Rodney's
Eye
Today my neighbor declares war against the United States of Broken Arm. With nothing but his family and the cardboard from a spent roll of paper towels, he seeks to change the world from his 7th floor apartment. He is otherwise unarmed, and has no armies waiting behind golden hills to execute ingenious ambush. Instead, he has the will, no matter how disillusioned he may be.
Rodney Dazai drives a silver sport-utility vehicle. He has a wife who stays at home all day. He has two sons, ages 10 and 13: one is an honor student at the nearby grade school, the other plays sports like basketball and baseball. You can tell just by looking at the guy, that Mr. Rodney Dazai is of the many families around that never had to earn a grain of their wealth through hard work. You can tell that everything he has ever acquired in life was handed to him. And now he may have finally realized this.
"We won't be taken alive!" yells Rodney out the window to the Broken Arm Army assembled seven floors below. He uses his cardboard item to point accusingly at the army. "Don't make me use it!" he warns them. The last I saw, the B.A. Army was at least 1,500 strong and encapsulated Building No. 426. The army sits on dark horses with shiny silver helmets (gold for Generals) reflecting the grey clouds overhead.
"We know that you are a good human being, Mr. Dazai...Rodney," says the General into megaphone. "Do the right thing."
There is only silence from Apartment 747. I hope Dazai is alright because I want this to go on forever. Then we hear a voice.
"Fuck you, pale face!" yells Dazai, who doesn't forget to employ the use of his cardboard item as he speaks. There are non-White soldiers in the army who turn to each other when they hear that, but they don't do anything - they are far too outnumbered. Dazai yells out again, "You half-breeds make me sick! ... Betrayers!"
"Rodney, your heart!" his wife reminds him.
"I'm okay, dammit! Get me another paper towel roll. Now!"
"Here's one, father," a son hands him a full roll.
He unrolls the paper to get to the cardboard.
"Rodney, remember what the doctor said!" his wife says to him.
"Shut the fuck up!" he punches her and her body makes a slapping sound and then a sliding, squeaking sound as it hits the tile floor. She was still conscious. The two boys grab each other. The wife sits up and holds her face where she was hit.
"How could you? How could you, Rodney?"
"I'm so sorry, babe. I didn't mean it, I swear!"
She looks into his eyes, "Okay, I believe you."
A shot is fired by the Broken Arm Army into Apartment 747. The left eye that his wife was looking at somehow appears different. He has a silver eye now. She screams in disgust.