BECAUSE I NEVER GET OUT OF BED. DAYLIGHT FRIGHTENS ME. SO I LIE IN BED ALL
DAY SWILLING MULBERRY RAKI, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY FOUL, THE WORST THING
IN THE WORLD FOR A STOMACH AS GASEOUS AS MINE. BUT YOU SEE I FEEL A NEED
TO DRINK AND A COMPULSIVE NEED TO DRINK ONLY THAT. AND WHILE SPENDING
THESE LISTLESS DAYS IN BED, AS I'VE DONE FOR MONTHS, I CONTINUE TO WORK
ON MY JOURNALS, WHICH ARE TITLED THE BOY.
And another imagined response.
SPARE ME, NUBAR, I KNOW HOW YOU ATE WHEN YOU WERE A BOY. POORLY. NOW
PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME DRAG EVERYTHING OUT OF YOU. ARE YOU EATING
PROPERLY OR NOT?
And a statement of fact again, and a response, and on and on.
I'M EATING A SINGLE BAKED CHICKEN WING TWICE A DAY, BUBBA, ONE AROUND
NOON AND ANOTHER IN THE EVENING, AND THAT'S ALL I EAT. I ADMIT IT DOESN'T
SOUND LIKE MUCH, BUT AGAIN I SEEM TO HAVE A COMPULSIVE NEED TO EAT NO
MORE THAN THAT, AND TO EAT ONLY THAT. IT'S ODD, I AGREE. OBVIOUSLY I'M
STARVING MYSELF TO DEATH.
* * *
PLEASE, NUBAR, SPARE ME YOUR LURID FANTASIES AND TELL ME HOW YOU SPEND
YOUR EVENINGS. ARE YOU WRITING POETRY AGAIN?
* * *
NO, BUBBA, I'D HARDLY CALL MY EVENINGS POETRY. I CONTINUE SWILLING
MULBERRY RAKI AFTER SUNDOWN, BUT THEN I DO SO FROM A WOODEN CANTEEN
THAT I CARRY WITH ME TO THE PIAZZA IN FRONT OF SAN MARCO'S, WHERE, IN THE
RAIN AND THE DRIZZLE, I HAUNT THE VAST FOG-BOUND EXPANSES SEARCHING IN
VAIN FOR SOMEONE, ANYONE, TO GIVE ONE OF MY JOURNALS TO.
* * *
DO YOU WEAR A HAT, NUBAR? AND PLEASE REMEMBER TO TAKE ALONG A SCARF
EVEN IF YOU KEEP IT IN YOUR POCKET.
* * *
OR NOT EVEN THAT, BUBBA, THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE TO TAKE ONE OF THE
JOURNALS. I'D SETTLE FOR VERY LITTLE NOW. IN FACT I'D BE QUITE HAPPY IF
SOMEONE, ANYONE, JUST ALLOWED ME TO READ A BRIEF EXCERPT FROM ONE OF
THE JOURNALS TO HIM OR HER.
* * *
GOOD, NUBAR. I'M GLAD YOU'RE TAKING A SCARF WITH YOU WHEN YOU GO OUT
IN THE EVENING.
* * *
AND IS THAT TOO MUCH TO EXPECT, BUBBA? TO ASK SOMEONE TO STOP FOR JUST
A MINUTE TO HEAR THE WHOLE TRUTH ABOUT GRONK? AND THE WHOLE TRUTH AS
WELL ABOUT THE DESTRUCTIVE THINGS THAT WERE DONE THERE BY A VILE AND
UTTERLY SELFISH AFGHAN, A MAN SO CONTEMPTIBLE HE WAS OFFICIALLY
DESCRIBED IN AN ALBANIAN COURT OF LAW AS THAT FILTHY FOREIGNER?
* * *
PLEASE DON'T BE SO IMPATIENT WITH FOREIGNERS, NUBAR. I'VE ONLY KNOWN
ONE PERSON FROM AFGHANISTAN, THE PRINCESS WHO VISITED US YEARS AGO, AND SHE WAS AS LOVELY AS ANYONE COULD BE.
