Elbert had a shuttering feeling overcome him. As he began to walk down the steps to the sidewalk in front of the house; There, was blooming the flowers his wife had lovingly planted several years previously. Elbert reached over and grasped one, a vibrant red Lily. This had been Eloise favorite. Picking the flower, he placed it in his shirt pocket. With a sigh he regrasped his cane and began to walk down the street with a firm determined look in his eye. This day he would not note the old homes he walked by, he would not think back to the things he had done for those in all those individuals who once lived in those homes. In fact most lay dormant now. Waiting for someone to come and take note of there existence and give them the attention they were in need of. No, this day Elberts attention was on the fact that once and for all time he now would be remembered.
He reached the corner where the overhead crosswalk stood. But there was no reason to walk down to the crosswalk where he usually crossed the street. no today he would be taking the bus across town, to Blame Street. The presidents motocade would be passing through there in a matter of hours. It was only a couple of blocks to the bus stop. As he turned the corner, Elbert paused and reached to feal into his coat where his pistol rode in his beltline. It still rest there, and till this point Elbert did not even notice that it was actually painful with it pushing into his side. But that didn't really matter, "Focus" elbert thought, "Focus". He proceded up the street and saw a host of individuals waiting for the bus. It was obvious he was not the only one headed to see the president.
As Elbert got closer he joined the conglomeration of folks waiting for the Number Sixty Eight Bus to the otherside of town. Elbert stood and looked around at everyone. He began to wander what there story was. Why did they want to see the president? Did they have a real purpose such as he did? It was just a person, a person who had not done well since he was in office, why did these people want to go see him? Or did they want to go jeer at his antiquated attitude toward humanity. No doubt that was it, he was going to be a hero. Changing history, not many individuals get the opportuinty to accomplish that goal. And to do it this late in life, that in itself would be notable.
Elbert was startled out of his deep concentration. A man turning toward him pointed toward his beltline and asked "What’s that all about"? A enrush of adreline crossed Elberts body, he had not felt such a nervousness overcome him in years, he didn't even know he was still capable of such feelings. Along with that inrush of fear came a sweat to his forehead. "What are you talking about son?", asked Elbert, knowing full well he was looking at the gun in his beltline. "Somehow he can see its outline through my coat," thought Elbert. The man still looking down, then began to state, "why do you have that heavy coat on? You'll have a heat stroke out here". Relief came to Elbert, and quickly he turned from Nerves to a synical attitude to remove this bringer of unneeded anxiety.
"What boy, you to weak to handle this heat? Remember my name is Elbert Eidelbergh. You'll remember that name, I'm the man who could handle the heat more than anyone you ever knew". The man turned away from Elbert with one brow raised as if to tell everyone in the general vacinity to stay away from this odd character. "That’s right, you'll know that name Elbert Eidelbergh, and so will your children", announced Elbert with a regained confidince.
With the conclusion of this announcement, of which no one truly took note, the hiss of the bus coming to a stop in front of the crowd filled the air. As the doors opened, the crowd of people began to push forward a bit to get there place in line. Elbert steped back in fear that he would be pressed against the person in front of him and they would feel the concieled gun. Being pressed toward the back of the crowd, it soon became apparent that he would not get on this bus. But another would come soon.
Elbert looked over toward a bench at the corner of the stop. As he sat down the gun pieced into his side, "Well this isn't an option", thought Elbert. He stood up and began to wait. As he stood there, a crowd began to assemble again. His only hope was to stand at the very front of the line so he wouldn't be pushed into somone else who would reveal his entire plan. After a matter of twenty minutes the next bus arrived, and the crowd once again began to push forward. This time, however, Elbert was at the front and the same fear of somone feeling his gun did not come to fruition. As the bus doors opened Elbert climbed aboard, trying to be careful that going up the steps did not dislodge the gun.
