Part VI: Scars are Words Too
“It’s after hours, what do you want?”
“I was invited! Open the door please.”
“Invited by who?”
“Arlene, room 312, she shares with Maddy.”
“And what do you want with Arlene?”
“I don’t know, she invited me!”
The door buzzed. Adam went up marble steps to a desk. Behind it was a short woman with a flattened nose. “Thank you. Can you open the next door?”
The woman picked up a phone. “Hello, front desk, Eleanor speaking. Is Arlene expecting a visitor? Ah, I see. That’s good to know.” She hung up.
“Well?”
The woman stood up. Her bottom lip hid under the counter until she stepped onto a stool. “She’s not expecting you.”
“You’re a dwarf!” observed Adam.
“I’m two inches over dwarf. Now be on your way, Arlene’s not waiting. She’s not even in her room.”
“Impossible! She just called me…”
“You’re a new professor, aren’t you? Professor Ritten. Young for a professor.”
“How do you know who I am? Yes I’m Professor Ritten…”
“Dating undergrads is not a good policy, Professor.”
“And why should I take advice from a desk attendant, a dwarfish one at that?”
Eleanor pulled down her cleavage enough to show the little scar that snuggled between her breasts. “Pacemaker scar. It gets better the lower you go.”
“What?”
“Are you a virgin? I’ve never heard of a Professor Virgin.”
“You’re disgusting.”
“I’m not the one fucking a student.”
“Well maybe you should, looks like you could do with a good toss.”
“I told you, I’m not a dwarf. And dwarf tossing comments are rude. Why don’t you come around here and let me do a wrap-around for you while I stick my thumb in your ass. You can stay at the window and pretend you’re the attendant in case anyone comes in. They won’t even see me…”
“Sick… That’s sick! You’re a sick little imp!”
“I can get you off in twelve strokes. Soft ones, too. Guaranteed to have you bashing in the back end of a tissue box.”
Adam paused. “What?”
The phone rang. “It’s Arlene,” said Eleanor, punching the buzzer. “You can go up now.”
“What’s that thing about the twelve strokes? And the tissue box?”
“You better hurry, door locks again in a couple of seconds.”
Adam stared at the black and yellow dress of flowers that covered Eleanor. She was wearing a wig, a black one, but some of the blond hair underneath was showing. He looked at the door. He fled.
Eleanor opened a fashion magazine and stared at the pamphlet she had concealed within the pages. It showed a picture of an extraterrestrial fornicating with a mathematical equation, all those sticky numbers and letters with Eleanor floating between the digits until they formed up into long ranks of symbols-become-words that rested in a place two blue-shifts to the right of anything truly profane.
WOW, love that ending!
She ain’t quite right. Hi Susan!
Hi Trent–nice to see you back for a bit. Miss your wonderful slant on life.
Not for long, I think. Still packing. Moving sucks.
Sigh. Know what you mean…
With three little ones running about… well, two plus one imminently crawling… it’s a bit nuts. But oh well, will be done eventually.
I think I’d enjoy drinking with Eleanor.
She’s an animal. I like that.
O M G pause pause and Trent is back online!! lol I cannot comment on this, as it would require several naughty words…and well…and I used to be a sailor!! lmao
Shards! I never pictured you as a sailor… But I’m good with that image.
oh ick, don’t even go there…I was just commenting on how you shocked even my sailor side!!! lmao
Where ARE these people?
I feel like a fly on the wall at the front desk of the psych ward. And where are you moving to or coming from dude?!
University or college, maybe?
Just moving down the street Pete, to a bigger place. I’m wallowing in conspicuous consumption at the moment. Stuff stuff and more stuff. It makes the world go round, until, you know, it doesn’t.
Throw it out!
love this Trent. And take care.. sounds like things are a bit chaotic
Just moving stuff and work stuff, and trying to spend time with the family. Life I guess. But that is no excuse for not writing!
It is in my book. I guess we lose or mind either way? Might as well let it out
I agree Audra. It’s funny though, because I feel a certain corrosion when I don’t write, as though I’m giving away life-days to some insidious ether that is jealous about hoarding human aspirations. I lose my mind when I don’t write, and when I do, it’s clear to me that I am very much losing my mind… maybe just time to give in and take a leap into the deep end, sharks and all.
Haa. I know what your saying, although the high you experience is well worth the insanity. Or not??
It’s a small piece of perfect, even if the end product is far from it. Definitely worth it.
Well I’m off to the grind. I’m sure my desk is covered again. Cheers Trent
Don’t forget to pack your meds Trent. somewhere you can find them easily.
Always. And now for the orange… poor sot.
Don’t judge me or anything…but when I first read this, and got to the, well you know, THAT part…the first thought that stabbed my brain was…uh oh, Lewin’s had his first prostate exam and this is the result! Now, I’d hazard a guess and say you are much too young for that yet…but THIS is what you’ve done to me! (good luck with the move…been there done that so many times it’s sickening) I actually like this one a lot…maybe it’s the 2 inches above a dwarf thing…such a little thing…but pulled me in. Think I’ll go have an orange
Hey Southern Belle, no, no prostate exams as yet, but thanks for getting me thinking that way! Be nice to the gentle orange, he’s in for a rough time I think.
nah…i can peel him reaaaaal slow…he’ll never know what ate him.
You are terrible, Southern Belle.
aw heck…i’m sweet relatively speaking…but then again, you don’t know my relatives. eek
I shudder to think. Well, in your honour, I will do my best to nibble at the orange until he is utterly consumed.
hey, it’s better than your alternative. i’d rather be eaten than buried alive with Brittney…just sayin’
Well now you have the alternative in print… turns out I agree with you.
yes!!!
My predecessors have said quite a lot, Trent. Writing vs. Not writing. Taking your meds along. The W.O.R.K involved in moving, especially with kids. The chaotic piece that this is. It’s just been a weird ride with Adam. Loving him. There are so many shifts in your life now. Even your gravatar. Hehehe. Please be well. Some respite in the mid of it all. *hearts*
Thanks much Doc. All is well, and very exciting actually. Just want more time for writing.
Relieved to hear that. Be cool!
Freekin’ awesome. The dwarf tossing bit cracked me up, but that whole last line just brought the thing together and took it all apart at the same time.
Thank you. Love the description of the last line, hadn’t thought of it that way.
That was awesome.
Relieved to hear that. Be cool!
How many parts my brain can’t grasp it I’m sorry!
ADHP (for Pete).
I think there’s nine. But my brain doesn’t much grasp it either, so no worries.
hahah
Now there’s an interaction ……