* * *
NO, YOU WOULDN'T THINK SO, BUBBA, BUT APPARENTLY IT IS TOO MUCH TO
EXPECT. APPARENTLY THERE'S NOT ONE PERSON ON THIS EARTH WHO'S WILLING
TO LISTEN TO THE WHOLE TRUTH ABOUT THE AA.
* * *
IS THAT A WORD, NUBAR? WAS THE TRANSMISSION FAULTY OR HAVE I MISSED
SOMETHING?
* * *
THEY'RE INITIALS, BUBBA, AND THERE ARE SOME DEMENTED PEOPLE WHO MIGHT
EVEN CLAIM THEY STOOD FOR THE ALBANIAN-AFGHAN SACRED BAND, A TOTAL
LIE. FROM ITS INCEPTION THAT NOTORIOUS ORGANIZATION WAS ACTUALLY THE
ALL-AFGHANISTAN SACRED BAND, A FOREIGN MADNESS AND A FOREIGN
CONSPIRACY BENT ON DUPING INNOCENT ALBANIAN FARM BOYS INTO
PERFORMING FOUL AFGHAN ACTS. YOU'VE HEARD THE AFGHAN SAYING ABOUT
WOMEN AND BOYS AND GOATS, IN THAT ASCENDING ORDER?
* * *
PLEASE, NUBAR, NO MORE CONSPIRACIES.
* * *
BUT DON'T YOU SEE WHAT I'M GETTING AT, BUBBA? WHEN I VENTURE INTO THE
RAIN AND FOG OF THAT HUGE PIAZZA IN THE EVENING, AND CONTINUE GOING
AROUND AND AROUND IT ALL NIGHT, I'M SHAMEFULLY IGNORED AND EVEN
SHUNNED, AS IF I WERE SOME LOATHSOME CREATURE. AND I'M STARVING AND MY
VISION IS BEGINNING TO BLUR AND ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE I STILL HAVE
ALL MY OLD SYMPTOMS OF MERCURY POISONING. SO YOU SEE MY LIFE HAS
ALMOST BEEN RUINED BECAUSE OF A FILTHY FOREIGNER WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE
FOR EVERYTHING, AND THAT'S THE WHOLE TRUTH. MY JOURNALS EXPLAIN IT
CLEARLY AND SUCCINCTLY.
* * *
TAKE A HOT BATH, NUBAR. GET A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP AND TOMORROW THINGS
WILL LOOK BETTER.
To be frank with Sophia? It was out of the question. There was no way he could tell her what he was really doing in Venice. He could only go on making up imaginary activities and receiving Sophia's worried responses. The exchange seemed endless.
I'M VISITING PALACES, BUBBA, STUDYING THE WORKS OF VERONESE.
* * *
ARE YOU SURE, NUBAR? I NEVER KNEW YOU WERE INTERESTED IN ART. WHAT
HAPPENED TO MERCURY?
* * *
AND I'M ALSO VISITING MUSEUMS, BUBBA, MAKING A STUDY OF THE RISE AND
FALL OF MARITIME POWER IN THE MEDITERRANEAN.
* * *
MARITIME POWER IS FINE, NUBAR, BUT ARE YOU DRINKING MINERAL WATER FOR
YOUR GAS?
* * *
MINERAL WATER SUPERB, BUBBA. GAS UNDER CONTROL.
* * *
I'M SO GLAD, NUBAR. AND YOU PROMISE YOU'RE EATING PROPERLY? A NICE PIECE
OF FISH OR VEAL AT LEAST ONCE A DAY? NOT JUST RAW VEGETABLES AND THAT
DREADFUL WHOLE WHEAT BREAD OF YOURS?
* * *
WITH ALL THESE ITALIAN DELICACIES BEFORE ME, BUBBA, I HAVEN'T TOUCHED
WHOLE WHEAT IN MONTHS, AND YOU CAN BE SURE OF THAT.
* * *
