William Gaddis - J R

— Look Rhoda just, look just relax wash your face and…

— I mean like what are you calling me my name all of a sudden for get away, I mean you don’t think I wanted somebody that will talk to me that will, that will still like me anyway after we screw?

— Look you can’t leave this way come back in and, you can’t go to a job this way you’re…

— Man I’m not kidding let me get my raincoat I mean get out of my I’m not kidding man get out of my way…

— Just, get out…

— I mean answer the phone man maybe that’s her calling back, I mean maybe she’ll give you a free dance…

— Get out! and, and don’t come back either you don’t need to come back either…! he stood between the torrents there getting breath before he turned, tripped on a film can reaching — hello…? No what do you… what Indian uprising no you’ve got the wrong… I said you’ve got the wrong number! and he got as far as 36 Boxes 200 2-Ply — now what… ripped his foot from a tangle of film, — hello…? He’s not here no, who… lawyer for who…? Wait no you’ve got the wrong one, this Mister Gibbs never worked for a general… oh, oh a company yes, yes he worked once for some small family comp… Eigen yes, I’ve known him for… Mrs Angel? No I don’t think I, wait yes that’s Stella? Yes he’s… I usually do yes but… yes I’ll tell him it’s urgent don’t know when he’ll be back though, he’s been… No he’s mentioned it to me but I don’t know the… no, no I think he just signed the stock certificate over to his ex-wife in a lump settlement, I’m having a similar kind of what…? No I doubt it no their relations are hardly cordial, she’s got custody of his daughter makes things pretty difficult for him the way my wife just walked out took my son with her and she thinks she’s granting me a privilege letting me see him can you imagine that? I went out to see them yesterday a house I’d rented myself when I still thought we could what…? Oh, oh yes yes I just… yes what kind of a misadventure… yes I’ll… minute he gets in yes I’ll tell him to call you Mis… ven one four seven I’ve got it yes c, o… oh without the h? Yes I’ll tell him, goodbye… And he got no further than 24–12 Oz Btls Fragile! — Yes hello…? Wait no wait who do you… if who? To defend what paternity suit look who do you… No look you’ve got the wrong… look damn it you’ve got the wrong number!

And rain took up again against the pane where he came sweeping Dun’s Review and the Journal of Taxation before him with the crunch of slides underfoot, emptying Tonic Water Twist Cap into Won’t Burn, Smoke or Smell raised to the heap and squared, lifting, stacking, sorting — Grynszpan, Eigen, Bast, Bast, Gerst…? The long hand rose to drive the short behind the silence of the cat posed there unblinking as it dipped to NO RETURN, emerged from NO DEPOSIT — E Berst? Grynszpan, Miss Bertha Klupp where the, God what a mess… Light filled the punctured shade, was gone, came on again as though enlivened by some demented electric eye scanning the gloom beyond the glass where the gum wad leaped and splashed on the sill. The typewriter clattered, failed, clattered and was still. The long hand dipped to NO RETURN. He edged closer, abruptly pulled up the sash grabbed the dancing string and yanked hard.

—provide a meaningful way of life for older persons so they may continue to contribute to their community in a dignified and productive manner. This is Senior Citizens’ Month…

He freed the second head string, held the controller up and turned it to the side, the marionette’s head nosed the tangle of hand strings and he followed one to its source in the back string’s tangle, held the thing up and bit a shoulder string free, shook the controller and held it up tipped forward, pulled the back string and the marionette sank slowly seated on Hoppin’ With Flavor! arm hanging numbed, leg drawn indifferent in the tangle that remained to spring up clearing Moody’s in a single vault and tread the Journal of Taxation laocoön in the small.

— Just wait out here a minute Freddie not sure what’s, Rhoda? Anybody here…?

— Jack? The marionette dropped back in a tangle with the broken music box and red mitten, maimed Virgin and sheep, — is that you?

— Tom that you? Any calls? Look Freddie wait out here a minute let me get this box in help me get this box in Tom?

— Yes but what’s, who’s that…

— Tell you inside just get this box in careful don’t break it, looks like another case of matchbooks, just get that corner in past the sink listen Tom be nice to him, knew him in boarding school a little bit simple but he’s one of the sweetest…

— But what’s he, why’d you bring him up here he’s…

— Bumped into him outside Grand Central soaking wet look at him, knew me the minute he saw me he hasn’t changed since he was ten look at him, what the hell could I do leave him there? Bronze plaque outside the station standing there in the rain reading his family names all over it probably still own the whole God damned block looks like they keep him put away somewhere, Freddie? No come in come in doesn’t matter if you’re wet look at me Christ get that wet jacket off, where the hell he got it says Bob Jones U across the back wait watch that bag, brought in some groceries whole bottom of it’s falling out here put the, wait look who left the God damned phone off the hook…

— I did Jack I took it off, ringing every time I turned around people calling about an Indian uprising somebody’s supposed to be in court to defend a paternity suit what the hell’s going on here anyhow, I came in this morn…

— No but God damn it suppose she called how long has it been hanging here suppose she tried to…

— She did just listen for a minute, she called this morning she was still…

— Amy? she called? Christ why didn’t you tell me! where is she what did she…

— She was still at the airport she said she’d call back where the hell have you been, I…

— What I’ve got to tell you I’ve wait God damn it how could she call back if the phone was look where can I reach her, did she…

— She couldn’t say Jack she’d just got in, she said she had some things to settle she wants out of the way before she sees you may take a day or so, she just wanted you to know she’s back and everything’s…

— Day or two! Christ a day or two listen I, something I have to talk to you about Tom wait wait Freddie here, give me the newspaper get the tub closed put that bag down before the whole God damned bottom falls out get those cigarettes Tom, must have carried it three miles in the God damned rain we got in a cab downtown radio playing Gluck’s Orfeo drove all over hell so Freddie could listen to it, just getting into Che farò senza Euridice counted my money and we had to get out at the God damned Museum of Natural History driver so God damned obnoxious about his eight cent tip I left his back door open pouring rain he roars away rips it right off against the back of a bus Christ look at this suit, two hundred dollars two hours ago already looks like the Salvation Army listen something I’ve got to talk to you about Tom, I just spent the whole morning down at…

— Wait look out for his, God you’re both soaked look Jack he can’t just, where is he going to…

— He’s all right aren’t you Freddie here just come in here watch out for, over here that’s it sit on this box here get that wet sneaker off I thought we could just put him up back in Schramm’s there till I find out what’s…

— He can’t no Schepperman’s back there, I was just…

— Schepperman where the hell did he come from.

— Standing on line in the unemployment office he’s desperate, detectives after him and everything else what the hell else could I do leave him there?