Autobiography of Francis N. Stein: The Last Promethean

By A. Rooney

Set in contemporary Colorado, The Autobiography of Francis N. Stein: The Last Promethean is a story about the last imagined descendant of Dr. Frankenstein's wretch--the spurned monster. It offers struggle and pathos, pain and absolution, and deception and deliverance.ance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Madville Publishing
• Release date: Feb 22, 2019
• ISBN: 9781948692090

A. Rooney

A. Rooney (we call him Andy) taught writing at Jindal Global University in Sonipat, India, and now lives in Denver, Colorado. His novel, The Autobiography of Francis N. Stein: The Last Promethean, was published in 2019 by Madville Publishing. He has published a collection of stories, The Colorado Motet (Ghost Road Press) and a novella, Fall of the Rock Dove (Main Street Rag). His stories and poems have appeared in journals, magazines, and websites all over the world.

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The Autobiography of

Francis N. Stein:

The Last Promethean

A. Rooney

Lake Dallas, Texas

To the Frankensteins of this world.

Hang in there, brothers.

A part of you is in each of us.

Copyright © 2019 by Andrew Rooney

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

FIRST EDITION

Requests for permission to reproduce material from this work should be sent to:

Permissions

Madville Publishing LLC

P.O. Box 358

Lake Dallas, TX 75065

Cover Design by Jacqueline Davis

Author Photograph by Kalika Mehta

ISBN: 978-1-948692-08-3 paperback, and 978-1-948692-09-0 ebook

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018960111

Part 1

Chapter 1

Robeson was saying something about all they needed to do was get the big tarp over the truck and ain’t nobody gonna know it’s here. Don’t drive it, though, if you want to avoid gettin’ busted.

When they’d gotten the bungees attached, he said, Where you been, Francis? We ain’t seen you for months, man.

Francis wanted to tell him a much bigger story, of bears and beating hearts and fires, but instead said he’d been working on a ranch, out near Doveless, for someone named Pindar.

They been lookin’ for you, Robeson said.

Who’s been looking? Francis asked.

The hound been lookin’ everywhere for you, man, the detectives. They think you had somethin’ to do with killin’ that dude at the club. Even though Hennie and all the girls said, no, no, we didn’t see him that night, no, he wasn’t workin’.

Francis asked if Hennie had said anything else, that it was her car the thief was after. That he’d been coming around and he was in the parking lot that night trying to get into her car. And that he was smoking marijuana and calling out things to him.

‘A big dude,’ the cops said, ‘marks all over his head and arms,’ they said. Big dude, we said. ‘Yeah, yeah,’ they said. With lotta marks on his head, we said. ‘Yeah, yeah,’ they said. Never heard of him, we said. We told ‘em we didn’t know nothin’ about you. You got to watch, Francis. Them hard-ass cops gonna pick you up, beat you on the head, and then your brains gonna be gone forever.

Francis looked around at Robeson and the city and was surprised to find himself there again. He put his hand on the still warm hood and when they finished with the truck, Francis asked if there was some place he could stay, somebody he could stay with.

I leased this big basement from the furniture store upstairs. They had it for rent. Three hundred bucks, if you can believe it, clean too. People been livin’ with me, but we could use one more. You got a fart sack or anything? And if you can help out a little bit with the rent.

Francis asked about blankets and sheets, a pillow or two, he didn’t have a sleeping bag, and Robeson said he could loan him some bedding until he got on his feet.

I got nothing right now for sleeping, but I could help out on the rent. And then if I get a job, I’ll help out a little more, return your stuff.

What was you doin’ on that ranch, man? I didn’t know you knew how to be a cowboy. I see you got a nice new scar on your head too.

Francis said they used pick-ups mostly to herd the cows and he stayed in a bunkhouse. He held back explaining about the organ transplants. Somedays it was pretty hard work, he said, but he liked it. And the scar came when he jumped off the train and hit his head.

