The man speaks:
Hey, she said.
He didn’t say anything.
Hey, she said, come on. Get up. We have to go.
He tried to pretend he was asleep.
Come on, she said.
I know, he said finally. He knew, but he didn’t think he could move. He couldn’t stand up.
It was so stupid. They’d been living there for free and everything and now they had to leave. Like, right now. He knew that. He didn’t want to. It was so stupid.
Look, she said, I— and her voice cracked just a little and he knew he couldn’t say anything.
But, yeah, he said, after a moment. They’ll be here soon. I know.
It was so…look, they hadn’t known, I mean they knew the stupid rules but they hadn’t, they didn’t know anything. They’d always done whatever they wanted to and it had always seemed OK. They didn’t know. And then they did, they did know, and it was too late.
Yeah, he said, and he wished he could just stay curled up where he was. Where they were. Where they both were. It was so nice. It had seemed like it could have gone on just like it was forever but it couldn’t. He knew that.
Someone might say that it was her, that it was her fault, but he knew. It wasn’t what she had done or he had done or what they’d done together, but that he should have stood up for her and didn’t. That he should have stood up when she fell, that he hadn’t been able to do that. He’d folded. He fell.
Don’t forget your coat, she said. That nice leather jacket. She already had hers on. He put it on and they walked out the door. It closed and never opened again and so they were set adrift, Adam and Eve on a raft.
Since we have lost our home
We are always blown
By each passing draft
Now we are floating free
With no certainty
On our little raft
We’re caught up in this maelstrom
Spinning and turning all around
Slowly we disappear
Vanish, or drown
Ah it has been so long
Since we’ve smiled or laughed
On our little raft
We’re caught up in this maelstrom
Spinning and turning all around
Slowly we disappear
Vanish, or drown
Ah it’s been so long
Since we’ve smiled or laughed
On our little raft
Hey, she said.
He didn’t say anything.
Hey, she said, come on. Get up. We have to go.
He tried to pretend he was asleep.
Come on, she said.
I know, he said finally. He knew, but he didn’t think he could move. He couldn’t stand up.
It was so stupid. They’d been living there for free and everything and now they had to leave. Like, right now. He knew that. He didn’t want to. It was so stupid.
Look, she said, I— and her voice cracked just a little and he knew he couldn’t say anything.
But, yeah, he said, after a moment. They’ll be here soon. I know.
It was so…look, they hadn’t known, I mean they knew the stupid rules but they hadn’t, they didn’t know anything. They’d always done whatever they wanted to and it had always seemed OK. They didn’t know. And then they did, they did know, and it was too late.
Yeah, he said, and he wished he could just stay curled up where he was. Where they were. Where they both were. It was so nice. It had seemed like it could have gone on just like it was forever but it couldn’t. He knew that.
Someone might say that it was her, that it was her fault, but he knew. It wasn’t what she had done or he had done or what they’d done together, but that he should have stood up for her and didn’t. That he should have stood up when she fell, that he hadn’t been able to do that. He’d folded. He fell.
Don’t forget your coat, she said. That nice leather jacket. She already had hers on. He put it on and they walked out the door. It closed and never opened again and so they were set adrift, Adam and Eve on a raft.
Song: Adam and Eve on a Raft (Theme)
Since we have lost our home
We are always blown
By each passing draft
Now we are floating free
With no certainty
On our little raft
We’re caught up in this maelstrom
Spinning and turning all around
Slowly we disappear
Vanish, or drown
Ah it has been so long
Since we’ve smiled or laughed
On our little raft
We’re caught up in this maelstrom
Spinning and turning all around
Slowly we disappear
Vanish, or drown
Ah it’s been so long
Since we’ve smiled or laughed
On our little raft
3 comments:
Nice. Now I need to hear it.
Maelstrom!
Reads well! Of course, I’m delighted. Hope it was nice to sing.
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