Helmut's Locket

Garrison meandered along the aisles of shops lined on Canal Street; searching for the gift. He stepped into "El mundo de Curiosidades de Vanessa". He grinned gleefully, "What a ridiculously long name"-he thought. Vanessa's store was stocked with plenty of bespoke N'awlins style ballroom masks, and the typical charming baubles of bluish-green tinted glass figurines we don't seem to have enough of. If we were ever to be a lost and forgotten world, I guarantee the first artifact to resurface would be a little blue glass bird- reminiscent of the 70's show, "The Partridge Family". Ah, beautiful Keith- see, you remember.

His brow lifted- Garisson's gaze focused above eye-level to the top of the shelf- he found it! The perfect gift he knew dear, Anna would love. "Anna would be so tickled; she'd absolutely love it"; he thought. The clerk, a not so peculiar gentleman with a black handlebar mustache, and a head of cotton white fluffy hair spoke. Garrison turned around; startled and said "Whoa- I didn't hear you-didn't even sense you behind me". Colin Courtney- sir, and I did not speak! Garrison pursed his lips, and looked up to the right with his gorgeous grey-green eyes, "I'm Gary, though people call me Garrison". "Perplexed-sir?" said Colin with sheer concern. "A mild concern", Garrison said with a grin. "I heard you talking- not saying you're lying, but it was clear. The acoustics are amazing in here". "You did not hear me talking- you heard me zeffing. I was talking to Helmut- the feller you're hugging in your arms said Colin; his dark eyes glinting from the cascading lights, of midday afternoon. He stared out of the heavy bamboo blinds- lost in translation. "Ahem- yes you've made a good decision to take Helmut- or whichever name you wish to give. "It's a gift", said Garrison coyly. "Do you think a young woman would take a liking to him- I dunno if most girls grow out of dolls after college". "Does Anna like to swim?" asked Colin. "Yeah, she was on the swim team at Franklin High". "Ok, great, Gary" Colin said assuredly. "I'll ring you up here; store policy is no returns- absolutely none except for this one", Colin said with a flat smile, his glinting eyes now dull. "Thanks!" said Garrison hurriedly, and a bit awkwardly- feeling so strange since walking into Vanessa's store. "Visit us again, soon if you will", said Colin as he began to sift through disheveled paperwork.

Gary took a deep breath of misty air- a touch of salt from the Mississippi River. Birthday gift- checkmark. He realized Colin didn't ask to put Helmut in a bag. Walking around the strip holding an old ragdoll wasn't a strange sight to see in New Orleans. He picked up a sweet tea- hopped on his blue bike, and rode home, content with the day.

Mama Dea was making Italian chicken and gnocchi soup for dinner. He could smell it from the ivy-lined picket fence. "Boy, it is a good day," he thought. He got in, gave her the expected big southern hug from a lovin' son, and went upstairs to call Anna and ask about her Saturday. Her birthday is tomorrow, so he wanted to tease her about her gift, too.

Their dog, "Jet" followed Garrison up the wooden stairs, so eager and happy to every time. Garrison set Helmut on the dresser, and Jet whimpered to him- nothing he usually does to objects of inanimation. Garrison smiled to Jet "Thats' Helmut-Anna's new doll" Jet, zeffing "mmhmm, I got that". Remember, what we learned from Colin- that "zeffing" are words we speak in our minds.

The morning light peeked through the sheer pink curtains in Garrison's room. It use to be his sister, Cathy's room before she passed a couple of years ago. When Garrison returned from the service, he decided to use her room since Mama needed a sewing room, and he wanted to keep Cathy's room as it was. Jet licked Garrison's face, "Gary get UPPPPPP". Garrison said, "yeah buddy- I'm up, I'm up", as he thrust himself up off the bed into a big stretch staring out the window. He went into Cathy's closet and grabbed a neatly folded pink gift bag to put Helmut in. "She seemed to be prepared for everything", he thought.

Anna's house

Anna greeted Garrison with cherry-warm cheeks, and a hug that felt like light whipped frosting on a cupcake. "Happy Birthday, baby," said Garrison in a loving tone. Her silky, shiny feather-like hair bounced on her shoulders when she returned it with a quick kiss. "Thank you, sugar. You are so sweet" in her voice of N'awlins antiquity. "I can't wait to open it, but after the beignets!" Her Nana Lia pre-ordered her favorite pastry from "Cafe Du Monde" for her special day. "You wanna open your gift now", asked Garrison eagerly looking at Anna as she remembered her Paw would on her birthday. "Yeah, I'll do that" she replied with her pink-lipped powdery sugar smile. She unraveled the deep purple, sparkly paper and pulled Helmut out in awe. "Where'd you find him- he's so unique and old?". "At the new shop that popped up on Canal, "El Mundo Curioos-si-dades de Vanessa". Nana Lia's demeanor changed quickly- "Vanessa- I've got to check it out. She sounds familiar, maybe she was a local. "

Anna and Garrison excused themselves from the square leaf table and went to the porch to sit on the swingin' bench among Nana Lia's blue hydrangeas, and sunflowers. "Thank you so much, baby- I love it". They kissed, French-style- perfect, like in the movies. "So, Helmut, welcome to our home, and I've got a lot of doll family to introduce you to", said Anna. She probed his body for any identifiers that would reveal his maker and noticed a pocket on the inside of his maroon tunic. It was something hard in there, she reached in it without hesitation. "Gary, somethins' in here", she said in wonder. She pulled out a golden heart-shaped box- looking at it in excitement and confusion. The front face was carved out of a mirror-like stone and it was bordered with coils surrounding an embossed heart in the center. Depression lines like morse code encompassed the golden box. Garrison held the unique piece and opened it. "It's a locket, Anna- you can put a picture in it". "Wait, here", said Anna, and she rushed through the green french doors, and up the stairs to get the perfect-sized tiny picture of them.

He fit the picture in there and put it around her decollete area. "Lovely, Anna". They hugged on that swingin' bench- eyes closed to the late morning sunlight, and when they opened them they were in another world. I mean they were transported into another world- another reality. "Anna----", "Garrii----". Helmut was gone. A silver-colored robot approached them wearing a maroon tunic-like what Helmut is wearing. It was gloomy where they were, yet the puddles of water reflected off of his perfect, anthropomorphic body. He introduced himself - "Hello Anna, and Garrison, I am your Helmut".

Anna and Garrison just sat on the swingin' bench- the only thing they were familiar with from their homeworld. "Can you tell us what is this- where we are- how'd we..."? asked Garrison. " You are in the future, and humans of your liking are a scarcity. You are meant to be here. Everything is as it should be. I will show you what's happened, and when you "wake" up, you can change everything- if you will."

The projection played before their eyes. Helmut sat between them both, his long arms extended with his hands on their knees. The world was without any rules- not even the small ones. People acted as they were programmed to be by an implant surgically placed deep in the brain. Every child after the age of 2 had this procedure done. There was peace and cleanliness. The days of originality were over. That was the price, we humans paid for the well-being of Earth, and all of its inhabitants. The lack of individuality also meant the absence of kindness. There were no longer any more beautiful moments between people and people with animals. Children were reproduced via the help of A.I. - appointments for the extraction of bodily fluid and tissue for reproduction. "When you open the locket, you may return home, as often as you'd like", said Helmut to Anna. This hardship, or opportunity - however you may perceive it- is in your hands."

Anna and Garrison knew they had to be on board with Helmut. Their eyes met, and they "zeffed", " C'est la vie" in their minds- their motto. Helmut nodded to them, and the bench swung as they processed this all in a nutshell. "By the way"- Helmut's voice; a little spry- "we zeff everywhere here".