QUOTE: "THE ASYNCHRONOUS COMPLEX: GRAFT OF SHADOWS" FROM THE GRAFT OF SHADOWS (A.GLASS 2019)

 

"Ronan Damyn sits at a table near the inside right window of the Delicatessen, chewing on a Ruben Bagel, sipping his coffee – staring without any fixed thoughts as pedestrians walk past, he leans across, placing his half eaten bagel down, lifting the New York Press, looking over the front page article.

“Tenants of a newly constructed building on Madison Avenue have complained of cracking sounds and were evacuated on early Wednesday afternoon as civic engineers and the building's management checked to see if the building had been structurally compromised. Built last year, the thirty five story condominium apartment block has shown that its foundation shifted by six inches, causing structural cracks in the basement and lower levels...”

Damyn, continues sipping his latte, placing it down, he flicks the page over, smiling to himself at the inherent corruption of State Officials and property developers, which have become rampant in this city. With the recession now widespread throughout New York and businesses pulling back from hiring, the lawsuits and anti-corruption investigations have begun in earnest. He looks down at the following page, revealing a two page story, placing his coffee down, he stares at the image of a heavily tattooed elderly man and the associated headline below the photograph.

“INFAMOUS RUSSIAN MOBSTER IVAN GOSKI: “TIME FOR ME TO GO HOME…”

Damyn, leans back in his chair. Breathing slowly, he lifts the bagel taking a bite, placing it back down, he begins to read over the written article.

“...Ivan Goski, the renown and notorious Russian Mafia enforcer, who was involved in illegal tobacco, heroin smuggling, gasoline bootlegging and kill-for-hire 'services', is about to be released from prison after serving a second time in jail for a breach of parole, which makes a total of twenty three years for this convicted Russian Mobster. During the 1970s, 80s and 90s. Goski began to set up 'tribute' payments to Russian crime and Italian mafia families, so that he could use some of the Brooklyn docks to be source as a wholesale distributor, he created a company which would on sell tax-free oil from Panama. But in the late 80s, rival Russian gangs, backed by Italian Crime Families placed a hit on Goski, he narrowly avoided being assassinated in 1993...”

Damyn skims over the crime story of the elderly Russian mobster as he studies the last parts of the article.

“...Goski, who will be released on an undisclosed date next month, says that he has “no money” and “no life” when he leaves jail. Suffering from health issues, his wish is to go home. “Back to Russia...”, in a thick Russian accent, “...There is nothing for me here in America...Time for me to go home...”

Damyn closes the newspaper, lifting it up, he then taps in down so the pages are neatly compressed. Folding it, he places the newspaper to the corner of the bench-top. He has another bite of the Bagel, lifting the coffee, taking a sip, he stares out at the pedestrian traffic again, for brief second, he sees what appears as a lone male figure standing in front of him, outside the delicatessen, near the curb of the street. Motionless, wearing a long leather trench-coat. His features blurred. Damyn closes his eyes briefly, opening them and the apparition is gone. “Ghosts of the past,” he says to himself. He then looks down at his phone, checking his wristwatch. He drinks the remainder of the coffee, placing his phone into his right side pant pocket – he stands looking down at the folded newspaper again, this time at the date of its publication which shows it was printed two days ago. Damyn makes his way to the entrance of the delicatessen."

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THE GRAFT OF SHADOWS (A.Glass 2019)