22

“Hello.”

“Hi.”

There was a pause, then Adam said:

“Can I help you?”

“My name’s Harley Fargas, I’m your neighbor from down the street.”

Adam perked up. He said, “Oh, then you’re quite welcome here, neighbor,” and gestured grandly with his hand for Fargas to enter.

Fragas wiped his feet on the doormat and, once inside, made himself at home.

***

“I’m your basic outsider,” Fargas said, as he sat on the floor, cross-legged. The group in Adam’s home had formed a loose semi-circle, from the layout of the couches in Adam’s living room. He had meant to get rid of those couches.

Attachment to material objects was an open door to suffering.

“I haven’t been around this community too long,” Fargas continued, “longer than you have,” he said to Adam. “But, they’re not going to open their doors and welcome in a stranger, even if he does only live a few houses down.”

“The establishment of strong community identity is essential to survival,” Adam blurted out, almost robotically.

The establishment of strong community identity is essential to survival.

He was collecting phrases and statements to print in a pamphlet or easily digestible book that he could show to people, or hand out in the street (but people never seem to pay attention to fliers in the street, do they?). He’d have to remember the phrase.

The establishment of strong community identity is essential to survival.
The establishment …

“You were missing,” Fargas went on, “for the block party, weren’t you. Yeah, you were still laid up in the hospital, I’ll bet. They probably didn’t even put a flier in your mail slot, did they? Yeah, don’t feel too left out, I didn’t get one either.”

Nine out of ten spiritual leaders agree, Desire is the leading cause of suffering.

“You see, I’ve been all over,” Fargas said, “and all over, people are pretty much the same. They won’t talk to you unless they know you, which is a dilemma, you see?”

“How do you get to know them,” Adam said.

“No, no, no, kid,” Fargas said, “you’re missing the point. You’re missing my main point, here. The thing is, in their minds, it’s how are they going to get to know you? Which, to them, is your responsibility. Understand?”

Adam nodded his head, “yes, I understand,” he said, and turned to Marsh and the twins, “we’ve got to finish this film as fast as we can.”

“I’m glad you’re so eager,” Marsh spoke up.

“I can think of a dilemma, here though,” Eunice said, slightly condescending, “it’s a documentary, it’ll finish when it’s finished. We don’t know when it’ll finish.”

When she was finished, Peter, who sat beside her always, patted her knee, shook his head and whispered something into her ear.

“Then,” Adam said, “we have to get out on your show, get out there on other shows. Spread the message, make the world familiar with me. With us.

“Thank you,” Adam said to Fargas, sincerely, “you have given me something to think about.”

“So,” Fargas said, “what are you, some kind of freaky guru or something?”