W the Whore left the house
W the Whore is not beautiful.
But.
She desires the man.
W the Whore left the house.
When she came back the man was gone.
Where has the man gone. Said W the Whore. After all I wanted to desire him.
And W the Whore left the house again.
This time to look for the man.
I am not beautiful. Said W the Whore. But I look for the man.
And W the Whore found the man.
The man was squatting behind a fence.
What are you doing squatting behind the fence. Said W the Whore.
I need to empty myself. Said the man.
Ah. Said W the Whore. So they say.
Then I want to empty myself as well. Said W the Whore and squatted next to the man behind the fence.
There they were squatting. The man and W the Whore.
I wanted to desire you. Said W the Whore.
Then do it. Said the man.
But how may I do it. Said W the Whore.
That I do not know. Said the man. I do not know how W the Whore desires the man.
W the Whore was thinking.
It is not coming to me. Said W the Whore. I have forgotten it.
Then let us walk along the fence. Said the man.
And the man and W the Whore walked along the fence.
The fence was high. They could not look over the fence.
There is a hole. There is a hole in the fence. Said the man.
And the man and W the Whore stopped in front of the hole.
I will look throw the hole. Said W the Whore. Perhaps I will see it.
And W the Whore stood and looked through the hole.
Do you see it. What do you see. Said the man.
Oh. Said W the Whore. Everything is dark. Everything is dark on that side of the fence.
That cannot be. Said the man. It is daytime. Daytime is bright. Maybe you are keeping your eyes shut.
Oh yes. Said W the Whore. I had forgotten to open my eyes.
And what do you see now. Said the man.
Oh. Said W the Whore. I see a lot of high houses. The houses are of grey concrete. And I see a lot of roads. Big broad roads. Even the roads are of grey concrete. And roadsters are on the roads. Big roadsters. One roadster is closed behind the other roadster.
And the humans. How do the humans look like. Said the man to W the Whore.
W the Whore was not standing in front of the hole anymore. W the Whore had stepped back from the fence.
How should I desire you. Said W the Whore.
Perhaps I should desire you. Said the man. Then you will know how I desire you. After that you will have learned it. After that you can desire me.
Oh. Said W the Whore. Yes. Teach me that.
And the man desired W the Whore.
And soon the man had desired W the Whore.
W the Whore sat down. There was grass where W the Whore sat down. Now W the Whore sat in the grass. W the Whore cried.
What now. Said the man and took a look at the land.
I have desired you. Said the man. And now this. Said the man.
I did not learn it. I still do not know how I should do it. How should I desire you. Said W the Whore and kept on crying.
I showed you everything. Said the man and looked at W the Whore. And then the man took a look at the land.
Desire me one more time. Said W the Whore. Perhaps I will learn it the second time.
And the man desired W the Whore a second time.
And very soon the man had desired W the Whore a second time.
W the Whore sat down in the grass again.
W the Whore looked serious.
What now. Said the man.
Nothing again. Said W the Whore. I have learned nothing again.
You are peculiar. Said the man. I can desire you. You cannot desire me. But are you not W the Whore.
I have to go. Said W the Whore. I need to walk along the fence alone. You have to stay here.
And the man kept standing at the fence.
And W the Whore walked along the fence alone.
W the Whore felt alone.
What should I feel. Thought W the Whore.
What can I feel. Thought W the Whore.
W the Whore stopped walking.
W the Whore leaned against the fence.
W the Whore took a look at the land.
W the Whore saw laundry hanging from a line.
In front of a house W the Whore saw laundry hanging on a line.
W the Whore walked towards it.
W the Whore walked the doorsteps.
A woman was in the house.
I am W the Whore. I want to visit you. Said W the Whore.
Yes. Come in and visit me. Said the woman.
And W the Whore entered the house.
The house had two rooms. A large room and a small room. In the large room stood a bed.
W the Whore and the woman laid down on the bed.
W the Whore covered herself and the woman with the featherbed. It was a heavy featherbed.
There they lay W the Whore and the woman.
Then W the Whore turned down the featherbed a little bit. The woman’s upper body was not covered by the heavy featherbed anymore. The woman wore a dress. The woman wore a summer dress. W the Whore pulled down the straps of the summer dress from the shoulders. Beneath the summer dress the woman was naked.
That confused W the Whore.
The woman was not slender.
That confused W the Whore.
The woman was aroused.
That confused W the Whore.
W the Whore thought. What should I do.
The woman did something.
That confused W the Whore very much.
