William Gaddis - J R

— Telling you that’s what we did there, got to bring these God damned colored leaves in to class try to copy them with crayons… he squeezed the matchbox closed — I, I watch you sometimes, he looked up abruptly — your lessons I mean, on television when I don’t have a class and, or when I stay out…

— But, but why in the world, my lessons aren’t…

— No with the sound off I, I just watch you…

— Oh I, I see yes well I think, I wish you wouldn’t stare so I think he has the children together and we really should…

— Excuse me ma’am they found this sweater in the ladies’ toilet, I think one of your kiddies…

— Yes yes thank you so much Mis, Mister Urquhart I think we’re leaving in a moment yes, thank you… she pressed the handkerchief to the corner of an eye, snapped her bag closed — we must leave Mister Gibbs no please, you don’t need to come with us I don’t think it would be…

— Did you see my sweater Mrs Joubert? It’s like red with…

— It’s right here Linda just, here just put it on so you won’t lose it again go over and tell, ask Mister Bast to get everyone together we’re leaving in a moment… she pushed her chair back. — I’ll just be a minute…

— Do you, wait…!

— No please I, I just felt faint…

— Yes well here let me…

— I’m all right no it’s, it’s just sitting so long… she steadied her hand on the back of a chair. — You might help Mister Bast…

— But… the hand he’d raised in support fell empty and he looked after her, after her legs lost among legs of tables and chairs as he gained his own with a wince, came lifting one foot along like a weight — say, Mister Bast…?

— What? Oh, yes I think they’re all ready what’s the matter.

— Nothing foot went to sleep, listen…

— No I mean Mrs Joubert where is she, I don’t think she feels well she’s…

— What I’m trying to tell you she’s out on her feet hardly knows it herself, look…

— No but do you know what she’s…

— No and she doesn’t either nobody does look Mister Bast something you should know, in spite of its appetizing symmetry woman’s body’s an absolute God damned chaos spend their lives at the mercy of their bodies, whatever it is she can’t handle this bunch for the rest of the day I’d try to myself but I can’t even count them so listen, I just told her you’d offered to take them over, get them home on the next train and…

— Yes well, well all right but what about her she’s…

— Be fine look best authority there is says just get those breasts to stop shaking we may be able to collect some fragments of the afternoon I’ll concentrate on that you just tell her you’re taking this bunch over, she’ll protest you insist don’t be so God damned deferential just take over, women like that…

— Yes but…

— Where we going now hey…

— Where’s everybody going hey where’s Mrs Joubert…

— Over by where it says desserts come on…

— Look you’re going with Mister Bast… he came trailing them across the floor kicking a foot out as though to shake them loose — go wait with Mister Bast… and he’d shed the last of them when he reached her sitting the edge of one of those chairs by where it said desserts rummaging her bag. — Are you all right?

— Yes but wait there was something I…

— All taken care of relax, Mister Bast just…

— That’s it yes I, you don’t have a piece of note paper…

— Plenty of it relax… out came bits of newspaper, cards, paper scraps — look Mister Bast just offered to, here how’s this…

— I don’t, no it says Clocker Lawton’s Suggestions I don’t think it quite, it’s for a note to a broker you see, I…

— Wait here here’s a piece look, Mister Bast just offered to take…

— Beware women who blow on knots is that, that’s nothing you want to keep? It’s written on the…

— No no I’ll remember it look, Mister Bast is…

— Oh Mister Bast that note I said I’d give you to Mister Crawley, before I forget it…

— Yes well thank you but if…

— No go ahead plenty of time relax, Mister Bast kind enough to offer to take these kids off your hands get them home on the next train I’ll just get a…

— Oh but no… the pen stopped, — the school bus is meeting the four seventeen they, they wouldn’t be able to get home if you leave now they, we were going to a money museum…

— No trouble is it Bast turn them loose in the money mu…

— I had the address here it’s a, in a bank somewhere…

— Know right where it is don’t you Mister Bast let’s get them together here two, three stay together there…!

— You’re, you’re sure it’s all right Mister Bast it’s awfully kind I, I just feel…

— It’s yes it’s fine it’s, fine yes…

— And here’s, dear it does look awfully shaky doesn’t it I’m sure Mister Crawley will understand though and don’t let him alarm you, he’s rather a bear but I know he’ll be glad to help with your aunts’ stock you will get them home on the four seventeen?

— Yes and thank you, I…

— Wait yes six, seven there were twelve I think, Linda? you have your sweater? Nine where’s, who’s that man those boys are sitting with, there by the phones he looks…

— Businessman name of Slomin perfectly respectable, feel a little steadier now? This way…

— And Mister Bast thank you again…

— Hey Mister Bast where we going…

— Where’s everybody going hey.

— Could I have a dime Mister Bast?

— All right stay together now, boys? Go over and get those two boys by the, never mind wait right here…

— Hey look there goes Mrs…

— I said wait there!

— Oh hi Mister Bast, where we…

— What are you doing in the phone booth come along…

— I just wanted to get the number off it wait, wait let me get my stuff…

— I said come along! Now where’s, all right stop pushing, now where’s…

— Bast look, sorry… his arm was seized from behind, — if you’ve got a couple of dollars for a cab…

— But, yes but wait what did she mean about a money museum she, here, she said a bank somewhere but…

— Look there’s a bank out here every two blocks every God damned one of them’s a money museum forget it, take them to a movie and Bast? Didn’t mean to be that unpleasant look I’ve got to talk to you some time when I’m…

— Yes well, yes whenever you…

— We going with you Mister Bast?

— Like where’s he going hey.

— The movies hey, we going to the movies?

— Come on look out, here comes the manager…

— One at a time in the revolving door, one at a… I said one!

— There’s a movie hey. Over there.

— Is that it over there Mister Bast? Where it says playthings of what’s that hey.

— A carte blanche invitation to ecstasy…

— Is that it Mister Bast?

But he stood staring in the other direction where the street’s traffic stopped for a cab exchanging fares until its door slammed and their heads, inclining, showed through the rear window, and everything moved again, and the wind picked up a little from behind.

— Look. You can see her tits.

— You cannot they pasted something over them.

— So? peel it off, hey look at this. Relive the pulsating moment of climax…

— No subject is taboo! No act is forbidden! What’s taboo hey. Hey. Look at this one. A generation in heat…

— Look at that pair of knockers!

— Excuse me…

— What?

— I thought, have we met somewhere? My name is Gall…

— I don’t, not that I remember I…