If you liked it so much, how come you’re here, man? What happened? I know somethin’ must have happened, troublesome cat that you are. You didn’t kill one of those other motherfuckin’ cowboys did you?

Francis said that he never meant to; he didn’t feel like he had a choice.

Goddamn it, Francis. You are gonna bring the fuckin’ pigs down on us, man.

He came looking for me in the old west town, Francis said. He had his gun out and was going to shoot me. What could I do?

If they come lookin’ for you, man, you got to get outta here. Know what I’m sayin’? You’ll fuck it up for the rest of us, and they’ll find reasons to pick us up too.

He shot the coyote, so I knew he had a gun.

What the hell you talkin’ about, man? Old west town, coyote. You musta bumped your head more than once out there?

And then there was Pindar.

Pindar is who? The dude in the old west town?

Francis told Robeson that Pindar was the person who owned the ranch and that he brought in people to forcefully take his blood and then his heart. That’s why he left.

I got no idea what you just said. You weren’t this goofy when you left, man. You better pay up your part of the rent today, Francis. You ain’t gonna be here long.

When I left, Francis said, I set the operating room on fire while Pindar was getting ready. I set it on fire with him inside.

Pindar in the operating room? I thought you was on a ranch? Better get you a bottle full of aspirin.

It was a regular ranch that did organ transplants, mostly for rich people. Hard to believe, now that I think about it. And Pindar was the owner. He tried to take my blood. He took my blood and then he was going to take my heart.

Dude, this bullshit is beyond strange. Your blood and your heart. Like some kind of weird vampire-werewolf thing. You must have a special kind of heart.

Who is staying here Robeson? Who’s here?

Madam Pham and the Twins, and Alferd Packer the eighth, but we hardly ever see him. Once in a while Cross. And everybody’s got their own room.

What is Cross now; how’s he dressing?

He’s dressin’ like a tennis queen, white skirt and all.

You got a toilet down here, Robeson? I need to use the toilet.

Which room you want me in? Francis asked. He said that he’d been up all night and needed a nap. He’d driven the truck on the back roads from the ranch to Denver and it took forever.

The bathroom is by the door, Francis. There’s a room with a bed and mattress and a chest of drawers. But that bed’s gonna be way too small for you. Oh, and I forgot to tell you. There’s a dude that comes around, Chancellor, we call him Chan. He stays with the Twins sometimes. He’s in charge of the college and he comes late at night after his meetings. Don’t nobody s’posed to know he stays with us, visits. But don’t seem like nobody cares.

Any kind of work I could do. Anybody got anything going on?

We got a gig comin’ up.

What kind of gig?

Alferd’s been workin at the RTD as some kind of official transit rider, but there’s another part. He sets it up so that if you’re on a designated bus, one of the smaller routes, then that bus has like a little accident and everybody gets hurt, but nobody seriously. All you got to do is fall down when the driver steps on the brakes to avoid, like, somebody at the curb and hold your knee or your neck.

And RTD doesn’t know what’s going on? They don’t know people are faking?

It’s one of the big bosses. An insurance scam. He gets a kick and he spreads it around.

How long before they give you money?

They make you wait at the bus until the legal dude comes. Then they do a quick evaluation and the next day you get a check, to cover the chiropractor or drugs, whatever. The big boss somehow gets part of your money.

How much people been getting?

A couple thou. If you’re a good actor, maybe three on top of that.

And that’s it, no more, or more later?

Another check comes whether you need it or not. And if you can get Dr. Crack-a-Back to submit the bill for more, you can split it with him.

How many have you done? How many times have you gotten money?

Just once, but everybody else has done it a bunch of times.

Any place to get something cheap to eat?

Madame Pham’s still owning a noodle place, Pho 36, a new place. She sold the other one on Federal Boulevard. If you do something for her in the back, she’ll give you a bowl of noodles, pot of tea. And she’s there now till midnight or later. We’re kinda together, me and Madam.

How do I get there? I’ve only been to the old place.

