The Box of the New Happiness
by John McGroarty
Genre: Drama
Swearwords: None.
Description: It’s just a simple black box with a circular door in it, but it’s the way to a brighter future for Daniel.
_____________________________________________________________________
Daniel wasn’t sure how long they had been walking. The sun was high and raw acidic on his neck and on his face. The landscape of chrome and steel stone towers was unrelenting. Somewhere far off there was the sea. The gulls flew inland overhead searching for the dregs and the flotsam of the city. Their dark impenetrable dot eyes and sharp jaundice beaks the perfect weapon for the job. They would flourish now, on the trash and the dead pigeons. Daniel thought they were the perfect metaphor for the warping of the world. He opened his mouth to speak to Sonia, but she was sphinx silent and focused on the horizon. He closed it again. Ruby was holding her hand and thinking of ice-cream. Pink and yellow and peach dream. The only sound was the tinny rap music from Peter’s silvery box mobile phone. This music drove Daniel to distraction. The canned anger and obscenity. Today Daniel allowed it out of guilt. It had been two months now since he broke Peter’s arm. Why did he waste so much time? No effort. Everything too easy. Eh, why won’t you study? Do your homework. Run and hide behind the door that Daniel pushed hard and snapped his ulna. Peter hadn’t spoken to him since. Not one word. Ruby had withdrawn into herself more than ever. The little spectre. Ghost of a child. Glued to her drawing pad. Sonia grinned and bore for the cash from Daniel’s job. This was existence. Not life. This was the warping of the world. This was the gulls. He was the gull. The trash for love. The dead pigeons for happiness. As they walked Daniel started to have the feeling that his world was disappearing. Slowly the buildings and the concrete disappeared. They were walking in dark black space. Swimming through the blackness. Wading through it. And Sonia and Ruby and Peter were getting further and further away. Daniel tried to catch them up but they receded and then vanished. The darkness vanished too and Daniel was in a desert of trash and harsh burning light. There were piles of rotting carcasses of dead birds and an endless ocean of garbage. A putrefying feathery wind lashed his face. He tried to stop, to stand still, to fight the trash wind, but something was pulling him on. Pulling him up and down endless dunes of rubbish. The trash was caking his face and blinding his sight and filling his holes. Then Daniel saw a cave. A grotto of debris. He staggered in and fell down on his face. He lay still for a while and when he looked up there were a group of men watching him. They smiled and beckoned to him. They held out a cup of water and Daniel drank it down in one draft. They laughed at his trash-caked face and at his thirst. And at his ridiculousness. And at his shadowy unhappiness.
Where have you been, Daniel?
We’ve been waiting for you.
What do you want from me in this desert of dead birds?
Laughter.
We want to make you happy, Daniel, nothing else.
The men pointed to a black box with a circular door.
That’s the box of happiness, the box of new happiness, open the door and step inside.
One of the men got up and started to push Daniel violently towards the box. All the men started shouting at him to get in. Get in, Daniel, go on, get in. Why wait? What are you waiting for, you fool? Cretin. Imbecile. Ridiculous shadow. Daniel tripped and fell against the door and it swung open. He had bloodied his head. Split a lip. Forked his chin.
Get in the box of new happiness, Daniel, get in. Get in, get in. Get inside.
Daniel stepped in and the door closed behind him. On the other side of the box there was another circular door. Daniel opened it and stepped out. He was in a huge emporium. A gigantic metal glass frame emporium filled with families pushing trolleys through white light. He saw Sonia and Peter and Ruby looking at him. Peter was holding some training shoes in his hand. He glared at Daniel.
These are the ones I want.
Daniel nodded. They went to the cash desk and paid. Peter put his new trainers on and they moved out into the concrete sunlight. Ruby licked her lips and pointed. The ice-cream palace glinted in the sun. Peachy pink. They walked over and bought cones and then sat down at a table and ate in silence. Sonia smiled slyly at Daniel. When they finished they got up and started to head back the way they had come. Back home. Daniel felt Peter take his hand. It was still baby soft. He thought of how he used to sleep Peter on his chest every night when he was a little creature. Shoosh. Don’t cry, darling. Your daddy is here. Shoosh.
Barça won on Wednesday. They’ve bought a new player. Can we watch the game tonight? Will you buy me the new top?
Daniel started to cry. Ruby took his other hand. She showed him her drawing pad.
Do you like it, dad? I drew it for you. And for mummy. And for Peter.
It just looks like a simple square with a circle in it, but I know what it is.
Shall I tell you?
