Day 9

“Tait –toi, caulis, donne moi la fiche et vatant.”
“c’est ici, c’est ici. “
“merci bien.” My phone rings. I pull it out of my pocket. “Je vais te voir demain, oui?”
“dix heur, dehors avant du batiment.”
“Bon soir, Simon.”
“Bonne matin a ce point ci.”
I answer the phone, not bothering to look at the number.
“Matteo LeBeau.”
“Matt?”
“Oui?”
“It’s Madison. Madison Demi.” my mind reeled, switching languages and jumping back years of my life. Madison. A voice out of the past.
“Hi.”
“Hi jack, how’ve you been?”
“Eu…” my mind ground the clutch as it struggled to recall what I one lived.” “Not unwell. How about you? It’s been a while since I’ve heard from you.”
“Yes, yes it has. Listen, do you have time to catch up? I really could use someone right now, and I was thinking of you.” She was thinking of me. I hadn’t thought of her in years. Back when I knew Madison, back when I a different person.
Madison was one of those people who touch your life, but you never realize how much until long after the fact. We had gone to school together and were intimate friends for some time. They had been good times. Then our paths diverged and we had fallen out of contact. Until she had called. And here we were talking as I stood alone at my window, .looking down on the city below.
“Sure” I said. “Where are you?”
“I’m on a street corner.”
“Okay… what city? Where are you Madison?”
“Ummm, yours.”
“Mine.” I didn’t have a city. Not anymore. I lived across the country, sometimes even across the seas to the other continents of the world. “I’m in Bruss right now.”
“Bruss? What do you mean Bruss? You aren’t even in Winters?”
“Not since ‘63.” // 10,463
“God’s it’s been a while.”
“Yes it has. Why are you calling Madison?”
I told you, I just needed someone to talk to for a bit. You came to mind. We use to talk.”
“I remember. I use to be your sin eater.”
“We use to be close.”
“Time changes things I suppose”
“Any way I’m in Snowhead right now. I’d like to see you if I can. Are you planning on coming back home anytime soon?”
The hairs stood up on the back of my neck. Home. My home hadn’t been there for some time.
“I hadn’t planned on it. Travel out of Tagaryt doesn’t come easy, especially these days.” What was going on?
“Alright, well I’ll see what I can do then. I’ll see you soon, okay?”
That awkward pause. Ii could picture her eyes darting back and forth briefly even across the line. What was she talking about seeing me soon?
“Alright. See you soon Madison, sleep well.””
“Bye matt.”
The line went dead. Was she planning on coming to find me? What did she want from me? It had been so long since we parted ways that I hadn’t expected to see or here from her again. It probably wasn’t that long ago in real time, but it felt like ages, the way all people from our past’ feel like their stepping out of stone. I hung up the phone and looked back at my desk, filled with papers, my life here. I sighed and started packing up for the night.
I didn’t know it yet but Madison would be on my doorstep all too soon.