"Haven't even called to say you're sorry?"
Wesley had tried to do this, and had gotten only her answering machine. He had thought of going over to the house she rented from the college, but thought she might put a fork in his face...or some other part of his anatomy. Also, he didn't consider what had happened to be entirely his fault. She hadn't even given him a chance. Plus...she was illiterate, or close to it. Had told him once in bed that the only book she'd read for pleasure since coming to Moore was Reach for the Summit: The Definite Dozen System for Succeeding at Whatever You Do, by Tennessee Vols coach Pat Summit. She watched TV (mostly sports), and when she wanted to dig deeper into some news story, she went to The Drudge Report. She certainly wasn't computer illiterate. She praised the MooreCollege wireless network (which was superlative rather than mediocre), and never went anywhere without her laptop slung over her shoulder. On the front was a picture of Tamika Catchings with blood running down her face from a split eyebrow and the legend I PLAY LIKE A GIRL.
Don Allman sat in silence for a few moments, tapping his fingers on his narrow chest. Outside their window, November leaves rattled across Moore Quadrangle. Then he said: "Did Ellen walking out have anything to do with that?" He nodded to Wesley's new electronic sidekick. "It did, didn't it? You decided to read off the computer, just like the rest of us. To...what? Woo her back?"
"No," Wesley said, because he didn't want to tell the truth: in a way he still didn't completely understand, he had done it to get back at her. Or make fun of her. Or something. "Not at all. I'm merely experimenting with new technology."
"Right," said Don Allman. "And I'm the new Poet Laureate."
His car was in Parking Lot A, but Wesley elected to walk the two miles back to his apartment, a thing he often did when he wanted to think. He trudged down
Moore Avenue, first past the fraternity houses, then past apartment houses blasting rock and rap from every window, then past the bars and take-out restaurants that serve as a life-support system for every small college in America. There was also a bookstore specializing in used texts and last year's bestsellers offered at fifty per cent off. It looked dusty and dispirited and was often empty. Because people were home reading off the computer, Wesley assumed.
Brown leaves blew around his feet. His briefcase banged against one knee. Inside were his texts, the current book he was reading for pleasure (2666, by the late Roberto Bolano), and a bound notebook with beautiful marbleized boards. This had been a gift from Ellen on the occasion of his birthday.
"For your book ideas," she had said.
In July, that was, when things between them had still been swell and they'd had the campus pretty much to themselves. The blank book had over two hundred pages, but only the first one had been marked by his large, flat scrawl.
At the top of the page (printed) was: THE NOVEL!
Below that was: A young boy discovers that his father and mother are both having affairs And A young boy, blind since birth, is kidnapped by his lunatic grandfather who And A teenager falls in love with his best friend's mother and Below this one was the final idea, written shortly after Ellen had thrown Deliverance across the room and stalked out of his life.
A shy but dedicated small college instructor and his athletic but largely illiterate girlfriend have a falling-out after
It was probably the best idea - write what you know, all the experts agreed on that - but he simply couldn't go there. Talking to Don had been hard enough. And even then, complete honesty had escaped him. Like saying how much he wanted her back, for instance.