The Better Life

Name, Robert E. Wilson. Age, 41. Occupation, Nothing at the moment. This is a man that has been struggling for the last 41 years to have enough to eat, to have clothes, and a roof over his head.

“The Better Life” (a short story)

Name, Robert E. Wilson. Age, 41. Occupation, Nothing at the moment. This is a man that has been struggling for the last 41 years to have enough to eat, to have clothes, and a roof over his head. He has amounted to nothing, and he feels like nothing. He has drifted from job to job, getting fired after only months from lack of efficiency. He’s the kind of man whose only friend is the local bartender, and whose only purpose is to make everyone feel better about themselves. He’s looking for a way out of this life, any way out. Any chance to escape his mundane and impoverished existence.

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It opens with Robert sipping a glass of alcohol in a local bar. A business-like man sits down next to him,

Man: “Hello sir, are you interested in buying..”

Robert: “no, not insurance, not televisions, no candles not nothin’ “

Man “ well sir, I don’t sell any of those.. “

Robert looks at the man, then away.

Robert “ we ever meet before”

Man “ I just have one of those faces”

Robert “what you want?”

Man “ to give you everything, everything you ever dreamed of Mr. Wilson”

Robert now stares him in the eyes,

Robert: “How do y’know my name?”

Man: “you see, Mr. Wilson, I have the power to give you everything you’ve ever wanted.”

Robert: “Hey, how do y’know my name!”

Man: “all you have to do Mr. Wilson, is give me something I want in return”

Robert is half drunk, and irritated.

Robert: “ how do y’know my n-”

The bartender comes up to Robert, with his eyes looking down at him.

Bartender: “I think it’s time for you to leave, Rob.”

The man who has been talking to Robert pulls out some cash.

Man: “how much does Mr. Wilson here owe you son?”

Bartender: “ten dollars for today, and as-a-matter-in-fact, fifteen from last Saturday too.”

The man gives the bartender thirty five dollars, and guides Wilson to the street

Man: “Mr. Wilson, I’m Knave Beelzebub. I sell, well oh.. Let’s call them livelihoods. I sell livelihoods. Good livelihoods that are well unpriced I might add, to the people who need them most, which is you.”

Robert: “How the hell down y’know my name!”

Mr. Beelzebub: “I know your name Mr. Wilson, the same way I know all names”

Robert: “You think your god is somthin’?”

Mr. Beelzebub chuckles.

Mr. Beelzebub: “No, not at all. I know all names, well, because I have friends in high places, let’s put it that way”

Robert: “Really?”

Mr. Beelzebub: “Well, actually, I would be the friend in the high place you see, a very high place”

The next scene opens with Mr. Beelzebub and Robert walking down a path in a park.

Mr. Beelzebub: “And after you are given everything you want, and I mean everything Mr. Wilson, we will start arranging methods of payment.“

Robert: “ this sounds all great and all Mr. Beelzebub, but y’know what?”

Mr. Beelzebub: “What is it”

Robert “ where I’m from, there’s a sayin’, somethin’s too good to be true, it ain’t “

Mr. Beelzebub: “Oh, no need to worry Mr. Wilson, everything is completely legitimate. If you are unsatisfied at all I can take everything back, and no payment is necessary, it’s one hundred percent risk free”

Robert: “okay then, prove it”

Mr. Beelzebub: “ well, I will, when you get home this evening at 232 95th street, there shall be a beautiful new car waiting for you, in your favorite color, pale blue”

Robert looks at Mr. Beelzebub. Robert is shocked at the fact he knew Robert's address and favorite color.

Robert: “Ain’t that so… ”

Mr. Beelzebub: “Oh, it is so Mr. Wilson,”

Robert starts to walk away.

“Wait. you forgot this”

Mr. Beelzebub hands Robert a card:

Knave B. Beelzebub

603-206-9657

Ask for Alida

The next scene opens with Robert hurrying home, to look at the driveway. In the driveway, was a pale blue car. Robert’s face lights up

Robert: “Well ain’t that so! Well ain’t that so!”

