The Man Who Copied Page #2

She watches movies till late.

A brush with a wooden handle.

A teddy bear.

A red ladybird.

There is a lamp by the bed.

A small table, a white vase.

That's it. That's all.

I earn two minimum wages,

$ 302 a month.

After the discounts, 290.

The price of tennis shoes.

I don't spend on transport,

I walk to work, I never go out.

My mom buys the food,

I pay half the rent.

if we had a maid, a very small one.

Living room, bathroom, kitchen,

for only $380, including fees.

That leaves me $ 100.

I pay half of the TVinstallments,

a 14", remote control.

$ 64, I pay $ 32.

I get left with $ 68.

I spend on silly things:

Amagazine, a beer, a pen, clothes.

To buy my binoculars

I had to save for one year.

You see the bridge from here.

Every day it lifts

to let a ship go through.

It's really fun to be far away

and see someone from up close.

Sometimes I read magazines

at work.

But mostly I read stuff

that photocopy.

I can only read a few lines

from each sheet.

Better than nothing.

Shakespeare and Cervantes died

on the same day:
23rd of April 1616.

They never even met.

Cervantes was buried

in a common grave.

I don't know

what common grave means.

What difference does it make?

One of these days

there was a Shakespeare poem.

"When I do count the clock

that tells the time.

And see the brave day sunk

in hideous night."

When I behold the violet

past prime.

And sable curls,

all silver'd o'er with white.

When lofty trees I see

barren of leaves.

Which erst from heat

did canopy the herd.

And summer's green

all girded up in sheaves.

Borne on the bier with white

and bristly beard.

Then of thy beauty

do I question make.

That thou among

the wastes of time must go.

Since sweets and beauties

do themselves forsake.

"And die as fast

as they see others grow.

"And nothing 'gainst Time's scythe

can make defense."

- The girl's here to get her work.

- Thanks.

I didn't get it.

I didn't even read the last line.

I don't know what bristly means.

I haven't mentioned Marinez.

She'd gone out to pay a bill.

She sells magazines,

pencils, erasers, glue.

Hot. She knows she's hot.

She wears really tight pants.

I have to lie down

to put them on.

I imagined the scene,

her lying down, legs up...

trying to fit

into those tight pants.

I'd better not imagine it,

I'm way out of her league.

She had a German boyfriend,

he wrote to her twice.

He's German but he lives in

Der Haagen, Holland.

Der Haagen means

"The Hague".

Hay?

Hague. The name of the town,

in Holland, where he lives.

Get it?

The Hague.

Der Haagen.

Oh.

I said "oh"

to stop the conversation.

A poor father is destiny.

But a poor husband is stupidity.

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