Same as in every Shakespearian play, tragedy and...
Same as in every Shakespearian play,
tragedy and comedy alikeBecause that's what our
lives are made up of - comedy and tragedy
"For me, the yuks have been in short supply just
lately," I said
"Yeah," he agreed, "but Act Three has potentialTold you, right? Beautiful
little mountain town called Tamazunchale
"You like the way it rolls off your tongue
Wireman can see that you do"It do have a certain ring to it
"There's this rundown hotel for sale there, and
I'm thinking about buying itIt'd take three
years of losses to put that kind of operation on a
paying basis, but I've got a fat money-belt these
daysI could use a partner who knows something
about building and maintenance, thoughOf course,
1113
if you're still concentrating on matters
artistic
"I think you know better
"Then what do you say? Let us marry our fortunes
together
"Simon and Garfunkel, 1969," I saidI don't know, WiremanI do have one more picture to paintJust how big is this storm going
to be?"
"DunnoBut Channel 6 is gonna love it
"Plenty of warning, though, replica louis vuitton purses right? Property damage
is fine, but no one gets killed
"No one gets killed," I agreed, hoping this would
be true, but once that phantom limb was given free
rein, all bets were offThat's why my second
career had to endBut there would be this one
final picture, because I meant to be fully avenged
And not just for Illy; for Perse's other victims,
as well
"Do you hear from Jack?" Wireman asked
"Just about every weekHe's going to FSU in
Tallahassee in the fallIn the meantime,
1114
he and his Mom are moving down the coast to Port
Charlotte
"Was that also your treat?"
"Actually Since Jack's father died of
Crohn's Disease, he and his mother had had a bit
of a tough skate
"And your idea?"
"Right again
"So you think Port Charlotte's going to be far
enough south to be safe
"And north? What about Tampa?"
"Rain-showers at mostIt's going to be a small
storm
"A tight little Alice
We sat looking at each other, and the girls
cruised by again in their sportabout, laughing
louder and waving more enthusiastically than
beforeSweet bird of cartier ladies must de cartier youth, flying on afternoon
wine coolers
When they were gone, Wireman said: "Miss
Eastlake's surviving relatives are never going to
1115
have to worry about getting building permits for
their new property, are they?"
"I don't think so, no
He thought it over, then noddedSend the
whole island to Davy Jones's locker He picked up the silver cylinder, turned his
attention to the little orange flag over the
fissure that splits the middle of Lake Phalen,
then looked back at me"Want to say any final
words, muchacho?"
"Yes," I said, "but not many
"Get em ready, then Wireman turned on his knees
and held the silver cylinder outThe sun sparkled
on it for what I hoped would be the final time in
at least a thousand yearsbut I had an idea
Perse was good at finding her way to the surface
That she had done it before, and would againEven
from Minnesota, she would somehow find the caldo
I said the words I'd been holding in my mind
Wireman's fingers openedThere was a small splash
We leaned over the side of the boat and watched
the silver cylinder chanel purses bags slide smoothly out of sight
1116
with one final glimmer of sunlight to mark its
descent
ii
Wireman stayed that night, and the nextWe ate
rare steaks, drank green tea in the afternoon, and
talked about anything but old timesThen I took
him to the airport, where he'd fly to Houston
There he planned to rent a car and drive south
See some of the country, he said
I offered to go with him as far as security, and
he shook his head"You shouldn't have to watch as
Wireman removes his shoes for a business school
graduate," he said"This is where we say adiós,
Edgar
"Wireman-" I said, and could say no moreMy
throat was filled with tears
He pulled me into his arms and kissed me firmly on
both cheeksIt's time for Act
ThreeDo you understand me?"
"Yes," I said
"Come down to Mexico when you're ready
1117
"I'll think about itCon Dios, mi amigo; siempre con
Dios
He saluted me, laughing, then walked into the
jetwayAnd of course I did eventually come south
to his little town, but although he's always alive
for me in his sayings - I never louis vuitton diaper bag tote think of them in
anything but the present tense - I never saw the
man himself againHe died of a heart attack two
1118
months later, in Tamazunchale's open-air market,
while dickering for fresh tomatoesI thought
there would be time, but we always think stuff
like that, don't we? We fool ourselves so much we
could do it for a living
iii
Back at the place on Aster Lane, my easel stood in
the living room, where the light was goodThe
canvas on it was covered with a piece of toweling
Beside it, on the table with my oil paints, were
several aerial photos of Duma Key, but I'd hardly
glanced at them; I saw Duma in my dreams, and
still do
I tossed the towel on the couchIn the foreground
of my painting - my last painting - stood Big Pink,
rendered so realistically I could almost hear the
shells grating beneath it with each incoming wave
Propped against one of the pilings, the perfect
surreal touch, were two red-headed dolls, sitting
side by sideOn the right
was Fancy, the one Kamen had fetched from
MinnesotaThe one that had been Illy's prada bags sales id