William S. Burroughs, �Queer�
This is part sixteen of a 25-part story about Hawaii. The story begins here. Part five is located here. Part ten is here. And part fifteen is here. Other parts you'll have to find yourself. So there.
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It�s our last day to have real housing. The Girlfriend and I make last-minute lists of things that we�ll need.
I still have the list: Blankets, plastic cups, shorts, knitting bag, pistachios, peanut butter, jam, fruit, bagels and water, though the water has a question mark next to it.
We went shopping, hitting the nearby thrift store first and scoring the bag for her knitting needles, a pillow, and a blanket. Arlette also hunts around for mementos to give to people back home. The store isn�t giving us many options of things that would make good gifts.
I�ve been thinking about this as well. The Girlfriend ex said he wanted the oddest Hawaiian memento we could find. While I�m hunting around the obvious stuff � things like glasses and ashtrays, I think of something. He�s a huge Frank Zappa fan, and I remember that I actually lived in Hawaii when Zappa had his radio-friendly hit with �Valley Girl.� There was a Hawaiian version of that song called �Palolo Valley Girl,� where the girls talking all sound like rejects from North Shore.
I resolve that I have to find him a copy of this song.
That might sound weird, me trying to find a gift for her ex-boyfriend, but he has been really supportive and nice to me since her and I first started dating. That�s something that can�t be easy, as I know they still care very much about each other.
I�ve always appreciated that. I haven�t always been able to do the same for my ex-girlfriends. I know plenty of other people who wouldn�t give a fuck about my feelings, or hers, for that matter.
Truth is, I could use a little advice from him at this point. We still have nine days left on this island, and she seems fairly distant. We�ve both been cooped up in the bungalow for too long, tired and sore with nothing to do but stare at each other, or read, or sleep, since we�re too tired to do anything that involves physical exertion.
And that�s okay, I�m still happy as hell to be here with her. But The Girlfriend seems more withdrawn. I don�t know if she just misses her friends, or if she�s cooped up and needing some time for herself.
But at least I know that it�s not just straight people who have these problems. The main character for Burrough�s novel seems to be making all the same mistakes I�m making � things like grabbing onto his partner when they don�t want to be touched or their too tired, and then acting hurt or petulant about the rebuke, which only annoys his partner more.
So maybe it�s not really a matter of heterosexuality that makes men idiots. It�s just that men are idiots.
