The Bureau of Dreams to be Continued by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview

The Bureau of Dreams to be Continued

Page 757

Escape From NYC

Victor Validkowski left work early that day. He didn’t feel the need to provide any excuse. He just felt like it. What could they do about it anyway? He wanted to make an early start for the train home, realizing that when he went at the rush hour there was always some delay which would cause him to miss the last train from Penn Station; like the predatory gang of darkies who preyed on White workers with wallets.

Part I: Victor’s Walk: A Midtown Fable

As noted, Victor left work early, a rare indulgence. The fluorescent hum of the office on 48th and Fifth had grown intolerable, and the spreadsheet he’d been wrestling with had begun to resemble a crossword puzzle written by a sadist. He buttoned his coat, nodded to the security guard who didn’t look up, and stepped into the late afternoon.

The city was in that strange interlude between bustle and hush. The sun hung low, casting long shadows that made the buildings look like they were leaning in to whisper secrets. Victor turned east toward Grand Central, his usual route, but today the sidewalk felt different; less like a thoroughfare, more like a gauntlet.