Incarna

Jim smiled and shook his head as a couple of uni students walked past him heading for the Remainders Bookshop. He couldn’t believe the T shirt one of them was wearing. He put down his coffee and jumped up,”hey mate, yeah, you two!”

The two students turned and frowned as Jim rushed over to them. They stepped backward as the mountain of man came at them and fear flooded their blood. Jim laughed, “it’s ok guys, just gotta know where you got your T shirt!” The two students swore and gave him the finger.

“Shit mate, what the fuck yah up to?”  “Fuck’n dickhead, it’s a T shirt, not a burqua!”

“Yeah, sorry, just haven’t seen anything like this around. New isn’t it?”

“Yeah a bloke at Uni is flogg’n em!” “Yeah he sets up every lunch time.” “Yeah right, thanks, sorry to freak you out!”

“Yeah well, blokes like you are either AFP or military, so it’s all just so freakin shitty. Ya look sideways these days and some bastard wants to shove you in solitary!”

Jim nodded and offered his hand, “yeah sorry, we’re all on edge with the turn of events!” “You involved? You’ve got the right build to be SAS, or even one of those blokes who got pixellated in those shots of the rescue of that poor bastard in Syria?”

Jim just shrugged and Tshirt shook his hand, “bloody good job if you were mate!” Jim couldn’t speak and just smiled feebly at them. His pulse rate was rising fast and he felt the sweat start to form on his forehead. The two students turned and headed off to the bookshop. Jim looked at the back of the T shirt, a severed head looking at “I Dream of Jeannie” emerging from her genies bottle. The front had read, What do severed heads dream of?

Jim turned to go back to get another coffee. A bunch of little kids were chasing each other around the plaza, yelling and pretending to shoot each other. Some of them crowded around one of the big old Plane trees that shaded the plaza, all pretending to hide. One of the kids, wearing what looked like his mums scarf wrapped around his head, ran up to the others yelling. “Lightning, thunder. Lightning, thunder. Your dead, your dead. Hah, you cant’t shoot me, I am the genie!”

Jim frowned. He hadn’t realised how much all of these interventions had seeped into the zeitgeist. He let out a long slow breath and pulled out his phone. He made his way back to his favourite seat and Pete the waiter brought him another Long Black. “Hey love,” he said softly as his wife’s face came on screen. Jeannie kissed the screen, then turned and called out. “Oi you lot, Dads on the phone!” There were screams from off screen and suddenly three young faces were crowding Jeannie out. “Dad, dad, dad! When you home Dad? Don’t go away again Dad. Come home Dad!”

Jeannie pushed them aside, “righto you lot, go and get ready for school. I need to talk to Dad.” Jeannie turned to him and Jim laughed as the irony of his wife’s name hit yet again! “How many coffees have you had all ready this morning?” He smiled and held up two fingers, “and yes I had my brew before I headed out on the bike this morning!”

Jeannie nodded and waited for him to explain this unexpected call. “there’s been another intervention, I may not be able to make it home this weekend!” Jeannie smirked, “Ah really, haven’t you seen the news?” and she turned the phone toward the TV screen that covered the wall of their living room.

It was ABC Morning TV and there were multiscreen views of the burning Russian supply column. One view jumped to the presenter saying something about third term Prime Minister Putin and third term President Medvedev beingt about to declare that Russia would not stand by and tolerate such outright acts of war. As soon as they had identifed the source of the attack the full might of Russia’s armed forces would be unleashed against the terrorists that had carried out this cowardly attack!

“Best of luck Russkies,” Jim said abstractedly. Jeannie broke through his thoughts, “you tell Commander Doolan, that you have to come home before they send you over there!”

“Don’t think thats the case luv, but I’ll let you know as soon as I know!” He smiled and she frowned to stop herself from crying. “I love you so much,” she said. “You know how precious you are to me! You get your cute furry arse home here!”

He chuckled at his favourite of her lines. “Luv you!” and he kissed the screen and tapped off. He looked up and watched the kids now pretending to be an SAS team trying to capture the Genie. If only it was that easy, he pondered.

He tapped the screen and touched Sparkies number. “Any word?” “Not yet boss, but there is a simoom building and its got a strong electrical signal blocking our scans!” Jim shook his head, “Sparky!”

“Oh shit boss, yeah I’m on it!”