The Strange Tale of Georgy Malachek
69
Walking With Puffy
Georgy Malachek woke up at his usual time of 6:58AM sharp. His toy poodle Puffy licked him in his usual manner. Georgy grabbed his Haggar slacks folded neatly next to the bed, slipped them on and put on black, scuffed dress shoes, tying each with a perfect shoestring bow, and then put on the pale blue windbreaker which he wore always, never choosing the yellow or the black, but always the pale blue. Walking with a slight limp to the door of his small but clean apartment, Puffy followed eagerly behind, bouncing about like a child expecting to receive a present. Georgy lifted the red leash from the nail crudely hammered into the wall and attached it to Puffy's collar. Puffy danced. “You wuv your wittle weash, don't you wuffy,” Georgy said, patting Puffy on his tiny, curly head.
He grabbed the poop bag which he prepared every evening before bed, packed precisely with 4 – no more and no less – super absorbent paper towels set inside a plastic grocery bag from Schnucks market. This may seem like overkill for such a tiny dog, but Puffy had a way of drawing out his pooping duties, and Georgy would use an entire towel no matter how small the little log was. They left the apartment at exactly 7:05AM, and Georgy locked the door behind him as he always did.
Anatomy of a Tiny Life
There were no friends for Georgy Malachek. There was no job to go to. There were no parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, or even a nosy neighbor to chat with about the weather or gossip about the grunting noises coming from the couple in apartment 3C. Nobody. He did not go to the movies or out to dinner or to the bars for a game of pool and a cold beer. No. His entire life played out within the walls of his small but clean apartment.
Georgy lived on disability payments from his job at the multiplex cinema. For twenty years he worked there as a ticket taker without incident, but on opening night of the first Harry Potter movie, he had been run over and trampled by the mob of children and their mothers anxious to get the best seats, breaking a hip, a femur, and severely dislocating a shoulder. This rendered him unable to spend much time on his feet, and he now collected disability.
Puffy and Georgy returned at 7:20AM. After the leash was removed from the little poodle, Puffy ran into the kitchen. Georgy followed. He opened the cabinet and took out one can of Fancy Feast cat food. The vet had told Georgy to never ever feed Puffy cat food, but it's all Puffy would eat and so that's what Georgy gave him, a half can for breakfast and the other half for dinner. Then he poured himself a bowl of Count Chocula cereal, added 2% milk, and ate it sitting at the little table in the kitchen. When he was finished, he washed out the bowl and placed it in the drying rack, and then limped back to his bedroom and sat at his computer, turning it on. It was 7:30AM, on the nose.
Brave New World
His life had changed since he had signed up for Writer's Block, a website where writers published their own articles about any subject they desired. In just his first month, Georgy had published 17 articles with titles like “The History of Miniature Poodles,” “How to Give Your Poodle a Bath,” and “Grooming Poodles at Home.” And don't forget the poorly titled, “How to Sleep With Your Poodle.” Oh, he had taken some ribbing over that one, let me tell you. All in fun. All in fun.
But it was the people he had met on-line that had transformed his life. He had developed relationships. Friendships. People who genuinely liked him and respected him and saw deeper than his balding head and pop-bottle glasses, beyond his gawky and social bumbling. For once in his life he felt needed. These people cared about him, and in turn he cared about those people. Even though they were Internet friends – yes, he could recognize the difference – they were no less real. He didn't know what he would do if they were ever taken away from him.
With the computer finally booted up, Georgy opened his browser and typed in the URL. Puffy lay at his feet, satisfied with his morning meal of Fancy Feast Chicken and Liver dinner. At last the sign-in screen for Writer's Block appeared and Georgy began to type in his access code.
Boiler Room
In a small office located in the back streets of San Francisco, an alarm sounded and dozens of computers sprang to life. The technician startled from his sleep and looked at the clock. 9:35AM. “Shit,” he said. Number 237 always signed in at 7:35 and he should have been awake. He stared at the computer screen at his desk. It would follow 237 around tracking his every move. He had left 4 comments for – what was his name? He looked to the corner of his screen. Georgy Malachek. Yes. He had left 4 comments for Georgy during the night and that is where Georgy went first, as he always did.
