LEONARD MICHAELS
31
other. A blonde Chinese Jew. His wife hated him . She was from
Budapest. I didn't say anything.
What'swith that man I said. I limped to a chair and took the shoe
off my bad foot . The other man was blankets up to a face the color of
chicken fat. His
eyes
were sticking out like swords.
Jack said the man was recovering from pneumonia. I didn't say
anything .
Ifyou ask
me
that man finished recovering I said . I put my shoe on
Jack 's bed.
Jack said what 's the matter with your foot?
Nothing I said .
The man heard us .
He
said virus .
My foot was sweating.
Jack said virus is different from plain pneumonia.
I rubbed my foot. Poo I said. Open a window .
Jack said don't do anything. It's not important.
I said how much are they paying you to stay here? It stinks is not
imponant?
I hopped to the window in one shoe and asked the virus I'm
opening the window.
His eyes didn ' t move. They looked like a sign :
BE
QUIET.
BE
QUIET.
Two killers, shining, pushing.
He
said virus.
I asked him again I'm opening this window so it will stop stinking .
He said virus.
A little snow came in but you couldn't notice. Like feathers .
Nothing.
It
melted on the radiator . The virus didn't complain. Only a
maniac would complain. The virus looked up at the ceiling as if a
movie was playing there. I looked too . I knew there was no movie on
the ceiling but I looked . I was right. Jack was happier with the window
open. Why not? He was a man with a friend.
He
began a speech why he
was in the hospital.
He couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep. This. That.
He
fell down at
work. In his stomach a pain. So his union sent him to the hospital.
Talk talk talk. I knew plenty.
I said I'm glad you want to talk.
He said is it wrong to talk?
I said tell
me
if what you have is serious and forgive me for laugh–
ing. A friend can laugh.
