The front door opened, Joey jumped back and shouted, “Get her out of here. It will not work. It will not work. Leave and take her with you.”
“You’re overreacting, Joey,” said the old guy.
Tina, a large German shepherd trotted in, walked up to Joey, now frightened and braced against a wall, and sniffed him. She sat in front of him. Her eyes on Joey’s eyes.
“Make her go away. I don’t like dogs. Has she had her rabies shot?” Joey nervously asked.
Joey gently moved his left foot six inches to the left and his back slid six inches with the foot.
Tina growled. Joey brought his foot back.
The old guy walked up and stood beside Tina. He patted her on the head with his left hand. He patted Tina’s head, “Good girl. Don’t let him leave.” The old guy reached into one of his cargo pants’ pockets and pulled out a treat. He fed it to Tina who wagged her tail and greedily looked for another treat.
“How long do I have stand against the wall?” Joey asked.
The old guy ignored Joey’s comment. Instead, he said, “I need to make proper introductions. Tina, this is Joey. He’s lazy. He’s in a dead-end job. No woman will date him; and who can blame them? What’s worse, he doesn’t know what day it is?”
“I do to,” said Joey.
“Yah, what day is it?” asked the old guy.
“It’s, it’s, it’s not Saturday or Sunday, I don’t work weekends. I worked yesterday so it can’t be Monday.”
“You have a four in one chance,” said the old guy.
“This is stupid,” said Joey.
Tina growled.
“Sorry,” said Joey.
“Sorry what?” said the old guy.
Joey thought for a moment. “Sorry Tina?” said Joey.
“That’s better. What day is it?”
“Hey, it’s a trick question. Can I Google it?”
“I see you have a sense of humor, pathetic as it is,” said the old guy.
“I was serious,” said Joey. Then he added. “I really have to go to the bathroom.”
“Tina, he doesn’t know what day it is. Now he wants to go to the bathroom that probably smells worse than a Porta Potty that hasn’t been emptied in two weeks.”
“I was going to clean it over the weekend, whenever that happens.”
“Joey, life as you knew it is over. It’s a new day. Consider me your mentor. Consider Tina your guardian. Now my formal introductions, Joey, this is Tina, a trained killer. Once she accepts you, she’ll be your friend for life. As for me, call me Farlo.”
“I don’t need a mentor. I don’t need a guardian. Why are you here? Do you have a last name? Who are you? I really, really have to go,” said Joey squirming against the wall, his white face now turning a light shade of green.
“Farlo’s the name, straightening out losers is my game. You’re on the top of my list. You can go wee wee or tinkle, whatever. When you finish, start cleaning up. You don’t eat until the house passes inspection. Farlo lifted his can and knocked the bowl of cereal and beer out of Joey’s hand to the floor.
“Look what you did. You’re making a mess,” said Joey.
Who is Farlo and where did he come from? What’s his game and why did he choose Joey?