“Alex Krakow” by Titus Powell
Sunday Evening, September 27, 2009:
The book “Bosie: A Biography of Lord Alfred Douglas” is a fascinating account of the man who was the love of Oscar Wilde’s life. Oscar thought Bosie to be so beautiful that neither man nor woman could resist him. The love of Bosie, the love so scorned by society, was to directly destroy Oscar’s life.
The book has a blue jacket with the name “Bosie” emblazoned in white across the middle. Maggie places the book on the ottoman in front of her and divides her remaining heroin into two lines. Knowing how Seneca hates her use of the stuff, she cocks her head to the left so her mass of long, auburn hair shields his view as she snorts a line. She leaves the remaining line on the book for use later.
Earlier, Seneca had agreed that she could spend the night, but only on the condition that he not be asked to buy her drugs. She agreed, as she was homeless for this one night. Her boyfriend, a fellow addict, returns from a trip to Michigan tomorrow.
Prior to her placing the heroin on the book, Seneca noticed the symptoms of withdrawal beginning in Maggie. She had only two lines left until her boyfriend returns.
Seneca: “How ya doin’, honey?”
Maggie: “Gettin’ sick, Mike.”
Seneca: “Finish what you got when you want. I’ll buy you a twenty in the morning.”
Maggie: “I can get off this shit if you just let me live here. Why don’t you want me here?”
The two are coming upon the anniversary of the eighth year of their friendship. Seneca thinks of
- the great passion he once had for Maggie,
- the loneliness that allowed crack/heroin addicts to live with him,
- and how well things are going with the addiction-free and educated, but distant, Bonnie.
Seneca: “Honey, you just can’t live here!”
Seneca admires her beauty as they talk as she falls asleep. She still has long, beautiful hair and large eyes. Her body is slender, due mainly to the effects of “heroin chic”. Her legs are long and toned and her tush is perfect.
She’s so pretty as she’s sleeping there.
It feels like it should feel when having her around!
What to do with her?
