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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (March 30, 1984)
GAYS O F OCIR LIVES Life of Ryan from d a rk fabric into lights d im ly and irre g u la rly piercing the interior o f the van. ♦ * * * * Episode VI b y Scott Sw entek C rum pled am ong the blankets that so m u ch earlier cushioned y o u r drums, hands a n d w h ite lozenges o f flesh shift "W here have you been all weekend?” You let the lab door hiss shutclick behind you. Lean against it “I . . . ” “I deduced you weren’t being ransomed for your drums. You left those behind." Cheryl taps her lab stool with a wire-tipped glass rod. "And it couldn’t have been for your clothes. Distribution Outlets S o u th e a st N o rth w e st N o rth A n n's G ro ce ry 1724 SE C lin to n A rc a n e Books 511N W 21st B o o m to w n USA 5010 N. Interstate A W o m a n 's P la c e 2 3 4 9 SE A n ken y C in e m a 21 21st & H oyt P a rk ro se C & L F o o d M a rke t 11626 NE S andy C lu b 927 927 SE M orrison C o ffe e P e o p le 822 N W 2 3 rd Fine Arts T heater H a w th o rn e a t 21st Elia's G ro c e ry 1806 N W C o u c h H o lla n d Books H a w th o rn e St. F o o d Front 26 7 5 N W Thurm an B e a v e rto n M u rd e r b y th e Book H a w th o rn e St. N o rth ru p F o o d C e n te r 1130 N W 21st B e a ve rto n Book C o. B e a ve rto n M a ll S o u th w e s t O th e rs id e o f M id n ig h t 4 2 6 SE H a w th o rn e N o r'w e ste r Book Store 22 0 NW D avis P e o p le 's F o o d Store 3 0 2 9 SE 21st Sensorium 805 N W 21st W o o d sto ck N a t'l Foods 4 5 th & W o o d sto ck T w e n ty-th ird A ve. Books 1015 NW 2 3 rd A n n ie B loom 's Books 78 29 SW C a p ito l Hwy S a u v ie s isla n d C ra c k e r Barrel M a rke t N. e n d o f b rid g e r Those were in the drumcascs. So which was it?” She pokes the wire into a bunsen burner flame. “Rape or murder?” A pop of steam as she plunges the red-glowing wire into a solu tion filled beaker. She considers the cold wire loop, turns back to innoculate Petri dishes with it “Karl’s been living with us since Satur day morning; in case you wondered why your apartm ent is half emptied. I’m kicking him out tomorrow. He doesn’t seem to remember we re not married. O r maybe it’s more primal.” “I haven't been home yet” “From those clothes I could have guessed. W hat were you? Stolen by wood nymphs?" She puts down the loop; briefly rubs her tem ples. "David, we both know Karl is basically a jerk. Handsome, but a jerk. Why didn’t you call?” “W ood nymphs don’t have phones." “They have clothes, they have phones.” "D on’t be middle-class.” You push away from the door. "What happend to my drums?” “The woman you performed with, Chloe, has your k it She said she’d take care of them until the body turned up.” “How’d she and Charlie get along?” You pull up a stool. “Not at all. And that is not the issue." “You’re not Charlie," you point out "Not by 50 pounds and a pint of henna, and that’s still not the issue. W hat happened between you and my soon-to-be re-exed husband? * * * * * Your h a n d clutches the van door. O blivious inside, eyes crim ped shut, absorbed in each other 's bodies. Moving. * * * * * “W hat did he say happened?" Cheryl toys with the innoculating loop, contaminating it again. “He said you were pissed simply because he didn’t want to live with a leper. Not that it was personal, of course.” She leans on her elbow, slides the loop into the flame. "He didn’t want to bring any disease home from you to the bosom of his family. Delicately forgetting I work two steps away from the AIDS lab myself and see our child . . . oh, maybe a million times as often as he does." * * * * * Karl shudders, head dropping back, eyes je rk in g open. “A sshole," yo u say distinctly, s la m m in g shut the van door. You step lig h tly across the gravel a n d ju m p into the open convertible Thunderbird. The driver p u lls o u t o f the p a rkin g lot. * * * * * S e llw o o d D o w n to w n B ertie Lou C a fe 8051 SE 17th B. D a lto n B ookstore 1112 SW. 5th, P o rtla n d B ldg. N o rth e a s t B e a u m o n t M a rke t 4130 NE F rem ont Jud y's 15th 8t