COMPASSION

Chapter 39

The Literary Agent
 
Joe Havard is reading his typed manuscript in the library. He is sitting alone on the third floor and turning page by page. In Joe’s mind, he thinks his written story would make a great Hollywood Movie. He puts his story down on the table and starts reading one of the books he pulled from the second floor shelf titled “ How to sell your Life Story to Hollywood.”
 
Joe reads about the query letter and how to write a synopsis for his story. He compiles a list of addresses of Entertainment Agents and makes twenty copies of his query letter and synopsis and writes to all twenty agents. He puts a self addressed stamped envelope in all the mailings and heads for the post office mailbox to drop his mailings off. Three weeks go by with no reply from any agent. Joe is feeling a lot better since his release from Sandy and the start of the
new year is giving Joe hope for a brighter future.
 
One day after work Joe passes the dining room table and he sees one of his self addressed envelopes sitting on the table. Joe collects the letter and takes it to his room to read in private. He opens the letter:
 
INFERNO ENTERTAINMENT AND LITERARY AGENCY  
1000 Broadway Avenue
New York, NY 10001
Dear Mr. Joseph Havard
 
 
Subject: Your entertainment query and proposal for a feature length Hollywood Movie
 
Dear Mr. Havard,
We have reviewed your query and proposal for a Hollywood Movie. We find the subject matter to be timely and of high interest to our agency and we believe the movie can go going public.
 
Please mail this office the first fifty pages of your treatment for the proposed movie for further review.
Awaiting your reply,
 
Sincerely
Mr. Malo Diablo
Entertainment and Literary Agent Esquire.
 
Joe cannot believe what he is reading. He asks himself, “Is this company serious? Do they really want to read what I have written?”
 
Joe makes copies of his fifty pages and sends it off to Inferno Agency. Again several weeks go by and Joe does not hear anything about his proposal. He comes home from work and sees Tommy has his black binder with his typed journal. Tommy also has a
letter on top of the binder . Joe goes upstairs and changes his clothes. He comes back downstairs and Tommy is reading the binder and laughing out loud. His laughter turns to anger.
 
“I thought I burned this piece of shit. Who the Fuck gave you permission to write about Ma and me! I always knew you were a sneak now this proves it. Only a Faggot would write this shit. I got news for you I am burning this garbage. I don’t want you to ever write anything like this again.”
 
Joe tells his brother, “ You cannot burn that. It’s my only copy!”
 
Tommy replies, “Who is going to stop me!”
 
Joe grabs for the binder but it rips open and falls to the floor. Joe bends down to pick the papers up and Tommy hits him in the head and Joe is knocked out. Tommy goes outside and burns the binder with the papers. Joe comes to and walks outside and sees the burning papers.
Joe tells Tommy, “This will make a great chapter for my new book.”
 
Tommy turns to Joe, “If I catch you writing about me or Ma I will kill you!”
 
Tommy gets in his truck and drives off. Joe walks back into the house and walks past the dining room table. This time he sees a letter on the table that he did not see before. It is from Malo Diablo. Joe picks up the letter and heads to his room and closes the door. He opens the letter and it advises Joe to call Mr. Diablo’s office immediately. Joe walks down stairs and dials the phone number.
 
“Diablo World Entertainment Group Lilith speaking how shall I direct your call? 
 
“Yes I would like to speak to Mr. Diablo?”
 
“Whom shall I say is calling?”
 
“I am Joe Havard. I have a letter from Mr. Diablo requesting I call him.”
 
“Yes Mr. Havard Mr. Diablo is expecting your call. Please hold.”
 
“Mr. Havard thank you for calling me. I have been reviewing your material along with my staff and I must say your proposal for a    Movie of your  family is very compelling and heart warming. I think what you have written gives a Producer and Director a solid
foundation to build upon. I think your project is not only artistically successful but can also be a commercial success.
 
I think we have the makings of a Blockbuster Movie. I see big stars in this movie. Mr. Havard when can you come to my office in New York for a meeting?”
 
Joe replies, “ Well Mr. Diablo I have never written anything before. I work full time as a Customer Service Representative for Apple Door.”
 
“Where is Plains, Pennsylvania?” Mr. Diablo asks.
 
Joe replies, “ It is outside of Wilkes-Barre, PA.” 
 
