A Noble Mind Overthrown

"A Noble Mind Overthrown" **

Word count: 757

          "I’ve always been imaginative. Overly  imaginative, some people have occasionally said—more specifically, my parents, preacher, teachers, classmates, neighbors, barber and the many psychologists and psychiatrists I’ve seen over the years.
          "They thought I might be schizophrenic for awhile, but eventually discovered the only cause behind my hour-long conversations with thin air was my ‘over-active imagination.’ That, and my lack of flesh-and-bone playmates."
          He took a sip of his coffee before casually continuing the conversation.
          "My Catholic parents always planned on having a big family, but they say God must want them to have only one, since that’s all they ended up with. Personally, I think they just learned their lesson after having me. Either way, I never had any siblings to play with, and by the time I was old enough to go to school, I was already waging wars with invisible villains and having extensive escapades with my invisible friend instead of socializing with the other kids. And while most boys that age eventually grew out of that type of behavior, I never did."
          She giggled and smiled coyly. "I think that’s cute," she said, leaning toward him, conveniently revealing just a touch more cleavage from her low-cut shirt.
Her flirtatiousness made his smile broaden. He casually put his hand on top of hers to softly stroke her fingers, leaning in toward her, too, and staring into her shining, blue eyes.
          "The only thing is, when I say I never grew out of it, I mean I never grew out of it."
          His statement hung in the air as he watched her eyes narrow slightly in puzzlement, before continuing. "Haven’t I mentioned that I’m thirty-two years old and still have an imaginary friend?"
          Her hand jerked out from under his as she silently studied his face in turn.
          "I’m not kidding, by the way... in case that’s what you were thinking."
          He watched her facial expression flit rapidly between amusement, astonishment, fear, disgust, and anger.
          "Greg, are you really being serious?" she asked doubtfully.
          "You’d think that since she’s my imaginary friend, I could get rid of her. If it was only that easy. I’ve been living with her so long that she’s kind of taken on a life of her own," he explained calmly.
          Her lips parted slightly as she gaped at him. But he just stared back at her, a shrug written all over his face, waiting for her reaction. As he watched her visibly struggle between deciding that he was an asshole pulling some kind of prank or some sort of psychotic serial killer, he took a deep drink of his coffee.
          And when his date stormed off without paying for her latte, he was not a bit surprised. Sighing softly, he loftily picked up the check and glanced at the price.
          "You think she left because of me, or because you actually admitted to your age?"
          "Shut up, Ophelia. Your sarcasm is not needed nor wanted right now."
          Many of the other patrons glanced over at him, a few either carefully edging further away from his table or even getting up and leaving. Apparently, they had noticed his date’s exit, as well as its cause. Or he had accidentally talked to Ophelia out loud again. He’d be leaving soon anyway.
          Not for the first time, he thanked his lucky stars that the big city was so forgiving of insanity. How he had escaped being locked up for so long, he’d probably never understand.
          "Well, I’d like to applaud you on the performance. I know this has to be eating you alive right now, being the nice guy that you are, but you sure didn’t show it. Damn, you were cold." Ophelia laughed appreciatively and began to obnoxiously prance around the coffee shop, occasionally leaping on tables as she shook her skinny, fourteen year-old booty to the 90’s song playing over the loudspeaker.
          Sighing inwardly, he wished again for the millionth time that his friend had aged with him instead of staying the age he had thought was oh, so cool when he was six.
          It’s not as funny as you’re making it , Greg reprimanded his annoying invisible friend mentally as he got up and walked to the counter to pay his tab. And if it wasn’t for you, I might actually be able to have a lasting relationship with someone. But until the day you magically disappear, I might as well run them off before I get attached.
          Ophelia was too busy making faces behind the cashier’s back to comment.

** The title is a reference to a quote by Ophelia in Hamlet : "O, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown!/The courtier's, soldier's, scholar's, eye, tongue, sword,/Th' expectation and rose of the fair state,/The glass of fashion and the mould of form/Th' observ'd of all observers, quite, quite down!"