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Fiction: Ghosts and psychics in the Laundromat
"Today, you will get shot but some fool will save you but you'll still feel some pain," said Carl Simon a few feet away in his Psy Booth in the Quick Mat, one of two laundromats with that name. People called it the Ghost Mat because of laundry being done by invisible hands as it was documented on Youtube. The Mat mostly ran itself with anyone following wall signs in many translated languages.
Alexandra Woo didn't care for the publicity but it was good for her family business. She refused to admit to like seeing ghosts. Not being able to speak kept her from having to deal with people wanting to grill her about the ghosts. If Alex wanted to say something, she would use the notepad and pen she wore hanging around her neck by a lanyard. Since the disappearance of her niece, Lucy, five years ago, Alex hadn't been able to speak. She had turned her head for only a few minutes and Lucy was gone from her stroller. In a panic, she had raced about the mall and when she met up with her sister, Lucy's mother, all Alex had to offer was a silent apology with tears. The worse was not knowing what had happened to Lucy. Sometimes Alex wished she had been taken. Then at least, she would never had to see her sister's sad eyes.
On this Wednesday morning, sitting behind the counter in the back of the store, Alex grinned at Carl. She had always enjoyed his predictions. Carl had to leave his previous place because the owner had raised the rent. Alex's mother charged Carl very little to have his booth in the store. She was convinced Carl would help Alex get her voice back but it hadn't happened in years. And Carl had hoped the existing customers' desire for ghosts could boost his business. Every week days with no set hours, Carl sat in his booth doling out fortunes for five dollars a reading. When Carl didn't have any clients, he would read his novels or help the customers. They kept asking Carl for help as if he worked there and Carl never corrected them.
She returned to her book. When Lucy disappeared, she lost the will to attend to her studies. She was studying to be an art historian but now at 26, she didn't have a clue what to do with her life. Working at the Mat gave her something to do instead of loitering at home.
A man stopped at the Psy Booth. Carl started to tell him he would have been an heir to a fortune if only he had been born a decade earlier.
The bell above the front door tinkled as an elder woman entered. She wore a denim overall and carried a basket of clothes. Alex had seen her before. Every Wednesday morning she would come in, sit on the bench and then leave without doing her laundry. Alex wondered what the woman was watching as she sat there but she didn't want intrude.
Later, two men came in. One of the men did the laundry while the other watched. Alex couldn't be sure but the man who was watching may be a ghost but most ghosts looked as ordinary as the living.
Out of the corner of her eyes, invisible hands were folding laundry. Alex had accepted that there were ghosts invisible to her and that unexplained things happened here. Lost things showed up without anyone knowing how. Clothes got out of washers or dryers without anyone witnessing it. Alex's sisters had shared similar happenings in their stores.
At noon, Carl brought their lunch. The counter was wide enough for two to sit side by side. From the start, Alex had been comfortable having Carl there. He didn't talk much unless he was doling out fortunes and he always seemed to understand Alex without her speaking.
She nibbled on the ham sandwich, liking the spicy mustard. A chill ran through her. She peered down at the ghost cat. He had appeared last week and had been wandering the store and giving people chills. If he was alive, she would have fed him some of her ham. After finishing up, she opened her book again. Studying - that was what she could do even if she sometimes forgot what she read. Carl went to help someone work the washer.
A little later, a group of teenagers came in with cameras. October usually brought more of these groups hoping to catch ghosts. As long as they didn't make trouble, Alex let them be. Most ghosts scrambled away whenever these groups came. Some interviewed Carl and got some reading. By late afternoon, more groups came and left.
By 9:30pm, the Mat was mostly empty. A slender man came in with a small sack stamped with HOG. He settled at a washer close to the back and proceeded to do his laundry but his eyes kept darting to Alex. Since September, the man had came in about 20 or more times and it was mid-October. Alex wondered how the man could have so much laundry to do. As she was engrossed in the history of the Mona Lisa, someone stopped by the counter. Carl was in his booth reading one of his novels.
"Hi. I know this may sound strange and you probably wouldn't believe me or maybe you would since this is the Ghost Mat and so this is nothing unusual but it must be unusual or else you wouldn't think I'm strange. I'm Yuto Haru. I have a message for you about your niece. But first, you must close before 9:45. I'm serious. Something is going to happen at 9:45 and you'll be in danger. You must close the store now. Oh wait, I still have my laundry. I can come get it tomorrow. I know I'm a stranger and you shouldn't believe me but I swear I'm not lying. I swear it."
Alex stared up at the man. He was fairly good-looking in that boyish way with his mop of blond hair nearly covering his eyes. His rushed rambling held some sense. What did he know about Lucy? More importantly, how did he know something will happen at 9:45? She glanced down at the notepad. How should she respond?
