I WHISPERED A MESSAGE
TO JAMIE CANTRELL
The night-counsel clerk was asleep at
his desk. Whatever was going to happen
would happen without him. I looked
over his way and whispered to Jamie.
-
I said 'Watch this tall guy, he's up to
something.' I wanted to say he was
up to six feet five inches, but didn't.
He walked on by, holding onto a
brown-yellow canvas bag, airport
style and shoulder slung.
-
Jamie slurped a frozen something,
already awaiting a burp - she was
good to have around, and fun at
times like these. A real sleuth.
Others could find her annoying,
but she never was with me; just
younger.
-
What we were doing there? Yes,
yes, I forgot to say. It was getting
time for her student renewal card,
she said, to be updated and stamped
and we'd walked across the campus
from the train, to get her new card
punched and photo ID'd. I never
knew much about that process,
not being a student there, just
working.
-
I'd met Jamie on the train months
back, and she was always handful
and a joy. Always reading something
obscure, and pronouncing edicts
about what she'd just read. I'd
enjoyed her pencil reveries all
the time.
-
She told me the guy was a prowler,
checking out the space. I said no.
She said there had been recent
protest bombings at Syrian student
centers nationwide. I said 'No, I'd
not heard of that.' She turned to me
and stared : 'What, do you live in
a floating cloud or something?'
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