Life Endangered Daily
12/31/04
The sky paints a fresh layer of snow on the bitter cold small town streets. A small party slides their way towards the local bar. Each person has a beer in their hand and they run for five paces, then lock up their legs and see if they can pound their beers as they slide down icy sidewalks towards the bar. Upon reaching the bar they polish off their beers, toss them on the ground before they enter. As the door opens, the roar from inside leaks out onto the street. "All right! Who's buying?!" The door closes and leaves the street in its peace. In the window there is a side-scrolling LED display: "Come bring in the New Year at O'Hagan's with a bang! No cover. Good times with good friends. Dollar drafts and free champagne for the countdown. No one does New Years like O'Hagan's."
Across the street from the bar stands a 6-story tenement. A young boy sits high above on a Christmas light lined fire escape trying to catch snowflakes on his tongue. In the background his parents are hosting a party. He grabs his sled and polishes it off. He stands on it and slides around on his makeshift porch. He fiddles with one of the lights...unplugging and plugging it...making the fire escape go black and then bright again. He looks towards the steamy storefront window of the bar across the street as the cheers begin to seep through the glass. He notices a seemingly young figure approaching the bar, who appears to have an oblong shaped object hanging from his neck and he is carrying a shovel. The figure stops in front of the bar, rests his shovel against the front window of the bar, and takes his gloves off. He presses the side of the oblong object bringing it to life and puts his gloves back on. It is an LED screen that reads: "Tired of being snowed in? Hire me. Let me clear the walkway to your house. Start the New Year with a clean slate. I am Negotiable. Happy New Year." He looks down the streets for potential customers, but the streets are barren. He then looks back towards the bar, hoping that someone will come out soon.
A few minutes later a car pulls up and drops off a young couple. The guy opens the door for the bar expecting his girlfriend to enter. He turns to find her talking to the LED kid. "Jen c'mon..."
"Hold on. Look at how cute this kid is."
"Cute? He just looks like a bum with a light-bright necklace. Big deal. C'mon they're waiting for us inside."
"He's just trying to make a honest living."
"Fine. Here kid. Here's five bucks, now can I have my girlfriend back?"
He slaps the money into the kid's hand and drags Jen into the bar. He has obviously had a few on the way. While being whisked away she winks at the kid and mouths him an "I'm sorry." The street once again grows quiet.
The LED kid takes the five dollar bill and sticks it to the frost covered door of the bar. He takes his gloves off and punches some buttons on the back of his contraption. His LED now reads: "Tired of being snowed in? Hire me. Let me clear the walkway to your house. Start the New Year with a clean slate. I am Negotiable. AND NO I DO NOT ACCEPT TIPS! Happy New Year."
Inside the bar, Jen is sitting with some friends. Her boyfriend approaches with a round of beers for the table. He leans in to give Jen a kiss as he gives her a beer. She turns away and sips the beer.
"What's with you?"
"You didn't have to be so rude."
"What are you talking about?"
"That boy outside."
He sighs, but quickly collects himself.
"Look, this is our time and I wanted to spend it with you."
Jen looks around the bar.
"Right, oK. Let's just drop it."
"I'm sorry."
He leans in and gives her a gentle kiss on the cheek. In the background the LED kid rubbed away part of the window and is watching this tender moment. He laughs.
Just as he turns around, he sees a middle aged man who is about to enter the bar. The kid stops the man and motions for him to wait one second. "Look kid, I'm not giving you any money."
Again he motions for the man to wait one second. He begins to punch some buttons on the back of his contraption. The LED reads: "Do me a favor? When you go in there will you buy someone a beer for me?"
"With what money?"
The kid peels the five dollar bill from the door and hands it to the man.
"oK kid, who is it for?"
He clears off another part of the window and points towards Jen.
"oK kid, sure thing. By the way, you should try talking sometime, it would save us all some time."
He begins punching buttons again.
The LED reads: "Thanks. Have a Happy New Year."
The man salutes the kid and enters the bar.
Inside the man delivers the beer to Jen, who is now sitting next to her boyfriend.
"Can't you see she's with someone. I don't have my arm around her for my health."
"It's from the kid outside, so Happy New Year to you too."
Jen happily accepts the beer. The man walks away. Jen's boyfriend snaps.
"oK fine. You want a nice quiet romantic New Year's? Let me make it up to you. I know the perfect thing."
