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georgi gospodinov
bugging out big time, there’s
no way you haven’t noticed.
I want to invite you to join
in. I want you to come up
with ...days, everyday life. I
know that ’s a tall order. The
holidays are easy, those I
can manage. But these folks
need a script for daily life.
I’ve already got some clients
interested in that.” He went
over to the bookshelf and
pulled out a few of my books.
“I’ve got them all. You gave
me the idea to a certain
extent, I’m indebted to you.”
“Oh no,” I try to protest. “I
never gave you the idea of
bloodying up my brow.”
“That whole inventory of
socialism was a brilliant idea,
along with the stories from
back then, too. I use them
as a handbook, we recreate
a lot of those things. People
drink Altai soda and cider,
we brought back those old
bottles of Vero dish soap.
We’ve already got a few
manufacturing workshops up
and running here in town.”
“This is a nightmare, okay,
I’m going to wake up now...”
I have the worrisome feeling
that I can’t control the plot
of the story or even my own
lines.
“No, this is a story that you
just think you’re writing, but
actually, you’re inside it. I’ve
known you since childhood,
you’ve always been a space
cadet, it ’s not hard for you
to flit off somewhere.”
“Am I under arrest?”
“Let ’s just say you’ve been
invited to join in your own
project. Don’t forget that
it ’s your idea, I’m only the
manager.”
He takes a sip from the glass,
I barely touch my lips to