It’s the box of the new happiness.
Swearwords: None.
Description: It’s just a simple black box with a circular door in it, but it’s the way to a brighter future for Daniel.
_____________________________________________________________________
Daniel wasn’t sure how long they had been walking. The sun was high and raw acidic on his neck and on his face. The landscape of chrome and steel stone towers was unrelenting. Somewhere far off there was the sea. The gulls flew inland overhead searching for the dregs and the flotsam of the city. Their dark impenetrable dot eyes and sharp jaundice beaks the perfect weapon for the job. They would flourish now, on the trash and the dead pigeons. Daniel thought they were the perfect metaphor for the warping of the world. He opened his mouth to speak to Sonia, but she was sphinx silent and focused on the horizon. He closed it again. Ruby was holding her hand and thinking of ice-cream. Pink and yellow and peach dream. The only sound was the tinny rap music from Peter’s silvery box mobile phone. This music drove Daniel to distraction. The canned anger and obscenity. Today Daniel allowed it out of guilt. It had been two months now since he broke Peter’s arm. Why did he waste so much time? No effort. Everything too easy. Eh, why won’t you study? Do your homework. Run and hide behind the door that Daniel pushed hard and snapped his ulna. Peter hadn’t spoken to him since. Not one word. Ruby had withdrawn into herself more than ever. The little spectre. Ghost of a child. Glued to her drawing pad. Sonia grinned and bore for the cash from Daniel’s job. This was existence. Not life. This was the warping of the world. This was the gulls. He was the gull. The trash for love. The dead pigeons for happiness. As they walked Daniel started to have the feeling that his world was disappearing. Slowly the buildings and the concrete disappeared. They were walking in dark black space. Swimming through the blackness. Wading through it. And Sonia and Ruby and Peter were getting further and further away. Daniel tried to catch them up but they receded and then vanished. The darkness vanished too and Daniel was in a desert of trash and harsh burning light. There were piles of rotting carcasses of dead birds and an endless ocean of garbage. A putrefying feathery wind lashed his face. He tried to stop, to stand still, to fight the trash wind, but something was pulling him on. Pulling him up and down endless dunes of rubbish. The trash was caking his face and blinding his sight and filling his holes. Then Daniel saw a cave. A grotto of debris. He staggered in and fell down on his face. He lay still for a while and when he looked up there were a group of men watching him. They smiled and beckoned to him. They held out a cup of water and Daniel drank it down in one draft. They laughed at his trash-caked face and at his thirst. And at his ridiculousness. And at his shadowy unhappiness.
Where have you been, Daniel?
We’ve been waiting for you.
What do you want from me in this desert of dead birds?
Laughter.
We want to make you happy, Daniel, nothing else.
The men pointed to a black box with a circular door.
That’s the box of happiness, the box of new happiness, open the door and step inside.
One of the men got up and started to push Daniel violently towards the box. All the men started shouting at him to get in. Get in, Daniel, go on, get in. Why wait? What are you waiting for, you fool? Cretin. Imbecile. Ridiculous shadow. Daniel tripped and fell against the door and it swung open. He had bloodied his head. Split a lip. Forked his chin.
Get in the box of new happiness, Daniel, get in. Get in, get in. Get inside.
Daniel stepped in and the door closed behind him. On the other side of the box there was another circular door. Daniel opened it and stepped out. He was in a huge emporium. A gigantic metal glass frame emporium filled with families pushing trolleys through white light. He saw Sonia and Peter and Ruby looking at him. Peter was holding some training shoes in his hand. He glared at Daniel.
These are the ones I want.
Daniel nodded. They went to the cash desk and paid. Peter put his new trainers on and they moved out into the concrete sunlight. Ruby licked her lips and pointed. The ice-cream palace glinted in the sun. Peachy pink. They walked over and bought cones and then sat down at a table and ate in silence. Sonia smiled slyly at Daniel. When they finished they got up and started to head back the way they had come. Back home. Daniel felt Peter take his hand. It was still baby soft. He thought of how he used to sleep Peter on his chest every night when he was a little creature. Shoosh. Don’t cry, darling. Your daddy is here. Shoosh.
Barça won on Wednesday. They’ve bought a new player. Can we watch the game tonight? Will you buy me the new top?
Daniel started to cry. Ruby took his other hand. She showed him her drawing pad.
Do you like it, dad? I drew it for you. And for mummy. And for Peter.
It just looks like a simple square with a circle in it, but I know what it is.
Shall I tell you?
It’s the box of the new happiness.