the road. I’ve lived out of one duffel since I was fifteen. 

I could have my pick of New York City apartments now though. Live in the Plaza, get a penthouse on Park Avenue. 

I don’t know, the fun of New York is the people. It wouldn’t be the same. 

[click, static]

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