GAYS O F O UR LIVES
Episode VIII
by Scott Swentek
"Rem ember. There are questions that
have to be put I’ve called, he knows all about
it and should be prepared. I’ll call tonight
from Mew York." He punches you lightly on
the arm. “You be here and answer. O K?”
“Yeah." You sway a bit the iron balustrade
digging into your butt “ I guess you’re as
deep in it as I am."
"Deeper.” The serious face suits his dark
pinstripe — the young animal com es out in
his smile. “ It’s m y business nature. I like to
know w ho I’m infecting.” He lifts his chin.
"H ere they come.”
A dented green Volkswagen rattles into the
apartment lo t doughnuts to a stop before
you. A naked elbow and dose-cropped red
head lean out the driver’s window.
"Wanna make a living, Big Boy?”
You consider. "Mo." — R ex your buttocks
as you stand erect Roll your shoulders in the
pinch o f Mark’s borrowed shirt — “ But I’m
used to it now.” You take the lapels o f his suit
Run them between your fingers and pull him
into a kiss. "Thanks,” you say, aware o f all the
picture windows watching.
Distribution Outlets
Southeast
Northwest
North
Ann's Grocery
1724 SE Clinton
Twenty-third Ave. Books
1015 NW 23rd
Boomtown USA
5010 N. Interstate
A Woman's Place
2349 SE Ankeny
Cinema 21
21st & Hoyt
Parkrose
Club 927
927 SE Morrison
Food Front
2675 NW Thurman
C & L Food Market
11626 NE Sandy
Southwest
Fine Arts Theater
Hawthorne at 21st
Northrop Food Center
1130 NW 21st
Annie Bloom's Books
7829 SW Capitol Hwy
, Murder by the Book
Hawthorne St.
Nor'wester Book Store
220 NW Davis
Beaverton
Otherside of Midnight
426 SE Hawthorne
Sensorium
805 NW 21st
Beaverton Book Co.
Beaverton
Sauvles island
People's Food Store
3029 SE 21st
Cracker Barrel Market
N. end of bridge
Sellwood
Downtown
Bertie Lou Cafe
8051 SE 17th
B. Dalton Bookstore
1112 SW 5th, Portland Bldg.
Northeast
Catbird Seat
1231 SW Washington
Oregon Pioneer Bldg.
3rd & Stark
Endgames
401 SW 4th
Yamhill Book Merchant
Yamhill Market Place
Lookinglass Books
421 SW Taylor
5th Ave. News
820 SW 5th
Judy's
15th & NE Broadway
Nature's
3437 NE 24th
14
The Movie House
12th & Taylor
‘Typical domestic bliss,” Charlie razzes.
Th e engine irregularly idles.
“ I’ll phoi le." Mark straightens as you turn
away. ‘T a k e g o o d care o f him,” he calls.
You nod at him over the car top, open the
passenger door.
"Morning, David,” Kelly beams, pulling the
seat forward till she folds breathless.
You drop into the back. Kick her seat
"S c o o t!"
"Y ou ’re supposed to be politer to a maiden
who helps in distress,” she says, complying
as Charlie puts the car in gear. “I didn’t have
to hold your head while you puked.”
“ I didn’t want you to, anyway.” You wave
behind at Mark without looking.
"T h en you would’ve missed the waste
basket”
“ He mostly did,” Charlie comments,
watching to the left. "What’s Mark do with a
Thunderbird and a suit?” Turning the wheel,
glancing at you.
“ G oing to South Africa,” you answer, scuf
fing at the discolored spots on your tennis
shoes.
“That’s a job?” she wonders, gunning the
little car onto the Sunset Highway.
"It’s what he’s doing.” You see how the
early morning hits the roadside vegetation;
im agine how the dusty heat will parch it later.
"His jo b is money. I don’t understand it”
Kelly laughs. Charlie joins shortly. “You’re
short on gossip today, aren’t you, Ryan?”
“ I am gossip today.”
Silence. “ It happens to us all," Kelly
soothes.
“ Except I was set-up for it” Heating. “1
m ean I don’t blame anyone for m y getting
AIDS.”
“ It takes two,” Charlie interrupts.