NE B ro a d w a y H e ave n's D e lig h t 2 3 rd 8i B ro a d w a y N a tu re 's 3437 NE 24th 14 C a tb ird S eat 1231 SW W a sh in g to n C h e e ra b le s 30 0 W. B urnside B lue G a rd e n ia 222 W. Burnside E ndgam es 401 SW 4th Look in g la ss Books 421 SW Taylor The M o v ie House 12th & T aylor O re g o n P io ne er B ldg. 3 rd & Stark P o rtla n d S tate Bookstore 531 SW H all Y a m h ill Book M e rc h a n t Y a m h ill M a rk e t P la c e 5th A ve. N ew s 82 0 SW 5th Tony's S m oke S hop 614 SW 2 n d “That’s how it was.” You stand. Begin studying the shelves of brown-bottled chem i cals. “You got two years. I got six months. I’d say his staying power is declining." “And it doesn’t bother you?” “You know Karl.” Tossing a bottle in your hand. “Should it?” * * * * * “We don t have to.” “S h u t up." Jerking belt from buckle. Tug g in g his shirt an d trousers. * * * * * “Mind if I borrow this?" You display the bottle. “Dr. W iggant’s having a marathon staining party. I can pay you back tomorrow. I rush-ordered some.” Cheryl squints. Takes your wrist and moves the bottle closer. “Eosin.” Pushes it away. "A whole bottle? I told you he was a real scientist Take it W hat’s he staining anyway?” “All sorts of disgusting things." You step to the door. “Are you sure you’re alright David?” You step halfway into the corridor. “Better, at least Thanks Cheryl.” Let the door close, walk down the corridor and out into the sunshine between your labs. * * * * * "I like d that, " he says lo w in to y o u r ear. R olls a w a y onto the scattered bedding a m o n g everything else that fo llo w e d you o n to the floor. Stretches his arm s towards the ceiling, raises his legs and grabs his toes. 7 like you. I th in k I'd like both fo ra long, lo n g time. " He turns his face to yo u in th is absurd posture, dark eyes grave under h ig h forehead. ♦ * * * * His head is bowed. Silky white hair spiked Bozo-Einstein. You enter the office noisily so his eye doesn’t startle against the micro scope. He lifts his head. “You found some, good." He eases a crick from his back. Stands and takes the bottle from you, sketching a gesture. “Have a look.” He steps to the sink as you sit down. A profusion of glass microscope slides are heaped on white paper to your right, purple liquid squashed in their middles, the glass green where cockeyed thinnesses overlap. To the left, with far more acceptable tech nique, five slides line up, names of monkeys neatly wax penciled on each. You bend, pressing the side of your nose against the eyepiece, looking through. “W hat am I looking for?” You adjust the focus. “Abnormal cells.” In a pink world hang pinker globes, most singular, some endlessly segmented. “Rasp berries?” you call. “The first result of Simian AIDS infection. I expect the electron microscope plates will show the causitive agent” You blnk up from the microscope. “You’ve isolated it?” » “I believe so." He taps powder into a flask of liquid. “After we publish our results we will begin to find the cure.” He looks half at you, half at the red solution in the flask. “Your nam e will be on the research paper." “B u t . . . thanks.” You fidget for a second. Tap the five slides out of, then into line, read the names. "I’d better isolate these monks, they’re infected, aren’t they?” “Yes, I’m afraid so.” He stands by you, swirl ing the flask.” “As is this one.” He takes the slide off the microscope stage. Checks its tagged number against a propped labbook. ***** You ro ll a n d rise, low e rin g on h im so that h is arm s eind legs are caught folded be tw een you. His sm ile flashes briefly into a n d out o f existence. “A long, lo n g time,” he repeats. "How lo n g were y o u p la n n in g on Ja id o n ." Pressuring against him . 7 don t know , Ryan.’’ He moves under yo u . “H o w lo n g have y o u g o t? ” ***** Dr. W iggant frowns at the labbook. “It ap pears to be m y own.” Carefully he sets down the slide, then looks at you, expression un changed. “Perhaps we’d best have a look at yours, too.” end episode W SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS THEY SUPPORT US Ju st O ut, March 30-April 13