The technician checked the monitor for Blocktivity, which showed all the activity going on at any given time. Looked good. He then looked at the Forum monitors. Good, the Forums were active, especially the religion forum, which required it's own mainframe just to keep all the crap flowing. It was all computer generated. Every comment, every article, every post, every argument, every little developing Peyton Place story with backstabbing, rumors, innuendo, alliances, cliques, laughter, tears, and broken hearts. Everything looked fine. Just another day in the life of Georgy. The only real person here.
The technician punched in the number he called every time Georgy logged on. “He just got on,” he said into the phone.” He paused while the person on the other end of the line spoke. “Yes,” the technician said, and then checking his computer screen, “he sent a personal email to Veronica S last night. I'd say it was...infatuated.” Another pause. “Got it,” said the technician, “letter Z-707,” and he hung up the phone.
He called up letter Z-707 on his monitor and read it, shaking his head. He actually felt sadness, though he wasn't sure why. A few quick alterations made the letter appear as though it was written by a woman named Veronica S, and he pushed the button that sent it to Georgy's private email account.
Desperate Hope
Georgy was answering comments. People were so nice to him to take the time to comment on his articles. It made him very happy and filled some part missing in him since forever. The little beep sounded on his computer letting him know a new email had just come in. He clicked over. His heart rose when he saw that it was from Veronica. Oh, God, he hoped he hadn't been too forward in his letter to her. He was both excited and terrified. He opened the mail and began to read.
He trembled with excitement. His eyes got big as his smile grew and grew until surely it would devour his face. He read the letter aloud.
Dear Georgy. I was so thrilled to get your letter. Truly, I think we share a bond as two kindred souls. I would like to write to you more, Georgy, and have you write to me. We have so much to share and I know we will grow closer. Let's take it slowly at first, Georgy, but it amazes me we have found each other. Who knows where it will lead.
Bye for now, Georgy, Kisses,
Veronica.
In that instant he knew he was in love with Veronica. Georgy was ecstatic. “She loves me,” he exclaimed! Puffy cocked his head and looked suspiciously at his master. “I knew it! I knew it!” . He knew they would be together forever. No one would stand between them. Oh, he didn't know what he would do if she were to go away. He had never met anyone so real and down to earth and he couldn't fathom how he would live...without Veronica.
Art and Photo Credits
1. Dog Walker, Jaqueline Jones, jaquelinejones67infinities.net
2. Silhouette, Felix Salazar, http://www.flickr.com/photos/felixsalazar/2799399574/
3. Brave New World ramseyarnaoot, http://www.flickr.com/photos/arnaoot/3120234191/
4. Computer room, jon a ross http://www.flickr.com/photos/jon_a_ross/2654857531/
5. Needle eye, ViaMoi, http://www.flickr.com/photos/viamoi/2094010135/
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Comments
I'm with C.C. George Orwell eat your heart out.
Are you telling me that "people" like spryte , MightyMom, Gwendymom etc. are not real people. And, and sprytes absence could have been caused because she had to get "her" BIOS updated?
@ag LOL
Hey CC and AG. The question is, which one of us is the real one? I think I only exist in the computer. That would explain a lot! Ha, ha! Thanks for your astute comments! Or did you? Who? Damn, the Poodle needs a walk.
I'm real! I am! Oh, that means you're not. :( I'll miss you all terribly but I can't be party to this ruse. CLICK.
Chris--Have I ever told you that you are wicked, funny and extremely astute? lol, lol :p
I'm sorry everybody. I had to disconnect Randy Behaviour for scheduled system upgrades. Seems to have a bug. Please try her again later.
Hi Lita...um...no, you haven't. Your not programmed that way. Thanks!
CR you are the new Dr.Frankenfurter?
Brilliant steaming turd to use a CC metaphor. Really outdid yourself on that one...You really think there's a place out there that people write stuff on computers?
