Fear and Loathing in Los Banos

By Steven J. D. Bean
(Dispense por favor mi espanol pobre en el titulo.)


Jerry froze when he heard the squeak of the door's hinges. So he sat, feet planted firmly on the ground, trying desperately not to make any sound at all. The footsteps came toward him, growing louder on the cold tile floor. He gripped his hands around his pant legs and began to sweat. Then, the feet turned and walked away, down the corridor to Jerry's right.

Jerry's stomach hurt. It was all he could do to keep from crying out. The pressure was too much. It was building up inside of him, pressing at his guts, his lungs. He felt as if he would explode. Elbows shaking, his entire body clinched. If only he hadn't come at this instant, a few more minutes and Jerry would have been prepared to face him.

Then, to his horror, a coin fell from Jerry's pocket. It was a penny, a damned penny! Jerry could see it rolling away, directly toward the other man's feet! The clink it made when it hit the floor echoed in Jerry's ears. The breath he had been holding suddenly gushed from his lips. Now he knows I'm in here, he thought, now what? If I go now, he'll definitely notice! He could hear the slight shuffling of the man's feet. He listened intently to what sounded like a tiny cymbal-roll, tinkling on forever. Hurry up, Jerry yelled in his head!

And so, he waited, one hand clasping his mouth, the other gripping the leg of his slacks. He wasn't sure how much longer he could hold it in. He couldn't hold his breath forever. His gut hurt; he could feel the pressure building up in him like a bomb. There was no way he could be subtle now. He would explode. He had to wait him out, or let it all go; damn the risk! He decided to wait him out.

Jerry heard the slow rustle of fabric and zipping. He was done! He heard him shuffle past and then stop. What was he doing, he thought, stopping to fix his hair? He hated vain men, and the thought of him standing in front of the mirror was just too much. He almost let it all go and screamed out. But, then he heard the sound of the faucet being turned on. The water was turned off and he heard the familiar whir of the automatic hand dryer kicking in. He relaxed for a moment under the cover of the noise and took a breath.

After a few seconds of noise, the dryer stopped, winding slowly down to silence. Jerry heard the man's feet shuffling on the tiles on the way to the door. As soon as he heard the squeak of the hinge, Jerry relaxed. He shifted slightly on the seat and pushed. He could feel his face turning red, but at least it wasn't from embarrassment.

R&R well-deserved, mi amigo