so he didnt forget
hed been
forgettingbeen coming up with bodacious bodacious over and over againWrong not bodacious
WHAT aah precocious and precocious didnt begin to cover her if he could twist Englishs arm any languages
arm hed make them allow
precocious-squared asin mathematical
terms terminology precocioussquared she was only the second woman he ever met who
he would label precocioussquared once
when he was nineteen she was fifteensixteen going on thirtyfivethirtysix a mesmerising body intellectually she was off the charts she spoke four languages
precocioussquared
Number Two body unfortunately not the trailblazers mind but not deficient either
How old are you
she
hesitated
whatever she said wasnt going
to be true like presenting a fake ID at
a bar and unable to regurgitate all over the bouncers nifty leather shoes your
birthdate age name address James Bond
wouldnt hang out with youya might get him killed you could die hed be rightfully concerned for himself
Menhuh
I’m seventeen, almost eighteen.
I like that yare tryin yawanna
try again Hit the bullseye this time
I’m fifteen, though I’ll be
sixteen in a month.
Got ID
Up in the apartment.
Ill wanna see that
Im thirtythree Me an
Jesus things have gone better for
me I run thirtythree for him in regards to kundalini thirtythree bones of
the spine Chakras
You know kundalini?
Not formally My wife dabbled
Ah. Your wife. My condolences.
Condolences
What can you possibly
know about my wife and I
Women talk. Word gets around.
Ive only been here three months
Didn’t take two. Heard my Mom and
her friends talking.
Jesus
As you said, maybe, maybe I don’t
know. Maybe I just know you from here at the pool, seen you around.
Likewise Yare a sunbather
And you swim, swim lot of laps; I
didn’t think you noticed me . .
. . Please
Id have to be blind
Oh. I didn’t realise.
Comon If youre honestId prefer honesty men dont miss you . .
.
. Not me, my body. They notice my body.
Yah Were a craven lot Yah
your body
she smiled a touck of wickednessmischief girlish womanish
I’ve noticed your body, I like it.
Thank you
I like that you say thank you.
When ones complimented they
should acknowledge the complimentthat shouldnt be a source of embarrassment or confusion
Boys tell me that they like me. What
they mean to say is they like my body, they talk to my breasts, my body, they
don’t talk to me; my face puts them off.
Teenage acne It aint forever Youll outgrow it it was one of many reasons I
didnt buy your seventeenalmost eighteen Youll
see Also another reason I assume why
you sun correct
Yes.
afterwards they ran into each
other frequently at the pool
he didnt believe in coincidences
Where do you live Maya
she grinned sheepishly There. she pointed a
corner apartment nearly obscured by a redwood That’s my bedroom window . .
. .
That you watch from
Yes.
she didnt hesitate
Thats stalking
Oh. Stalking. I’m used to it, the
peeking, the brazen comments, the knowing looks that don’t know anything. Like
being undressed, isn’t it? How’s it feel?
Feel You undressing me
Wouldn’t that be too provocative
to admit?
To answer a question
You’re undressing me?
Yadon answer a question with a
question
Okay. Yes.
That wasnt hard was it
Yes Given were wearing swimsuits its not hard to
imagine to fill in the blanks
Fill in the blanks. I like that.
he smiled passively
My mother doesn’t like that we’re
. . familiar.
Anwhy do you think that
I think you know.
I agree with you but thats you mothers problem isnt it
We happen to enjoy the same pool
and patio Its public space
She and her friends think
otherwise. They’re considering complaining to the apartment management.
Letem I love to dance
they complained Maya told him
management took the smart tack
and didnt involve him
Maya knocked on his door just
before high school commenced
Hey
Can I come in?
No
I want to see you.
Awright Take the bus into the city Thursday after
school Ill meet you for coffee or a hot
chocolate if you like
With whipped cream?
Sure
they met like that on occasion her
junior year
she said with his help it was her
best scholastic year ever she could
imagine herself competing for some college scholarships in the Fall
Lets see if we can win some for you
she did
she applied herself earned herself a threequarters ride to a state college
her complexion healed
As you said
it would.
So, are you going to tell me now
about your assuredness, the sun being beneficial?
The sun
Yes.
I wasnt referring to the sun
I’m confused.
The otherwise
The otherwise, what otherwise?
he smiled quietlywickedly
she mirrored him
Otherwise?
Maya I never said beneficial
You did.
Then you misunderstood I said he
winked benefacial
she giggled OhhShit! OHSHIT!
facial wasnt the only thing they
oiled
he sees Maya occasionally they wave to each other
he rides
the bus into the citythe same bus Number Nine she used to ride
shes a professor at city college
shes
married
has two girls
its hard to see that she ever struggled let alone with a complexion problem
0211, Monday,
28 12. 20
2209, Day-between-Two-Ts, 30 12.
20