Take the 15 to Peoria and it’s in the shopette near where you get off, south side of the street.

Where you going now?

Work. I’ve been helpin’ this dude with his roach coach for dinner. I’m gonna give you a key so you can come and go. If you come in late try not to make noise. I’ll get an extra pillow and blanket off my bed.

I appreciate it, Robeson. I’ll try to stay out of trouble.

And Francis. . . .

What?

Don’t say nothin’ if the Chancellor is here drinkin’ wine with the Twins. He might want to talk, so just talk to him.

All right, Robeson, thanks, man.

It ain’t nothin’, ‘cept if them pigs show up.

2.

The bus driver asked Francis You a senior, big fella? A dollar and ten cents is strictly seniors. If you ain’t a senior, it’s two-twenty. To be honest, you don’t look like no senior. You got to show me some I.D. or you’re gonna have to put another dollar and a dime in the fare box.

Francis said, All I have is a thousand-dollar bill. I don’t have anything else.

If you got a thousand-dollar bill, you shouldn’t be on this bus, big fella. And if you really got a thousand bucks, you better watch yourself. Go ahead and find a seat.

To a woman already seated Francis said, Excuse me, ma’am, do you mind if I sit next to you?

Long as you keep your hands to yourself, she said. And you don’t take up too much space. And you don’t cough or sneeze. And you don’t eat your lunch and get it all over.

To a man across the aisle Francis said, Mind if I sit down next to you, sir?

I don’t mind, he said, but it’ll cost you.

Yeah? How much?

Tall as you are and as much room as you gonna take up, maybe a thousand bucks.

Francis said the next time he got on the bus he’d catch up with him.

My stop’s comin’ up, asshole. I’d prefer to have the thousand now.

Francis winced when the man called him an asshole and said he must have overheard him telling the bus driver about the thousand.

But I was only making that up, Francis said. I didn’t have enough money, just some pocket change. I wouldn’t know what to do with a thousand dollars.

Anybody ever tell you you’re an ugly son of a bitch.

No, I don’t recall anyone ever saying that. You’re the first, maybe the last.

That a threat? the man asked. Just cause you’re big, that don’t scare me. Get off the bus the same time and we’ll see.

Francis looked around at the people on the bus, the ads on the walls, the busy street, and the man sitting next to him grinning with eyes wide-open.

I’m too hungry to get off the bus and deal with you. I’m going to Madam’s to get something to eat.

Shit on Madam’s head and shit on your ugly head too.

Francis apologized when the man squeezed past him and fell in the aisle. The rear door opened and Francis shoved him and his grocery bags down the stairs and he spilled out onto the curb, face first. A couple took their seats.

Sir, you can’t hold the back door open like that, the driver said. We have to go. Stay on the bus or get off, and don’t cause no ruckus again or I’ll buzz the police. Understand?

Yes, Francis said, sorry. It’s just that he . . . , when I sat down, he called me. . . .

Whatever happened is between you two, understand? We can’t have that sort of thing, pushing and fighting, on a public bus. That’s your first and last warning. You with me?

Francis stood and said, Sorry, driver. Won’t happen again.

He hadn’t ridden the 15 for a few months but it was probably the same as it always was. To no one in particular Francis mumbled Been out in the country, on a ranch, with Pindar. Who might be dead now because of the fire, and his heart.

The bus was full again and a young woman said, You’re welcome to sit here, I’m getting off in two stops.

To the woman Francis said, Thank you and asked if she happened to know which stop was Peoria. He told her he couldn’t remember and wondered if they’d missed it.

Next one after mine. Where you headed?

Madam Pham’s, a Vietnamese noodle place on Peoria.

It’s right there to the right when you get off. Big sign. Tenderloin noodle bowl, number 63, it’s the best.

Francis thanked her and said some time if she wanted to eat noodles, that he would . . . and she said she appreciated it but that she was doing only low-carbs.

Next street after this one, Francis reminded himself, is the O street, Oswego, then Peoria.

