This is an Unexpected Bump for Sure -- 14
We sit down at Raphael’s restaurant, at a sidewalk table.
“Won’t somebody notice “Pierre” there?” Asks Chloe.
“This is Sunday,” Raphael replies, “nobody’s on the street. They don’t figure he’ll be out. Besides, he hasn’t been here for a while. One of those guys said something abouit some old decrepit seaside town where he’s using his credit card like it was water.”
“Worked, didn’t it?: Chloe said.
I laugh. Chloe laughs.
Alright, so what is this?” Asks Brian.
“Yeah,” says Raphael.
“There are doors.” I say.
“And? . . . “ Raphael asks.
“I discovered the first one – how long ago? I don’t know . . . just walked right into it. Then out another one. Then I kept discovering these doors in remote places. Between them if you just say there, is this Big Blank.”
“Big Blank?”
“Yeah, Big Blank. Yeah – a total nothing.”
“What’s it like?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all.”
“Has to be something.”
“No . . . nothing. Period.”
“And how are you involved in this, my pretty one?” Raphael asked Chloe.
“I found a door. Bumped into Pierre.”
“You met Pierre – where?”
“In the Great Nothing.”
“Great Nothing? What’s that?”
“Just nothing.”
“But it has to be something.”
“No, it’s nothing.”
“C’est impossible!”
“C’est vrais.”
“Nothing? Nada? A big zero.”
“No, not a zero . . . nothing.”
“So you met Pierre in nothing?”
“That’s right.”
“He must have stood out like a sore thumb.” And Raphael laughed.
“I take umbrage . . . “
”Does that help your constipation?” Asked Raphael.
“What?”
“The umbrage.”
“I just sit there with a dumb look on my face.
“He didn’t stand out at all,” Chloe said
“He sat it out.” Raphael laughed again.
“Will you quit your silliness!!” I declare.
“Okay,” Raphael said, “So he didn’t stand out at all. What does that mean.”
“Basically he just wasn’t there.”
“Wasn’t there?”
“Until I bumped into him.”
“Wiat a minute – you are in this Big Blank – this Great Nothing – you have this Nothing all around you – and in the midst of this nothing you bump into him.”
“It was an unexpected bump for sure,” she says.
“All this nothing – and you can’t avoid bumping into him.”
“I couldn’t see him.”
“But he’s something – and all that was nothing – surely you . . . “
”He was nothing too.”
“All right, you’re confusing me.”
“You’re confused? What about me?”
“What about me??!!’ I pipe up.
“And ME!!” Brian adds.
“So we’re all confused,” Raphael suggests convincingly.
I would agree with that.” We all respond simultaneously.
“Couldn’t you see her in the Big Blank,” Raphael asks quizzically.
“She was nothing too. Until I bumped into her.” I reply matter of factly.
“All this nothing and you bump into each other.” Raphael muses thoughtfully.