"I think being a woman is like being Irish." — Iris Murdoch

While going through some of my junk yesterday, I found an old notebook of mine.  It had notes, like for a story, but very detailed. I didn't remember writing it at all, although it's definitely my handwriting.  It's ten pages (of a little 3x5 notebook).  As I read, I was thinking, "What the hell kind of story idea is this?" because it seemed like the notes I scribble when I want to write something, but it didn't make much sense, wasn't much of a story, and wasn't the sort of story I'd ever write.

At last, on the ninth page, I read, "Dream was 7/11/2003."  Aha!  So it was a dream!  From the date and some other things written, I'm sure I was on vacation at the time.

Most of my dreams fade from memory as I wake up, so I'm astonished at how much I was able to record.  I do have some kind of mental picture of me in my pink chemise, sitting on the cold floor of the hotel bathroom in the middle of the night, quietly scribbling...  it must have been this.  According to the note, I thought that this could be a good idea for a story that eventually I could write.

It may have seemed that way in the middle of the night, with the vestiges of the dream still floating through me, but it's not a story, or an idea for a story.  It's just a weird situation.

In any case, the notebook is ratty and I want to toss it, but I'd like to put down what I've written, so it isn't lost.  Rather than try to make sense of it and give better names to the characters, I'm just going to leave it as I found it.

Maybe it's made of chopped up pieces of movies I've seen... I don't know.  The perspective of the story is odd, but I do appreciate being tossed in there for the kiss.

One thing I'd like to know is why the main character is C.   I get a laugh from the "solomonic" decision and the terms of the house sale...

Please let me know if you read to the end and if you laughed at least once.

Here goes:

A guy goes to a party one night, to a house his friend lives in.  This is a big house, several guys live there.  The party is a good one -- everyone listening to tapes of calls that A (the host) received, and looking at pictures he drew of various characters with odd names, like VRED (for example).  Our hero (C) remembers picking up the VRED character (which was stuck on the wall like a kitchen magnet), and is reading about the qualities of this character -- aware of the danger that VRED may become his nickname (if he holds onto the drawing for too long).

Next thing he knows, he is coming home from work the next day, and he discovers

• that he has moved into A's house
• that he is going out with B, a girl, and that she is mad at him
• that it is not the next day, but a week has passed.

SOME DETAILS:

• The party at A's is a multimedia show that is being covered by D, who is a writer for a city weekly magazine. D is also a good friend of C, and is the one who brings C to the party.
  
  
• The calls are numbered, and ppl are writing suggestions for [listening? hastening?] for other ppl.  C remembers seeing B's name, and many suggestions, but as he reads, it is the same four numbers repeated, like 1, 7, 48, 7, 48, 48, 48
  
  
• D is a problem solver.  On the way to the party, he is approached by a guy E (who lives in the house) who has two repair trucks parked in the driveway -- one broken down, with grass growing around it.  He is in trouble financially since his company wants to make him pay for both trucks.  D solomonically resolves problem by describing the situation as related to the sale of the house the car is parked at -- A's house.
  
  The woman buying is going to restructure the basement and live down there.  She is buying the house for next to nothing -- is going to pay A $20/week to buy and will let him live rent-free. 
  
  The basement is enormous and the remodel will be elaborate.
  
  
• At one point C realizes, "A must have given me some shit."

No one call tell C why B is mad at him -- he goes to see her.  She asks why he didn't call (or do something or other).  He honestly does not know.  He has never met or seen her before in his life.  She stands close to him -- he puts his hand on her hip -- touches bare flesh between her top and jeans -- "It was like an electric current flowed through me, but something did flow.  It was not like touching your skin, or my own skin, or the skin of anyone else on earth."  He said, "Wow."  She said, "What?" and her look softened.  "When I touched your skin, it's like magic."  I smiled.  "And what is it like when you kiss me?"  Let's find out, he said.  A fleeting shadow of confused expression flew across her face, but then we kissed.  Once we started, we couldn't stop.  It was like the magical effect intensified, multiplied.

"I never realized what a kiss could be."

Best sex of his life.  He realizes he has met his soulmate.

D fascinated by C's story.  "What I find most interesting is that you apparently functioned very well during your week of absence."

C is a typographer in Seattle at Gutenberg Press.

C envies D because D is so together -- D confides that it is a weight -- so many ppl depend on him, come to him for advice -- he is sometimes in agony about what advice to give.

This sounds so foreign to C.  He says, "I guess your inner life and mine are quite different."

D: "That's just it -- I have no inner life at all -- I envy you for that -- for your rich imaginary life -- the way you're able to lose yourself in situations.  I could never allow myself to do that."

C thinks that it didn't sound like much of a compliment.

A says he didn't give C any drugs.  Cites psychedelic laws of consciousness. [Note added: He means that it's wrong to change someone else's state without their knowledge and permission.]

D sends C to doctor.  Talks w/neurologist.

First, we think it's drugs.  Then, we think it's medical.  Third, he confides in B.

C: "Frankly, I'm scared.  If I blackout and don't remember stuff, it could happen again at any time."

D: "Relax.  It's not going to happen again."

C: "Why?  Just because you say so?"

D: "In any case, while you were 'out' the work you did was very good -- your relations with B good.  No one noticed anything unusual during that week, so if it happens again, you'll still carry on as usual.

(D, however, has just betrayed himself:  he was investigating C -- wants to write story.)

When C confides in B, she says, "So you don't know how we met?" -- She tells him the story.