Robert laughs

Robert: “and they even took away the old pile of crap I used to drive”

He looks up into the sky,

Robert: “Well Mr. Beelzebub, you did, you did it”

He kisses the car and walks inside with a hop in his step.

The next scene opens with Robert in a phone booth, the next morning. He dialed 603-206-9657

the voice of a young woman answers the phone

Women: “hello this is Mr. Beelzebub’s office, how may I be of service?”

Robert: “I’m looking for Alida”

Women: “Your speaking to her”

Robert: “Well, great, y’see, Mr. Beelzebub gave me an offer, he will deliver anything to me, anything I want”

Ailda: “Well, not just that sir, he sells, well oh.. Let’s call them livelihoods. He sells livelihoods. good livelihoods that are well unpriced I might add, to the people who need them most. He will give you any career, any education, any friends, or family”

Robert is visually happy

Robert “well, then, I would like a uh.. Well, a job as a CEO for McGuffey CO., and a million dollar house on Edward street, and one billion dollars”

Alida: “and is that all sir?”

Robert: “no.”

Robert thinks for a moment

Robert: “no, I also want Julia back, could Mr. Beelzebub give me Julia back?”

Alida: “Yes he can, sir. Okay, one billion dollars, a job as CEO of McGuffey CO, an one million dollar house on Edward Street, and Julia, is this right sir?”

Robert: “yes, it is”

Alida: “Great, then you can move into your new house on 453 Edward Street right now sir. Mr. Beelzebub will be there to make arrangements of-”

Robert hangs up the phone before Alida could say the word, payment.

Robert drove to 453 Edward Street in his pale blue car, got out, and saw Mr. Beelzebub on the porch swing, reading from a magazine.

Mr. Beelzebub: “Nice place, isn’t Mr. Wilson?”

Robert: “Yes, ain’t it a fine ol’ place”

Robert is visually happy, and can’t take his eyes off the house

Mr. Beelzebub: “Well, the new title plate to your office at McGuffey CO. is right inside, and so is Julia”

Rob is visually amazed.
Robert: “How could you do all of this?”

Mr. Beelzebub: “Like I said, I’m the friend in the high place, the one you call one when you need something”

Both men walk into the house, greeted by a long staircase to the second and third floors of the building, in which a young girl, about ten, in a flower dress is sitting. Robert runs to and hugs the girl, and Mr. Beelzebub picks up the title plate off the coffee table, written :

Robert E. Wilson

Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Beelzebub: “Well, hear you go Mr. Wilson”

Mr. Beelzebub gave the tile plate to Robert, along with a check

Mr. Beelzebub: “And here’s the first payment of the one billion dollars, to be mailed to you every day, until you have all of it. I have taken the pleasure to deliver the first one to you personally”

Robert holds the check in his hand, one million dollars was written on the check

Mr. Beelzebub: “Just tell the teller that Mr. Beelzebub gave it to you, and you will have no problem cashing it in”

Mr. Beelzebub pulls out a pile of papers from his briefcase

Mr. Beelzebub: “And off course, you must sign here to say you accept this new livelihood”

Mr. Beelzebub puts paper on the coffee table.

Without thinking, partly from the shock from seeing Julia, the house, the money, and partly from Robert’s low intelligence, Robert signs the papers right away.

Mr. Beelzebub rips the papers from Robert, and smiles

Mr. Beelzebub: “Yes, all good, all good” he says as he holds the papers.

Mr. Beelzebub: “Now, Mr. Wilson, it’s time to discuss payment”

Mr. Beelzebub puts another pile of papers on the coffee table.

On the front of the first page, in big black letters read:

Pay For New Livelihood

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Mr. Beelzebub writes, soul on the dotted line.

Robert: “Is this some kind of joke” Robert is confused, and afraid

Mr. Beelzebub: “No, Mr. Wilson, I would never play such a cruel joke on you, this paper states that you owe me one soul. Yours to be specific”

Robert: “Then take all this back, I… I don’t want it no more”

Mr. Beelzebub: “Well I’m sorry, but you already signed saying you will accept this, so, you must pay.”