W the Whore did not know what she wanted to smell.
W the Whore did not know what she should touch.
The woman knew what she wanted to smell.
The woman knew what she wanted to touch.
That confused W the Whore very much.
W the Whore and the woman stayed in bed.
Later W the Whore left the woman.
W the Whore walked back to the fence.
W the Whore walked along the fence.
Somewhere the man was squatting.
I am walking back into the house. Said W the Whore.
And walked past the man.
W the Whore wants to marry
W the Whore wants to marry.
But.
How should W the Whore marry.
I want to wear the dress. Said W the Whore.
And I want to wear the shoes. Said W the Whore.
And the veil and the purse I want to wear. Said W the Whore.
And W the Whore puts the dress and the shoes and the veil and the purse ina big bag. With the big bag in one hand W the Whore sets out.
W the Whore wants to marry.
But. W the Whore does not know how.
So W the Whore sets out.
Everywhere are hills.
Big and small and high and low hills are everywhere where W the Whore
walks. The hills are of loamy soil. W the Whore walks over the hills. And
walks around the hills.
Where should I go. Thinks W the Whore.
W the Whore walks around a high hill. There W the Whore sees a big a high tower building rising behind the hill.
I will go there. Thinks W the Whore.
And W the Whore walks.
And soon W the Whore reaches the big the high tower building.
The big the high tower building is made of red bricks.
W the Whore places her big bag before the entrance of the big high
tower building.
I want to marry. Thinks W the Whore.
Will I be able to marry here. Thinks W the Whore.
W the Whore stands and waits.
There an old woman comes around a corner of the tower building.
The old one limps.
The old one wears black.
What’s the matter. Says the old one. What are you doing here.
I want to wear the dress. Says W the Whore. I want to wear the white dress.
Why. Says the old one.
I want to marry. Says W the Whore.
Well. Says the old one. Well. Then put on the white dress. And then it will
happen.
What happens. Says the W the Whore.
That I do not know. Says the old one. But it happens.
I did not wear the white dress. Says the old one. So I do not know
what happens with the white dress.
So you did not marry. Says W the Whore.
I did marry. Says the old one.
Then you wore the white dress. Says W the Whore.
No. Says the old one. I wore a black dress.
You had worn a black dress. Says W the Whore.
You wear a black dress now. Are you wearing your wedding dress
now. Says W the Whore.
No. Says the old one. He died. So I wear black. And I wore black when we
married. I wore a black dress with a velvet collar.
A black wedding dress. Says W the Whore.
Yes. Says the old one. Black was the color. Everybody wore black. It was
solemn. It was dignified. I was the bride. I was dignified. Me. The bride.
A white dress is also dignified. Says W the Whore.
Perhaps. Says the old one. Perhaps it has got dignity. But it is a white dress.
A white dress with laces and pearls. And white shoes. Under the white dress the body will be preserved. The body is preserved there under the dress.
I want to wear the white dress. Says W the Whore. But my body is not preserved there under the white dress.
Put it on. The white dress. Pull it over your body. The white dress. Says
the old one. Where is it. I will help you.
Here it is. Here in my bag it is. Says W the Whore.
And W the Whore opens her big bag. W the Whore pulls out the dress and
puts it over her left arm. W the Whore pulls out the veil and puts over the
dress. W the Whore pulls out the shoes and holds the shoes with her left
hand. Then W the Whore pulls out the purse and keeps the purse in her
right hand.
And now. Says W the Whore.
Nobody comes around here at the tower building. Says the old one. Here you can undress. Here you can put on the white dress.
So W the Whore hands out the shoes and the purse and the veil and the dress.
W the Whore gets undressed.
And then W the Whore is undressed.
And then W the Whore puts on the white dress. And the white shoes.
The old one closes her zipper.
The old one puts the veil on her head.
W the Whore takes the purse.
And now walk along the tower building. Says the old one. Tell me what your body feels.
And W the Whore walks along the tower building.
W the Whore looks up the tower building. Above the tower building W the
Whore sees the sky.
W the Whore looks down at herself.
The dress puffs up.
W the Whore walks slowly and with little steps.
W the Whore walks slowly and with little steps back to the old one.
What does your body feel. Shouts the old one towards her.
It does not feel anything. Says W the Whore.
This cannot be. Says the old one. It is preserved under the dress. Only today it will be shown like this. Feel it.
I feel nothing. Says W the Whore.
Walk again. Says the old one. You are wearing the white dress. Your body needs to start feeling. Walk. Walk up the hill a little bit.
