Chea and Karen were both in their early twenties. They lived with each other in a small apartment in California. They had just graduated high school two years ago but yet they didn’t become friends until a month after graduation. Four years in the same school but they never once met. In fact it was by lucky happenstance they met.
Chea had just moved into a wonderful apartment. But one problem, she didnt have enough money from her grocery store job to cover the rent for the two bedroom paradise she now had.
Then came the ad in the paper. She thought occasionally of the movie "single white female" as she made the ad, hoping she wouldn’t get a situation like the characters in the movie were involved in.
Chea was 5'7, not really short but not really tall either. She had taken to wearing her clog shoes to compensate. She had shoulder length brownette hair that flowed about her blue-gray eyes.
Her ad read simply, SwF, seeks roommate for possible friendship. Must like the 60's, Monkees.
She wasn't that picky, but most of the people who showed up would make any Monkee fan look bad. A lot of weirdoes, one with two personalities, Stan and Dan.
Finally after a week, as she was about to change it to "Monkees fan optional" Karen graced her doorstep.
Karen was taller than her, even without the shoes, Chea noticed right away. She had dark hair that was tied back, but looked like it could hang down as far as her back. She looked up at her with piercing blue eyes. Her expression was a serious one.
"You have the place for rent?" She asked. She gazed at Chea, who was wearing bellbottoms and a light sunny shirt. She looked about to mention something about the clothing, but thought better of it.
"Yea, I do." Chea said.
"I read the thing about the Monkees, I'm not a quote unquote fan but I can learn." she confessed with a smile.
"Great. You are perfect." Chea said.
"That was quick." Karen said. "I didn't even mention my luggage, my dead boyfriend is in one."
Chea gave her a "What?" look.
"Just trying to break the ice. I think I just made more." She said. "I'm Karen Galloway." She extended her hand.
"Chea Thomas." Chea said taking it. They shook. "You look familiar."
"Yeah. We graduated from high school. A few months ago." Karen said. "You were gonna be valedictorian or something."
"That’s right." Chea said. "You painted the mural. I loved the colors its very psychedelic."
"Thanks." She said. "I was in a groove. I get that way sometimes.
"If you like that, then you'll like more of the 60's, and the Monkees!" Chea said. "Come on. I'll help you with the stuff. You do have a job right?"
"Yeah." Karen said. "I do."
"I think we'll get along just fine." Chea said as she went to get her stuff. "Shes sane, thats enough for me right now." She grinned to herself as Karen inspected the apartment.
A year or two later
The first few strains of "Last Train to Clarksville" were in the air as Chea sat down and enjoyed her weekly Screen Gems edition of the Monkees. Karen walked by.
"I think I saw this." Karen said. "Three times."
"I know, but its classic!"
"Isn't Last Train in every episode. Seems like it to me." She said.
It had taken a while for Karen to get used to Chea, and her Monkees. But she still wasn’t as much as a fan as her. She had her own obsession, and like Chea did with the Monkees, she adorned her room with pictures of her own favorite man.
"It's a great, song. And look at Mickey." Chea said getting up. "He's so funny."
"Its almost over. What are we doing today?" Karen asked. She studied a box of cereal.
"My uncle called." Chea said. "He has something to show us."
"Funny, my first boyfriend said the same thing." Karen smoothly
cracked.
Chea made a ha-ha face as the closing Monkees theme song played on the tv. "You met him before. Uncle Jessup." She said. "Hes the scientist, currently trying to get another copyright for another invention he just made."
"Is this another way to make frozen concentrate OJ? Cause I think thats been done, and done, and done." Karen said putting the box down.
"What could it hurt?" Chea said. "And what else are we going to do today. We have no boyfriends, so no one will wonder where we are."
"What about whats-his-face?" Karen asked Chea.
"Steve." Chea corrected.
"He asked you to marry him last week, and you
turned him down. It's almost like you are waiting for Mickey Dolenz to come around!"
"I'm not." Chea protested. "I'm waiting for the right guy."
"And?"
"And that will happen. Its not because I have high standards."
"Mickey high standards!" Karen pointed out.
"He has the to be the one I can feel here..." she pointed to her chest. "and here." She pointed to her head.