He grabs her roughly by the elbow and forces her up from the table, forcing her to drop her beer. The middle-aged man notices.
"Hey buddy. Why don't we just relax now. We're at O'Hagan's, let's just try to enjoy what we have left of the eyar?"
He offers a salute with his beer and takes a swig to try and soften the blow.
"Like I said before. Can't you see she's with someone? Just finish your beer and mind your business."
"Have it your way my friend. Just don't let the door hit you on the way out."
Jen has now been forced outside. The LED kid is startled.
"Hey pal, thanks for buying my girlfriend the beer. She really appreciated it."
He turns towards her.
"You appreciated it, didn't you?! Say Thank You."
She is silent and fearful.
"Say Thank You."
He squeezes her elbow harder.
"Thank You."
The LED kid takes a step forward, unsure of what he should or rather could do.
"Look kid, since you've been so nice to my girlfriend, I'm sure you wouldn't mind being a little nicer."
He rips the kid's hat and gloves off of him, and forcefully puts them on his girlfriend.
"See honey, now you won't be cold on our nice romantic walk home. Say thank you...say it!"
"Thank You."
Just as she looks to the kid for help, he begins to swing this LED display at her aggressor. As it clips him in the shoulder, what seems like a minor fireworks display takes place as his machine makes impact. Despite his efforts, he is unsuccessful in thwarting any further drama, and before he even realizes it, the kid finds himself lying on his back.
"Oh c'mon now. That was uncalled for. I'm not trying to fight anybody. It's New Year's Eve, and I intend to bring in the year with my girlfriend."
Jen is now in tears but too scared to make a sound. She is escorted away.
The kid doesn't appear to be hurt, but he is just lying there on his back, his LED display blinking erratically. He appears to be hypnotized by the falling snow. He notices the boy up on the fire escape playing with the Christmas lights. The fire escape flickers at him. The excitement from the bar once again leaks out onto the streets. The countdown has begun. The kid watches the flickering glow of his LED display colorize the falling snow as it nears his body. He smacks the side of the LED and it goes black momentarily. The snow has suddenly stopped. The LED reads: "Tired of being snowed in? Hire me. Let me clear the walkway to your house. Start the New Year with a clean slate. I am Negotiable. Happy New Year."
The sky paints a fresh layer of snow on the bitter cold small town streets. A small party slides their way towards the local bar. Each person has a beer in their hand and they run for five paces, then lock up their legs and see if they can pound their beers as they slide down icy sidewalks towards the bar. Upon reaching the bar they polish off their beers, toss them on the ground before they enter. As the door opens, the roar from inside leaks out onto the street. "All right! Who's buying?!" The door closes and leaves the street in its peace. In the window there is a side-scrolling LED display: "Come bring in the New Year at O'Hagan's with a bang! No cover. Good times with good friends. Dollar drafts and free champagne for the countdown. No one does New Years like O'Hagan's."
Across the street from the bar stands a 6-story tenement. A young boy sits high above on a Christmas light lined fire escape trying to catch snowflakes on his tongue. In the background his parents are hosting a party. He grabs his sled and polishes it off. He stands on it and slides around on his makeshift porch. He fiddles with one of the lights...unplugging and plugging it...making the fire escape go black and then bright again. He looks towards the steamy storefront window of the bar across the street as the cheers begin to seep through the glass. He notices a seemingly young figure approaching the bar, who appears to have an oblong shaped object hanging from his neck and he is carrying a shovel. The figure stops in front of the bar, rests his shovel against the front window of the bar, and takes his gloves off. He presses the side of the oblong object bringing it to life and puts his gloves back on. It is an LED screen that reads: "Tired of being snowed in? Hire me. Let me clear the walkway to your house. Start the New Year with a clean slate. I am Negotiable. Happy New Year." He looks down the streets for potential customers, but the streets are barren. He then looks back towards the bar, hoping that someone will come out soon.
A few minutes later a car pulls up and drops off a young couple. The guy opens the door for the bar expecting his girlfriend to enter. He turns to find her talking to the LED kid. "Jen c'mon..."
"Hold on. Look at how cute this kid is."
"Cute? He just looks like a bum with a light-bright necklace. Big deal. C'mon they're waiting for us inside."
"He's just trying to make a honest living."
"Fine. Here kid. Here's five bucks, now can I have my girlfriend back?"
