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It’s kind of a life and death situation for me that I know.”
    â€œI don’t know Jersey anymore. I don’t want to. She’s a mean mother. You saw. Lie and cheat, cheat and lie. I hate them all. And all her friends too, rich or poor.”
    â€œCan you at least tell me where she was staying or give me the name and address of someone who might know?”
    â€œNo. No one knows. And if I see her I don’t speak to her or say hello. I’ll say nothing. I’ll walk past. Besides, I hear she’s gone to Las Vegas for good with a gambler who gave up his wife and kids for her and now only likes gays. A laugh. Because Jersey’s no gay. That’s true.”
    I called Mina that night.
    â€œI’m sorry,” she said, “but Lewis who?”
    â€œThe fellow who was bitten by a dog the same day as you.”
    â€œOf course. You know, I told that story about us to my roommate and she said that only happens in movies where we get married the following week and a month later regret racing into it and have major calamities and breakups together but live happily ever after for life, though of course she was only kidding. How are your bites?”
    â€œThey haven’t found the dog.”
    â€œThat’s terrible. Mine’s healing nicely. And so far the dog seems okay and I’m even planning to adopt it, since that poor car driver was crippled and can’t take care of it anymore. You going to take those treatments? It’s been two days.”
    â€œI think I’ll wait it out. Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?”
    â€œI’m afraid that person I said I’m sort of seeing I’m sort of engaged to now, so I don’t think I can.”
    â€œI’ll call back next week to find out about your dog and you. Maybe by then you’ll also have changed your mind about me.”
    â€œI don’t think so, but thanks.”
    The police never found Jersey or the dog. I called Mina again after our incubation period for rabies was over and her roommate answered and said “Mina? That rat skipped off on her honeymoon to Bermuda and left me with her two stinking retrievers and a third one that bites people coming any day. Who is this?”
    â€œLewis.”
    â€œOf the dogs?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œShe left a message for you, Lewis, that she told me to read to you if you call again. It says ‘I didn’t know your phone number nor last name so I couldn’t call you with what I forgot to remind you about the last time you called. I was also in too much of a rush to get off on my honeymoon trip to wait the two days the hospital said it would take to locate your records. But I want to make sure, if that dog that bit you isn’t found, that you phone the Hungarian man to tell him a lot of people would think it advisable for him to take the ten to fourteen day vaccine treatment for rabies.’ That’s it. So long.”
    I’d completely forgotten about Milos. I called the restaurant number he gave me and the man who answered said “No Milos, sir—tonight. Can’t speak English please. Tonight.”
    I called back that night and the restaurant owner said “Milos is in the kitchen now washing the dishes. He’s doing a fine job here and not suffering any rabies or illnesses we can see. Want me to have him phone you back?”
    â€œNo thanks.”

Buddy
    Today was a day of meeting people I know.
    My Christmas job was over till next year. I finished another sonata last night. I didn’t feel like looking for work just yet or starting another composition or hanging around the house all day cleaning, doing the laundry, shopping for groceries, none of that. So I slept late, had coffee, browsed through the who’s-who-in-contemporary-music book while the eggs boiled, and after breakfast decided to take a walk downtown.
    The first person I met was the old man from the first floor. It was right