"And here!" Karen patted her tummy. "We need a good cook!"
"Let's go to my uncs." Chea said.
"Ok all right." Karen said. "I can stand a day out."
"Thats the spirit." Chea said locking the door.
"But if tries to take my brain again, you are BOTH in trouble!" Karen said.
Uncle Jessups
Cheas Uncle Jessup was a weird man. Any man to make a oven out of old fridge parts had to have something wrong with him. But Chea loved him all the same. All the eccentricities in the family seemed to go to these two. That’s why they got along. Chea was also the only one to find out first hand about her uncs new projects.
"He ought to be in here." Chea said as Karen followed him in. The whole lab, it was called, was a menagerie full of broken projects and ideas that just didn’t make it.
"Uncle Jessup?" Chea called. "Unc?"
"Maybe he went out, for parts, supplies." Karen said.
"Oh no, he usually leaves me a note." Chea said. "Unc?" She called again.
"There is a note." Karen observed. "And a box."
"Let me see it." Chea said. "Box?" She asked herself.
Chea took the note from Karens outreached hand.
Chea,
By the time you read this I'll be gone...
"Oh no!" Chea said.
"Keep reading. It seems longer than that." Karen said.
to a better time and place.
"Oh!" Chea said.
"I told you." Karen nodded.
You are probably wondering what I meant, and where I am. Well its very simple. I have finished my lifelong project!
"More OJ?" Karen asked.
"Shh."
It has been my lifelong dream to travel between the three dimensions, the past, the future, and that other one, the dimension on TV. You and I have been lifelong TV fans, Chea. We have both dreamed of living where no one is hurt, no one dies, and no one ever says goodbye.
"My aunt Kara died five years ago." Chea said. "He has never recovered."
"I'm so sorry." Karen touched her shoulder.
"There is more to read." Chea said, fighting the stray tear that started to come out of her eyes.
From the moment I decided what I was meant to do, I got to work. I decided that I would live in the world that is on that screen. And after close to six years, I have finally done it. If you are reading this now, then it means I am already in that world.
"Oh my god." Karen said.
"I wonder what he chose, the world I mean." Chea said.
"The next time you turn on Bonanza reruns, and you see a familiar face, that will be me, my child." Karen read over her shoulder. "Farewell." Karen read the goodbye. "I am so sorry."
"Me too." Chea said. "But its impossible to believe you know."
"I know." Karen said.
"Look. A PS. The box you are holding contains the second crontomnion." She said. "He left me one."
Karen opened the box. "Looks like a funky remote control to me." She said as she pulled it out.
"I wonder if it works."
"Look Chea, I don't know about this. Maybe your Uncle Jessup finally rode into the sunset. You always said he was getting more eccentric as the years went by." Karen said.
"I know. He could be nuts. Or he could be on Bonanza with Little Joe and Hoss! It's worth a look, what time is it?"
"10:05." Karen said. She switched on a TV next to the fridge Jessup was working on. The TV came on. There was a scene from the classic western, in the town. Little Joe AKA Michael Landon was talking to a girl.
"Oh my god. Look." Karen pointed out. A man that looked like Jessup was leading a girl out of a carriage. "Isn't that your aunt?"
"Or someone that looked like her." Chea said as the man turned to the TV, knowingly and winked at them.
"Oh my god." Karen said.
"You know what this means?"
"That your grandfather could have been an extra?" Karen asked.
"No. Jessup was overseas when this particular episode was filmed." Chea said smiling. "It means he did it!"
"Wow." Karen said. "But what do we do?"
"I know exactly what to do." Chea grabbed the crontomnion from Karen. She punched in some numbers.
"Wait a minute, how do you know how to work it?" Karen said from behind her. She grabbed her shoulder.
"Enter a year. I got a year, and a day and even an hour!"
"What are you putting in?" Karen asked. Chea looked at her, with a weird smile on her face. "Chea?" She said.
"Grab on. We're about to go for a ride." Chea said grabbing her friends hand. Karen squirmed.
"Chea! Oh my god." Karen said as her friend pressed a big read button. The lights in the room went brighter, blinded them both but they both held on to each other. Then the whole room filled with an enormous flash.
