Visions - In my Minds Eye. by ARTHUR HOWE (books to get back into reading .TXT) 📖

size of the servings. Another of Gareth’s clever, calculating moves, designed to keep us glued to our seats, mouths full, and listening to his obviously well prepared speech.

I tucked into my meal; now eager to hear just what it was that had brought Gareth to arrange this meeting with five of his very obvious adversaries. Without a doubt, each of us had been through a similar, lesser or greater experience of Gareth’s devious business dealings.

“Gentlemen,” he started, “Firstly, I’d sincerely like to thank you all for coming along tonight, particularly in view of the fact that it took a lot of emotional control on my part considering you’ve all contributed in a big way to our somewhat troubled relationships of the past.”

In spite of having our mouths filled with food, there was a sudden mumbling from everyone around the table, my own thoughts being the damn cheek of the man, suggesting that we’d all “contributed”; we’d all been gullible enough to fall for your lies and bull, more like it!

“And if you’d just let me continue uninterrupted,” he went on, “I’ll be able to get to the whole point of this evening.

The group continued eating enthusiastically.

As I indicated to each of you when I finally plucked up the courage to call you, I’ve had a definite change of fortunes lately, and, this has brought about my change of heart.” His voice tailed off in an attempt to grab our attention further. This was a tactic he discussed with me often and used in business presentations in the past to “see if I’ve got my audience’s attention” he would proudly say.

“Some of you may have noticed the physical change in my appearance and here, I’ll get straight to the point. Gentlemen, I have been diagnosed with inoperable and most definitely, terminal cancer.” He said, again tailing off, appealing with his masterful voice, to our sympathy levels.

There were a couple of nervous smiles around the table as everyone continued to munch on the supper. As much as I hated Gareth for his past dealings, I would never wish something like this upon him, and I admit, at that moment in time, looking at his wasted frame, I actually felt sorry for him. I spooned another fork-full of food into my mouth, partially as an excuse for not having to say anything in response to his revelation.

“I don’t want to go into all the details but enough is said that I have about three to four months to live.” He went on.

“So, why go to all the trouble of inviting all of my arch-enemies over for supper to share in my change of fortunes you may ask? Why not just accept my lot and get on with the business of dying?”

“Yeah, Why not!” mumbled the bouncer before shovelling another mouthful of pie into his crumb-encrusted mouth.

The others around the table mumbled through their over-filled mouths.

“Because, Gentlemen, there comes a time when all those little things that have influenced your life, things that you’ve pushed aside over the years, come back to haunt you. To make you look at life from a different perspective and to ask yourself, what did I do to deserve this? Where did the wheels fall off? What could have been done differently to change the path of my life and to have put me in a position where, instead of skulking off to my poky little flat to curl up and die, I could have been in the best clinics, receiving the best treatment and postponing the inevitable?”

“Maybe if you’d been more honest and not such a fucking scumbag of a thief, life might have been quite different.” Chirped Fatty from an overstuffed mouth.

“Let me finish please,” Gareth interrupted.

“Yes, Gent’s, Life could have been much different if it wasn’t for the relationships I had with each of you. Each of you in your own special way, contributed to my demise. So… Now it’s payback time!”

“Get out your chequebook then, you slimy motherfucker.” Shouted the red headed guy.

“Whooaah! Just a minute,” Gareth said loudly, “ I think maybe you’ve got the wrong ideas here!”

“Before we have any more emotional outbursts,” Gareth continued, “ Let me just tell you all about the position we’re in right now and then maybe we can move ahead clearly and logically.

Can you please let me have just five more minutes without interruption?” he asked.
Everyone returned their attentions to their plates.

“Then, if you’d be so kind…” He waited for any further objections.

“As you all know, apart from the many different business ventures I’ve been involved in with all of you over the years, my staple, bread and butter business has always been Pharmaceuticals. More specifically, in the field of Veterinary Anaesthesia, utilising products developed in laboratories to combat sickness in farm animals, specifically in the areas of poisoning and toxic contamination. Oh, by the way, is everyone enjoying the Supper?” he said looking at the almost empty plates.

Like a movie that has been put on pause, without exception, everyone at the table suddenly stopped chewing what was in their mouths and froze.

“What the fuck are you up to Gareth you slimy little snake?” screamed the bouncer, attempting to get to his feet.

“Now, sit down please,” said Gareth calmly, “ You should know that increased activity leads to an increased heart rate and all that serves to do is circulate the poisons more quickly through your bloodstream and into the brain.”

Bouncer plopped down in his seat. The others just sat there frozen to their seats, what remained of the food in their mouths being slowly spat out.

My mouth suddenly recognised a sweetness, sharp but sweet, tingling at the sides of my tongue.