He slaps the money into the kid's hand and drags Jen into the bar. He has obviously had a few on the way. While being whisked away she winks at the kid and mouths him an "I'm sorry." The street once again grows quiet.
The LED kid takes the five dollar bill and sticks it to the frost covered door of the bar. He takes his gloves off and punches some buttons on the back of his contraption. His LED now reads: "Tired of being snowed in? Hire me. Let me clear the walkway to your house. Start the New Year with a clean slate. I am Negotiable. AND NO I DO NOT ACCEPT TIPS! Happy New Year."
Inside the bar, Jen is sitting with some friends. Her boyfriend approaches with a round of beers for the table. He leans in to give Jen a kiss as he gives her a beer. She turns away and sips the beer.
"What's with you?"
"You didn't have to be so rude."
"What are you talking about?"
"That boy outside."
He sighs, but quickly collects himself.
"Look, this is our time and I wanted to spend it with you."
Jen looks around the bar.
"Right, oK. Let's just drop it."
"I'm sorry."
He leans in and gives her a gentle kiss on the cheek. In the background the LED kid rubbed away part of the window and is watching this tender moment. He laughs.
Just as he turns around, he sees a middle aged man who is about to enter the bar. The kid stops the man and motions for him to wait one second. "Look kid, I'm not giving you any money."
Again he motions for the man to wait one second. He begins to punch some buttons on the back of his contraption. The LED reads: "Do me a favor? When you go in there will you buy someone a beer for me?"
"With what money?"
The kid peels the five dollar bill from the door and hands it to the man.
"oK kid, who is it for?"
He clears off another part of the window and points towards Jen.
"oK kid, sure thing. By the way, you should try talking sometime, it would save us all some time."
He begins punching buttons again.
The LED reads: "Thanks. Have a Happy New Year."
The man salutes the kid and enters the bar.
Inside the man delivers the beer to Jen, who is now sitting next to her boyfriend.
"Can't you see she's with someone. I don't have my arm around her for my health."
"It's from the kid outside, so Happy New Year to you too."
Jen happily accepts the beer. The man walks away. Jen's boyfriend snaps.
"oK fine. You want a nice quiet romantic New Year's? Let me make it up to you. I know the perfect thing."
He grabs her roughly by the elbow and forces her up from the table, forcing her to drop her beer. The middle-aged man notices.
"Hey buddy. Why don't we just relax now. We're at O'Hagan's, let's just try to enjoy what we have left of the eyar?"
He offers a salute with his beer and takes a swig to try and soften the blow.
"Like I said before. Can't you see she's with someone? Just finish your beer and mind your business."
"Have it your way my friend. Just don't let the door hit you on the way out."
Jen has now been forced outside. The LED kid is startled.
"Hey pal, thanks for buying my girlfriend the beer. She really appreciated it."
He turns towards her.
"You appreciated it, didn't you?! Say Thank You."
She is silent and fearful.
"Say Thank You."
He squeezes her elbow harder.
"Thank You."
The LED kid takes a step forward, unsure of what he should or rather could do.
"Look kid, since you've been so nice to my girlfriend, I'm sure you wouldn't mind being a little nicer."
He rips the kid's hat and gloves off of him, and forcefully puts them on his girlfriend.
"See honey, now you won't be cold on our nice romantic walk home. Say thank you...say it!"
"Thank You."
Just as she looks to the kid for help, he begins to swing this LED display at her aggressor. As it clips him in the shoulder, what seems like a minor fireworks display takes place as his machine makes impact. Despite his efforts, he is unsuccessful in thwarting any further drama, and before he even realizes it, the kid finds himself lying on his back.
"Oh c'mon now. That was uncalled for. I'm not trying to fight anybody. It's New Year's Eve, and I intend to bring in the year with my girlfriend."
Jen is now in tears but too scared to make a sound. She is escorted away.
The kid doesn't appear to be hurt, but he is just lying there on his back, his LED display blinking erratically. He appears to be hypnotized by the falling snow. He notices the boy up on the fire escape playing with the Christmas lights. The fire escape flickers at him. The excitement from the bar once again leaks out onto the streets. The countdown has begun. The kid watches the flickering glow of his LED display colorize the falling snow as it nears his body. He smacks the side of the LED and it goes black momentarily. The snow has suddenly stopped. The LED reads: "Tired of being snowed in? Hire me. Let me clear the walkway to your house. Start the New Year with a clean slate. I am Negotiable. Happy New Year."