Seeking Wayland

.There is a note in Ahgreyeuss Pahn’s pocket
It is Wayland’s address

Ahgreyeuss goes to meet him

Busy
large
cross street
                          a white convertible skids to a stop
There is a wealthy woman inside
                                                   wearing white
“Get in and drive”
                             she says
                                              angrily

Ahgreyeuss ignores her
                                        He jaywalks
               A policeman stops him
                               The policeman is angry too
                                                                        he says
“You are an asshole       I’m gonna write you up for jay-
walking fella jaywalking         that lady wanted you to drive
her car so that her son could be saved but you wouldn’t do it
Now her son is dead
               someone is dead because of you”

Ahgreyeuss protests
                                “I didn’t know
                                                            She didn’t say—
                                                 how could I know?”

The policeman calms
                                               apologizes
                                                                    says
                                                             its O.K.

Ahgreyeuss walks up streets
                                                               shaken
                         left
                                                                         right
                                                                                 up a hill
                           following the notes directions
                                  Where Wayland’s house should be
                                                                             there is a bar
                                                      He keeps walking
                                                He reaches the university grounds
                                                                       a Japanese garden
                                                                         many new students
                                                                            strangers

                                           He speaks to a friend
                                       A woman comes to chat—
                                   he ignores her
                                                    She is not Wayland
                                         He leaves

He returns to the bar where Wayland’s house should be
There are telephones
                                  He calls Rakhehla—
                                                                        no answer
                                  He calls her twice—
                                                                        no answer
                                              (the telephone is black)
                                  He calls her again—
                                                                       she doesn’t
                                                           know where Wayland is
                   She says
                          “I love you”
              On another telephone
                          someone is calling someone
                                        She is a girl in leotards
                       Ahgreyeuss asks her
                                          if she knows where Wayland is
“Wayland couldn’t come”
                                                  She says

.

.