The Wages, An Illustrated Story | 23. Songs and Parables | The Garden of Harassment


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A black-and-white line drawing. In the foreground, Joanne slumps and walks out of the frame with a dejected expression. Brandy has her hand on Joanne’s shoulder and her other hand raised as if Joanne is turning away from a hug that never happened. Brandy is looking back over her shoulder with an angry expression. Behind her a crowd walks past, framed by two trees with more trees and the tops of two tents in the distance. There are assorted people, some with hats and some in sunglasses. There is a man with a combover, and far ahead, one woman with a tiny backpack and raver space buns. Two tall men with ball caps have emerged from the crowd to face Brandy and Joanne, while Brandy glares sideways back at them. One slaps the other on the shoulder and laughs. The other has a moustache, and he laughs with an angry face while he points at Brandy and Joanne and shouts. He has a cross-on-the-rock tattoo on his forearm above his watch. The passing crowd ignores the confrontation. End of description.

In the crowd milling around at the festival, a couple of guys saw me trying to be affectionate with Joanne. I didn’t even kiss her, but it got these two upset.

“Did you see that Ross? They’re lezbos,” said the first.

“More dykes playing my beloved country music, it isn’t right,” said the guy who must have been Ross.

The first guy yelled at me, “Hey baby! Go to church and read the Bible! It’s Adam and Eve, not Eve and Steve!”

“Fuck, sober up, Bill,” said Ross to him, laughing. “You’re supposed to say Adam and Steve.”

“Bah, you get it. The whole thing gets me screwed up. Doesn’t make sense. She just needs a little convincing. Hasn’t done it with the right guys.”

“OK, you got that right. But hey, look on the bright side man, maybe you could have a threesome with both of ‘em!”

“Or a foursome, what do ya say, buddy? They look like the type that could take it,” said Bill loudly at me, elbowing Ross.

I thought it was funny how these guys’ conversation came around so quickly to the idea of both of them getting all naked and horny together. I considered pointing this out to them, but sized them up and thought that might be unwise. I took a breath and headed off through the doorway to the building attached to the bandshell. Why does it so often happen that everybody from my ex to random strangers think that I am their gateway to orgy sex?


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