it was the middle of the
afternoon still four hours before he had work
rather had to work
hed always have to work
Retirement HA
he didnthe never saw it it wasnt in the cards for him it wasnt in the
cards for a lot of people an even more people todayFUCKED by free market
ideology by employers who flipped or rolled over like dogs to corporate where did he read thatwhere did he
put that quote Ah here BINGO! an from of
all places Homo Deus the self-interest of capital
accumulation its logic of brutal
calculability in its indifference to life
any life other than its own
fortunately(?) he saw
thataccepted that when a boy when a much older friend Mr Wappler shared with
him what retirement was
he cut Mr Wapplers lots during
the summerraked his leaves in the fallshoveled snow from his walks and driveway
winters
You might say Mr Wappler said I’m
your patron. It's from the Latin patronus, protector of clients, defender; from pater, also Latin, father.
Ohyes
Oh yes? You know pater?
I think I do I have an uncle who complained of a paternity
suit Is it the samelike father not like he was complaining about his tailor right
Goodness, for a young boy you
certainly hear things that perhaps you should not.
Im not eavesdropping not
really Ten people live at my
house an half are adults an yacant help but overhear what mebbe you shouldnt but it seems to me adults thinkthey must that I cant follow or understand their
words as if my vocabulary is lacking An how can that be for when Im not working
not in school my nose is tucked in books
I read with a dictionary an encyclopaedia an an atlas at my hip I dont know a lot of things The more I read the less I know
The more you read the less you know?
Yes sir
Most people never learn that
simple fact, boy.
Theres too much to know
Yes, there is too much to
know. But it doesn’t hurt to try.
Yup Thats the way I see it
Mr Wappler told him of retirement
Are you retired Mr Wappler
I’m an artist. I’ll never stop
working.
Is Mrs Wappler retired
he laughed deeply No, and she’d agree. She has me to take
care of.
they laughed together
every time he hears talk of
retirement he hears their laughter last century in the sideyard before Mr
Wapplers studio at the back of his property
usually a tray of covered uneaten
food lay on an overturned wooden bucket at its threshold
Mr Wappler was too busy working
1441, Twosday,
19 12. 17
1230, Friday,
12 1. 18