He leaned his folded arms on the counter, leaned forward and whispered, "I have something of your father's I wanted to give back to you. I know he's dead but I can see his ghost." He leaned back. "Oh goat cheese! I forgot. He told me to tell you something that will make you believe me but I forgot what that was. Cheese and rice!" He stared up at the ceiling, looked back down and said, "I remember now. Your father gave your mother a pearl necklace when they found out they were having twins - that is, you and Gabby. Your father was disappointed for missing the appointment with her doctor but he was at a stakeout which is so cool, by the way, I wish he would talk more about that but no— Sorry. Rambling. You have to believe me. Do you believe me?" His light blue eyes met her brown ones.
The way he spoke, it was like he was having an episode of spasms with all the rushed talking. Alex shrugged. It was true all that Yuto had said but Alex only heard about it from her sister Chris. But anyone could found out about her family. They were in the papers because of Lucy's disappearance. Their family had been putting out an ad in the local paper every month offering a reward for any information. The man probably had some useless information like the others. But what was the something of her father's he wanted to return to her?
"Alex— May I call you Alex? Alex, the thing is, I don't really want to do this but I promise you know who so that he would stop pestering me." He took in a breath and let it out. "I need to do this. I'm sort of going mad with you know who. I don't want to be—" A phone rang. Yuto took out his phone from his pants pocket and glanced at the screen. "I'm going outside for a bit, when I come back, we'll talk more." He turned and walked out the door.
Alex returned to her book but couldn't concentrate. Is this Yuto a psychic? And he sees her father's ghost? She had been looking but her father's ghost never appeared.
Someone came up to the counter. She glanced behind her at the digital clock: 9:45 - the exact time the ghost robber appeared.
"Get out from behind there," said the ghost with a gun aiming at her and then at Carl. "You too, get over here."
The ghost cat rubbed against Alex's, sending a chill up her right leg but she ignored him. She had always liked being here because of the quiet atmosphere but now with most people gone, the only sound was the cycling of two dryers and one washer. Alex stepped around the counter and stood with her hands up.
"Is it that time again?" said Carl, getting up from his booth. She nodded. Carl held his hands up and stood beside Alex. They had expected the ghost every Wednesday night since the beginning of the month. Carl couldn't see ghosts but he could sense them.
The ghost robber went behind the counter. Alex couldn't see beneath the counter where the cash box was sitting but she could hear the sound of it being opened. He held up a few bills and dropped them. "Where are all the cash?" He waved the gun at her.
Alex shook her head and took her pen and wrote: All the money are in the machines. I don't have the key to open them. "Did he forget again we have no cash?" whispered Car. For his reading, Carl only accepted credits. Alex nodded.
The ghost stomped his foot. "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
Carl glanced at Alex and raised an eyebrow. She shook her head.
"I'm going to have to kill you since you saw my face. Both of you. Starting with you." The ghost pointed the gun at Alex and pulled the trigger.
"Get down!" Yuto came rushing toward Alex and tackled her to the floor. She hit her left hand on the corner of the counter. You idiot! That was a ghost! but the words were stuck in her head. Carl shoved Yuto aside and helped Alex to her feet. "You're alright, Alex? Sorry, I took a step back. Sorry," said Carl. Alex petted his arm. His instinct told him to move and she didn't blame him. She wished she had done the same. Her left hand ached a little more than her back. The ghost robber stomped off and disappeared.
Yuto was dusting his jeans. "I'm so very sorry, Alex. I'm really ashamed of myself. Anything broken?"
Alex held up her bruised hand. Didn't Yuto said he could see ghost? And this ghost and his gun were transparent.
"Whatever the price, I will pay to get your hand healed. And if necessary, I will take care of you for the rest of your life if you can't work," said Yuto.
Alex smothered a smile. Carl laughed ending with a snort. "Ooh, so romantic. But what the hell were you doing, tackling her like that?"
"I was—" Yuto glanced at Alex. She glanced back.
Carl peered down at his wrist watch. "I'm going have to go, Alex. Are you alright with this fellow?"
Alex nodded. Carl glared down at Yuto. "Do anything else stupid and I'm going to send a ghost with a cudgel after you, buddy." He grabbed his tote bag from behind the counter and proceeded to the door.
Yuto watched Carl ducked to get through the door. "Who ever heard of a male psychic? What is he, seven feet?" Yuto laughed. Carl was nearly 60 but his six-feet-five was still imposing.
Aren't you a psychic too? Alex glared at Yuto.
Yuto pursed his lips. "Looks like we can talk here. But I have to put my laundry into the dryer first."
Alex rubbed her left hand and started gathering her things into her large satchel. It was time to close up.
In a few moments, Yuto returned. He humphed. "So... I guess I should just go right ahead and tell you your father's message. You're not going to like this." He took in a breath and let it out. "Lucy's gone. The kidnapper didn't know what to do when Lucy sick so she died. I know where she is buried. I can take you."
