Anonymous Connection
Given Dane’s track record of delaying texts, Liko fully expected voicemail. But Dane picked up on the third ring.
“Hey.”
“Hello,” Liko said. “Long time listener, first time caller.”
Dane laughed. “You’re on the air.”
“I understand there’s a paint-by-number kit for sale? Along with some china?”
“The kit is free, the china you have to earn.”
“I want to come,” Liko said. Simply. Quietly. “This is all rather woo-woo, but I think woo-woo is what I need right now.”
“I’m really glad to hear it,” Dane said, just as simple and quiet.
“I found a renter for my house. My eye is on your May Day party.”
“Come whenever you want. I’ll be here waiting. Coincidentally, or maybe not, one of our artists had to cancel. So a cottage is waiting for you, too.”
“What’s the residence fee?”
“Congratulations, you’re the recipient of the first Schoenfeld Scholarship for Honorary Green Men.”
“Well goddamn, I never won anything in my life.”
“Of course, all contributions to the farm’s booze supply are welcome. And you may be occasionally commandeered for manual labor.”
I can get manual with your labor, Liko thought, but aloud only said, “I am an excellent lifter of heavy stuff.”
Dane laughed. “I’m really hearing your accent today.”
“Two weeks in ol’ Blighty does that. I talk like the company I keep. What are you up to?”
“I’m in the car with Salma. We’re going to the Jensens.”
“Tell them I said hi.”
“How do you know them?”
Liko laughed. “You haven’t earned that clue yet.”
“I think you owe me a few plates by now.”
“Nope. This will be your Phantom Tollbooth.”
“Cagey bitch.”
“I learned from the best.”
A bit of warm, coy silence passed from one phone to the other.
“Man, I didn’t think I’d ever see you again,” Dane said. “I hate that it’s under these circumstances, but…”
“It’s wild how a traumatic experience can just wipe parts of your memory clean. I forgot that party. Completely forgot. The memory retrieval feels so surreal.”
“That night was surreal to begin with. And we were pretty high.”
“That’s right, we were. And we had a whole thing going. A groove of anonymous connection. Neither of us broke it with small talk or introductions.”
“Maybe it was the pot but it felt like an other-worldly experience,” Dane said. “Staying nameless fit the narrative I had in my head. Truth be told, I came up to the roof to have a good cry. And an angel was waiting for me.”
“Angel,” Liko laughed. “Bootsy would beg to differ.”
“Anyway, I’m kind of an aficionado on unique eyes, so may I say, yours are bonkers?”
“Ah, you like my purple people eaters?”
“Where’d they come from?”
“My grandfather. And my uncle—my dad’s brother—he has them, too.”
“Did Kyle?”
“No, it skipped his generation.”
“Will you tell me about him?”
Liko was quiet a long moment. “I will. Someday. Today’s not that day.”
“I understand. So how many awful platitudes about grief have you collected?”
“Jesus Christ, too many.”
“People mean well but God damn…”
“There was one saying I liked, but only because it acknowledged flat-out your grief was never going to get smaller. You just build a new life around it that hopefully gets bigger. I’m paraphrasing.”
“I know that one. Along with ‘Grief is unexpressed love. That’s why it hurts.’ I’m paraphrasing.”
“Yep, I’ve heard it.”
Dane snorted. “This club sucks ass. I’m paraphrasing.”
“It does. So who’s Diane, what was that about?”
“Nice try, bitch.”
“I learned from the best.”
“Where are you in the game?”
“What game?”
“The Three Hares game,” Dane said patiently. “What moves have you made in the chamber?”
“I know how to move the rabbits into the ceiling motif and start it spinning. And I know to click on one of the wisteria blooms until it makes three seeds. Those are in my cache. That’s as far as I got.”
“Hm.”
“Pretend I’m standing in front of you with a plate, batting my violet eyes. Please sir? May I have some more?”
“The hares are spinning the wrong way.”
The clue was served up so abruptly, Liko could only clutch the plate and reply, “Oh.”
“There’s a story behind that. There’s a story behind almost everything in the chamber. Some long, some short.”
“Gotcha.”
“I can call you later tonight and tell you about the hares running the wrong way. You’ll still have to figure out how to turn them around.”