— Hi.
— What…? he held the door, turning to the shadows in the stairs rising behind him. — You, you startled me I didn’t see you there.
— You live here?
— Yes I, well I mean I’ve been staying…
— Like what’s going on with that back apartment.
— I don’t know it’s, no one lives there right now but…
— Look man I know nobody lives there right now, there’s some stuff of mine in there I want to get out, okay?
— Oh, yes, yes but I don’t have a key…
— I mean I’ve been sitting up here in the dark just waiting for somebody to show up, you know?
— Yes well I, I’m sorry I can’t help you, I don’t have a key but… he lifted his door open and held it balanced there, — if you want to come in here and wait for, for whoever you’re waiting for…
— Look man I just told you I’m not waiting for anybody, okay? Like I just want to get my stuff out of that back apartment. What’s all this, mail?
— Yes that’s all right, I’ll get it as soon as I lean this door…
— What were you like away for a month? You want me to bring it all in?
— It’s just today’s I’m afraid, if you would yes…
— Except the package, I mean you don’t expect me to lift that.
— No no I’ll get it, if you can get the door here, it just hangs on one hinge and…
— I mean like somebody sent you a box of bricks, like man I mean you really get mail.
— Yes if… you can just… he got the box in over the sill, — put it in there on that sofa…
— You left the water on.
— Yes I can’t turn it off, he said fittifig the door back into place behind her, — something’s wrong with the…
— Man I never saw such a, like I mean what’s in all the boxes, mail?
— No just, I don’t know just papers, books and papers I think, he said following her in past 24-One Pint Mazola New Improved, 36 Boxes 200 2-Ply as she dumped the mail on the armless sofa and stood to pull off the long raincoat.
— Hyman Grynszpan, that’s you? she said sitting beside the heap, picking up the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
— No I’m, my name is Bast, Edward Bast. Are you, I mean…
— Am I what.
— No your name, I just meant your name…
— Rhoda, okay?
— Oh yes you were Mister Schramm’s, a friend of Mister Schramm’s weren’t you, the night he…
— Look, I mean let’s just cool it with the Mister Schramm okay? She got a denimed leg up to rest a foot on Wise Potato Chips Hoppin’ With Flavor! — like I mean what do you expect me to owww…!
— Oh I’m sorry that’s one of my…
— Wait here’s another one and, look at them… she’d come forward to pull the pencil from the stretch of denim — I mean I never saw so many fucking sharp pencils.
— Yes well I was working there and I…
— What, like you write?
— Music yes I, I write music…
— Like you just come here to work? I mean why don’t you sit down, you’re standing there holding that little suitcase like you’re selling something, like I mean you don’t really live here, right?
— Well I’ve been staying here while I worked on, something I’ve been working on, he said cornering on Hoppin’ With Flavor! beside her moccasin, — just to be alone so I could work on…
— What, you sit up here with all these boxes and write this music? Like I mean where do you sleep.
— Well right there where I, where you’re sitting, I…
— With all these fucking pencils sticking in you like some Indian faker man, I mean you must be stoned before you dare to lie down on it.
— Well, no, no I usually…
— I mean like those footprints going right up the shade back there man.
— Yes I’ve, I’ve wondered how those…
— Man like right up the wall really stoned… she came down to one elbow on the sofa, gaping her denim front between the white buttons. — You eat out?
— No here I, I usually eat here, I…
— Where. I mean the kitchen in there is so full of boxes and lampshades and everything you can’t even find the stove.
— No it’s right under there but there’s no gas, so I just use the oven to…
— Like I didn’t even eat lunch.
— Oh, oh well I could make you a cup of tea if you…
— No I mean eat man, like that’s all you’ve got a cup of tea?
— Right now yes but I thought I’d go out and get some cup…
— Have you got any bread?
— No but I thought I’d go out and get some cupca…
— Like even two dollars… she came upright, — there’s that A and P up at the corner like we could get a pizza.
— Well, two dollars, he said standing, digging into a pocket, — here’s one and I…
— Like I mean just to get me through the checkout, okay? She stood to pull on the long raincoat. — What do you carry money in your sock?
— No it’s, I have a hole in my pocket and the coins drop down my trouser leg…
— Man, I mean…
He fitted the door back into place behind her and stood, swallowed, went over and tried the hot water tap till his hand went white against it, finally stood back from the rush of water to look into the rusting cookie tin propped above it for a moment, swallowed and cleared his throat past 24-One Pint Mazola New Improved to pull the aging blanket loose and gather pencils, thrust points up in the tomato soup can, before he smoothed it carefully and sat to comb the mail heaping Grynszpan separate, stood to straighten the askew blind, to turn on the light in the punctured lampshade and try to round its creases, stare at the Baldung and finally stand it atop 2-Ply Facial Tissue Yellow with a deep swallow. When the door shuddered again he was by it tearing open the package from the hall. — Rhoda? is, wait…
She stepped in over it. — Like what did you get for Christmas.
— Oh it’s just ah… he squared round the green volumes, — it’s Thomas Register of American Manufacturers, I…
— Of what? She put a bag on the floor, balanced the flat box from under her arm on a pile of film cans, — I mean you must be kidding.
— No it’s really just, I think they were just sent to me by someone I’ve been doing some work for for, for reference…
— I thought you said you write music, she said holding the raincoat wide to come up with small tins and jars from depths of pockets.
— Yes I do yes, yes this business is, this business work is just something I’ve been doing to help pay…
— Hey the sink, quick!
— What…
— I mean its coming over the side quick… The raincoat dropped to the floor, — like we both could drownd in here man…
— No I’ll get it, he hesitated, grabbed a coathanger from the dishrack and thrust it in, — just something got, stopping the drain…
— Like what about the floor…
— Yes there’s a, a mop back there by the window behind those shades and things I, I think I threw it there one night, he said working the coathanger, watching her tight denims breach the lampshades, mount the bank of Morning Telegraphs and scale Appletons’—right near the window, I…