Chapter Eleven

Açıklama

 "past computers

as if they were flowers

with spinning blossoms…" Henry read from one of his favorits poems. Henry loves poetry, and I could listen to him read it for hours. We have in fact spent many hours here in the third room study, reading poetry and playing the piano. Neither of us very good at the latter, but, still we tried. And we had fun doing it. I think it was also, here, in the third room study, where I sat for my first, and only, nude portrait.

Grace insisted that I help her with her practices. She was studying under Müfide Kadri in Istanbul, making wonderful progress I might add, when she made the colorful request. I remember I was sitting at the table in our old apartment house that we shared for many years together. When, suddenly, she appeared in the archway, naked as the day she was born. She said, "if I can do it, you can do it." And I agreed. We both settled on doing it here at Henry's house as sort of a common ground of comfort for the two of us. There we were, both of us completely naked, her painting me in all my glory, and me. Well, I was taking in the marvelous view.

I came back from dreaming of my Grace and found myself sitting there trying to take in all of my surroundings, As if it were the first time I had ever been in Henry's third room study. I kept thinking about the moment I walked into the living room, and there Margo was. Standing in our doorway. Covered in rain from head to toe. I don't think I will ever forget that image for as long as I live. Maybe even longer.

 "What is it you were saying Park? I cant fucking remember. I got distracted." Henry said

as he took a deep breath in.

 "Well, its Margo. I don't know how to explain it really. I have a lot of questions myself on the matter really." I began. I was already getting uncomfortable. I had a very strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. I was nervous, I don't really know why.

Henry sat up in his chair to give me his full attention. I could tell he was very interested in Margo himself.

 "I was hoping that she would leave us." He said

 "Key taking her was just an added bonus. What do you know about her?" He asked. He was on the edge of his seat. I hadn't seen Henry this excited since his treasure hunting days with Lily.

I wasn't quite sure where to begin. I didn't know how to explain what I don't even know myself. Despite my dear old friends rapid fall for the strange Margo, she was still a mystery to me. I hadn't pressed her much at all for information regarding her memories or where she might have come from. Key must be curious as well, regardless of his feelings for her. He must want to know more. There seems to be so much more to know.

DEEP BREATH.

 I took a pause briefly, reaching into Henrys desk to find some rolling papers. I can't believe I forgot fucking rolling papers. This is what I mean. I never forget things. I am always right on schedule. My head had been in the clouds for going on two days now. I finished rolling and picked through my pockets for a match. Henry beat me to it, throwing a book of matches on my lap.

 "Here you are old friend" He said tossing them in old slient movie fashion.

I sparked it up and took a deep draw. Inhale.

 "I just don't know where to begin, Henry." I started. I got up from my favorite chair and started pacing around the study. I always pace when I begin to ramble. It seems to let my mind run free without any barriers to block its way from circling back around.

 "There I was standing in the door way of my bed room, you've been in my door way. You know how lovely it is." I started off.

I could feel myself getting into a rhythm.

"I was meeting Key in the kitchen to begin a Sunday feast. We always start prepping the meal at ten in the morning, sharp. Every week like clockwork. It's been the same for going on nearly seventeen years now." I continued telling Henry the story, I was pacing around him in the study now, he didn't seem to mind.

 I don't think Henry ever minds anything.

 "So I was getting some grass for Key to roll one of his marvelous creations and when I turned to go back to the kitchen. There she was. There she was Henry. The house filled with that sickly smell instantly." I rambled, circling Henry like a vulture.

The joint was gone now.

Shit, it was gone in a few pulls.

Henry is always leaving his grass around in drawers to dry out. I'll never understand some of the things he does. By this point, I moved on to one of Henry's opium stones he leaves lying around the house like they're magazines.

 "The smell?" Henry asked.

I knew he was going to ask about the smell. And perhaps that is the first thing that puzzled me about Margo. I could sense the smell before even looking up and seeing her standing there in the doorway of our apartment house.

 "I don't know what it was Henry. It was magnificent." I paused, taking another large draw of smoke in from the opium stone.

 "I think it was rain?" I said in almost question form.

 Henry instantly lept up. He was starting to search for a book from the shelves that surround us in the third room study. I don't know how he ever keeps track of all the books. He doesn't have a catalog. It's all in his memory. Remarkable man, Henry is.

 "She startled us, I think Key fell for her immediately. I can see why. She is a lovely girl." I said to Henry as he searched.

 "When, we asked her how she got to our doorstep covered wet from head to toe she didn't seem to remember." I finished for a moment, taking another deep pull from the opium stone.

Henry finally pulled a book from a shelf "AHA!" He exclaimed holding it up to the light. He rushed back to his chair and began rifling through the pages. I continued telling him the story.

 "She said that all she could remember is running though a forest in the pouring rain. She didn't remember anything else. Its very peculiar and I really don't know what to think Henry. I hear the old timers in the market talking about rain sometimes, not even all that often." I said, I could feel my voice beginning to tremble a bit.

"No one as ever spoken of forests that I have heard of. I don't know how it could be." I finished.

I lit another cigarette and let it rest in Henry's wonderful ashtray. It belonged to Lou Costello. Lou used it for years and years before dropping dead of a probably smoking related death. And now it passes its time sitting on Henry's desk in the wonderful third room study.

 "The church of the crystal moon." He said in a wolf like howl.

"The church of the crystal moon!" He yelled excitedly leaping from his seat and rushing towards the door.

 He kept muttering it even into the darkness of the corridor outside. I didn't follow him immediately, I stood in the third room study and took a moment for myself. I liked moments for myself. They didn't come by very often. Less and less as the days pass by it seems. 

The older you get, the more people worry about you.

Perhaps I will pack my pipe before following after Henry.

 I reached into my chest pocket looking for my lighter and pulled out a joint Key had rolled the morning before. "Ah, I forgot you." I said aloud while bringing it to my mouth. I struck and match and off I went down the dark corridor.