The Greek Chorus Weighs In

Hey Geoff? You in there?
(Silence)
C'mon baby. I know you're in there. I can hear you breathing.
In where?
In wherever it is that we exist.
Speak for yourself. I exist in the real world.
Really? 'Cause I'm not sure all this "Huck fucking Finn" swimming up the Saigon River eating snakes business is exactly livin' in the real world.
(Silence)
C'mon baby. I know you're in there. I can hear you breathing.
What do you want? I'm trying to paint this goddam picture.
How's it going?
Not well, but the acid should be kicking in soon.
Do you think that's wise?
What?
Dropping acid when you should be painting.
I spilled paint on the mushrooms.
I'm not talking about the acid specifically. I'm talking about self-destructive behavior in the face of looming deadlines.
Oh.
What's the problem?
I don't want to sell my paintings. Leastways not the old ones.
Really?
Yeah.
Do you have a source of income other than the sale of your paintings?
No.
How you gonna eat?
If you do enough acid you don't get hungry.
Why don't you just paint some new ones and sell those?
I'm trying, but really this whole Schnabel thing is an embarrassment. I mean, have you seen it?
Yeah. It's a wreck, man.
So...
So you're right. You are completely fucked.
(Odd slurping noise)
What's that noise?
It's me getting my stomach pumped.
Really? You have your own stomach-pumping machine at home.
You'd be surprised how often it comes in handy.
Wow--that nurse is really hot.
Yes she is. But that's not the point.
What's the point?
The point is, now's the time for a man to be a man.
You think?
Yes I do, my Greek friends. And by God, once my stomach is empty and everything stops blinking orange and blue I'm gonna march down the hill, grab some paint and start whaling away. By God, I will not be defeated. By God, I will never be hungry again.
You're like Scarlett Fucking O'Hara swimming upstream, eating snakes.
Exactly.
You're an impressive man.
Yes I am, in a slightly disconnected way.
I think you should paint the nurse.