UTAPIA - Short Stories

The Newspaper Kiosk

"It's glorious!" exclaims and enthuses a short and plump woman, dressed in an immaculate work suit, to the beautiful young woman serving at the newspaper kiosk in the middle of the large and grand city square of the secluded Utapia City.

"We need to thank Lord Tapia for another bit of brilliance."

The young woman, Julie, a seemingly confident extrovert with short and curly hair with an aura of something -- yes, "something" -- that no one in the city can put their fingers on, bags the woman's items caringly.

"You should always be thankful, for sure. You have your mind, your body and you are in a beautiful world," Julie responds with apparent affection for the umteenth customer that day - maybe more so a month for that matter!

The short and plump woman holds her chest, "Quite so. Lord Tapia has afforded us an incredible settlement and enterprises - more than anyone can wish for."

Julie is not sure her message got through to the woman, but she smiles and hands the woman her bag of goods and separately her newspaper. "Have a wonderful day at work." The woman takes the bag, nods and smiles politely at Julie, opening her newspaper almost instantly. The woman then walks briskly toward a crowd of well dressed citizens in the distance - all walking in the same direction and each similarly with their noses in their newspapers.

Julie transitions to a much more relaxed and quiet demeanor, rummages in her bag and pulls out a haggered notepad which she scribbles something in. She seems much more like an introvert now.

"Come over here."

Julie hears a voice. It is her manager, John, on the other side of the newspaper kiosk, who is working on his bills and seems to be not only working with a calculator but also strangely holding a stopwatch in his hand. Julie approaches him.

"Finally, our last customer!" John sighs. "You spoke to each customer for..." John presses a couple of buttons on his calculator and takes pleasure in reading disapprovingly, "an average of one minute and 17 seconds today."

"I'd speak for a lot longer if I could," Julie responds with a sprinkle of humour - knowing fine well that her manager is not the biggest fan of her doing more than simply giving her customers their things as efficiently and quickly as possible.

"It's a wonder Lord Tapia and his people still opt to having newspaper kiosks for such an important duty, hiring people like you. The technology that is available these days." John argues.

"You'd be doing yourself out of a job there too, John!" Julie jokes.

"Well, there are many other tasks for this city I'd much rather be doing, believe you me. Maybe some tasks that aren't hindered by such slow individuals. It is very important you know, getting those newspapers to the citizens," John says seriously.

Julie purses her lips, but still wants to eek out a little bit of her opinion. "It's very important, is it? You feel it is important," corrects, Julie.

John is angered. "I feel it is important because it is important. If you are happy for people to not be tapping tappingly well then suit yourself, you won't go far."

Julie looks away as though trying to swallow this bull shit she has heard so often is really making her gag.

John tries to keep his head buried in his bills, but can't help but explode onto Julie. "I'm not liking this outspoken nature, Julie. I have a task set by Lord Tapia, one that is handed down through generations to be loyal and trustworthy and it bewilders me your lack of such abilities, it really does. This city is important, and I am important for being in it. Lord Tapia chose me to be here, and to be in this job and I am honoured, now I tell you and order you to be honoured to be in the position you are in."

"Of course, it is a huge honour." Julie replies reluctantly.

"Great, now tell your face. And tomorrow, stop holding up the system." John looks up from his bills and points out to the square. "On your way." John then looks back at his calculator which he presses buttons on frantically.

Julie grabs her bag from the floor and walks toward the exit, before she hears another little peep from her manager.

"I'd move you on elsewhere if I had the power."

Julie turns from the doorway and laughs. "So, the great Lord Tapia's decision is not okay for you, then? You want to overthrow the great man?"

"P-lease," John exasperates. "He provides everything little and large, we have to be proud of where we are." John recites.

"John," Julie re-approaches. "We don't have to do anything. Putting importance and meaning on anything is a human-made thing. This constant importance. The universe we exist within is made up of atoms bouncing around, of chemicals reacting. It's chaos. Order, importance, meaning: they are all things humans have evolved to search for and seemingly need. It doesn't mean any of them exist. We are hindered with our small and confused brains; our eyes that don't see every colour; our noses that can't smell every smell; our ears that can't hear every sound. All matter in this universe is conjoined yet every human cannot agree. Whatever I feel is important and whatever you feel is important can be totally different things. Everybody is individually themselves, and we control only one confused brain and limited body. If we are to live as a human, we must each do and think what we wish with them, do what we think is best and allow our neighbours to do the same without judgement. I feel it is important to hear the citizen's, our customer's points of views, because they do have them. See you tomorrow."

John looks frozen as he stares down at his bills, his fingers not moving or pressing buttons anymore. He quickly looks for his newspaper and flicks it open frantically, scouring it.

"Which article was that in?"

Julie closes the door and leaves.