Not gone, and not Forgotten m.j.west "Have a seat in that chair", Ms. Collins says, motioning with her finger. Mr. Allison moves towards the humming leather chair. "No! The other one", says Ms. Collins. The uneven bumps, and symmetrical stains, on the other, the orange chair, are disconcerting. As he sits, Mr. Allison keeps his good eye on Ms. Collins. She returns the gesture. "It says on this piece of paper, you have come here for a job", she says. "Paper doesn't lie...at least not anymore", he says, going for the obvious joke. Ms. Collins does not laugh. "She is either deaf, or has forgotten her funny bone at home again" thinks Mr. Allison. He knows about her funny bone situation because he did his homework. Ms. Collins knows he knows this because this rascal sitting not quite directly across from her isn't the only one who did their homework. She always tried to leave her funny bone in a place clearly visible, (on top of her cat, or inside the coffee pot, for example) so as not to forget it, but sometimes it just refused to be recognized. "We have several positions available. Was there one in particular that struck your fancy? And please, no 'striking-my-fancy’ jokes" says Ms. Collins. "Damn" he thinks, "Humor is all I have. Well, that and a talent for choosing the right sandpaper for a given project." It was true. His stint as a carpenter in Bemidji had unearthed a canny knack for touching a piece of wood and knowing exactly which grade of sandpaper would enhance its natural grain. "If only I didn't have the utmost disdain for the manual arts,” he thinks. He says "I read in the town paper that there is a position available for a..." He takes from his briefcase the neatly folded, obsessively folded, almost psychotically folded piece of newspaper that holds the term he seeks. "Rememberer. Yes, here you go." he says reading," 'Wanted. A Rememberer. Must be good, or at least talented, at remembering things'." "It's true." Ms. Collins says, speaking in a low tone, "We do have need of a Rememberer. People are spending much too much time looking for things that they have misplaced. Or, worse, too much time trying to remember things they have forgotten. Dates, phone numbers, the names of their children. And, consequently, to put a fine point on it, spending too much time not working. A waste, indeed. So, there you have it. Yes, we need a Rememberer." "I am he" says Mr. Allison, pointing one of his many fingers at himself. "What have you remembered lately?" "Only this morning, I remembered where I put my car keys, not in the last place one would think, but, rather, in the very first place." Ms. Collins raises the one eyebrow that can move. "Impressive. Efficient. But, what things have you remembered? I will need three examples." Mr. Allison stands. He raises himself to his full height, not having to stand on tippy-toe hardly at all. "Two weeks ago, I remembered where I had misplaced a missing argyle sock, thinking foolishly it was trying to allude me. I found it on the fourth try. It being argyle, I naturally thought it would be near the scotch tape. It was a mistake to assume so much, and I have learned from it." "He admits to being imperfect" Ms. Collins thinks, "Admirable. And manipulatable" Mr. Allison continues. "Four days ago, I remembered the sound that love makes when it enters a persons soul. Intangible, yes, but embedded, now, forever in my thoughts. Remembered on the tenth try." "Good abstract thinking, though a bit on the gushy side" thinks Ms. Collins. "Gushy, as in a bad, sissy-half-woman thing, or gushy as in a sweet, caring thing?" says Mr. Allison. "Did I say that aloud?" thinks Ms. Collins. "You did, just as you did now, again" says Mr. Allison. Ms. Collins closes her mouth very tight. She nods for Mr. Allison to continue. "Lastly, just 34 hours ago, I remembered we all possess the ability to raise people from the dead. Not completely, of course, but just long enough to get their affairs in order and have one last moment with their loved ones. Not as powerful as being God, but much nicer, yes? I remembered this particular thing on the eighth try." Ms. Collins says, "Well, I'm impressed. You have shown a well-rounded ability to remember things. A useful trait considering everyone that works here is, for the most part, different, and will require different handling. I will need you to fill out the various company forms and such. I will give you a day and time to meet with me again. Would you like me to right it down?" "It appears you have forgotten my purpose” says Mr. Allison. Neither of them laughs because, after all, it is now his job to remember things.