Klempner

What's the obsession with potatoes?

I called her Potato Face when she was a kid.

What does she look like now?

Jenny was no looker at that age…

… But she matured. Bloomed.

Juliana... Never the same twice.

I scratch at my beard. I’ve never liked facial hair in hot climates, but I don’t have a choice right now. Even so, the flourishing colony of lice that has stowed aboard adds an extra edge of irritation.

Lice…

Where the fuck did they come from?

Can rat lice live on humans?

Having a fucking good go at it…

I catch one, squeezing the revolting thing between my fingernails. It bursts with a Pop!

Only another 999 to go…

*****

The boredom’s the worst. Endless hours. Endless days and nights. I’ve no idea how long.

The only breaks in the monotony are Juliana’s visits: just long enough to sit, eat something at me, toss a potato at me.

No, not Juliana: Solana.

Why's she so obsessed with the name?

How many names have I used over the years? Worn like a suit of clothes to be discarded when the weather changes and something different is needed.

I’ve never been defined by my name.

But she sees it differently…

Something skritches and I jerk a look sidelong

It’s a rat…

Just a rat…

faced down gunmen, soldiers,

It’s just a rat…

more scratching. And a nose

enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze

Who said that?

Nietzsche?

Depressing bastard…

abyss comes equipped with teeth and whiskers. I come equipped with

*****

know what

lunchbox,

a kidnap or hostage

sniggers. “You saying you're

misread me...” Her head tilts. She pretending mockery, but I have her attention. “… But there's a reverse condition. It's called Lima syndrome,

“So?”

your

think you’re my friend?” The napkin produces a brigadeiro. A flake of chocolate cracks off the small

you

her chewing, mouth hanging a

you keep coming? If all you wanted was to watch me rot, you have your

you. I assume you do want me

you could leave me a bag of potatoes and come once a week. Or even, once a month. But, so far as I can reckon, you're

swallows, not speaking, simply regarding me. I continue. “Am I your only friend, Sola? Is that it? You've murdered everyone else that might get close to

swings her head, giggling. “So,

had slated as a sex-slave when she was a kid? That middle-aged hooker? You've not changed, Larry. I can see right through you. The same heartless bastard that shipped me out to dig up

sits back in her seat, arches her brows. “I am making

say otherwise? I'm not claiming to have changed. Who ever really changes?” I raise my gaze

“Solana…” she hisses.

concrete, some of it dropping just this side of that painted line, now less

her heel,

chain snaps taut, I snatch up the discarded meal from the filthy concrete, scrabbling to grab broken fragments of meat in one hand, a cake with

camera. It

delicacy is almost untouched, only a single bite taken from the corner. And

not eaten anything like this for…

For how long?

Weeks? Months? My sense

had

in a mouthful of empanada, then another, I

goes down the wrong way and suddenly I’m no longer eating, but coughing and

I barf it

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