All right, driver, Francis said waving, sorry about that, sorry about any trouble.

He wondered if Madam would remember him, that he’d met her only a couple times at the Federal place. And maybe once at her house with the Twins. Around the rear and through the kitchen.

Who is this big one coming to the back now, Madam said, this tall one. I think you been gone now, yes? Maybe six months. You come to the other place sometimes, ah, with the Twins? Where you been? I hear about you didn’t I?

I’ve been working, Madam. I’ve been on a ranch, which also did . . . and today I came back to Denver. What did you hear about me?

I think maybe you win the lottery. Plenty money, big money, and you want my help to find pretty Vietnamese girl, ah. Maybe buy restaurant from Madam Pham, go Vietnam one day with pretty wife, ah, Big One.

I didn’t win the lottery, Madam; no lottery, sorry about that. But if possible I could. . . .

If possible today you want noodles because you don’t have money, ah, and no job? Robeson tell you to come? That guy. Ok, maybe you stay back here with noodles, ah, and then I tell you what I hear. After that you carry rice bags from back and I show you where.

Thank you, Madam, Francis said. I’ll carry the bags now if you want. I’ll carry the bags before I eat. Where do you want them?

Food closet. You ok eat pork? You Stein, yeah, no problem? Today we have too much pork and I give you bowl of pork noodles, that ok, and a few neck bones?

Pork is ok, pork is good.

Or maybe you don’t like pork and you want tenderloin, ah? Sorry only pork today.

When she had a few minutes, Madam told him about the parking lot and the club. That the girls had come in late after work and talked about it. And that the detectives had asked questions when they came to eat.

The police say if you come, ah, I should call, Madam said. They said they just want to talk. Ask you about this bad guy in the parking lot. They say he was not a good guy, maybe steal things from cars, houses, all over. And they have video pictures of him. But not you, no pictures. They ask if you tall. I say I can’t remember. Maybe tall, maybe short. Just come to restaurant one time.

What have the Twins been doing? Francis asked. Are they working? They got jobs someplace?

They modeling, ah. Make good money. They meet Chancellor there.

What kind of modeling? Like for clothes, fashion, that sort of thing?

Different kind of modeling.

Any other kind of work you got? Anything else you want me to do? I have time tonight.

No, I see you later with Robeson in basement, at furniture store. How you going home?

I’ll go back the same way. Hop on the 15. Maybe get off and have a beer, walk the rest of the way.

Be careful. Lots of police on Colfax. And you too big to hide, ah. You want to take pork noodles home?

No, thank you, Madam. That was plenty. I like the pork noodles here. And I can do more work, I can work for you again.

Maybe take noodles for Robeson.

Yeah, ok, I’ll take some for Robeson. Is he just working with the roach coaches, or somewhere else?

He is working every day. Someplace different all the time. Right now roach coach.

He said something about that before I left today. Thank you, Madam, thanks.

What place you go to now?

The Side Car, maybe you’ve been there. I have a few friends that might still be hanging around. And Robeson goes there sometimes.

Be careful, Tall Boy. Maybe a night for trouble.

Look at this big motherfucker coming through the door, y’all, Luther said. I believe it’s none other than F.N.S. himself. We been hearing about you, Francis. Where you been hiding?

I’ve been working Luther, Francis said, been working out on a ranch.

Step back now y’all. This creazy cat might just combust at any moment. Somebody jump up here and buy this scar-head a cold one and a shot of gasoline.

I left the ranch late last night, Luther, and drove into Denver on the back roads.

Don’t tell me, let me guess it. There was a problem. Somebody did something, said something, and somebody got hurt.

Pindar, he never should’ve brought those guys in, Luther. I knew what they were going to do. So I set the operating room . . . I set it on fire, but I had a reason. He was going to try to cut my heart out, take the last of my blood.

"That might’ve been painful, for you and the people inside that operating room. Whatever happened to shooting somebody, like in the good old days? Maybe setting fires is the new shooting. But that wasn’t the end of