The Big Dream Read Free Page A

Spaghetti-Os he’d managed to swallow. Crawling was not a fast or jerky enough activity
to be nauseating, one would think, yet he could feel the sweet red sauce creeping up his throat as he hunched low, taped, shuffled backwards. He kept tonguing his gum-lump, though he knew he did not want to release the energy pent up there. Violent energy, the thrum of his heart in his gum line.
    â€œThe thing about Freshii,” Luddock yelled from behind a rolling chair, “is that the basic salad costs six bucks, and then more for every little freaking walnut.”
    Clint began the labourious crawl across the aisle.
    Behind him, Anna was crawling in the opposite direction. “Freshii is for the food courts of the upwardly mobile. They care not for the cost of nuts. They have spent $17 in gas driving their $45,000 cars to the mall anyway.”
    Forty-five thousand was slightly less than what Clint owed OSAP.
    Luddock stood and started towards a foursome cube. While he was stepping over Anna’s pink-bloused back, he said, “That’ll be you, Anna-cat. Soon you’ll be mobilizing upward, Tech supervisor, eatin’ walnuts.” He walked into the quad.
    Anna sat back on her haunches. “What?”
    â€œYou’ve always run this joint, now you’ll get the paper door to prove it.”
    Clint couldn’t stand being on all fours any longer, face hanging down, the slosh of pus above his jawbone. He collapsed onto his right hip and then flopped back to stare at the ceiling. He wondered if Mai-Nam had much student debt, a boyfriend, a life.
    â€œYou think I’m gonna be Tech sup?”
    â€œYou’re smart, nice, you don’t cry in public.” A shriek of tape. “Gotta be you.”
    Clint stared at a white tube of fluorescence. His vision was beginning to spot.
    â€œCould be you. You’re smart and unteary. Not so nice, but you can reach high shelves.”

    â€œAh, but you’re the chick. Tech sup’s gotta be a chick.”
    â€œReally?”
    â€œHow else would you explain Mai-Nam? This time it so happens that the best man for the job is a woman, but that’s just a bonus.”
    â€œThe facts that I deserve the job and will get it are unrelated?”
    â€œI think this is correct.”
    â€œI think this is the twenty-first century and you are incorrect.”
    A sigh, then Luddock’s voice: “You with us, Clinty?”
    â€œUmnaha.”
    â€œYeah, well, the important thing, Anna-cat, is that one of us gets promoted soon, so that the full-time spot can slide over to our man on his back here before we lose him.”
    Clint was tonguing it again. He couldn’t help it. It was like a sun radiating warmth all over his face. He realized suddenly he’d been supposed to meet Virgie at the movies.
    â€œWe go to the ER after this, yeah?” Anna again. “They’ll have to treat him at least a little, right? Must’ve gone septic by now, and that’s medical not dental.”
    â€œHope so. We’ll have to MapQuest the Mississauga hospital, I don’t know it.”
    â€œIt’s gotta be on transit, it’s a hospital. How many more rows?”
    Clint was wondering if Virgie would’ve packed his few things yet, if she would’ve washed his socks and underwear or just packed them dirty.
    â€œFour more rows. Canya hang on another hour, Clint?”
    â€œUma. Sure.”
    â€œGreat. And it doesn’t gotta be on transit, Luddock – Mississauga’s fucked. But for Clint, we can get the cab.”
    â€œHey, one of us is management now, of course we can.” A breeze brushed his closed eyes, then another: they were walking over him. “Another hour until the hospital, Clinty. And in a few weeks, we’ll get you all the insurance you need to get the thing just yanked right out of your skull. Hang in there.”

    Her words were as soft as the kicked-up air over his face, as melodious as