“Yes, Gentlemen, Payback time! Judging by the empty wine carafes, I trust you all enjoyed your glasses of wine, which incidentally, was not poisoned. It merely contained a muscle relaxant to calm you all down, just in case any of you decided to get a little bit too physical tonight.”

Oh my God! Glancing around the table, I couldn’t help but notice the changed faces of the others, eyes now slightly drooping, shoulders now stooped, at the same time noticing a feeling of drowsiness that had come over me in the last few minutes.

“So, the bottom line is this,” Gareth, now the Master of the Table went on, “ each of you has now got enough Exidaxitrine circulating in your bloodstream to kill a small horse. Exidaxitrine, as a few of you may know,” he said, looking at me, “is used to Euthanase large animals and is considered by most Veterinarians to be one of the most painless and humane methods of putting useless and troublesome animals out of their misery.

WHICH IS FAR BETTER THAN YOU LOT DESERVE!” he shouted, an inane twisted grin on his lips.

Fatty suddenly started frantically patting his pockets and finally pulled out a cellphone.

“I’m afraid you’re not going to find that much use in here,” smiled Gareth, “I have a signal jamming device sitting just outside the front door which, incidentally is firmly padlocked, not that any of you will have the strength to try to force the door open mind you.”

“But, and here I say a very big “But,” there is hope for you. Not all of you, but at least one of you will survive tonight.”

“Exidaxitrine is also used as a sedative, administered in smaller, controlled doses, it can be used to maintain a level of painless, semi-consciousness whilst surgeons do their thing on the animals. In uncontrolled larger doses, it is fatal. Posidaxitrine, on the other hand, is used to bring the patient around to a recovery condition, provided it is used in the correct doses, the animal will recover almost perfectly!” He grinned. “Although there have been a few cases of permanent paralysis and brain vegetation over the years, but that was when the wrong doses were given.”

“So, Gentlemen,” he said, looking at his watch, “we have about twenty-five minutes before you’ll lose control of your muscles and another five after that before your brain starts to shut down. Just before that, your bodily control functions will cease and in all likelihood, you’ll shit your pants!” He laughed.

Fatty tried to stand up, obviously wanting to attack Gareth, but didn’t even manage to raise his bum off the seat before sinking back down with a whiter shade of pale on his face.

Although I had poured myself a glass of wine, the cheap metallic flavour and cheap bouquet didn’t encourage me to drink more than a sip, so I wasn’t feeling as drowsy as the others who had been topping up all the time we were waiting. As for the food, I was wondering how much of the poison I’d actually eaten as I’d only taken two, maybe three mouthfuls at the time of Gareth’s announcement. My Wife and my Mother always complained that I was s slow eater. Maybe this could be my saving grace? I could certainly feel a numbness creeping into my extremities as I looked down at my fingers, which were starting to refuse to respond, and although my wrist movement was still fairly mobile, I could feel a stiffness creeping into the joints.

“Gentlemen, your day of judgement has arrived. Now, is the final moment of truth, time for you to make amends!” sneered Gareth.

“I’ve allocated two minutes to each of you during which time, you’ll be given the opportunity to apologise for your wrongs and at the end of the two minutes, I’ll score you and make a decision as to who will be the Survivor, who will receive this,” he said, producing a small syringe of clear brownish liquid from his pocket.

The man with the red hair sloppily made a grab for the syringe, only to have Gareth pull his hand away quickly. “You’ll have to be much quicker than that.” He said smiling, a taut pencil line smile starting to sneer across his face.

“Fuck you Gareth,” slurred the Red head, “If you think I’m going to tell you a whole bunch of lies just to satisfy your guilty conscience for all the times you fucked me over, then Fuck-you, big time, Fuck you!”

Gareth laughed out loud. “ Fuck me? No my friend, Fuck you! That was your two minutes and, let me see… We’ll give that a score of two for that ballsy effort! So, who wants to go next?”

The Accountant put his hand slowly into the air.

“ You must understand Gareth, that my job entails accuracy and a special attention to every last detail. My only sin towards you was uncovering the irregularities in the books of Fincham-Tate and it was my sworn duty to bring this to the attention of the Directors” he said, smiling a nervous, accounting sort of smile.

“If I knew that my actions would lead to this tragic situation, I don’t know what I would have done differently without labelling myself a criminal in the process.” He continued.

“I’ve a Wife and two lovely young children at home waiting for me and to not be able to say my goodbyes would be my biggest failing. I’m terribly sorry things have come to this……….”

“But your two minutes are up!” chirped in Gareth looking at his wristwatch.

“A heartrending story, but alas, not one that makes me feel even the slightest bit sorry for you, or your Family for that matter. I think I’ll give you a four point