And W the Whore walks.
W the Whore holds the dress higher.
W the Whore walks up the hill a bit.
Soon W the Whore comes back.
The shoes get dirty. And the hem of the dress gets dirty. Says W the Whore.
Yes. Says the old one. This is possible. But tell me what did your body say.
Nothing is allowed to get dirty. Says W the Whore.
You wear the dress and the shoes only one time. Says the old one.
Nothing is allowed to get dirty. Says W the Whore.
You wore black. For you nothing could get dirty. Do you
listen. Says W the Whore.
What do you want to do. Says the old one. Now you wear the dress. Now. What do you want to do. Do you want to keep standing here.
I do not feel the body. Says W the Whore.
No. Says the old one.
Where are you going. Shouts W the Whore.
I am going into the tower building. Says the old one.
Take me with you. Says W the Whore.
No. Says the old one. That way you cannot come with me.
Do not leave me alone. I will start moving again. Says W the Whore.
The old one leaves.
The old one walks along the tower building.
The old one walks back the way she came.
W the Whore sees how a heavy door is opened and slams shut.
There W the Whore stands now.
The white dress puffs up.
W the Whore is freezing.
Oh. Says W the Whore. I am freezing. My body is freezing.
Old one. Come back. Shouts W the Whore. I feel my body. My body freezes.
The old one does not come.
I am freezing. Thinks W the whore. I am freezing and I cannot stand
anymore. I need to sit down.
There W the Whore sits down.
There W the Whore is sitting and freezes more and more.
There W the Whore sits on the loamy soil and embraces her knees with her arms and freezes and feels the first rain drops.
I must go back. Thinks W the Whore. I feel the first rain drops. I must go back. I need to get away from the tower building. Away from the hills.
W the Whore gets up takes her big bag and makes her way back.
It is raining.
The white dress begins to stick to her body.
The body is freezing.
The soil starts to soften up.
W the Whore takes off her white shoes.
W the Whore throws the white shoes into the big bag.
W the Whore throws the purse into the big bag.
W the Whore takes off the veil from her head.
W the Whore drops the veil.
The veil falls on the loamy soil.
The dress is wet.
The body becomes wet.
The body becomes cold.
The rain gets heavy.
W the Whore goes. Walks. And runs.
W the Whore goes and walks and runs away over the hills.
W the Whore goes and walks and runs past the hills.
Until W the Whore is where she started.
It is raining.
The body is wet. Is cold.
The dress sticks to her upper body.
The dress hangs down heavy.
Water runs down the dress.
Runs from the hem.
Drips from the hem.
W the Whore gets the big bag opens it takes off the white shoes puts on the white shoes.
So. Says W the Whore.
Water drops from the hem.
Drops now on the shoes runs down the shoes.
My body is wet. Thinks W the Whore.
Completely wet is my body. Thinks W the Whore.
I need to take off the dress. Thinks W the Whore.
I need to warm my wet body. Thinks W the Whore.
And W the Whore begins to take off the dress.
Soon W the Whore will warm her wet body.
W the Whore and the great modern man
W the Whore keeps on wandering.
And so W the Whore reaches a great a modern house.
The great modern house is protected by a special fence.
W the Whore sees the driveway to the house.
W the Whore sees someone leave the house. A great a modern man leaves
the house. In front of the house stands a big a modern roadster. To this big modern roadster the great modern man is walking now.
The great modern man has power. The great modern man has money. W the Whore sees that.
The great modern man pleases W the Whore.
And so W the Whore presses the bell button of the portal. A voice asks for
her name. W the Whore answers. The door opens. W the Whore walks up the driveway to the great modern man. The great modern man just wants to get in his roadster.
And so W the Whore speaks to him. I am W the Whore. Guide me into your house. Perhaps I will stay here.
The great modern man looks her up and looks her down. The great modern man is astonished.
W the Whore gazes at him.
W the Whore gazes at him in a special way.
And so the great modern man says. I offer you a cocktail.
Of course. Says W the Whore and follows the great modern man into the
house.
The house is big and modern and with all kind of facilities. The great modern man goes to the bar. The great modern man mixes the cocktail. W the Whore makes the cocktail cherry slip into her mouth. The great modern man is watching this.
You have power and money. Says W the Whore. Perhaps I will stay here.
Perhaps I do not want this. Says the great modern man.
Let us decide tomorrow. Says W the Whore.
The great modern man looks at her and nods.
The night passes.