“Where is Wilkes-Barre?”
 
Joe replies, “It is between Scranton and Hazelton in Northeast, Pennsylvania.”
 
Mr. Diablo replies, “Well Mr. Havard I have to be honest with you. My Editor went through your treatment. Your sentence and word  structure, phrasing, and  grammar are very very rough. You need to rewrite the entire treatment. Then you need to send it to a Editor who will go over your work with a fine tooth comb. Have you ever been published before?”
 
Joe replies, “No Mr. Diablo I am not in the business. I just for some reason I had to start writing. I was confused and my Mother died and I was trying to figure out where she went?”
 
Mr. Diablo offers his sympathy, “Mr. Havard I am very sorry to hear this. I had no idea the woman in the story was based on a real live person let alone a Devoted Mother. Did you give Mom a proper burial?”
 
“Yes Mr. Diablo my two brothers and I followed Mom’s instructions.”
 
Mr.Diablo asks, “Did you bury her next to Dad?”
 
Joe replies, “Yes we did that is what Ma wanted. How did you know my Dad was deceased?”
 
Mr. Diablo replies, “Mr. Havard I am the President of Inferno Entertainment. I am not only a Literary Agent but also a Talent Agent. We are known world wide.I have offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Moscow, Tele Avie Tokoyo all over the world. I know everything about you and your family. I hope you understand I am calling you on the recommendation of my Editor. She believes in you and she tells me you have raw talent. She wants to work with you but before we offer a contract to a new writer I have to meet him in person. I have to feel him. I have to get a vibe. If there is no Energy Exchange between the two of us there is no deal. Mr. Havard what I am asking you is are you real or are you fake?”
 
Joe replies, “I am real.”
 
Mr. Diablo replies, “Good I can’t stand phony people. Mr. Havard I got a good feeling about you. I am going with my gut on this but I think I would like to meet you. I have to be in Philadelphia in about three weeks. If you like I can meet you in Wilkes-Barre at one of your favorite restaurants. Is Sunday at 12:00 PM good for you?”
 
Joe replies, “Yes I can meet you then.”
 
Mr. Diablo tells Joe, “Bring a fresh copy of your treatment and after we have lunch we need to go to a very private secluded place to talk in private.”
 
Joe replies, “I have the perfect spot. It is my College Library. We can go to the third floor. No one is ever there on Sunday.”
 
Mr. Diablo replies, “May I call you Joe? I have a good feeling about you. I will bring my Talent Book which will show you the current artists I have under contract. These people are all Hollywood A Listers. Well I have to run so call me the Saturday before Sunday and we will confirm the restaurant and time to meet.”
 
Joe tell Mr. Diablo, “Thanks you Mr. Diablo for this oppourtunity. I won’t let you down.”
 
Mr. Diablo hangs up without saying goodbye.
 
Lilith and Lucifer are sitting at their table smiling at one another.
 
Lucifer tells his Mother, “When he signs my contract I will not only own the publishing rights to his writings I will own his soul. Then I think I will pay the Havard family a visit and I will crawl into their coffins and show them the unbreakable contract. This Moron Mama’s Boy Joe Havard has to be stopped. He is stupid enough to put his book one day on the Internet for free allowing millions of people to read it for free. He is going to tell everyone how he beat the Devil and made a fool out of me.”
 
Lilith replies, “You really think this Internet is going to be big?”
 
“Mother it will be huge. It will be a game changer. They will have Free Porn on it one day. Boys and Girls amateurs will be doing free sex shows. But the biggest threat to me is this self appointed Mental Health Doctor Joe Havard who is trying to help people with Depression overcome it by telling them to write down their thoughts to clear their heads of negative thoughts. This is the strength I have gained by seeking out the Mentally Ill and putting negative thoughts in their head to do our Bidding. Man is most vunerable and at his weakest and easiest to control when he is depressed and mentally ill. My Army of Demons have possessed the mentally ill and killed, murdered, tortured, raped and destroyed innocent lives for centuries.”
 
Lilith replies, “I still can’t believe a stupid, over weight, obnoxious mama’s boy who tried to kill himself could bring us down by posting his mental diareha he vomited on paper on the internet.”
 
Lucifer replies, “I agree Mother I have battled heroic figures since time began. Today I battle a bag of human waste that popped up from the bottom of the lake called Joe Havard.”