William Gaddis - J R

— Grynszpan dropped in heavy drinker he, look! See it? damn…

— Man what’s, see what…

— Football up there box in front of the clock wait till the light comes back on, old football climbing out of No Dep there! See it?

— Man like that’s here kitty kitty I mean that’s Chairman Meow man, here kitty…

— Hell’s he doing here looks like a…

— Man like where was I supposed to take him and I mean where’s that opener, like I had it in here for those enchilavies… and her sharp bend away looking under the sofa snapped the shirttail up where he swallowed abruptly on nothing, licked his lips and spilled the cup over the back of his hand getting it to them. — Here it is it’s still on the can I mean what a disgusting mess, like I mean these cigarette butts and enchilavies man couldn’t you even put garbage out in the hall like you’re supposed to?

— Little old lady comes down cleans out the tunafish cans…

— Man like we don’t even have tunafish and I mean the last time she tried that they almost put her in this little green panel truck and took her with it here kitty kitty…

— This keeps up put us all in a little green panel…

— No I mean this one that comes for the trash every night man like Bast says it’s some service his company must have fixed up kitty kitty kitty… she tapped the opened can on the floor.

— Company his service fixed up just found a bug on the phone that’s who…

— Man like that’s what I’m telling you, I mean this place is so filthy I expect to wake up with bites come here kitty…

— Bite bug not a bedbug no a tap phone tap, on the floor in there just ripped it out of the phone I…

— What that you ripped it out? Man like why’d you do that I mean he’ll just have to come back and fix it kitty kitty…?

— He who, what…

— This spade cat that works for the phone company man, I mean like he installs these telephones and these taps he does on the side so I mean like when they don’t hear anything they’ll just tell him to come put on another one I mean are you hungry?

— Not that hungry… he moved a foot from the stealthy approach to the can opened on the floor, — ever see a football eating don’t disturb…

— What do you have to say it with him standing right there man… she’d gone round on one knee on the sofa’s edge thrusting among mail for a jar, a can, inching the shirttail up — I mean can’t you look at somebody’s face instead of their ass? And like didn’t you find a quarter I mean this fucking lamp going on and off I can’t hardly see what… she was down biting open a transparent packet — like do you want some?

— What, some what… he tipped the bottle over the cup, shook it.

— Some what man how do I know some what I mean it says cheese type processed food product do you…

— Wait! Christ…

— Like what’s the matter that’s grape drink I mean I just poured you grape drink what’s…

— Last of the whisky poured it right in the last of the God damned whisky…

— So now you’ve got like grape whisky I mean you’re so stoned you won’t know the difference man what are these… she held it up, pried off the lid — raviolis you want some raviolis…? The lamp flickered, beyond her the gum wad bounded and slowly rose from sight as she licked fingers, tore an envelope — Dear Mister Eigen, it is my pleasure to inform you that the Admissions Committee of the PEN voted at its last meeting to ask you to become a…

— Wait what’s… he coughed into the cup — what are you…

— What man I mean I’m reading the mail, like I mean when Bast and I eat that’s what we do man… she paused parting the shirttail on a flank to scratch there, — I mean like what else is there to do.

— No look problem’s just problem Mister Eigen God damned touchy sometimes might want to open his mail himself look…

— Man like what’s the difference I mean it’s all mail… paper tore, she licked fingers and set the jar down. — This is a periodic report which the trustee under the indenture mentioned below is required to make by reason of all this bullshit Bast gets I mean who wants to read all this Kissinger Tax Letter, US Bureau of Mines Taxwise Methods for the Executive, Bureau of Indian Affairs U S Department of bullshit… she was digging in the heap beside her — I mean I thought I had this herrings someplace…

— Try Grynszpan had it all sorted out, what the hell happened just sorted it out…

— Like can you open this can? I mean they don’t even give you this key thing anymore here’s one, dear Mister Grynszpan. Since we believe you are a deeply concerned citizen whose opinions on the vital issues of the day are formed after careful and intelligent consideration, and since the continued survival of our republic as we know it depends so heavily upon the free expression of such independent views as yours at the highest levels, a letter is enclosed for your convenience which you may rewrite in your own words and mail to your Senator and Congressman immediately dear sir, as a concerned citizen I wish my voice to be heard expressing strong support for HR three five nine seven and the companion Senate resolution sponsored by Senator Broos firmly backing nonintervention in the civil conflict in Gandia, and the earliest possible recognition for Uaso province as a sovereign and independent look out! man you’re spilling…

— God damned cat what…

— What I mean he just jumped on the windowsill man like why shouldn’t he look out the, what’s he, what’s that, I mean look there’s something out there dancing up and down on this string man look…

He righted his cup, recovered his seating on H-O — went back up and reloaded looks like double bubble…

— Man look there’s this quarter out there…! the shirttail tugged up with her turn to shake the sash, raise it, a paw shot out past her at the glistening pink wad — man like hold him! She bent further — it’s stuck here, I mean it’s stuck here man I can’t get it off… the gum wad danced above, plunged, the paw shot out — man will you get this fucking cat off my in my hair what’s, oww…! the string tautened, yanked again, she was in, banged the window down — man who’s with that fucking gum up there and I mean if that’s that my vife Mrs at the door I’m really going to hand him his… she was through past 200 2-Ply, — like who is it!

— Good evening madam… it shuddered open, — I trust I am not interrupting the dinner repast, am I addressing the lady of the house?

— Look man what do I look like the…

— I see immediately that I am speaking with someone who has enjoyed the benefits of a fine education, surely madam you would not wish to deprive your youngsters of similar advan…

— What youngsters man look…

— Madame unless my eyes deceive me… he raised them, — if your husband has indeed let you go childless he should be prosecuted for criminal negligence ha ha, of course I am sure he is a person of breeding and culture like yourself one glimpse of your lovely home and these are clearly the surroundings the publishers of our fine new children’s encyclopedia would like to see it displayed in to be seen and admired by your many friends and neighbors of similar cultural…

— Look I mean get your foot out of the…

— Ex, excuse me madam if you interrupt me I’ll have to start all over again of similar cultural pursuits, this is why we take pleasure in inviting you to accept a complete set of our fine new children’s encyclopedia at the special introductory prepublication price and in order to help you make this rewarding decision this advance copy of volume four has been reserved in your name for your perusal over a ten day period during which you may examine it here in the comfort of your own lovely home at absolutely no obligation, hold this fine volume in your own hands sir or madam as the case may be show it to family and friends, study its physical format if you’ll let the door it’s hurting my foot note the fine grain binding a new substance designed to outlast ordinary leather and outshine its beauty for untold years to come, each volume in the set is richly gold tooled and the perfectionist binding gives them the elegance of fine volumes costing far more than our special introductory price take this fine volume into your own hands sir or mad…