"It was a monkey and there was no fun it it I
noticed,” you tell her, then continue doggedly
at Kelly: “ I Even think it was swell,” you em
phasize, “you keeping my head where you
wanted it pointed, but you still sicced your
brother on m e at the concert What did you
think I a m ?— A mobile vacuum? He screwed
m e out o f Karl!”
“ G o o d thing,” Charlie mutters, pulling to
the right exit lane.
“You ’ve got Mark," Kelly offers.
"Yeah.” You laugh once. “ Look what it got
him.”
"You,” Charlie retorts briskly, wheeling over
a bum p and stopping at the guardhouse of
the Simian Research Center. “All out kids.
T im e for your performances.”
You follow Kelly ou t Turn, holding the
door. Charlie leans suddenly across, arrest-
NS
Bar and Restaurant
1431 N E Broadw ay
w elcom e
Uve Entertainm ent
Hours
M onday-Thursday 5-11 pm
Friday
Saturday 5 pm-1 am
ing the door.
“ Find m e tonight” she pleads.
"I will,” Kelly answers behind you. “ Don’t
worry.”
"Hah!” Charlie pulls the door closed, guns
clattering away in a wide turn. Kelly waves,
but to the uniformed man in the guardhouse.
He salutes laconically and bends below the
window. Kelly adjusts her blue Security shirt
"Look, David," abruptly— but slow in con
sideration. "I’m sorry if my brother jumped
on you, or spoiled anything all because I told
him something, but he kept badgering me
about you and maybe I was too loose be
cause I was having fun, but I didn’t say any
thing bad and he’s been curious for a long
time about the whole thing.” She fidgets with
the shirt
"What whole thing?” You tug her hand
from its button playing. Breathe deep. “ For
get it You’re on shift It would’ve happened
anyway."
“T h a n k s. . . a lot” She smiles, meeting
your eyes — then blurts: "H ow ’s Charlie for a
w om an?”
"I don ’t know.” Urging her towards the
gate, unthinking. “S h e’s got anything you
could want plus ten fingers and a sharp
tongue. S he’s OK. Later, huh?”
You continue through the gate, a confused
“thanks" following after you. The air is al
ready heating. Cars pass. As you cross the
parking lot you see Kelly’s Datsun pick-up
unm oved from the day before. A big laugh
generates inside but gets torqued somehow
and you end up shaking your h ead
"Must run in the family,” you mutter and
jum p onto the sidewalk, walking onto the
grass where a faint landscape lethal path
leads to the building housing Dr. W iggant’s
lab.
Inside white labcoats bustle the hall. The
lab d oor is locked. You pass to the next door.
"Hel-lo,” halts a voice.
Seated opposite the door, nodding, is the
musical Old Dane you jam m ed with Friday
tight
"Hello,” you respond automatically, nod,
isnd then smile. You open the door and close
behind you. Dr. W iggant starts from the
nicroscope.
"David! Excuse me.” He fumbles out the
m icroscope slide, clicks it onto the table. “I’ve
talked with your friend Mr. Jaidon. I hadn’t
known how much upset you were. Please
forgive me.” He stands. “It is a shock for me
as well. I’ve been projecting m y inevitable
illness.” Stroking his fringe o f white hair, eyes
locked to an irrelevant piece o f lab furniture.
‘Tellin g m y wife. All the people I com e in
contact with. There are so many more than
seem s rational.” Sighs. Drops his hand. "I’m
very sorry if you’ve had a fraction o f my worry
but,” he looks up, tired, “for you it may be in
vain. It is so unlikely a human would contract
Simian AIDS I began looking for a direct
a gen t I’ve contacted my friends.” He purses
his lips. “ Scared quite a few.”
“You’ve been screwing the Old Dane,” you
burst incredulously: T s that his blood you’re
looking at?"
" O h . . . ah," coughing, “ no. What an idea.
No. He’s simply the father o f the owner o f the
com pany supplying our glassware. Fine
work. W e use a great deal, you know.”
Th e connecting lab door opens suddenly.
"I don ’t wanta get as sick as those chimps."
Th e young blond man sizes you up, turns to
Dr. W igga n t “W elP Have I got it or not?”
“Glassware?” you erupt bewildered.
Dr. W iggant coughs, “we get a fine dis
count” he offers lamely.
( 503 ) 264-1465
end episode VIII
Just O ut, April 27-May 11