To Be Free

“They’re looking because you’re talking to no one”

Scene one

It’s a ritual to go to art exhibits with my sister Raven, as I chat it up with her, I look around and I'm infuriated to see everyone looking at her with confusion and judgment. “Has nobody ever seen a woman with cancer before? It’s like they think all illnesses are contagious” grumbles Jerrick. I locked eyes with a European man, he gave me a slight nod and a smile. “A gesture of pity,” I thought. My sister giggles. “What?!” I exclaim. “They’re looking because you’re talking to no one”. “You’re somebody! Stop calling yourself no one, you’re everything to me, my world in fact”. “Sorry to interrupt, you seem just as uncomfortable as I tend to be at these exhibits, curious as to why you still come?” says the European man. “Well” as I pull myself together “My sister and I have a ritual, she's an art teacher and I'm an electrical engineer, I love to break apart machines and piece them back together into something entirely different, so I have a deep appreciation for art but not for the people who possess them.” “Looks like we are men of like minds, lovely to meet you two” he hands me a card with an address scribbled and gives me a nod and a smile and disappears into the crowd. “Curious..”

“If you talk to God, you are praying; If God talks to you, you have schizophrenia." -Thomas Szasz

Scene Two

I arrive at the address scribbled on the card. I open the doors to a dingy shed, smells of mildew, and a lamp flicking above. “This really sets an eerie tone,” I thought. As I stepped in, “shhhhhhhk” I tripped over something that slid under the rusted car. I bent down and reached for whatever it was, and on my knees, I pulled out a dusty book. As I blew on the book, revealed the word ‘Moleskine’ written on this little black book. “I suppose that's the brand,” I said out loud. “Indeed it is, and I’m Arrigo the CEO of Moleskine”. Said the formerly known European man. “As you open the book,” he continues. “written inside you'll find names, addresses, targeted art pieces and studies of each individual's routines.” As I began to come to an understanding, I said “So you would like to steal these pieces from these particular people, why?” He looked down as he contemplated what to say next. Then he went on to say “My mother was sick, mentally, I was 13 years old when she won her first exhibit, she was deeply passionate about art. As she went on the stage, she had a nervous breakdown, I saw her murmur words to the sky, saying ‘you don’t know what's best for me’ and then she started to scream”. He paused to take a breath, then his voice started to tremble. “‘Stop saying that to me!, Please stop, stop...stop!’, She fell to her knees and put her hands over her ears. The crowd started to whisper and some even laughed.” “The anger I felt was unimaginable, and 3 days later..” I saw Arrigo’s eyes tear up, I believe a mixture of anger and sorrow. “3 days later...she..well, was gone and there I found her and a list of names in this book she blamed. List of names, their most prized possession, being art, addresses and their routines.” “She’s been studying them and I believe was going to take what meant most to them.” As I composed myself from the emotional rollercoaster, I said “So what meant the most to her was her reputation and her self-worth and they took that from your mother. Then your mother devised a plan to take the art, symbolizing the commandeering of their ego, reputation, and self-worth.” “Exactly” expressed Arrigo. “To kill them would be of no satisfaction to me or her, to let the man live and to be stripped of their smug ego, is far worse than death. Gives them a chance of redemption anyways.” “There was a saying my family likes to express to me often when I ask them what was wrong with my mom, They said ‘If you talk to God, you are praying; If God talks to you, you have schizophrenia.’ A wise quote from Thomas Szasz.” He locked eyes with me. “Money would be involved, of course, the pieces are worth thousands. Their souls have valued barely a penny. So would you like to help me complete my mothers' life's work?” I thought for a moment or two then I said “why me?” “Your sister has cancer, yes? Wouldn't you like to afford to pay her medical bills, aren’t you angry at how the same smug people look at her and treat her as if she was contagious?” I grabbed the book and said, “Let’s Go”.

“She’s Dead”