What an incredible story. I like Georgy, you make me like Georgy and even his finicky poodle who will only eat cat food, then it turns into a Rod Sterling deal that made my heart sink. I'm sitting here whimpering at my computer screen...no don't dupe Georgy! Those mean technician guys messing with some poor guy's life. But there's much more to it than the reality of Georgy's life not being real at all. I need to sleep on it, but just know that I loved it. :)
Ag: Is that a statement or a question? The answer is, I don't know. I don't know what those people in San Francisco have in store for me.
R. Blue: Steaming turd? Please use one of the paper towels from Puffy's bag. And no, there's no place like that. This is pure science fiction. Maybe some day.....
Hi Pam. Your comment confuses and frightens me. What are they doing to Georgy? Why are they messing with him? Guy never caught an even break as far as I can tell. And perhaps most importantly, what is to become of Puffy? Sleep well.
OMIGOD! Big Brother is really watching! I'm so scared, my braless breasts are quivering with fear and the nipples are standing at attention!
Oh, I'll just bet!
Cindy!!! i'm shocked!!
What CC, that Big Borther is watching? It's everywhere, I have it in China, my computer is going fast now so they're not watching, Yayyyyy!!!!!
I was referring to your nipples at attention. hehe
Ah, now was I giving you a mental picture, CC?
Haha love those nipples. I might go to bed
Ten HUT!
Ah, CC, seriously, I have to go as have to make 10kg of sausage when I get back.
Chris if the fish-net stockings fit.......
Did I miss something, San Francisco ? . I saw Tony Bennett being interviewed by Elvis Costello the other night . That is a very laid back show, I would like to know how old it is?
Meanwhile, I would not be surprised if Puffy is a battery operated plant by your mysterious "Technician" to spy on our "Georgy Boy" who we have grown to love.(yeah right)
Shades of "The Pretender"
The thot plickens !
Who knows what they feed us in China! We do know they put melamine in the milk!
loved it, and the comments
Ms Reilly, I demand that you send proof that you are a living, breathing person next time you respond to one of my love letters. I don't know... how about a sliced finger? Laugh! Great read, amigo!
@AG: Re. San Francisco. In the tale told above, the computer room is set in San Francisco.
Re. Elvis Costello. I believe you are speaking about the Elvis Costello show produced by the Sundance Channel in the States. Tony Bennett was the guest on episode #5 taped at the end of 2008. See here:
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/post/67299-spectacle-
Re: Puffy. I hadn't thought that Puffy may not be real and instead a planted "spy." He must be eliminated.
@Cindy: Melamine is good for you. Drink up.
@Jennifer Bhala: Thank you so much.
@Elena: I will request the proper paperwork from the home office stating that I am in fact named Christoph. In view of the facts, I suppose you can refer to me as Ms. if you wish, but most choose Mr. Oh...and thanks for the comment.
A bit of secret squirrel, a tad Pluto. That eye was weird.
Jewels: Thanks for the visit and the comment. Be careful what you look for.
*spryte's lip quivers*
I'm not real?
Seriously though...what a fun read! I'd like to hear more of the adventures of Georgy and the catfood-eating poodle. :)
And as for my bios, Aggie...it's just fine and and perfectly up to date. :P Have you gotten my latest form letter response to your email yet?
That is a sweet story and logs are a pain in the batooty to pick up, but I do it faithfully everyday. Sometimes they grow larger, sometimes there tiny I am beginning to believe that they know what size to release based on supply and demand. lolololo Any case I loved Georgy and I am a real person jj and a few others will attest to that!!!:D
that's genius CR.
Spryte: Hi! Thanks for reading and glad you liked it. There won't be anymore Georgy and Puffy stories I don't think. I suppose I could do one where he discovers that there aren't actual miniature people living in his TV, acting out the stories. Nah...Nobody would believe that. Obviously there are little people in there.
AE: Thanks for the info regarding the varying size of "logs." It was most facinating! Ha, ha! Are you sure you're real? Thanks!
Thanks, GT. I appreciate it.
My question is, what is the technician getting out of it? It sounds like an expensive operation with no advertising dollars to support it. So who's bankrolling this charade?
Patricia: A very interesting question, indeed. That is left up to the reader's imagination. Why are they out to get Georgy?
