This All Happened(93)

            19 At the cash the woman says I remind her of Prince Charles. This one’s got royalty in him, doesnt he?

            Oh, he’s much more handsome than Charles.

            No, Charles as a young man.

            The other woman, keen to assure me I’m better looking, says, When he’s older he’ll be far more handsome than the prince.

            20 There’s a big wooden fence out by Mount Pearl. It’s supposed to be a barrier between the houses and the highway. But as you accelerate, the fence begins to blur, the gaps between the pickets link up, and suddenly the fence vanishes. You can see, with no interruption, the houses in behind. But the houses can’t see you. If you slipped off the road and hit the fence at the right speed, you’d slip right through it.

            21 Max: Let’s do some heavy drinking.

            Yes, I need a few heavy drinks.

            You need a chaser.

            I need to be chased.

            You will be chased. You have to stop chasing in order to be chased. Youre too exposed and everyone sees the wind blowing through you and they won’t touch you while that wind is blowing. No one likes a man with his heart wounded by another.

            I need sutures.

            We’re gonna get you some sutures.

            22 I phone Lydia. She says, I’m just reading an old paper. What time did you get up?

            Oh, nine-thirty.

            Me: I’m just up.

            You sound like youre not up. Like youre way under a blanket. You sound horizontal.

            Me:You sound half asleep.

            Yeah, I’m just noticing that. It was getting up. From the table.

            So how are you.

            Lydia: I’m good. I’m really good. I went for a run. I’m not feeling too good. Oh my God, my nose.

            What is it?

            It’s all puffy on one side.

            Are you okay?

            I feel okay. But the side of my face.

            You must have fallen.

            I must have. I was with Max until the sun came up. You got home okay?

            I was pretty drunk. But I beelined home. I must have hit a lamppost. No, I hit a tree.

            23 Helmut will be home for Christmas. They placed first, Iris says. She shows me their web page and the maps of their progress and Boston harbour. They were eight hours ahead of the next boat. Five months of racing and they won by eight hours. There is an article all about the racers, and a photo of Helmut and the team in today’s papers. He has long hair, he’s thinner. I recognize him by his hands.

            24 Alex and I sit on the cold concrete at one in the morning, down in the heart of the town. The river flashing below us. A river takes you out of the human landscape and transports you into a terrain without clocks. A bridge is a place of confession, of consolation. Confessions are anything you know to be true.

            Alex: I want to write a song as good as a Wilf song.

            Yes, a song.

            I want to fall in love. I mean, really fall in love. Don’t you, Gabe?

            Yes.

            Can you imagine it?

            It’s hard to separate it from the sexual side.

            Not for me. I’ve got a picture of the perfect man.