This was the news she had expected and yet, somehow she had wanted a different outcome. Alex sank down onto her chair. She was cold all over. She looked down, the ghost cat was rubbing her legs.
"Are you alright?"
She stared up at Yuto.
He tilted his chin at her feet. "The cat's name is Felix, by the way. Did you know his owner used to come here every Friday night just to sit and watch people do laundry - strange hobby, right? He was hospitalized last week. Felix is probably waiting for him."
Alex continued to stare at him.
"I may be crazy. You may be crazy. Maybe we're both crazy since we both see ghosts. Don't deny it, you can see ghosts." He bit his lower lips. "Can you say something, I mean, write something down in your pad and tell me you're listening to what I'm saying? At least, give me something other than your silent stares. Do you know it drives me crazy to talk and have you just stare at me? Do you even hear me? Write something!" He leaned over the counter. His face was close enough for her to see the stubbles around his chin. The scent of burnt toast and soap was coming off him.
Alex picked up her pen and wrote on the pad and held it up to his face which made him leaned back.
"'I can hear you just fine. I'm digesting everything you had said. Please don't lean on the counter anymore,'" Yuto read out loud her scribbles. He laughed. "Sorry. Bad habit. My mother often stuck her face close to people's. Guess I got it from her. Hey, why aren't you guys open on weekends? Do you know how hard it is to get down here on a weekday? It's always so crowded on the bus."
Bus? The man was spending so much on laundry each week and he rides the bus?
"I know what you're thinking. I'm not allowed to drive ever since I crashed my car into the river but the bus is great— I should give you what I came here for since no one's here." He dug into his jean's pocket and pulled out a small dark brown velvet pouch and placed it on the counter. "This belonged to your father. He dropped it when he died. I'm twenty years late but I hope you're not mad about that. Anyway, got to go. I need to go feed my neighbor's dogs or else they will eat the furniture. Bye." He turned away but came back. "Do you own a phone? Give me your number and I'll send you a text to where Lucy is. That way, you don't have to see me and I can stop doing my laundry. Honestly, I can only wash my clothes so many times in a single month. Your father said I have to come here often so that you can adjust to my presence but I think he's totally wrong. But he's the cop and I'm just a lowly citizen who couldn't pass the police entrance exam. How smart do you have to be to be a cop anyway? I could've passed all the tests if they weren't so stupid. Hey, are you going to give me your number? Or should I come back later? I'll come back later. I can convince my neighbor to let me do his laundry. What the heck." He laughed. "Between you and me, I like you to keep it a secret that I can see ghosts, okay? See you later." He grinned and rushed out the door.
Alex stared at the velvet pouch. By her feet, the cat meowed and ran off. She checked the wall clock behind her: 9:56. Time to close up. She started to drop the velvet pouch into her satchel, thinking she will open it with her sisters but... She loosen the strings and took out the object. A pearl cufflink made from one of the pearls of the necklace he gave her mother. He had always carried the cufflinks with him in his pockets. One was missing on the day he died. She put it back into the pouch and into her satchel.
As usual, she checked on the machines to make sure they were turned off and empty. Some invisible ghost was taking out laundry at #6 dryer and folding them. The clothes in dryer #12 had been taken out and folded. Sometimes people placed their clothes in the dryer, left to run some errands and forget to come back. She turned to check the other machines.
On the bench there was a sack with the word HOG. Yuto's sack. She peeked inside - boxers. The bell on the door rang. Alex dropped the bag.
"Do you know I forgot to take my laundry with me." Yuto chuckled and picked up the sack. "By the way, did I introduced myself? I know I talk too fast sometimes. My name is Yuto Haru. I know, I don't know look Japanese but my parents are Japanese but I'm not their biological child but blood is not everything. Hey, do you think you can spare me some change? I really don't want to walk home. This jacket doesn't keep me warm. Well, I guess I can put on some of the newly washed clothes but I would look pretty silly wearing my underwear. Of course, if you can't spare me the money—"
She took out some coins from her wallet and held them out.
Yuto grabbed the coins. "Thanks. I'll pay you back. You know, I did know your father when he was alive. He saved me from getting shot. It's a long story. I'll tell it to you sometimes. See you later." He left.
Was it strange she liked that he did the talking and didn't stop for her replies? Time to go home. She wouldn't say anything about Lucy until she was certain. As she turned out all the lights and locked up, she thought of her father. If he knew they were looking for Lucy, why did he took so long to find her? Why didn't he tell Alex or her sisters about Lucy? Why did he use Yuto? Was he matchmaking? Alex smiled at the thought.
Good
ReplyDeleteYou are making this into an interesting serial story. I'm sad about Lucy, but the not knowing is worse.
ReplyDeleteYour ghosts and other people are very interesting. Sad about Lucy though, I hoped she would be found alive.
ReplyDelete