Transparent Man

I call Trevor transparent because everyone could see through him at a glance. Except himself. And because of that, this fine young man was a most entertaining Resident. In fact, I found Trevor so amusing that I have two-and-a-half pages of anecdotes and incidents covering everything from the time he tried to pick the lock to the Head Office so he could erase his name from the Permanent Records (when Administration was inside) to the night he turned on the outdoor hose so the lawn and sidewalk would become a lake by morning which would keep him inside so he wouldn't have to go to work. Even though it was Saturday. In short, Trevor Pandor was a modern, real-life, walking comedy of errors.

But no one need feel bad about his misspent efforts. The man displayed incredible creativity, resourcefulness, and sense of purpose. And only once did his efforts eve cause any real damage. That was when he lit a fire in his girl friend's car to keep her from going to the store to buy Brand X beer because her other boyfriend preferred Brand Y. It's also what convinced the judge that Trevor should be committed.

Trevor Pandor was one of those people everyone has either known or heard about, the one who always had money. He was just intelligent enough to get into trouble. Also, because he had a screw loose, he couldn't keep the same job for over a month. And because of that, he'd worked in nearly every store in town at one time or another. But they kept rehiring him because they often needed temporary help. After a day of bag stuffing,

Trevor would flood his fellow Residents with pizza, soda, candy bars, and cheap earrings. He was a delight, an Italian Santa Claus, one who always had money, and everyone loved him.

The loose screw in Trevor's brain rattled near his sense of reality. As Everyone recognizes a loose screw and in Mr. Pandor's case, the screw revealed itself constantly. From my notes.

March 12: The last big snow. Trevor made a snowman. He wanted to keep it throughout the summer so he covered it with all the heavy, insulated, winter coats he could find. When it warmed up the next day, Residents and Staff were furious when they retrieved their drooping, mud-stained coats.

May 16: Trevor ordered a pizza for every Resident and Staff. He paid for the 51 with a Sugar Loaf check he'd found in the waste basket and doctored up. Delivery Boy so thrilled by the large order he overlooked the forgery and cross-outs. Trevor distracted by a movie in the Lounge, forgot all about the pizzas. When movie was over he went to bed. Raiding dogs got into the boxes. Raccoons, skunks, opossums, and stray cats had a field day too. Yard full of shredded boxes, animal droppings, and vomit. Seems not every wild creature can handle mozzarella and pepperoni.

August 19: At night, Trevor jimmied the window of the Activity Shed, removed every facility fishing rod, dug up worms in front yard, set trot lines around the pond. By

morning, fish had pulled all facility tackle into the drink. His response: "But what if we'd reeled in all them fishies --- wouldn't we had a feedthen?"

September 2: Trevor dug up all Claudia's flowers to give her on her birthday. Her office looked like a florist shop. Flower beds looked like after a bombing raid.

November 31: Everyone's wondered where Halloween pumpkins have disappeared to. Night Staff found them in Trevor's closet. Slimy stench made them investigate. Says he meant well: wanted to celebrate a second Halloween on the first day of Winter. Yuck.

December 25: Sugar Loaf awoke to screams outdoors. Trevor stuck in top of chimney. Fire Department had to remove him fast because Night Staff had put big Yule log on fire and he'd plugged up the hole. Resident spent Christmas day swathed in burn lotion and gauze.

January 10: Twenty City Rescue-Service and town plumbers found the main shower had been plugged with towels, blankets, bedspreads, sheets, and rugs to make a swimming pool. Trevor: "I did it so Staff could swim here instead of having to go to Florida."

February 14: Kitchen Staff called for emergency: large oven frothing red, spitting molten red candy. Trevor

had thawed all his Valentine candy because he'd left it outdoors and it froze.

It seemed paradoxical that this Good Samaritan who touched the lives of everyone at Sugar Loaf was considered transparent. But he was. Because the man did nothing with enough seriousness to be taken to heart. And don't we take flippantly those who act flippantly? I felt sad the day they put Trevor into the Circuit because I feared that I might not see him again for years. He did light up our days. And nights. And always innocently.