Jane Unrue - Love Hotel

Fourth door on the left he said.

Her eyes however indicated that she would not understand at all.

I can’t!

He first considers turning walking straight into the park but then considers turning back to where he started.

No!

Nor will he

He

There is a lake within the park a platform for a band raised terrace lined with statues. Platform leads by pathway to a small pavilion circled by stone pedestalled containers filled with

blood red

yellow

dark wine woven

He

who shall be introduced a little later on

continues walking.

autumn flowers

bone white

head cracked open

First I saw the flashing. Then I heard a giggling. Noted that the flashing came from sequins disappearing through the automatic doors when I stepped down into the patio as soon as I arrived at that hotel. I walked along the flagstone walkway curved around a flowerbed then stepping down again I entered through the automatic doors. Nobody there. I found the room selection panel chose a room got in the elevator

2

vibrations of a sparkling woman with a silent man who as she stepped into the elevator held his hand against her back as if to lead her gently into there.

I got out of the

They were working in the hay.

walked right

left

got back in the

L

again

Excuse me this room seems to be—

new key

back in it

3

again

again

turned right

stuck in the

HEY! GET—!

down again to

There is someone in my room I said into the tiny opening in

The man told his wife to climb up on the stack.

In other words when I arrived I couldn’t tell whom I had seen when I saw flashing.

The man told his wife to stamp it down with her pitchfork.

Yet another key in hand I took the elevator up.

The man

It isn’t what you think it is I should have told the woman sitting opposite me on the train.

the field

Some dreams are just about plates I should have said. Instead I had looked out the window of the train recalling the crisp clean pattern of blue edging the rim.

The man disappeared into the

1. Was there any indication that you were leaving?

2. Was there something we should have seen or done?

Prepared to log

survey

the contents

607

I recalled another question to be asked of him

by me

for

I mean on behalf of

the event of running into

3. Did you say anything or did you do anything that we should have picked up on?

this question followed by a secondary question that would predictably be asked

of me

by him.

We pulled up to the station. I got out with all of my belongings. She rolled down the window. She said If I know him as I think I know him

I could feel his presence in the atmosphere around the station but I could not feel his presence on the train or when I got to that hotel.

She said He’ll ask you this.

There was a lady with a face of white

limbs white

white hair. She wore a regal gown of heavy silver white brocade the fitted bodice following her figure featuring at the top a neckline framed in lace with coral satin scooped to flatter. Short capped sleeves. Peg pleat on either side the central opening in her skirt revealed the underskirts of coral inset with a rosepoint lace with sequins rhinestones pearls. A sweeping train made possible by the fullness of the skirt was drawn into a bustle in the back the waistline of the bodice catching up into a bow. The bow was flat. In time the dress would yellow

then

Don’t think her hard or cruel. The lady is

was

good kind gentle only lacking in a talent for

She had an aptitude for saving people not however for the

She had taken on as protégée had stopped from suicide no less a seamstress with a child. All that the seamstress had possessed a painting of a basket on a table pomegranate grapes an apple peach two perfect grape leaves hovering over one more apple pear quince one more peach was given to the lady who immediately arranged to have it hung in her boudoir. The lady gave the seamstress sleeping quarters put her under the authority of her chambermaid then found her neverending piles of work with several of her wealthiest acquaintances. The seamstress lived she worked inside the lady’s home her child beside her at her

left

right

Most unfortunately though the lady whom we yet may picture as a flitting snow white figure with a sparkling coral inset was oblivious to the sad conditions under which the seamstress had to work her child to pass his hours on top of hours engaged in only those most compact most restrictive forms of playing.

For example he imagined himself as hovering in each corner of the ceiling

floor

The chambermaid had put the seamstress in

At other times he saw himself as hanging from a thread’s length down a wall.

a type of linen storage closet used for sewing now. In winter under insufficient light the only heating issued from a little stove polluting the air from morning on. The seamstress who was very grateful to her benefactress did not ever make complaints. She kept her child beside her far enough away from in that unforgiving space the terrible stove as best she could.

The child who although he was very young when he had seen it would it seemed not ever forget the night when after mother had released his hand he watched her climb onto the bridge’s railing stand there weeping into dawn’s first glimmer when the lady suddenly appeared accelerated screamed for her to Wait! So there

were no complaints from child. At least not for a

Stop!

There’s more. The lady had a woman brought into the house. She was an elderly woman who had lost her family lost her friends was at the brink herself. The charitable lady kept the elderly woman working long beyond the days when most employers would have let her go. She did not realize just how overworked the poor old woman who had never asked for anything had been. She did not understand the deep fatigue. Depression. Nightmares. Searching. Did not even know that when the elderly woman’s workday up down basement stairs had started in out attic spaces cellar storage places bathrooms cloakrooms

she

the lady

though she never thought of it like this

she still had three four hours to go within her overstuffed deep buttoned rose boudoir with salmon accents on the cushions carpets curtain tassels vanity seat. As she slept soundly underneath a scarlet coverlet all contact with the world at work remained suspended.

He said It is just that there is no one else possessing what you

We both said so just as soon as we first saw you standing there she interrupted.

Clearly they could see in me what others had not seen in me

that in me all impressions feelings touches multiply

I told him she’s the one she said.

solidify

He said That’s what she said to me .

Take hold of me.

Day Four: She looked me in the eye as if to share a secret. He looked well beyond us toward the NORTH FAÇADE. We stood upon a patch of land on the estate within the CORNER

SOUTHMOST where a tiny house once stood. The stonework for that tiny house as he explained was laid by local masons. He said Quarried locally then told us that a boat was bought to carry the stone down river. All of this was engineered he said by him.

He means the late great Milton Butterfield she said.

Day Five: We then began the long walk back

To the VERANDAH she had said.