In the morning the great modern man says. I am a man. I have power. I have money. So stay here.
During the night W the Whore looked at the man and nods.
And so W the Whore stays.
And soon W the Whore also has power. And also has money. And still has
the great modern man at night.
And soon W the Whore has her own power. And her own money. And has the great modern man at night as well.
And so it goes.
And so it goes on.
Until one day the great powerful W the Whore blacks out.
Then the great powerful and rich W the Whore lies in bed in the great
modern house and just wants to lie alone in bed.
The great modern man worries.
Everywhere he and W the Whore are admired.
But. W the Whore wants to lie alone in her bed. And so W the Whore lies
alone in bed. For days and weeks W the Whore lies alone in bed. Until one
day W the Whore no longer blacks out and feels the blackout only far way
and leaves the great modern man.
I am leaving you. Says W the Whore.
Something in me has blacked out. Says W the Whore. Do not grieve.
And W the Whore passes the portal and goes away.
Oh dear. Thinks W the Whore.
Am I still free. Thinks W the Whore.
Or can’t that be. Thinks W the Whore.
W the Whore enters the court
W the Whore enters the court.
She had heard about the court. She had been looking for it. For the court.
So now she has found it. The court.
And so W the Whore enters the court.
The court is surrounded by a wall. The wall crumbles. Here and there the
wall crumbles. The wall has cracks. Daisies grow out of the cracks. And
garden sorrel. And maple seedlings grow out of the crumbling places. Slaters live in the crumbling places. Ant colonies live in the crumbling places.
Machines lie front of the wall. Old machines. Nettles grow between them.
overgrow them. On the nettles caterpillars are crawling. Hundreds
of caterpillars. Black caterpillars. Curling black caterpillars. Butterfly caterpillars.
The house is decayed. Of course the house is decayed. The house had walls out of big cobblestones. And the house has walls out of big cobblestones.
Wooden window frames are there. The windowpanes broken. Spiderwebs in the corners.
Where is the man. Thinks W the Whore. The man wanted to court me.
W the Whore walks around the house. Goes to the old machines. Between
the old machines the man lies. The sun shines on the man. He has closed
his eyes.
You. Calls W the Whore. I am here. You wanted to court me.
The man opens his eyes. Screws them up. Opens his mouth. Yawns. Sits up.
Looks up to her.
Yes. He says. I wanted to court you. But look. Look at this court. Thereby I cannot court you.
An the man yawns again and scratches his head.
You wanted to court me. Says W the Whore. Stand up and begin.
He rises.
As you wish. Said the man. Then I will court you.
Properly. Said W the Whore. You ought to court me properly.
W the Whore stamps her foot.
The man lifts a machine part. The man tosses the machine part
towards the wall.
W the Whore goes away. Walks once again around the house.
He is not the proper one. Thinks W the Whore. He will not notice anything. I can let my handkerchief fall. He will not notice it. I can toss my glove. He will not notice it.
But the same for me. Thinks W the Whore. Maybe I do not have the right
handkerchief. Do I even have a handkerchief. And what kind of gloves do I
have. All my gloves are thick and warm. All my gloves are gloves for
wintertime. I do not have long thin gloves. Need I to buy me long thin gloves.
To buy gloves. Is that possible.
W the Whore stops at the corner. Observes the man. Sweat runs over his
face. He grabs another machine part. He lifts it. Distorts his face. He tosses the machine part towards the wall. His hands are reddened. Reddened by the nettles. He bends down. He grabs another machine part. Heaves it up.
Throws it away. Throws it closer to the wall.
W the Whore sees his sweat. Sees the tendons on his throat. W the Whore goes into the house. Gets a glass of water. Walks to him with the glass of water. The man grabs in the nettles. Grabs the machine parts. W the Whore places herself with the glass of water in front of the man. The man stays bent down in the nettles. W the Whore pours the water over his head. The man looks up. The man looks up only for a moment. Water and sweat run over his face. W the Whore sees this. W the Whore sees the water and the sweat color the shirt dark.
I should court you. Says the man. So go away.
And then the man tears off nettles. The man tears off high nettles. The man has torn off high nettles full of curling black caterpillars.
Here. Says the man and offers the nettles to W the Whore. Here. Take them. I will continue to court you.
W the Whore gazes at the man. Then W the Whore gazes at the nettles. W
the Whore takes the nettles. Immediately W the Whore feels the burning. A
big black caterpillar creeps on her hand.
