Post by RAM on May 17, 2024 7:01:41 GMT
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October 21, 2019 - 9:00 PM
Later that night...
RAM found himself waking up inside a guest bedroom at the Palmer residence. As he sat up on the bed, a sharp pain course through his body after that nasty spill he took several hours ago.
"Ughhh...ohhhh, God..."
As Rydia's mother, Lauren Palmer, walked in, he got a good whiff of a foul-smelling solution she had been using to reat his wounds and tried to take a washrag off his forehead.
"Umm, keep it on hun."
"...the the stench..."
"I know it smells bad, but it'll make you feel better."
RAM grumbled a bit as the woman, around 35 years old, pointed out a portrait of a man wearing an Army uniform with the stripes of a staff sergeant.
"I learned how to make this stuff from my husband. He was a former Armny nurse sent to Iraq during the 2003 war. He often said that it would heal just about anything -- from scrapes and cuts to full-blown decapitations!"
RAM pulled himself up slowly and gazed at a mirror above an oak dresser. He was quite astonished by the bandages that covered his face and head after hitting that tree.
"I got tore up..."
"You can say that again, buster."
He went over to the nightstand and looked at a small framed photo of Lauren and Rydia with the famous Coney Island Cyclone in the background.
"So...Rydia's your daughter, huh?"
"Yup. What do you think of her? Hrmmm...?!"
"Ma'am, take it easy. I've only known her a week."
Lauren chuckled.
"How'd y'all wind up all the way in the Metroplex?"
She cleared her throat.
"I had visions of working at an Amazon center in Brooklyn doing IT stuff, but...after my husband died and that bartending slut of a congresswoman AOC killed that dream, we just packed up and moved south."
Lauren paused. She considered herself more to the center politically, wanting the best from boththe right and the left. She never let the subject get in the way of her passion, which was IT work.
"But now, I'm working as an assistant IT director at the Amazon distribution center in Fort Worth. I love my job, I love my colleagues -- Republicans and Democrats alike. A lot of times,we just find things we can all share and enjoy with each other."
Lauren smiled. RAM could only smile as Lauren nodded warmly.
"Rydia's got a keen fascination with computer programmin'. I can't wait to see what she's got cooked up other than viruses..."
"More like an obsession -- she ought to be grateful she only got detention instead of bein' kicked out of school for crashin' that mainframe."
Lauren chuckled slightly, then whispered in RAM's ear.
"Although to be fair, Bill Gates did the same thing back in the old days."
He laughed as he watched Lauren pick up the small picture off the nightstand, clearly proud of her daughter's love of computer programming.
"I believe that Rydia is quite gifted, and I can't deny her from her passion. I've never seen anyone move their hands across a keyboard quite like her. In a world where AI is slowly becoming a thing, her talents are gonna be quite useful down the line."
On cue, perhaps after hearing RAM's distinctive Klingon-esque laugh, Rydia entered the guest room from her bedroom.
"Speaking of, taking a break from homework?"
"Yeah. I wanted to see how RAM was doing?"
"RAM? Is he one of your classmates or something?"
RAM blushed in embarrassment, trying not to recall the experience he had with her during the lunch period.
"Don't ask."
Rydia giggled.
"Tee-hee-hee...it's his nickname."
As RAM hung his head in shame, Lauren chuckled with glee as she and her daughter piled on.
"It sounds ridiculous if you ask me..."
"Hey, I like it already."
Rydia enjoyed the moment, then took it a step further.
"I second that motion -- and you get no say in the matter! PFFFT!!"
She playfully poked him in the ribs. RAM turned around and started to make his way toward the front door.
"I think I'd better mosey on outta here. My aunt's probably worried about me."
Rydia chimed in.
"Mom? May I go with him to his house? I think he needs an extra pair of eyes, given what's happened to him and all that jazz."
"Rydia, I don't think it's a good idea to--"
Lauren interrupted.
"I think it's a great idea, RAM. After all, who knows when those boys might show up again and start trouble."
Lauren and Rydia follwed RAM, who was trying to get away from the pedicament he was facing.
"I'm probably gonna be in for it when I get in."
"Aww, c'mon! It'll be fun and educational!"
Lauren cracked a sly grin.
"Resistance is futile, sweetie. Once Rydia makes up her mind on something, she'll be dead set on accomplishing it."
RAM took a deep breath, realizing that he wasn't going to win the argument.
"Where do you live at, RAM?"
"Beetle Drive."
"Oh, that's not too far, just a couple of blocks away."
He solemnly nodded as Rydia placed her iPhone X in her front left pocket.
"Alright. Let's mosey..."
"Tee-hee! Let's skee-daddle on out of here!"
As Rydia placed an LED headlamp on her head, Lauren gave one final instruction.
"Text me when you get to RAM's place, babe!"
"I will, mom!"
RAM shook his head solemly as he slowly truged out the Palmers' front door, with a giggling Rydia following suit. Once outside, he grabbed his bike and started to mount it, but he had second thoughts. He knew Bobby Figgins and those other jocks were out there causing a scene somewhere in the neighborhood.
He decided to push the BMX for the entire trip home.
"I'd feel much safer takin' a Lyft..."
