Story 2.16: Jude Lizowski

July 12-13, 2014, Story 2.16: Jude Lizowski
The third story written, but is considered a side story as it involves a character from a smaller cast.

During a state of depression, Jude, in his mid-twenties, visits to help Kim during a post-mortem-based state of depression and her recent fear of leaving the safety of the house.

Story
My parents were worried about the fact I had withdrawn lately into a shell, once again. So they call up a Canadian man, whom the two of us met in high school when we were both 16 years old via a Canadian “exchange student program”. He left his friends after realizing he’d have better luck across the border when his family moved to the other side of Lynnwood.

When I heard the doorbell rang…I answered…It was Jude. “Hey…” I said “How are you? How have these past ten years?” He said “Can’t really complain. Dad stopped spying on me and mom following the NSA scandal and mom died of a heart attack when she realized how much she owes in medicine here in America.” I said “Socialized medicine is not exactly America’s bag, they are overly influenced by God and believe the devil will take whoever is involved with it to Hell. However, being I’m a more realistic American, I rather not pay for medicine as I have tons of pills that cost $5,000 American monthly and I only make $721 monthly. That leaves $4379 to go towards my debt.” He said “May I come in for a drink?” I said “Sure...I am dry from all this talk of dangerous politics.” I said “We got Fanta in Grape, Orange and Strawberry, milk, nut, grain and soy-based milk substitutes, Kool-Aid, Coca-Cola and American Mountain Dew. Our. It is highly caffeinated, unlike what you had in Canada.” He said “I’m just here to help you. Your mom said you were not in a happy mood, like she thinks you’re depressed.” As I poured out the Mountain Dew, I said “I did say to my dad about being drowned when he asked me out of morbid curiosity how I would want to be executed if I was put to death. I told him I did almost drown when I was about 10 years old and was being kicked underwater, which made it difficult to recover to the surface.” He said “Dudette, you’ve got some serious issues. What’s with the issue of death? I said “My paternal grandmother died recently and it scares me to know that because of my grandmothers died before their 80th birthday. However my dad has confidence in my genetics that I may live to 100, barring disease, accidents or killings.” Jude said to me “Do you enjoy video games?” I said “It’s been a while since playing video games.”

So I took him to my room and shown him my setup: The first two XBOXes, A Wii and GameCube and a PlayStation 2. “I have yet to upgrade this setup.” He said “How did you end up with these? I said “A majority were given for Christmas, Graduation, Birthday and Consenting to Operation on my Body. So they were given as gifts. The XBOX 360 was one I bought with my own money after my first XBOX 360 died of RROD or Red Ring of Death.”

I picked out a Pokémon title for GameCube, “Pokémon Channel” and said “I’ve been meaning to play this…I’ve have the original game with the GameCube I received for Christmas 2003 from Aunt Jeanne.” He said “Why that title? Don’t you want Sonic?” I said “I don’t have Sonic after I sold almost all my games last year and rebought a few this year.” He said “Okay...whatever!” I started up the GameCube after inserting the disc. As I was on the 3rd day, some new channels appears, including Part 3 of 5 of the Pichu Brothers Party Panic anime. I had fun. The veneer to the being of my sadness was cracking. He then ask “Quick! What is it that you find funny the most?” I said “The Robot Chicken sketch ‘The Shouter!’” and so he gets to the YouTube Channel and broadcasts the Shouter, which had people swearing at their electronics. I laughed, to which Jude then asked “Why’s that funny?” I said “My mother tends to yell at thing that can’t respond. I find the futility funny in the reality of it all!”

Jude then tickled me hard enough that I laughed until I hurt. I had just needed an old friend to remind me of the positive life had to offer. That was all I needed….

…When I woke up, my conscious thoughts said

“What you need is to clean this room before you’re buried alive!”

Trivia
• Jude Lizowski shares a common ancestry with Kimberly, in both have Polish blood.

• The reference to Mountain Dew in Canada stems from a Canadian law stating drinks that are clear or are light in color (like Mountain Dew's highlighter yellow hue) cannot possess caffeine. However, a few loop holes have been exploited in Canada and caffeinated Mountain Dew has been manufactured or sold.

• The talk of death and drowning was posed the day before this dream took effect. Her father did ask and she told her reasons. However, it didn't end at that. Her father admitted her survivalist attitude helped her to the surface (a fact she omitted from the story proper).

• "The Shouter" sketch on Robot Chicken is actually ripped from a local Seattle comedy troop called Almost Live!. Almost Live!'s skit was one where new alternatives to the Clapper were introduced, including a wieldy "Punch-To-The-Solar-Plexus-er". Coincidentally, Bill Nye, AKA "Bill Nye the Science Guy" had done some comedy work with this group and the announcer for Almost Live!, Seattle radio and TV personality Pat Cashman, was also the announcer for the "Bill Nye the Science Guy" program.

• "The Red Ring of Death" (RROD) is the informal term for a hardware failure in earlier models of the XBOX 360 (which were usually a beige white), where the power lights would light up red, functions ceased and it usually meant sending the XBOX 360 to a repair shop. This was addressed in later editions, which were cased in black.

• The events where Kim received her game systems were real and correspond as such: Birthday 2002 (PlayStation 2), Christmas 2003 (GameCube), Graduation to the Next Grade Level 10-->11 in High School 2004 (XBOX Original) and Consenting to Operation to Remove Sentient Ovarian Cyst 2007 (Wii).

• The reality at the time was that she was starting to have accumulated the weirdest of recyclable garbage. Mostly plastic soda bottle caps, cardboard and plastic soda bottles. At the time she was planning on doing a doll picture of The Last Supper that was detailed down to the cat, representing betrayal, at the feet of Judas, who is also the namesake of a nickname Jude received during the course of the series he came from.

• Kim has stated her aversion to touch was something she hadn't fully grown out of and finds tickling to be the only way to stop her if she's in any sort of distressing-to-others situation.