your last day on earth what kind of story would you write? I asked.
Given that I would actually use that time to write a story?
Yeah.
I don’t know.
Oh.
But it’s a very good question.
I was rejoicing silently in my heart. I had asked a good question. And not only had I finally asked a good question, I had asked a good question of someone I was trying to be friends with as opposed to myself. A question that had breath attached to it, that had left my own body. Jorge told me not to ask questions, he hated them, he could always tell when I was about to ask one and he’d put his hand up and say no, please. Please. Was I betraying Jorge by asking a good question of Wilson?
We got to the truck and Marijke saw us and pulled her legs back inside through the window and smiled and said she had missed us and what was up? She got out of the truck and gave us all hugs. She looked tired. I wondered ifit was true that she had been fucking José. I told her that we had had to take Oveja away from Alfredo. We all decided to have some potassium-replacing bananas and water and a rest before we trekked back up the mountain. We heard more shots being fired and I explained to Marijke that Alfredo was angry again.
Oh my God, she said in German, is he killing people?
No, no, I said, he’s firing his gun into the air. He doesn’t know how to kiss properly.
And that’s what’s making him so mad? she said.
No, it’s the dog, I said. Oveja attacked him.
Marijke laughed. Wilson was teaching Aggie how to walk on her hands but it was a logistical problem because of her dress.
Come here you pig, said Marijke. Oveja waddled over to her. He was bleeding from where Alfredo had bashed him on the head. Marijke stroked his nose and said loving things to him in German which I didn’t bother translating for him.
Then we heard Diego’s voice shouting from Wilson’s radio. He needed Marijke after all, he had changed his mind, he was so close to his perfect shot, and we were supposed to run up the mountain to where they were shooting immediately.
What about the sky? said Wilson.
It’s perfect, said Diego. Send the girls now and tell them to move fast.
Diego said that Elias was running down the mountain halfway to meet Wilson with a reel of film that Wilson was to put under the seat in the truck and lock the doors. AndWilson was supposed to give Elias a certain lens that he’d bring back up the mountain and everything was supposed to happen now, immediately! We were all about to head up the mountain when we saw Elias tumbling towards us and screaming in pain and the reel rolled along beside him on the ground. When Elias came to a stop Wilson kneeled beside him and inspected his leg and said he had to get him to a clinic because he thought his ankle might be broken and he radioed Diego to tell him what had happened and that his shot might not happen right now after all and Diego went insane over the radio and said we were done shooting for the day and possibly forever. He said that even if he’d been the original Creator he couldn’t have conceived of a more incompetent film crew than the one he had. Wilson switched his radio off. We carried Elias to the truck and he lay in the cab while Wilson drove and Marijke and Aggie and I sat in the back.
Do you think it’s possible to rot without even feeling it? said Aggie.
Rot? said Marijke. Like, decompose?
Yeah, said Aggie.
Without knowing? said Marijke.
Yeah, said Aggie. Like until it’s a bit too late.
This conversation was being shouted at top volume against the howling wind. I looked at Wilson through the back window of the cab, through the rear-view mirror. I saw him mouth some words to Elias. I could feel my stomach writhe inside of me.
I took my notebook out of my pocket and made a list of troubling things.
Aggie is now my responsibility.
Aggie has to go to school, at least in the fall. But where?
We have hardly any money.
Jorge might never come back.
Our father is going to sell
Given that I would actually use that time to write a story?
Yeah.
I don’t know.
Oh.
But it’s a very good question.
I was rejoicing silently in my heart. I had asked a good question. And not only had I finally asked a good question, I had asked a good question of someone I was trying to be friends with as opposed to myself. A question that had breath attached to it, that had left my own body. Jorge told me not to ask questions, he hated them, he could always tell when I was about to ask one and he’d put his hand up and say no, please. Please. Was I betraying Jorge by asking a good question of Wilson?
We got to the truck and Marijke saw us and pulled her legs back inside through the window and smiled and said she had missed us and what was up? She got out of the truck and gave us all hugs. She looked tired. I wondered ifit was true that she had been fucking José. I told her that we had had to take Oveja away from Alfredo. We all decided to have some potassium-replacing bananas and water and a rest before we trekked back up the mountain. We heard more shots being fired and I explained to Marijke that Alfredo was angry again.
Oh my God, she said in German, is he killing people?
No, no, I said, he’s firing his gun into the air. He doesn’t know how to kiss properly.
And that’s what’s making him so mad? she said.
No, it’s the dog, I said. Oveja attacked him.
Marijke laughed. Wilson was teaching Aggie how to walk on her hands but it was a logistical problem because of her dress.
Come here you pig, said Marijke. Oveja waddled over to her. He was bleeding from where Alfredo had bashed him on the head. Marijke stroked his nose and said loving things to him in German which I didn’t bother translating for him.
Then we heard Diego’s voice shouting from Wilson’s radio. He needed Marijke after all, he had changed his mind, he was so close to his perfect shot, and we were supposed to run up the mountain to where they were shooting immediately.
What about the sky? said Wilson.
It’s perfect, said Diego. Send the girls now and tell them to move fast.
Diego said that Elias was running down the mountain halfway to meet Wilson with a reel of film that Wilson was to put under the seat in the truck and lock the doors. AndWilson was supposed to give Elias a certain lens that he’d bring back up the mountain and everything was supposed to happen now, immediately! We were all about to head up the mountain when we saw Elias tumbling towards us and screaming in pain and the reel rolled along beside him on the ground. When Elias came to a stop Wilson kneeled beside him and inspected his leg and said he had to get him to a clinic because he thought his ankle might be broken and he radioed Diego to tell him what had happened and that his shot might not happen right now after all and Diego went insane over the radio and said we were done shooting for the day and possibly forever. He said that even if he’d been the original Creator he couldn’t have conceived of a more incompetent film crew than the one he had. Wilson switched his radio off. We carried Elias to the truck and he lay in the cab while Wilson drove and Marijke and Aggie and I sat in the back.
Do you think it’s possible to rot without even feeling it? said Aggie.
Rot? said Marijke. Like, decompose?
Yeah, said Aggie.
Without knowing? said Marijke.
Yeah, said Aggie. Like until it’s a bit too late.
This conversation was being shouted at top volume against the howling wind. I looked at Wilson through the back window of the cab, through the rear-view mirror. I saw him mouth some words to Elias. I could feel my stomach writhe inside of me.
I took my notebook out of my pocket and made a list of troubling things.
Aggie is now my responsibility.
Aggie has to go to school, at least in the fall. But where?
We have hardly any money.
Jorge might never come back.
Our father is going to sell
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