To be continued...
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October 21, 2019 - 9:00 PM
Later that night...
RAM found himself waking up inside a guest bedroom at the Palmer residence. As he sat up on the bed, a sharp pain course through his body after that nasty spill he took several hours ago.
"Ughhh...ohhhh, God..."
As Rydia's mother, Lauren Palmer, walked in, he got a good whiff of a foul-smelling solution she had been using to reat his wounds and tried to take a washrag off his forehead.
"Umm, keep it on hun."
"...the the stench..."
"I know it smells bad, but it'll make you feel better."
RAM grumbled a bit as the woman, around 35 years old, pointed out a portrait of a man wearing an Army uniform with the stripes of a staff sergeant.
"I learned how to make this stuff from my husband. He was a former Armny nurse sent to Iraq during the 2003 war. He often said that it would heal just about anything -- from scrapes and cuts to full-blown decapitations!"
RAM pulled himself up slowly and gazed at a mirror above an oak dresser. He was quite astonished by the bandages that covered his face and head after hitting that tree.
"I got tore up..."
"You can say that again, buster."
He went over to the nightstand and looked at a small framed photo of Lauren and Rydia with the famous Coney Island Cyclone in the background.
"So...Rydia's your daughter, huh?"
"Yup. What do you think of her? Hrmmm...?!"
"Ma'am, take it easy. I've only known her a week."
Lauren chuckled.
"How'd y'all wind up all the way in the Metroplex?"
She cleared her throat.
"I had visions of working at an Amazon center in Brooklyn doing IT stuff, but...after my husband died and that bartending slut of a congresswoman AOC killed that dream, we just packed up and moved south."
Lauren paused. She considered herself more to the center politically, wanting the best from boththe right and the left. She never let the subject get in the way of her passion, which was IT work.
"But now, I'm working as an assistant IT director at the Amazon distribution center in Fort Worth. I love my job, I love my colleagues -- Republicans and Democrats alike. A lot of times,we just find things we can all share and enjoy with each other."
Lauren smiled. RAM could only smile as Lauren nodded warmly.
"Rydia's got a keen fascination with computer programmin'. I can't wait to see what she's got cooked up other than viruses..."
"More like an obsession -- she ought to be grateful she only got detention instead of bein' kicked out of school for crashin' that mainframe."
Lauren chuckled slightly, then whispered in RAM's ear.
"Although to be fair, Bill Gates did the same thing back in the old days."
He laughed as he watched Lauren pick up the small picture off the nightstand, clearly proud of her daughter's love of computer programming.
"I believe that Rydia is quite gifted, and I can't deny her from her passion. I've never seen anyone move their hands across a keyboard quite like her. In a world where AI is slowly becoming a thing, her talents are gonna be quite useful down the line."
On cue, perhaps after hearing RAM's distinctive Klingon-esque laugh, Rydia entered the guest room from her bedroom.
"Speaking of, taking a break from homework?"
"Yeah. I wanted to see how RAM was doing?"
"RAM? Is he one of your classmates or something?"
RAM blushed in embarrassment, trying not to recall the experience he had with her during the lunch period.
"Don't ask."
Rydia giggled.
"Tee-hee-hee...it's his nickname."
As RAM hung his head in shame, Lauren chuckled with glee as she and her daughter piled on.
"It sounds ridiculous if you ask me..."
"Hey, I like it already."
Rydia enjoyed the moment, then took it a step further.
"I second that motion -- and you get no say in the matter! PFFFT!!"
She playfully poked him in the ribs. RAM turned around and started to make his way toward the front door.
"I think I'd better mosey on outta here. My aunt's probably worried about me."
Rydia chimed in.
"Mom? May I go with him to his house? I think he needs an extra pair of eyes, given what's happened to him and all that jazz."
"Rydia, I don't think it's a good idea to--"
Lauren interrupted.
"I think it's a great idea, RAM. After all, who knows when those boys might show up again and start trouble."
Lauren and Rydia follwed RAM, who was trying to get away from the pedicament he was facing.
"I'm probably gonna be in for it when I get in."
"Aww, c'mon! It'll be fun and educational!"
Lauren cracked a sly grin.
"Resistance is futile, sweetie. Once Rydia makes up her mind on something, she'll be dead set on accomplishing it."
RAM took a deep breath, realizing that he wasn't going to win the argument.
"Where do you live at, RAM?"
"Beetle Drive."
"Oh, that's not too far, just a couple of blocks away."
He solemnly nodded as Rydia placed her iPhone X in her front left pocket.
"Alright. Let's mosey..."
"Tee-hee! Let's skee-daddle on out of here!"
As Rydia placed an LED headlamp on her head, Lauren gave one final instruction.
"Text me when you get to RAM's place, babe!"
"I will, mom!"
RAM shook his head solemly as he slowly truged out the Palmers' front door, with a giggling Rydia following suit. Once outside, he grabbed his bike and started to mount it, but he had second thoughts. He knew Bobby Figgins and those other jocks were out there causing a scene somewhere in the neighborhood.
He decided to push the BMX for the entire trip home.
"I'd feel much safer takin' a Lyft..."
To be continued...
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