The Meeting

[Published in Fusing Horizons]
[as Clint Venezuela]

“Excuse me but have we met before?” asked the first gentleman.
The second gentleman turned to face him. After a couple of seconds he said, “I don’t think so.”
“Are you sure?”
“Almost positive.”
“How can you be almost positive?”
The second gentleman studied the first one for a moment. Before he had approached him he had not even noticed his presence. “I just am. Your face doesn’t ring a bell at all, I’m afraid.”
“Neither does yours.”
“Are you sure?”
“Almost positive.”
“How can you be almost positive?”
“I just am.”
The second gentleman paused to reflect upon the conversation. He felt that he had definitely not met the man previously and was puzzled as to why he should question him about it. “Why do you ask?” he said at last.
“I’m just curious, that’s all. We could have met before, it’s possible, isn’t it?”
“I suppose so.”
“And we could have forgotten that we had met.”
The second gentleman considered this for a few seconds. “But in that case asking me whether we have met before is futile because I wouldn’t remember it if I had forgotten, would I?”
“That goes for me too.”
“So why did you ask in the first place?”
“I’m just curious, that’s all.”
There followed a disturbing silence during which time the second gentleman regained his composure, for at the onset of this verbal exchange he had become rather perturbed.
“Where are you from?” the first gentleman asked.
“East Lansing.”
“In Michigan?”
“Yes.”
“Wow, me too!”
The second gentleman sighed. “That’s hardly surprising, after all we are in East Lansing, Michigan, aren’t we?”
“Yes we are, which makes the possibility of us having met all the more likely.”
“But I don’t remember you at all.”
“And I don’t remember you either.”
Another silence ensued. The second gentleman stared at the ceiling for some seconds, not wishing to encourage the other man into pursuing the conversation. It didn’t work.
“Are you sure we haven’t met before?” the first gentleman asked.
“I’m positive.”
“Not almost positive?”
“No, I’m 100% positive now.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Then what are you doing in my apartment?”
“Your apartment? This is my apartment!”
“No it isn’t.”
“It is. I live here.”
“You’re lying.”
“I’m not. I have a key.”
“So have I.”
“Where did you get it?”
“I’ve had it ever since I moved in.”
“Me too.”
“I want you to leave.”
“What?”
“I want you to leave now.”
“But it’s my apartment. You should leave.”
“If you don’t leave right away I’ll kill you.”
With that the first gentleman pulled a firearm from out of his jacket pocket and placed it under the nose of the second gentleman.
“Wait!” said the second gentleman. “You don’t have to kill me. We can discuss it, can’t we?”
“We are discussing it. And I want you to leave or I’ll kill you.”
“Why should I leave my own apartment?”
“It’s my apartment.”
“No it isn’t.”
“I’ll kill you.” The first gentleman prepared to pull the trigger.
“No, no, don’t!”
“Why not?”
“You can’t just kill me.”
“I can.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re in my apartment and I don’t know you.”
The second gentleman thought about this. “Wait,” he said. “How long have we been talking?”
“What?”
“How long have we been talking?”
“A few minutes. Why?”
“Because we’ve been talking a few minutes it means we have now met and we do know each other to a small degree.”
The first gentleman lowered his firearm. “You might be right.”
“I am right.”
“But I don’t know your name. We haven’t really met if I don’t know your name.”
“And I don’t know yours.”
“Correct. So what is your name?”
“D Harlan Wilson.”
“Pleased to meet you.”
“So what is your name?”
“My name is D Harlan Wilson too.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Pleased to meet you. Now I’m going to kill you.”
“What? Why?”
“Because you are in my apartment and we haven’t met before.”
“But we have met!”
“We have met now but not previously. Now I’m going to kill you.”
“But…”
It was too late. The second gentleman pulled a small derringer from out of his pocket and shot the first gentleman in the head. He died instantly. The second gentleman then unlocked the door and dragged the body out into the lobby before returning and locking the door behind him. He then approached the third gentleman and said, “Excuse me but have we met before?”