The night the Rhymer went whack

71

New York. New York.

It’s been ten years since his mother’s death and Nick has brought the world into complete harmony. Its rhythm was in sync, reversing the turmoil of the past thirty-five-plus years. He had brought complete peace and unity and for the past three years, no assaults, no rapes and no murders took place. Civilization had begun to rebuild through bartering, love and empathy. The desire for wealth was a thing of the past and the union of humans and Earth and all of its species grew more profound than ever before.

Very few folks remembered what it was like before The Great War, but the few elderly who weren’t senile did and were overjoyed to be alive to experience the turnaround.

New York was one example. Its destruction was one of the most profound of any place on Earth. The city of “If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere” was the spawning ground for the world’s worst criminals and hellish for its victims. It was where it all began. The skyscrapers had toppled and the Hudson and East rivers were bloodied with the bodies of the deceased. No form of law existed and the arrogance of the criminals shown as their survival instincts were relentlessly challenged and met.

Constant arson, constant noise and constant screams of suffering were overbearing, leading it to be the most undesirable place, so naturally Nick ventured there at the bequest of many who encouraged him to go heal The Big Apple. When he arrived, it was worse than he expected but the rhythm of the noise gave him hope. New Yorkers had heard of Nick and got wind of his appearance and knowing his mission, they weren’t willing to give up their negative lifestyle easily. They challenged him. Knowing that they couldn’t physically get to him for he was canine-protected, but they also knew he was outnumbered and on their home turf.

A standstill ensued, and for months, he tried different frequencies and different tones, all to no avail.

Through it all though, Madison Garden had remained intact. Mostly untouched as there were no longer any transit trains to and from New Jersey, but brave souls still traveled by foot through the tunnels. New Yorkers needed The Garden for rest and for its connection to the outside world, so that’s where Nick headed.

He knew what he needed to do but more importantly he understood the enormity of the task. He quietly settled in the borough and just sat and listened. He searched for some sort of rhythmic unity but found none. He played his instrument, trying to merge his melody with the sounds of the streets but his skills were having little to no effect. They’d sometimes produce some happiness and he was able to retrieve a handful of lost souls and bring them to the light, but that would only last temporarily, for as many as he saved, a new crop of beasts would emerge through the darkness of the tunnels. Nick decided that he needed to change course. I need emptiness, he thought, a large haven for a grand concert and instead of looking at The Garden as his nemesis, he embraced it, for it proved to be just what he needed.

He summoned a few of his most loyal canines, just enough so that they could provide security while he and his supporters cleaned the building. Reluctant at first for they truly feared New York and Nick tried hard to keep them in positive spirits but unfortunately, one by one, they either became victims of the streets or they fled back to Jersey through the tunnels to safety. Needing their help, he ultimately gave in and followed suit. He arrived in Jersey City and summoned together as much positivity as he could.

Anticipating another love fest, people arrived to his call by the thousands, young, old, man, woman and child. He played his instrument and as before, the jovialness was airy. “You can never be too clean,” joked a reveler, just as Nick silenced the crowd. In the past, he’d low-megahertz them into a trance with a barely audible hum, but here, he had created a festive nature—an upbeat, hand-clapping environment—so he kept that energy going. He invited some local singers on stage and some dancers too and soon some drums, saxophones, tambourines and guitars joined in.

An all-out jam was taking place, an old-time pre-war ritual that gave joy and courage to everyone ready for battle. They sang on for hours in this cheerful mode, but Nick never swayed from his original purpose and as soon as the joy peaked, he and his helpers, ten times more than the previous, set forth on foot toward the tunnel, toward NYC, engulfed with cheers and well-wishes and the confidence that only Nick could convey.

Since his evolution, Nick had perfected the art of patience, and, combined with his growing confidence, he learned to gracefully stay in the present and enjoy the moment. When they finally reached The Garden, upon inspection, the gentleman Nick had assigned to be the foreman, his immediate reaction was to demolish and start anew. But before deciding so, Nick invited everyone else in so they could tour the building. They ventured through the underground tunnels, old unused offices and the nooks and crannies that only the underbelly of society dared to tread.

