Entanglement: A Modern Frankenstein | Creation

5.2 Letting Go

Chicago, Illinois | June | Timothy

(continued)

Gail had given him a sideways glance, but he coughed a few times as though that had been the reason for not responding as she had expected. He was saved from further glares as they parted to their separate sides of the car.

"When are you going to let me drive it? I already told Lylly that I would take her for a spin this weekend."

Timothy only had the car for a few days. The sports car had been his first splurge with the funds he had collected over the past month. His next splurge would be the new apartment he had rented and Gail knew nothing about.

Before they positioned themselves into the reclined position of the car, he looked back at the small crowd of people at the bus stop. He saw himself there not too long ago, grabbing the bus to the bank, asking the banker about options, overhearing a conversation about cryptocurrencies at the next booth, going home and opening a trading account, reading about options, and buying his first option the next day. The banker had given him an odd look. He assumed the belittling glance was about the money, but he realized after more research it was because the bank was not where options were bought and sold. He seemed to understand the numbers and the math of options—he didn't know how—but he had to devote time to learning the logistics. Even that, though, seemed to come naturally. Somehow he had become a quick learner. He guessed that came along with knowing numbers.

"Are you okay, honey?" Gail said as the car rumbled awake. "You seem distant. You aren't going to go dark on me again, are you? I don't want to be cleaning up vomit and crap again."

"I'm fine," he said, thinking back to cleaning his apartment while absorbing all he learned about options. He had spent that first evening with Gail and explained all he could about the situation. In retrospect, he spent more time apologizing to her than her being concerned about him almost dying. She had never come over to his apartment to clean anything. All she had contributed was a can of spray to cover the stench that she said the apartment still had. It was fine for him because she never wanted to come over after that.

"How much did you make for us today? Or, did you lose it all? Am I going to have to prop you up again with another $200?" He had needed the $200. After growing his initial investment to almost $4,000 within the first week, he had hit a patch of bad luck and lost it all. Gail had given him those funds to get back going.

"I paid you back for that fairly," he retorted.

"Paid me back? So, we're done? Is that the deal? I don't think so, Love," she said derisively, repeating the lecture he had heard for a week. "We're in this together. That's how relationships work. None of this 'time of money' and 'confounding interest' crap."

When he had repaid her $200 with ten times that amount a week ago, he also explained that it was a good deal. He made the mistake of explaining the huge effective interest rate. It was a fantastic deal. Instead of the excitement he expected, she had been annoyed that he was not continuing to grow their money, with an emphasis on "their."

While she eventually took the money, Timothy interpreted that she did not see it as a full payment for her initial investment, although she would not have called it that.

"Com-pound-ing," he corrected, but she snapped back, "I know that! Don't belittle me!"

A dark silence continued through two sets of lights before she broke it. "Ya' know, ever since your freaky illness, you have been nothing but rude and inconsiderate to me. You don't spend as much time with me."