Scene Three

It was easy and exciting and I have never felt so alive before. For Arrigo and the experience alone, I would be forever grateful. 34% of burglars walk in the front door, 23% through the first-floor windows, 22% through the back door, 9% go in the garage, 4% the basement, and 2% choose the second-floor window. We were that 2%. We mastered a routine, during the day we were construction men with all the tools necessary to become burglars at night. We timed everything right, when the night came we looked at each other every time and gave a smile and a nod, the gesture I once hated, I now loved. Then we began the pursuits. The ladder on the wall, we climbed. The second window, usually always unlocked, in we went. As the sun fell and the moon rose we marked names off one by one. Collecting art worth thousands of dollars. I’ve been away from Raven for weeks. The news started to spread. “In today's important daily news, multiple art pieces have gone missing worth thousands of dollars... no known suspects, time to lock up your houses folks.” but it didn’t stop us from our mission. The day finally came when we crossed off the last name and we celebrated by selling some and burning the rest in a dead parking lot. We danced around the fire like a ceremony with whiskey in hand. Arrigo looked at me with a bright smile and said “I have one more piece I’d like to take, for personal gain.” As my high wore off, I began to feel livid. “One more piece?! And for personal gain? We are DONE stealing, we sought justice for your mother. Not to mention we are everywhere on the news! I haven’t seen my sister in weeks, We are DONE!” “Woah Woah Woah, where is this coming from?” Arrigo continued “Look, it’s worth 20,000, the most we’ve made by far, and I’d like to give it all to you.” “Did you hear me? I haven’t seen my sister in weeks, and she is the only reason why I did this in the first place, I have to go back and count my blessings, and continue to care for her!” Arrigo paced back and forth mumbling to himself “I don’t know if I should..” “I shouldn't be the one…” seemingly to heavily contemplate something. “Arrigo, do you hear me, hey! I’m done and going home to my sister!” “JERRICK!” “What!” I yell. He grabs by the shoulders, looks down, and then locks eyes with me and says “She’s dead. Raven is dead man…” “What? No, when..how..why didn’t you tell me” I dropped to my knees. “WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME!” I punched Arrigo square in the nose. As he wiped his bloody nose he yelled“SHE’S BEEN DEAD JERRICK, at the art exhibit people were looking at you with judgment and confusion because you were talking to no one, I looked up your family history, she's been dead for 10 years…” My mind immediately flashed back to the subtle hints she’d give me. I heard her voice ring “They’re looking because you’re talking to no one” Arrigo looks at me once more “You have schizophrenia, so did my mother, that's why I choose you, and that's why I want to give you the 20,000 dollars, to help you with your future medical bills, something I never had a chance to do for my mother.” I ran 30 miles back home and didn’t look back.

“Perception is Reality” -Lee Atwater

Final Scene Part one

I busted the door open, drenched in sweat and tears, I yell “RAVEN!” I ran to her room there I see her lying in bed and she looks up at me and says “Finally, you know.” She sounded relieved. “So you’re not real?” “Of course I’m real brother” “But you’re dead, you can’t be real...Am I sick, do I have schizophrenia..” “ Well, that's what it seems for the outsiders looking in if they can’t hear, see, or experience what you claim. Then you’re the crazy one, but perception is reality and really I’m still here for a purpose unbeknownst to them.” “So now what?” my voice trembled. “So now I must go.” Raven whispered “Wait” teary-eyed “What’s your purpose in my life?” “Financial and Mental freedom, without me you wouldn’t have agreed to your spiritual journey, that being the art heist.” “Spiritual journey?” I asked. “Each name crossed, the closer you got to self-realization, each piece collected, the closer you got to financial freedom, and with that freedom comes your ability to focus on your mental health, giving mental freedom. But I can’t be free until you finish the final heist, so go...so I can too.” “How do I know I won’t still see you, what if I create a fabricated version of you?” “Perception of reality emerges from the brain and dissolves in the brain. Use the money and find a support group to help guide you. I love you Jerrick, Now go.” I picked up the phone, called Arrigo, and said “Grab your hard hat”

“Perception of reality emerges from the brain and dissolves in the brain.” -Abhijit Naskar

Final Scene Part Two

That day we met at the last house, as the night fell, we gave a nod and a smile, then climbed up to the second window, as we opened it, “weeeooooeee” Panicked I said “The alarm went off! What do we do?” Arrigo yelled “Put your degree to use!” So I ran downstairs and started tinkering. “weeeoo...” “I DID IT!” I yelled. We found the art piece, wrapped it up in bubble wrap, and took it through the back door. “Weeeooooee” “the alarms again?” I thought. “Jerrick, Run! It’s the police!” “Then come on!” I yelled. “If we both go they’ll keep looking and find us both. I’ll hold them off, you run!” said Arrigo. “But…” I hesitated “Go, NOW!” So I ran, the very next day I sold the art piece for 20,000 dollars and as I walked past the TVs in the coffee shop’s window I saw Arrigo’s face. “In today’s important daily news, We caught the art thief, goes by the name Arrigo, up for bail at 5,000 dollars…” When I heard that, the sound dissipated and I started to laugh obnoxiously “Ahhhhhahaha” people looked at me crazy but I didn’t care. I proceeded to the jailhouse to bail Arrigo out. We gave the biggest hug and laughed and cried until the police told us we had to leave. That night we burned the rest of the money, dancing around the flames like a ritual. Something I lost and found once again..a ritual. Arrigo looked at me and asked, “why’d you decide to burn the rest of the money anyhow?” I laughed and walked closer to the moon, looked up, and said “To be free.”

“To be free” -Jerrick

The End

Written by Jillian Paris Ferguson

Inspired by Moleskine and Vocal

https://us.moleskine.com/en/

A special thanks to Jerricks Media Holdings, Inc.

A special thanks to Justin Maury

A special thanks to Arrigo Berni