He instructed them to view, smell and touch the years of grime and embrace its history and connect to the pain the building itself must’ve felt. And once this connection was met, they meticulously decided to grace through the project and not demolish it but touch up and rebirth the structure.

Often faced with ridicule and taunts, they pressed on for three months until finally completion and the last piece of the project was a side door that Nick purposely chose. He now stood next to it surrounded by all who helped and thanked them each before asking everyone to step outside. “Just momentarily,” he assured them as they strolled past him for a handshake and a hug. This took hours, for there were many.

Once alone, he shut the door, secured the last soundproofing strips then stepped back. His slight smile couldn’t hold back the tears that streaked his cheeks. Not expecting the floodgates of memories to open, he was a man now, and thought of his mom, Straffe, his childhood and all the events that had taken place in his life and how so long ago it seemed. No matter, it all led him to this very moment. He thought of his last silencing and how it was to escape the noise, but now this quietness had truly quieted his heart and soul. He knew that this was the culmination of a world needing complete unity, so he savored the moment, touring each room of the building, making sure no sound whatsoever could seep through. He needed absolute perfection, so through each touch and knock, he grew more assured that the job was a complete success.

Meanwhile, outside a crowd had grown and began surrounding Nick’s workers as folks began wondering what the hell was going on. The Garden was the mecca of the ruthlessness and the criminals hadn’t been too keen on relinquishing it so easily these past few months. They had launched many attacks but the canines had done a valiant job at keeping the crowds at bay. But now, the throngs of people kept enlarging, making their task more difficult. Suddenly, a shot rang out then a yelp and soon Nick’s helpers on the outside realized that a sniper was shooting the dogs. The shots kept coming and the canines kept falling. Panic set in as they started banging on the doors for reentry as now the snipers turned their guns on the people.

All this while Nick heard none of it, strolling blissfully in a place void of the outside. The slaughter even for New York was unprecedented, the dark before the dawn, as none of his helpers survived and their murderers were eventually overtaken and they too were soon murdered by newcomers, creating a vicious cycle as the word spread about the chaos. Curiosity brought out the worst, embarking complete mayhem. The more killed, the more other killers came.

Satisfied and with his tour complete, Nick returned to that one side door and began removing the soundproofing seal. Maybe he sensed what was taking place outside or at least had an idea that the chaos would unfold, but it didn’t matter; sacrifices. His main goal was focused on what was about to take place. Removal complete, he swung open the door, positioning himself behind it as a flood of people swooshed inside crushing to death the first entrants but their prying suspicions overtook their criminal nature as they quickly capacitated The Garden searching for the unknown with mal intent. Sensing the building full, Nick shut the door. He quickly reapplied the soundproof and within minutes the milling slowed. He then brought out his instrument, played one note and all murmuring ceased.

Throughout his life, Nick had learned that people can’t control nature: the sounds of the birds and the bees, the trees, the wind and all that are purposeful. And each individual is too, so instead of trying to fight it or understand it, one’s true self should be completely focused on joining in; for we are all a part of nature.

But noise can be controlled. Cars, trucks, trains and gunshots were all unnatural, man-made sounds and this was what Nick shut out when he closed that door and played that note. And it only took just a fraction of a second for instinct to kick in, a trigger, for nature to re-invite its wayward rib back into the body, and in that split second, the invitation was accepted by all that were inside. There were thousands, so it took a few moments for complete silence, but once it was embraced, their souls opened. A oneness again with nature, purity and goodness. Most became so overwhelmed that they fainted and others clasped their hands and raised their faces upward with joy. That split second had put them all in sync, in rhythm, and one congruous voice rose from the crowd of love and unity all while Nick, still standing near the door, beamed.

Now in this Garden of Eden, all the souls became satisfied, embracing in song before he ultimately led them through the underground tunnels. This emptied The Garden for some new battered souls to enter and be cleansed. This ritual lasted until all of New York had entered and exited anew. So, when Nick opened the door and there was no one left to enter, he knew his task was a success. Who knew how long it took, the sun rose and set many times, but when he finally stepped outside, he walked into a city that was harmonized and in total sync with the rest of the world.