Bobby Long

Bobby Long looked out the window, in the dreary call center - dreaming of the wind. "god danm it bobby, what have i told ya!" shouted the manager." . . . i'm sorry sir -" replied bobby"now listen to me boy - i aint got no room for daydreamers in here. you get me boy . . do you?!?!?!""but sir . ." bobby was interupted."do you get me boy?" the manager boomed backbobby long looked at his manager, and turned back to the window, and then back to the manager.'Well boy?" the manager shouted.bobby long took a gulp, stood up, took the headset from his face and threw it down onto the desk."oh no you aint boy . . . oh no you aint boy" the manager was now screaming. Bobby headed for the door. "oh no you aint boy", the manager continued, "where the hell do you think your goin?""Well sir . . . as i figure it, i aint no 9 to 5 man.""what the hell does that mean?" the manager now red in the face. the other workers peered over there desks."i'm goin to catch the wind sir . . . because out there. . . well sir, its freedom. i can smell it sir, like the socks on your feet, i can smell it, And awww shucks, like my mumma always told me, 'you got to chase your dreams bobby long'.""And what is your dream bobby - freedom""ceartinly sir . . . freedom - it aint much - but its all i want . . . just freedom. That wind in your face, smell of the ocean. The way the train chugs differntly at night and sends you into a real sweet sleep. The way you get woken by some honkey tonk playing his harmonica. the smile on a pretty girls face. It s freedom sir, alabama freedom."And with that bobby noded his head to the room and was gone. He could hear the manager screamin as he left through the corrider . . . but bobby knew he was headded somewhere better, and it wernt no god danm prickly office.(a small excerption from "the bobby long story - i smell freedom sir" out in paperback, penguin books)Luke Edge