As he gave his coins to the bus driver, he walked toward the second row of seats and sat looking out the window. Once again, he did not focus on the stories that usually abounded in his mind. Instead, he looked out the window, focused, not on the scenery, or the people, no focused on his future. He thought of the history books that would hold his name, the teachers who would teach of him, and how really history had been changed by this one man, Elbert Eidelbergh. Elbert then began to think, down on Blame Street, there was an old store, with an unknown room. He knew of this room for years ago he had worked in the store making produce paintings. The room was difficult to get to, through a back alley, but the owner had let him keep his painting suplies there while he worked. The room had a small window he remembered. It would be the perfect place to take care of his moment of fame. He thought through the entire process even thinking of ever step he would have to take. Deep in thought, the thirty minute bus ride across town was soon over. Elbert had not even noted the multiple stops the bus had taken. No he was focused.
As the bus rolled into the stop, the typical hiss and doors opening took place, signaling to Elbert his moment of fame was getting ever closer. Elbert grasped his cane and climbed down the steps to the street. As he looked up the street there he saw the old Incheld Grocery Store, looking up to the second floor he saw the small window he remembered. The building seemed to be abandoned now. In fact most of the street looked devoid of the life which once abounded upon it. I was actually surprising the presidents bregade was passing through this area. That was of no matter. This area, which was once important but had been forgoten, much like ELbert himself. But soon this area would be famous. Elbert would be famous.
Elbert walked up the street and headed down the alley to the small door that led up to the lone room in the old grocery store. As he entered the alley he saw no door. Looking closer however, he saw that it was being obscured by a stack of crates, nearly leaning against the door. Looking at the door he saw that it no longer even held a doorknob. ELbert figured he could press his thin body through the small opening of the cracked door. Elbert did just as he planned.
Now in the small corridore, he saw the stairs leading to the second story room. The only light that filled the room was a small beaming from the small circular window in the room at the top of the steps. Elbert began to climb the steps, climb to his place in history. As he reached the top he saw the small room was completely empty except for a chair, The round window was for the most part in tact excpt a hole in one pane. "This is perfect" thought elbert, "I can sit in this chair and look out that crack, and well, take my place in history". Looking at his clock, Elbert saw it was now just a matter of minutes before the bregade should be passing through.
Elbert began to sit down in the chair, but the gun once again began to pierce him in the side. "I don’t have to conciele this anylonger" thought Elbert. Once again Elbert began to sit down, yet he thought, "I can't get my clothes dirty, I have to look my best today for the history books. Elbert dust the chair off the best possible, then pulled it midway in the room and sat such that he would have the perfect angle to look down toward the street. There he sat.
It was odd, thoughts which usually filled Elberts mind did not come into being. He simply sat and staired, with pistol in hand, focused on his task at hand. Mintues passed, and the same focus still encompased Elbert. The focus went from almost a state of focus to one of daydream. A daydream of focus on the task at hand. He didn’t think of the act, no he focused on the history books, the fact his name would be recorded for all eternity. Yet all of a sudden uproar of cheer which filled the street snapped him out of his daydream. The president was coming.
Elbert raised his pistol to his eye and focused out the crack in the pane. In a matter of moments he saw the beginnign of the bregade, then the beginning of the presidents vehicle. Soon Elbert saw the president smiling, waving to the people. There next to him sit his wife. It was the moment for his fame. Elbert began to increase tension in his index finger so as to release change to the world, so as to introduce himself to fame. Just as the moment was about to take place, Elbert noticed the flower on the president's wife corsage; a red lily. Once again an inrush of emotion overcame ELbert, he lost focus of the president, looking down to the same flower he had placed in his coat pocket. Eloise. Tension was released from the trigger, and Elbert dropped the gun to the floor. Tears began to fill his eyes. "My dear Eloise," Elbert cried out desperatly. Seeing the presidents wife next to him brought to his attention something that had not seemed a reality. His step into history would bring pain to others, to those who loved the president, to his family. His wife was gone, but to take a step such as this he for the first time thought would bring her pain as well. It was the flower, Eloise favorite which had snapped Elbert back into a realistic view of the world. With tears filling his eyes, and emotions stronger than he had felt since the day he had lost his son, or the day he had lost his wife, Elbert grasped his cane, and turned toward the stairs. Leaving the gun behind on the floor, Elbert walked away from the moment, walked away from his page in the history books.
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