Catcher in the Rye 2 1.5

By Asa Montreaux 

Being the same as everyone else, is not my style, though that what I was describing. That’s what I always wanted not to do. But If it could get me out of here, and on to the next thing, then it’d be heaka worth it, I think. Everyone who would care to know would to tell you I am no phony. Hope there’s lots of phonies reading this. That’s cool.

*

My appointment with the doctor came around. It was only the next day. I walked in and sat right down on the seat, and I hope he didn’t misinterpret my eagerness to be over with it, as eagerness for psychotherapy. I a lot didn’t want to be psychoanalyzed. ‘Hello, Holden,’ he said to me. 

‘Hi, Doc. What’s the latest.’

‘I want to see how you’re doing. See how we’re moving along.’

‘Very well, sir.’ I tried to answer right normal. ‘Thing are going awesome. I feel really well, sir.’

‘Okay, that’s good,’ he said. ‘And tell me why,’ he added.

‘Well, you see doc,’ I started out. ‘I’ve been trying out that thing you suggested, acting normal, just like other people, other normal people, you know. I think it’s really been changing me. I’m much better adjusted.’

‘Is that so, Holden? And how have you been behaving more normally, like other people, hmm?’

‘Well, I can explain, I had been observing the behaviors of the nurses and some of the other staff, and I could easily tell there were some way they were behaving, that if I behaved in those ways, they would be very useful for me being normal. It’s been great, I tried it out on some of the patients, and most of the staff. I’ve been very, very normal. Nothing wrong, nothing not normal, at all.’

‘Nothing weird, you say?’

‘No, not at all, doc.’

‘Hmm. I see that, Holden, that are you behaving very… hmm… normally. Yes.’

‘Yea, totally, and wholly, I’ve been so normal, it’s been an adjustment. You know, not a big one, but it’s been a change. You know.’

‘Why, yes, of course. You had some… strange behaviors.’

‘Oh, well yea, all gone now.’

‘Hmm. I see. Well, then. Why am I keeping you here? It seems you are all better?’

‘I truly am. I feel really ready to try living my life more normally. I mean, taking all these things I learned, and you know, everything I learned from you, to really start my life much… err, more normally. And responsibly.’

He really seemed titillated with that one, and he replied, ‘Yes, yes, splendid idea. Apply all of these new ideas to your real life.’ And he wen to on. ‘Good. Now, Holden, what have you learned form here. Any, hmm, lessons, that you would like to take on with you?’

‘Well, gee, sir, I don’t know. Not that I can think of. You know, well, I can think of one. I really think I ought to behave more normally all of the time, doc.’

He smiled lightly at me. ‘Why yes, splendid. Quite splendid. If there was thing I had to teach you, it was the importance of normal behavior.’

‘That is absolutely what I learned.’ 

‘Well, then, it seems my work is done here. Holden, as of tomorrow, you are free to go.’

‘Thanks, doc. I couldn’t thank you any more.’

‘You’re welcome, Holden. I think you will do quite well, assuming you remember these lessons.’

‘Thanks again, doc. Can. I go now?’

 ‘Why of course. See you Holden.’

I walked out of there, and back to my sleeping quarters.

*

The next morning, I woke up, and gathered all my things together, fit everything I could in my backpack, and the rest in my suitcase. Then I waited for them to come and grab me, to catch my taxi to the train, so I could get back to New York. It was only supposed to be a few more minutes.

It was only two minutes later, someone came in my room, a nurse, and she told me it had arrived, and she escorted down the stairs, and to the front entrance. Then I walked to the taxi cab, put my stuff in the truck, and stepped in. Then the driver put it in drive, and drove off, towards the train station, with me in the back seat.