The Shifty Accountant

April 15th,
Worn calculator keys
Their designations long since gone
Painted numbers flaked away
Only by memory are their functions known
Yet, the accountant continues his accounting
His thick fingers tapping speedily
The screen filling and refilling
Endless strings of numbers and their efficiencies
Without stopping, the accountant accounts
Yellow stained fingernails occasionally clawing
Scratching the stubble and then turning
The thick cigar stub hanging near his chin
Acrid smoke constantly swirling around his head
His beady eyes partially hidden
Behind the haze and his worn black frames
Difficult to tell if they are brown or blue
He’s always looking down
At the screen, or the piles of documents
On the metal desk, in numerous cabinets, stacked on the floor
While the antiquated PC stares silently
Dust layered on the screen
Bundles of twisted cords held together with a plastic clip
Coffee blemishes on the keyboard
Long-ago abandoned but never disposed of
I’ve never bothered to ask why
Reflexively he draws an attention shift
The bald spot on his head grows larger every year
His hand rubs across it without warning
Over and over again
As if he’s smoothing back hair no longer there
And still the accounting keeps being accounted for
With each passing moment,
The bile in my gut rises and falls
Except for the tapping,
Silence permeates the room
My chair growing uncomfortable
Feet tapping to a silent song in my head
Palms moist with sweat
Until at last,
His eyes and my eyes connect
Another puff from the worn cigar
Eyebrows suddenly raised in anticipation
He rolls his jaw from side to side
Abruptly smiles,
Almost sending me into a state of shock
Slowly he speaks…
“Lucky you…”
“You’re getting a return this year….”

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R J Schwartz

I write about everything and sometimes nothing at all.I'm fascinated by old things, rusty things, abandoned places, or anywhere that a secret might be unearthed.I'm passionate about history and many of my pieces are anchored in one concept of time or another.I've always been a writer, dating back to my youth, but the last decade has been a time of growth for me.I'm continually pushing the limitations of vocabulary, syntax, and descriptive phrasing.

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