Friday, April 9, 2021 The Martin Chronicles Part 4

Dear Bucky,

It was good to hear from you. We are in agreement then that this BOII business is too good an opportunity to pass up, come what may. After all my boasting, though, I’m really stuck on what to submit, especially since I’ve only been given one more chance. Why am I taking this so seriously? I got so desperate for an idea that I even prayed that one might come to me in a dream. Nothing yet. I’m giving myself until the end of the month to come up with something, nocturnal inspirations or not.

My job at HC is going well, but I’ve been trying to decide whether or not I would be breaking the “vows of secrecy” to tell you, without any identifying details, some of the odd things I’ve been coming across. It’s probably nothing, but I’ve been feeling a little uneasy. I’ll have to give that some thought. I suppose you will pester me about this while I’m visiting this weekend. Maybe that’s why I brought it up.

It’s about a four-hour drive for me, but the weather should be nice and I plan to leave right after work. Expect me by 10:00 p.m. on Friday night! I’m sure BJ will be sleeping, but I expect to be given the traditional hero’s welcome by you and Suzanne. And I’m coming with the appetite of an active young man in search of good home-cooked meals. See you soon!

Martin

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dear Bucky,

The weekend went by way too fast. Thanks again to you and Suzanne for putting me up for two nights. Once again, I appreciated your remarkably comfortable couch and even more, Suzanne’s remarkably good cooking, the memories of which will have to sustain me until my next visit. BJ is a ton of fun – I’m going to have to get me one of those! Don’t worry – I do know the correct order of these things, so I’ll have to get me a “Suzanne” first. I’ll let you know if there are any prospects on the horizon, but my social circle is really small still. I’ve only been living here for a few months and the people I’ve met at work so far aren’t the socializing types. I know I bristled when you encouraged me to find a good church, but I guess that’s just because I know you are right. It’s not as easy as you might think, even in a city as large as this. Excuses, excuses. I’ll admit to some “church envy” after going to church with you guys on Sunday, so maybe that will get me off my sorry butt. I went to a few when I first moved here, but is it too much to ask to find a church that actually believes what the Bible says? I’ve been just doing things on my own and have gotten lazy. I’ll take your words of advice to heart.

I’m also glad you probed a little about the things I alluded to in my last email about HC. I hope I didn’t disclose too much. It was just good to get someone’s else’s perspective on it. I’ll keep you posted.

Martin

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dear Bucky,

I finally have some news about the Bureau of Interesting Ideas and it’s very…interesting, even incredible. I’m still trying to understand what has happened. I had given myself a deadline and it came to the last day with me having tried out one absurd idea after another in my mind and rejecting them, still scalded by the BOII’s harsh criticism of my first submission. Well, Desperation is the Mother of Invention, if I may tweak the old aphorism a little. I went on my usual morning run before work through a nice little park where squirrels are just sort of insignificant background bits running around at the edges of my peripheral vision. Usually you just see one here and there running up a tree or chasing another one across the grass. But that morning, I saw three squirrels sitting together like they having a meeting. When I stopped to take a closer look, they stopped chattering and looked at me, but didn’t move. We had a nice moment, the four of us, but I had to get going. When I got home, I picked up the newspaper and there on the front page was an article about a local artist displaying some of her work: a watercolor painting of three squirrels. Hmm, odd coincidence? When I got to work, I passed by the bulletin board and did a double take – someone had posted an announcement about a meeting and as clip art had used an image of three squirrels with notepads and pencils. Nope, no longer in the category of coincidence. The meeting was being hosted by someone named Beulah Bartimaeus, so I tucked that information away.

Back at my desk, I looked up what you call a group of squirrels, my mind being firmly fixed on them now, and found out it’s a “scurry,” which seems appropriate.

“A scurry of three squirrels has been trying to tell me something today – I am wondering if it’s important and how I can find out.”

I wrote that down and submitted it to the Interesting Ideas file. By the time I got back to my desk, the BOII had already replied (how do they DO that?).

Martin,

We have reviewed your idea/query and find it to be an acceptable submission. We are gratified to learn that our communication with you via the squirrels did not go unnoticed. You may proceed to the next step. Await our instructions. You have begun to open your eyes.

The Bureau of Interesting Ideas

Well, Bucky, what do you think of that?

Martin

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Well, readers, what do you think of that?

I’ll probably delete this in the morning if I don’t hear back from at least one of my faithful readers.