xii. written

[heloise]

[ Lucrezia writes in curled letters, more like pictures than text, a little poetry or is it a riddle? ]

πόλυ πάκτιδος ἀδυμελεστέρα χρύσω χρυσοτέρα


[ Meanwhile she is at the laundry room, seated on the floor with her light green gown spread about her. She has both hands on one machine, watching the colors spin through the glass with amazement on her face. Yellows, blues, greens and purples! ]

[ trans.; than the lyre, far sweeter in tone than gold, more golden. ]

Comments

[heloise]

Then are you not lovers?

[waterproofed]

[oh gods why is this happening out in the open]

We're just boyfriend and girlfriend.

[heloise]

I see hardly any difference.

[waterproofed]

Well.... there is one.

[heloise]

Which is?

[waterproofed]

It's... adult stuff. [lame reasoning but he's floundering]

[heloise]

[ That's not going to stop her. ]

Do you share her bed?

[waterproofed]

No.

[heloise]

Many lovers do not. [ Not Abelard and Heloise, for most of it. ]

[waterproofed]

[urgghh] So hey, how did you learn to write Greek, anyway?

[heloise]

I had a tutor, from Piraeus.

[waterproofed]

That's cool. Not many people around here can speak or read Greek.

[heloise]

I have wondered what they learn instead, if not languages.

[waterproofed]

We still learn languages. They just teach Spanish or French instead.

[heloise]

[ She chuckles. Learn Spanish, imagine that! ]

Do you speak the Spanish tongue then?

[waterproofed]

Uhh, not really. I know a few words, but they're mostly food-related.

[heloise]

Jamon?

[waterproofed]

More like "nacho" and "guacamole".

[heloise]

[ He just has her doubting her own Spanish now. ]

What are they?

[waterproofed]

It's food. Nachos are chips covered in cheese and guacamole is this stuff you put on tacos or burritos.

[heloise]

[ But what are tacos and burritos?? ]

Is this a recently invented cuisine?

[waterproofed]

I donno, but it's really good! You should try it, especially the nachos. Just get some chips and melted cheese, and maybe some salsa.

[heloise]

I should. Will you show me?

[waterproofed]

Uh, sure, if you want.

[heloise]

It would please me.