They looked like small, grey, rugose meatballs. Most were half-embedded in his shiny skin but others hung by little isthmuses of skin, like tiny scrotums. They rolled back and forth as he moved.
“A Teratoma is a cancer, but a very special kind. Most unique. It develops from many different cell types derived from a variety of germ layers. As a result, they can form skin, hair, teeth, cervical tissues, fat and muscle. They are often mistaken for the kind of parasitic twin I’ve already mentioned. If I’d been born in this country in this century, I would’ve been immediately recognized for what I was and destroyed. I certainly wouldn’t be here today. But, fortunately, I was born in a place and time that worked in my favor. My mother said the doctor was horrified when he discovered me. He was little more than an ill-informed country physician who had never heard of a Teratoma let alone seen one and thought he was looking at a particularly grotesque tumor. He was in the process of cutting it from her womb in order to destroy it when...I squealed.
“I don’t think that would have stopped a doctor here.”
The woman looked up at the man dully. He turned and went to where he’d left the small brown bag he’d brought with him. He reached into it and brought out a bottle of clear liquid. It was only the cheapest gin, but to the woman it looked like a crystal decanter of morning dew.
“You been holdin’ out on me!” she cried, nearly tumbling onto the floor as she grabbed at the bottle. “You know I need that bad an’ you held out!”
“Not any more,” the man said, unscrewing the cap and handing the bottle to her. She took two quick, deep swallows before lowering the bottle and wiping her bright red lips with the back of her hand. Her lips looked like two pimentos lying on her cheese-colored face.
“Jesus it’s hot in here,” she said, and took another swallow. She coughed and couldn’t stop and her lips became redder. She rose, went to the sink and spat into it. The phlegm was streaked with pink. She ran water to flush it down. “What’s it y’ been sayin’? Y’ got th’ cancer ‘r sumthin?”
“No, I don’t have cancer,” he said. “I am cancer.”
“I’m a Puh—Pisces. Makes no diff’rence t’ me. Y’ wanna have a lil drink with me? Make y’ forget how hot it is. Goddam , but it’s hot in here.” She waved a mottled hand vaguely in front of her face. “Jeezus, it stinks in here.”
She sucked on the bottle again and nearly half a pint disappeared before she lowered it.
“You need something to eat.”
“Don’ need nothin ’ t’ eat. Got all I need right here .”
“That’s right, drink all you want. That’s what it’s for. There’s plenty of it and more where that came from if you want it. But you should have something solid. Otherwise you’ll get sick.”
“Don’ need t’ eat. Too hot t’ eat. Too goddam hot.”
She tipped the bottle again, which was now more than two-thirds empty. Her nose was running but she didn’t notice.
The man felt around on his stomach, as though he were satisfying an itch. His fingers dug deeply into his oystery folds with a squelching sound. He sat on the bed next to the woman. Her thin, spit-colored hair was plastered to her forehead. It hung in lank tendrils around her ears, like exhausted worms. Her dilated pupils were surrounded by yellowish sclera, threaded with red veins. She had advanced pyrorrhea and several of her tobacco-stained front teeth were loose.
“Eat this,” he said, holding out his hand.
“Whass that?”
“Something for you to eat. You can swallow it with your gin, just like taking a pill.”
“Don’t wanna take no pill.”
“Do it for me. I’ll leave if you do. I’ll give you all the money you want and I’ll leave. You’ll have plenty of money for gin and you’ll never see me again. How’s that? Just swallow this and you’ll have all the gin you could ever want and never see me
“A Teratoma is a cancer, but a very special kind. Most unique. It develops from many different cell types derived from a variety of germ layers. As a result, they can form skin, hair, teeth, cervical tissues, fat and muscle. They are often mistaken for the kind of parasitic twin I’ve already mentioned. If I’d been born in this country in this century, I would’ve been immediately recognized for what I was and destroyed. I certainly wouldn’t be here today. But, fortunately, I was born in a place and time that worked in my favor. My mother said the doctor was horrified when he discovered me. He was little more than an ill-informed country physician who had never heard of a Teratoma let alone seen one and thought he was looking at a particularly grotesque tumor. He was in the process of cutting it from her womb in order to destroy it when...I squealed.
“I don’t think that would have stopped a doctor here.”
The woman looked up at the man dully. He turned and went to where he’d left the small brown bag he’d brought with him. He reached into it and brought out a bottle of clear liquid. It was only the cheapest gin, but to the woman it looked like a crystal decanter of morning dew.
“You been holdin’ out on me!” she cried, nearly tumbling onto the floor as she grabbed at the bottle. “You know I need that bad an’ you held out!”
“Not any more,” the man said, unscrewing the cap and handing the bottle to her. She took two quick, deep swallows before lowering the bottle and wiping her bright red lips with the back of her hand. Her lips looked like two pimentos lying on her cheese-colored face.
“Jesus it’s hot in here,” she said, and took another swallow. She coughed and couldn’t stop and her lips became redder. She rose, went to the sink and spat into it. The phlegm was streaked with pink. She ran water to flush it down. “What’s it y’ been sayin’? Y’ got th’ cancer ‘r sumthin?”
“No, I don’t have cancer,” he said. “I am cancer.”
“I’m a Puh—Pisces. Makes no diff’rence t’ me. Y’ wanna have a lil drink with me? Make y’ forget how hot it is. Goddam , but it’s hot in here.” She waved a mottled hand vaguely in front of her face. “Jeezus, it stinks in here.”
She sucked on the bottle again and nearly half a pint disappeared before she lowered it.
“You need something to eat.”
“Don’ need nothin ’ t’ eat. Got all I need right here .”
“That’s right, drink all you want. That’s what it’s for. There’s plenty of it and more where that came from if you want it. But you should have something solid. Otherwise you’ll get sick.”
“Don’ need t’ eat. Too hot t’ eat. Too goddam hot.”
She tipped the bottle again, which was now more than two-thirds empty. Her nose was running but she didn’t notice.
The man felt around on his stomach, as though he were satisfying an itch. His fingers dug deeply into his oystery folds with a squelching sound. He sat on the bed next to the woman. Her thin, spit-colored hair was plastered to her forehead. It hung in lank tendrils around her ears, like exhausted worms. Her dilated pupils were surrounded by yellowish sclera, threaded with red veins. She had advanced pyrorrhea and several of her tobacco-stained front teeth were loose.
“Eat this,” he said, holding out his hand.
“Whass that?”
“Something for you to eat. You can swallow it with your gin, just like taking a pill.”
“Don’t wanna take no pill.”
“Do it for me. I’ll leave if you do. I’ll give you all the money you want and I’ll leave. You’ll have plenty of money for gin and you’ll never see me again. How’s that? Just swallow this and you’ll have all the gin you could ever want and never see me
Similar Books
