THE ROOM
A ROOM EXISTS FULL LIKE A NOVEL. SITCOM, OR MAYBE EVEN AN AD. A ROOM WITH YELLOW LIGHT. TWO CATS. THREE LOVERS. A BIG BED WITH WHITE SHEETS. A PROSPERING PLANT. THE SOUND OF FOG HORNS. OVERSIZED WINDOWS. ENDLESS AMOUNTS OF HOT WATER. A LARGE HEAVY WOODEN TABLE WITH THO CHAIRS MATCHING IT IN TEXTURE AND COLOR, BUT OPPOSITE IN WEIGHT AND DENSITY. THREE MIRRORS. A WARDROBE. A BUREAU. FIVE DOORS LEADING TO: ANOTHER APARTMENT. A KITCHEN. A BATHTUB AND BASIN. A HALLWAY. SHELVES WITH BOOKS. NO PHOTOGRAPHS. NOTHING IN DISPLAY. THE AIR SEEMS LIKE FOG. A PHONE NEXT TO THE BED RINGS CONSTANTLY

THE PLAYERS
XXX. 0XX. AND XX0 HAVE MANY PICTURES OF THEMSELVES. MOST ALL OF THEM LOOK THE SAME. XX0 PRACTICING A NEW SMILE. XXX LOOKING SAD. KNOWING THE PICTURE WILL LOOK LIKE ALL THE OTHERS. 0XX LOOKING THE MOST UNSELFCONSCIOUS OF THE THREE. CAUGHT IN MID-STRIDE. PLACING AN OBJECT ON THE TABLE. THEY OPERATE WITH SUCH A GREAT INTIMACY THAT SOMETIMES VISITORS FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE. ONLY XX0 REALLY FEELS NERVOUS ABOUT THIS. BUT THEN IS QUICKLY REASSURED BY XXX AND 0XX’S GESTURE AND EXPRESSION THAT IT REALLY DOESN’T MATTER. XXX AND 0XX FEEL IT IS A POLITICAL RESPONSABILITY TO NOT APOLOGIZE FOR DISPLAYING THEIR INTIMACY. BE IT KISSING OR YELLING. TO VISITORS. XX0 USUALLY AGREES. REMEMBERING THAT SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS IS A PLAGUE.

ACTIVITY NO. 5
THE PHONE RINGS. XXX ANSWERS. THE CALLER ASKS FOR THE BOY (ANOTHER NAME FOR XX0). XX0 TAKER THE RECEIVER. << HELLO. YES. OH GOOD. YES. UH-HMM. WELL. MY FRIENDS SAY I AM VERY ATTRACTIVE. BLUE EYES. NICE SMILE. YES. YES. YOU SOUND NICE TOO. QUITE REASONABLE. A HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR THE HOUR. PLUS TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES. OH YES. WELL. IT’S PRETTY MUCH OPEN THE WHATEVER YOU WOULD LIKE. YES. YES. OF COURSE. YES I AM AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW. OK. ROOM 684. OK. I’ LL SEE YOU THEN. GREAT. GOOD-BY.>>

TRAVELLING.
THE CAB ARRIVERS. XX0 (THE BOY) ENTERS THE CAR. IT’S RAINING. THE DRIVER SAYS IT’S BEEN BUSY BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER. XX0 WONDERS WHAT THE CALLER LOOKS LIKE. WONDERS WHAT XXX AND 0XX WILL DO WHILE HE IS GONE. XX0 SEES A FRIEND ON THE STREET. IT’S DARK. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS SQUEAK IN A RHYTHM. XX0 TENSES AND RELAXES THE MUSCLES AROUND HIS MOUTH. TENSES. RELAXES. MATCHING THE SQUEAK OF THE WIPERS. THE CAR DRIVES OVER A BRIDGE. THE CAR PULLS UP TO A HOTEL. XX0 PAYS. GETS OUT. ENTERS THE LOBBY. SOMEONE IS PLAYING THE PIANO IN THE LOUNGE. XX0 ENTERS THE ELEVATOR AND WONDERS IF HE LOOKS LIKE A HOTEL GUEST. THE ELEVATORS STOPS. HE GETS OUT. WALKS DOWN THE HALL. NOTES THE LOCATION OF THE STAIRWELL. LOCATES THE EVEN NUMBERS. ROOM 684. KNOCKS. <<HELLO>>

(I’VE ACCONTED FOR ALL THE MOMENTS UNTIL YOU GET HERE)
THE BOY IS OFFERED A DRINK. HE IS GLAD. HIS THROAT IS DRY. BEFORE THIS HE INTRODUCES HIMSELF AND SHAKES ****’S HAND. **** HANDS OVER THE CASH. THEY BOY DOESN’T COUNT IT. THE T. V. IS ON. HE RECIPROCATES THE SPEAKING MANNER OF ****. CHASING AFTER THE SAME PATTERN OF PITCH AND CADENCE. BUT USING HIS OWN VOCABULARY. CONSCIOUSLY STRETCHING IT. WAITING FOR THE MOMENT WHEN IT IS NO LONGER HIS. HE ARRIVERS THERE. MOVING THROUGH TERRITORY HE DOESN’T KNOW. VERB TENSES CHANGE. HE IS DAYS AHEAD. SOMETIMES YEARS. BUT HE’S STILL THERE. TRYING TO OFFER SOMETHING TO ****. TO DOMINATE HIM. HE CONSTRUCTS HIS RESPONSES BEFORE **** SAYS TWO WORDS. HE FINISHES HIS SENTENCES BY LOOKING AT THE T. V. AND EXTENDING. SLOWLY DISSOLVING THE LAST WORD. SKIDDING ONTO PAVEMENT. THE BOY THINGKS THIS IS A DEVICE TO CHARM ****. TO CHARM **** INTO THINKING HE CAN TRUST HIM. THAT IT WOULD BE CRUEL AND ABHORRENT TO HARM HIM.

TO BE ENTERED. TO BE EXITED. TO BE WALKED AROUND.
THE BOY LOOKS AROUND. 2 GREEN CHAIRS. 2 FLOORS LAMPS (PINK LAMPSHADES). 2 LARGE BEDS. A MILLION LIGHTS. IT’S SO BRIGHT. BRIGHT YELLOW. PINK. ORANGE. HE CAN HARDLY KEEP HIS EYES OPEN. HE’S SOUINTING. SMILING. **** SAYS HE CAN TRUST HIM BECAUSE OF HIS EYES. THE BOY IMAGINES DIFFERENT WORDS IN ****’S MOUTH. REMARKABLE THINGS. LIKE << I WILL GIVE YOU A NAME: TENDRE. YOUR EYES ARE SPLANGED. LIKE THE SUN BOUNCING OFF A LAKE AND JABBING THE UNDERSIDES OF LEAVES ON THE TREES NEXT TO THE SHORE. SPLANGED>> **** SAYS NOTHING. INSTEAD HE SHUDDERS AND COMES. ON HIS FACE. IN HIS EAR. DOWN HIS NECK. THE BOY DRESSES AND EXITS. THE ROOM. TO BE ENTERED. TO BE EXITED. TO BE WALKED AROUND.