— Because I can’t hardly see you I mean what are you going to do then hey, hey? Because like I was thinking hey Bast? I mean where you could go on this here lecture tour just like everybody hey? where you screw everything up so then you get to go on this lecture tour at these neat colleges and all and you write this here book and get to go on tv where you make all this money while you’re figuring up what to do next at these banquets and all hey? Like even that Finders Keepers one I read you on the train if you could just have went to that, I mean I never even got to go once! he stumbled, kicked in the wet weeds and a can tumbled out to the highway’s broken shoulder — like that Union Falls one you told me about right at the start hey? with this banana sticking up out of this pineapple with this peanut butter and marshmallow and all? I mean I always remembered that… he got an arm up to pull the wet sleeve across his nose — hey? Because with this here Begg lawsuit and all if we can’t fix something up I mean maybe you could just go bankrup awhile you know hey? Like I got this thing someplace how you get to be declared this here bankrup for like seventy-five dollars then you get to start over hey? I mean it says did you just turn twenty-one been reprosessed bad credit we finance anybody walk in drive out? Then I mean we could just hook that onto that ten dollars that time from those train tickets with interest where you can just pay me it all back on time when you get to start all over hey? I mean I’ll bring it to school tomorrow when you come for this here check and hey listen… came blown over the wet weeds, — I even got this here old booklet off the goverment where you still get to homestead like we had at school in the olden times hey? Where you get like this whole hundred sixty acres free which you just improve it by like chopping everything down I mean I’ll bring it tomorrow too okay? And hey Bast? I mean sometime… the wind flung the voice into the weeds, raised it abruptly with — hear this here tape they made you sometime hey…? bill for all these horns and kettledrums and all I mean… hear it I mean I bet it’s as good as this thing you just made me… hey? even if I don’t hear exactly what I’m suppose to…? the wind came down, lost any voice but its own till it seized the clash of branches tossed bare over ruts leading into more ruts and the remnants of pavement, the rusted length of a car’s muffler and the sodden heap of a mattress, torn pennants of paper swirled in the leaves and then the sudden iron nakedness of a piano frame still strung pounced shaping in the mud as though to fossilize a bedspring fused at this lonely height of passionate deformity caught now in a glance of lights where the ruts broke off on darkness spread glistening beyond, lights sweeping in with maritime disdain to stop and add a burst of flashlight reduced to the jarring cadence of a man on foot.
— Hello? this man’s looking for the Bast house, do you…
— So am I where is it!
— Just a minute officer, who’s…
— Wait who are you buddy what’s the…
— But I’m that’s who I am Bast I’m Edward Bast I’m…
— Mister Bast good heavens! you, I’m Mister Coen the attorney for your…
— But where’s the house where’s my, where’s where’s anything where’s the…
— I’m equally confused Mister Bast yes, I recalled it being just off this corner behind a long hedge but the officer here says all he knows is that this is the new Cultural Plaza, I’m afraid we’re both mis…
— Hedge the hedge yes where’s the hedge where the trees where’s my, wait he’s the you, you you’re one of them one of the police you were here that night the barn, the studio, right here a big room right here you were standing in it a big stone fireplace there was a piano right here right where this car is, a grand piano you told me to get it boarded up you, books there were books torn up all over the floor you said some kids had broken in can’t you…
— Get calls like that every night buddy, want to stop in the precinct check the records if anybody turned in a complaint…
— I want to know where my house is!
— Told you all I ooph! All right you’re coming in…
— Ow!
— No wait officer please! he’s, I’m sure he just slipped he’s obviously quite distraught if you’ll just let him come with me I’m an attorney, he’s needed on an urgent matter I fine thank you around this way Mister Bast thank you officer…
— Just get him out of here.
— Fine yes thank you no this door Mister Bast, be caref…
— Who are you.
— I’m the, my name is Coen Mister Bast please get in, I tried to reach you some time ago your aunts must have mentioned my…
— Where are they!
— I don’t know Mister Bast I have no idea, I’ve tried to reach them or you all day I was told the phone had been taken out that’s why I finally drove out here to please Mister Bast get in, you’re soaking wet we can’t stand here it’s beginning to that’s it yes, just get your hand in so I can close the…
— Where the trees.
