I was due a phone call from Dr. Duke and surprisingly it came at what for him is a reasonable hour, 12:30, on Wednesday night. I had only been asleep for two hours.
“Where you calling from, doc?”
“I prefer not to say. I’m on the run from a woman who is formidably crazy. She has powerful friends.”
I took the phone into the living room and sat on the couch.
“How you been, Doc?”
“Wrong question, man. It’s not how I am – it’s WTF is the matter with you? The Balcony is a disgrace. There’s no political writing, for one thing, and for another you haven’t posted anything new for weeks. What’s the deal? Don’t tell me that the school district is keeping you so busy that you have no time to scribble? You must scribble, do you hear me?”
I didn’t bother trying to explain the trials and tribulations of holding down an 8-to-5 job, raising kids, helping with homework, refereeing endless sibling squabbles, doing laundry, grocery shopping, and all the other domestic chores that need to be done.
“How about the Middle East? The US of A is behind the curve on this one, of course, but that’s to be expected from a dying empire that can’t see beyond its asshole. Unless the west intervenes militarily, that insane bastard Gaddafi will probably survive; nonetheless, a very loud message has been sent to the rulers. I bet the Saudis are wetting themselves. I know you’re not caught up in the Charlie Sheen circus, so what the hell have you been doing?”
“Reading. Working on some fiction. You really should get married and settle down, doc. Do you good.”
“Only way I could be married is if I could have a harem. You bummed about Japan? Astonishing devastation. When did you live over there?”
“1977 to 1983. It’s very sad, doc. The suffering, the loss, the potential for nuclear catastrophe; I wonder if the world is being told the truth about the extent of the damage – and the risks. I keep seeing these tiny old Japanese women staring blankly at what used to be their homes.”
“Governments lie, particularly to avoid scaring the bejesus out of their citizens. Assume the worst is my advice.”
“I looked at some photographs of Chernobyl today,” I said. “The restricted area is about the size of Yellowstone National Park. Chilling stuff. Abandoned buildings, empty villages and schools, ghastly photos of deformed children. The only living thing thriving there is the forest; it’s taking over.”
I thought I heard Duke sigh, though for all I know he was taking a hit from a bong.
“Mankind is determined to destroy this planet,” Duke said. “And it will. What are you reading?”
“Absolute Friends, John LeCarre. You?”
“Plato, the Republic. I keep searching for answers. I thought I had something with this one, but she turned out to be a psycho. She knows we’re friends so if she calls you – and she might – tell her you have no idea where I am.”
“I don’t have any idea where you are, doc.”
“Let’s keep it that way – for your own good. “Write something, will you? Get something on the Balcony soon or you’ll lose all your readers.”
No comments:
Post a Comment