Captain, I think its some rich dude that is bored outta his skull.
Ha, ha! That's funny! Um...Captain: You may be right.
@Patricia: Could be. Things are never as they appear!
Thank you Christoph for the system upgrades. I feel much better now. I'm enjoying my new iBoobs and my completely articulated skeleton which allows for anatomically correct positioning.
Yes, Randy! We spent a little more money on you, and you require a little more electricty to operate, but you're worth every penny!
The needle in the eye was very, very, very creepy....
They're not going to like that you spilled the beans, Christoph.
I should have known when I read the iBoobs hub that something was up. But really, who better to try them on than Randy?
@Laughing Mom: Yes, the eye. Don't look too closely. I am acting under explicit orders.
Randy made a ...shall we say, a willing participant?
Scary and heartbreaking at the same time. Ghosts in the machine. 1984 in 2009. The universe in a microchip. Loved this piece and love the painting by Jacquline Jones..made me go and look up more of her work. Love the bold colours and strong brushwork. Good writing and good art.
Hi Sharrie. Glad you stopped by and liked the peice. Yes, Ms. Jones has some interesting work. Thanks for the comment. It is appreciated!
Christoph:
Sometimes it's eerie, scary how similar our imaginations run...
Little people in the television, really! :)
Hmm, I wonder if the mortgage company will believe that I'm not real...or my boss!
I enjoyed this story, even though it turned sad. I got to feeling really bad for poor lil Georgy and his beloved pooch.
However, I think you should consider making this into a book and having Georgy triumph over evil :)
Spryte: I know! We are the same on pretty much everything...except Mr. Bunny (not a reference to B.T.). My dog used to love to watch the National Geographic channel, and he would get up and go look behind the TV, then back at the screen, then behind it again. Even he knew everything was actually in there!
B.T: In that case, I think the Mortgage company would try to repossess the forest you live in.
Trish: Yeah. Poor Georgy and Puffy. don't know about a novel though. Thanks for a visit and the comment!
Number Z-5436091 reporting for duty sir. Oops, is this comment box live? *tap, tap* Ah cripes, back to the boiler room. ;)
Number Z-5436091: HE wants to see you immediately. Wait outside the building. A car will pick you up.
Hmmm...interesting thought. This is very much like something you would see on a more modern version of the Twilight Zone, except there needs to be some terrible, or even stranger thing that happens afterwards.
As we learned through the course of comments on one of your previous hubs,http://hubpages.com/hub/Men-and-Real-Dolls-Is-it-C , Chris, I am not real...I am, in fact, a doll. Recently upgraded with a new hairstyle and highlights!!!
Anna: Yeah. I figured everyones horrific ending was best written by them in their heads, if they cared to. And I know all about your doll history, but if you were a doll that only existed in a computer? Not even a real doll? By the way, anything you'd like me to put in your program? You can have anything.
Chris I often feel that I have been genetically modified to conform to a certain character I feel that there may be someone else in side just waiting to burst out. Any thoughts on that. ?
Fascinating. Intriguing. You've got the creative bug. Love the story. What a character you've created. Tosopoli! (very much) I love strange characters like this.
So, uh, will there be more shorts about him?
very creative and sustainingly entertaining. it has this appeal of a short film that is silent but leaves a lot of questions and the audience hanging. nicely done Chris! :D
Great stuff, Christoph. It's weird because people feel so anonymous online (which leads to an awful lot of just plain ugly behavior sometimes) but really it's not that hard to track what people do online, so it only FEELS anonymous.
I like the idea of imaginary partners. I think it would be really easy to create one online--nonreal 'people' programmed to respond to certain cues, like certain words or questions. It seems like it would be a fairly easy thing to set up, and then you could just collect money for fixing guys up with virtual women.
Creepy. :O
Frieda: Thanks for reading. I'm seeing a doctor about that creative bug so it should be cleared up soon. Appreciate the comment!
Cris: Hi. I wanted the reader to come up with their own ending, if they cared to. Like many short stories, I intended it to be a snap shot, but it is unknown what comes after that picture was taken. Thank you for the comment!
