Madness and Women
Stories
Poetry
professor whatabout
since childhood he asked questions about everything and anything.
it wasn’t out of a healthy curiosity or a sense of wonder.
it was driven by an obsession and compulsion to know every fact in the universe.
once he started he couldn’t stop.
he began every set of questions with the words “but what about.”
the kids named him professor whatabout.
the people in his town called him that after he graduated high school.
he couldn’t stand it anymore and in his twenties he moved away.
but the name was tattooed on his memory.
he heard voices repeating it when he looked in the mirror.
_____
he met a girl who didn’t mind his questions.
she loved listening to him and seeing where his imagination took him.
that’s because she was in love with him.
one night they were sitting on her couch.
they were talking about women’s hair.
she asked him the question “but what about my hair?”
he stood up and his face tightened.
he told her he’s not professor whatabout anymore.79
he panicked and paced around the room.
she didn’t understand and touched his arm to calm him down.
he backed up and fell over the coffee table.
he struggled to his feet.
he raced to the door and couldn’t unlock it.
he shook and rattled the knob.
she held his shoulders and whispered “please don’t go.”
he unlocked the door and ran out.
she called the police and they picked him up.
_____
she visited him in the hospital.
she sat next to him and held his hand and fought back the tears.
he told her about his childhood name.
when he finished she got into the bed with him.
she stared at him and then started laughing.
he stared at her and then he started laughing.
he felt comfortable with her next to him and knew she was the one.