The man bends down to the machine parts again. Heaves one up. Tosses it towards the wall. In front of the wall the machine parts he has thrown lie one upon the other. There where the man took away the machine parts
there where the machine parts weighed heavily on the ground, there worms are snaking and centipedes are running around.
I am not satisfied with you. W the Whore says to the man.
I am not satisfied with the way you court me. Says W the Whore. Come over here. Says W the Whore.
Ha. Says the man. But the man comes. The man comes closer.
Take off your shirt. Says W the Whore.
The man looks at W the Whore.
Come on. Says W the Whore. Take off your shirt.
The man pulls the shirt out of his trousers. W the Whore looks at the man’s hands. Soil and rust cover his hands.
Go on. Says W the Whore.
The man throws the shirt on a machine part. With bare chest the man
stands in front of W the Whore. W the Whore walks around the man.
Quite well. Says W the Whore. But to crooked. But I little bit to crooked.
W the Whore moves closer to his back. W the Whore smells the sweat. Her forefinger runs over his back. The back has a fine black hair down. Her forefinger runs through the black down. It is humid in the black down. W the Whore steps backwards. W the Whore still holds the nettles in her hand. W the Whore raises her hand. Then W the Whore strokes with the nettles over the man’s back. The man starts to squirm.
Stand still. Says W the Whore.
A little black caterpillar is still hanging in the down of the man’s back. W the Whore strokes once again over the man’s back. The man stands stiffly. But then W the Whore starts to beat the nettles on the man’s back. Once. Twice.
Then stronger. And faster. The man bends down.
Soon the nettles go limp. Multiply cracked. The leaves torn. The caterpillars are flung away.
Put on your shirt again. Says W the Whore.
Hah. Says the man and grapes for his shirt. He pulls the shirt over his head.
Stuffs it back into the trousers.
And now lay down again. Rest again. Says W the Whore.
How. Says the man.
Lay down again between the machine parts. It is still warm. Later on you will court me. Later on. Says W the Whore.
W the Whore leaves the court.
Sooner or later perhaps. Thinks W the Whore. Sooner or later it may be my court. Now I must go. Now I must go to powder my itching hands.
It is springtime
The sky is blue.
It is springtime.
W the Whore goes along the tulip fields. Thousands of tulips in red and
yellow are growing. Other vacationers stay still and bend down and are
overjoyed and shout Ah and Oh.
W the Whore is musing. That thing which was my inner blackout. Thinks W the Whore. That does not satisfy me anymore. No. No. Thinks W the Whore.
and picks a tulip. Not the blackout still threatens me. Another violence will rise above me. And I will have to let it rise above me. This other will grow beyond me.
A baby cat sprawls in the sun. The cat mother comes, growls at it,
packs it by the neck and carries it back to the litter.
Then she sits down and begins to leak her chest fur.
We now look at W the Whore. She carries an arm full of red and yellow tulips.
And now she hails the great and modern roadster to take her back to the house of the man.
As before the house of the man appears glorious. But it is orphaned without her. W the Whore already holds her key in the hand and opens the portal.
The man waits at the entrance.
You. She already shouts from a distance. And at the door she takes his hand and whispers. Now the time has come in which it rises above us.
But the two of them man and women are being observed. It is the old woman in black, the old woman from the tower building who watches them. At the oriel window she stands and looks down on them.
Man and woman press their bodies and heads tight together.
Yes. Yes. The old one sighs. Now she thinks she has arrived. But there is no arrival. There is only going on. It always continues.
And the old one takes her veil and takes her walking stick and goes
downstairs.
Downstairs the ambassadors are already waiting.
Tell us. What will happen. The ambassadors shout her way. Everybody wants to know it. How entwined man and woman should be. So they say. Speak.
Everybody wants to know it right now. What will happen afterwards. W the Whore is a public one. Everybody has rights on her.
Yes. Speaks the old one and rests on the step next to the last. But W the
Whore is no more. From now on her name shall be Hara. And the lady named Hara will soon free herself out of the entwinement and will soon step in front of you.
But we want her now. Shout the ambassadors. Now. Immediately she has to be here. And we do not want a lady Hara. We want W the Whore.
Anyway. Said the old one. One will step in front of you. You stand for a
world. So you hear and see another world. And then you begin your own
work. I will go now. My age demands darkness.
And thereby she takes a bow and walks throw the lines of the stunned
ambassadors. She opens the door and steps outside into the warming sunlight.
From now on. Says the old one. From now on I will be her black angel.
Translation: Wilko de Vries.