Pam: No, it isn't hard at all to track what people do online. Especially when they're leaving a trail of breadcrumbs by commenting everywhere, and if your having troubles following someone, no problem, HP will do it for you.
I like the idea of virtual partners too, and there are always guys to pay for something like that, something strange involving women - or computer representations of them. When do we get started on our new "business"?
Now we went to know the Part 2 i.e., Did Georgy meet Veronica, was there love(marriage) in the air?...LOL
Yes, Countrywomen, they met and it was like a dream and they lived happily ever after. Thanks for the comment! Nice to see you.
Usually, after I read one of your Hubs, I scout the comments to see what others have said. I look at this pattern of mine as a continued enjoyment of what you've written, an enjoyment enhanced by what others have commented.
Not this time. Chris, you are a masterful story-teller, a genius about audience-focused writing, and an astute observer of the psychology of online social communications.
Thanks for scaring the sh**t out of me. You have taken my loyalty as your fan to an entirely new level.
was just glad he didn't wake up to find he was a giant cockroach.
Sally; Thank you so much for the sweet comment. As you know, it means the world to me. Glad it meant something to you, and was at least able to convey something I meant to convey. Your visits always brighten my day. Thank you so much!
Theresa. Ha, ha! Made me laugh. No, I thought I'd leave the "metamorphosis" up to the reader. But the meaning is very, very deep. For a hint, write down the number of the letter the technician sends to Georgy and read it upside down. All will be revealed!
So when are you going to publish your novel Christopher, you are a novelist through and through
BP: Oh thanks! I don't know when I'll release it. I have to write it first. I think it will be a story about an American boy that falls for an Australian woman! What do you think?
Ok, so I'm late to your party, now.. I also apologize and offer to stay and clean up.. I read this, and read the comments..You know what it reminds me of.. "The Truman Show" with Jim Carrey.. He was the only real one, the rest were actors, it was all fake. I'm not fake, no sirree bob! Them's is as real as it gets!! I mean I'm as real as it gets. No I meant "them". Yeah, "them". This is good, tho I will agree that the eyeball picture is creepy, this is good, I won't let you end up alone like Georgy (is this an autobiography?)
Candie V: I like that movie - the Truman Show. What is "them" that are real? And no, it's not autobiographical, but you can still not let me end up like Georgy. Thanks for the comment.
I shan't let you end up like Georgy, to the best of my hubility!
Candie V: Hey, you made a portmanteau! Now I'll have to go update my portmanteau hub. I look forward to that voodoo that you do so well. Peace out!
I did a"what?" and I did it totally by accident!! Kinda like most amazing things I can do, discovered by total accident! But they've all been an "accident" only once, then totally "on purpose!"
Candie V: A portmanteau is a word created from combining two or more words, such as fantabulous, or Branjolina, or spork, or Hubility. The were named and popularized by Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking Glass.
Gosh I loved that book, haven't read it in years, now I must dig it out!! So I'm a trendsetter, cool, and you know me, cooler still! And now I know you, coolest of all! PS do I get credit on your hub?
Candie V: Not yet. You hadn't made it up at the time of writing. Where were you then, huh? Why weren't you helping me then, huh?
C, A second edition is in order, I shall poke around and find you some more!
If there is to be a 2nd edition, you will be writing it. I have done all the research into portmanteau's I intend to do. For weeks I was going around talking in nothing but portmanteau's, so I am honored to turn the duties over to you. I'm sure you will do a fine job. I am eager to see your addition. Thank you for volunteering! You're a peach!
I'm honored you think i'm up to it.. maybe.. love your hubs, Can't wait to see what's next!!
Candie: Well, thank you. I don't think I'll be publishing anything good until the hub challenge is over. I may publish something to try to earn money from clicks, but that's it.
glad I am not alone CR.
goldentoad: We are all here for your enjoyment, GT.
C. C. Riter says:
9 months ago
I'm firghtend. i quit this shit. that needle in the eye did it. gorss man. you're too damn good Chris. I quit, or are you really Chris? Maybe it's my Miller Hi Life. shit!