Written - Late-Night Musings

[whattheytellyou]

You know, I'm used to keeping a journal. Even if it was only a few lines written about my observations from the day, even if only to refer to a certain page in my field notebook, I wrote in one daily before I went to sleep

Comments

[Private]

[expectremorse]

[...just some static. An attempted reply because there are a number of things he would like to say Why are you bitching about this?, This is totally normal, what gives you the right to complain when we suffer-all of that completely not acknowledging that you know-people like him harassing people doesn't help or anything.]

[Except, you know, he doesn't have the balls to send it so there's just a communication and then blip. done.]

[Private - Audio]

[whattheytellyou]

[There's a bit of a long silence on her end; she's waiting to see if he'll say something.

Finally, she just sighs.]

Hello, Mark.

[Private - Audio.]

[expectremorse]

[There's a bit of fumbling]

Hi.

[Way to act 12 Mark Hoffman. way to act 12. Sheepishly.]

How are you?

[Private - Audio.]

[whattheytellyou]

Here and there.

[We can have adult conversations. No, really.]

Tired.

[A beat.]

You?

[Private - Audio.]

[expectremorse]

[yep. all the adult.]

Good.

-Not that you're tired. It's not good that you are tired Sarah. Good as in, I'm good. I suppose I'm just ...tired too.

[Jesus Christ]

How is the bit-

[shit. There is another pause and a thunk. Hoffman sets the device down, paces around the room once, then returns.]

How is your inmate?

[Private - Audio.]

[whattheytellyou]

[Another long pause - when she talks again, she sounds like she might be biting back a smile.]

She's doing well. Thank you.

[Private - Audio.]

[expectremorse]

[All of the most uncomfortable squirming ever. Hoffman's not smiling, he's trying tile to suppress the feeling of bile and rage that Amanda brings up.]

Well.

[There's a cough] Good. No dangerous reports over the network.

[Okay. Now.]

If there is one thing that I've learned from being here is that...people are stupid-but it's the rare not-stupid people who keep-

What's your favorite kind of flower?

[Private - Audio.]

[whattheytellyou]

[She hums noncommittally in response to the dangerous reports comment, but there's a stunned 'Huh?' at his question.]

Flower? Well -

[Stumped.]

I guess I like the way roses smell -

[All the fumbling.]

Have you ever seen a lotus? Those are all right. Water lilies, you know.

Re: [Private - Audio.]

[expectremorse]

[Relating it to the only female thing he knows well. Disney movies.] Sure. They have them in Mulan. The princess wears them in-

[Those are cherry blossoms but whatever.]

Yeah.

Bear with me, this is going somewhere. What's your favorite food?

[Private - Audio.]

[whattheytellyou]

[You were being so normal a minute ago, Hoffman.]

It depends, I guess.

[Pause.]

No, that's a lie. I love hot dogs. Chicago dogs, with the pickles and tomatoes and poppy-seed bun.

[Awkward.]

I like pizza, as well.

Re: [Private - Audio.]

[expectremorse]

What kind. One of the things Chicago does well is pizza.

[Private - Audio.]

[whattheytellyou]

The kind with extra cheese and too much grease, of course.

[Sigh.]

I don't eat it very often. It's not healthy.

[A beat.]

Have you ever eaten ostrich?

Re: [Private - Audio.]

[expectremorse]

[frown] no. I didn't know you could. I thought there were some animals that'd make you sick if you ate them and that was...you know-on that list.

[Private - Audio.]

[whattheytellyou]

Middle Eastern and North African ostriches are critically endangered, but there are other subspecies. On farms. Just like cattle, you know.

It's not bad. I guess it's a bit like deer meat; it's all in how it's cooked.

You know, a lot of tribes will eat the eggs. They're -

[A beat, and she switches to video to hold up her hands and show him a relative size.]

About the size of a football, like this. They'll put a hold in the bottom of it and drain out the yolk to eat, and then decorate the shell.

[Private - Audio.]

[expectremorse]

[He frowns] Ostrich omelets.

[That makes him grin] plus you get a craft with your meal. That's actually kind of cool. Did you eat those when you were in Africa?

[Private - Audio.]

[whattheytellyou]

[Looooong pause, and then a laugh.]

Portugal, actually. At a South African restaurant.

I tried to eat what everyone else ate when I was in Seronera. Generally, that's a lot of fish, rice...ah, ground cornmeal. They use a lot of coconut milk and cabbage, too. I don't think I've ever eaten...you know. Zebra.