»gris-gris«, amrein replies to danski's question whether »the child already has a name.« »gray in gray«, translates wajaroff softly, and it seems as if someone from the diplomatic service is assisting a foreign politician. »thank you,« replies danski just as quietly, but audibly irritated and overlooks the fact that amrein is waiting eagerly for the first impressions that the new format might evoke.
»your best picture so far«, wajaroff jumps into the breach, »the dust that is getting darker and darker towards the corners - there is a lot happening off the line, unintended things that are in tension with the wavy you use the lines.«
danski nods. he can’t shake off his exclusion of the artist the night before. he's not like that. never been. he protests against himself. if he praised this picture too much, the wish to undo that damage might become evident. if, on the other hand, his judgment fell short of the approval of wajaroff, he would nourish the misjudgment that he was not entirely in agreement with amrein's presence, with her artistic work. so it remains with that nod: he has nothing to add to the words of the valued auxiliary standard bearer.
»auxiliary standard bearer?« amrein will ask when the opportunity arises; and don't forget the word if it comes to fraternizing with danski against wajaroff. »gris-gris 1 and gris-gris 2«, says serena amrein and stretches new cotton fabric: 150 x 160 centimeters.
there is nothing more for danski and wajaroff to do here than go back to the window and take the place that wieczorek has chosen for them. danski can now talk about coltrane, wajaroff about the wandervogel. they both know that. they sense the expectation of their parent just as children sense the expectations of their parents.
»›the power of god lies in his absence‹, says heiner müller.«
»are you thinking of besançon, of franche-comté, of boeuf bourgignon?«
danski nods.
»stay here in pirmasens. - wieczorek is no fool; he has experience, he will have thought something when he puts in in front of the window and lets amrein start hammering.«
»he draws the lines.«
»we are the dust.«
rainer wieczorek, 2020 (excerpt from "pirmasens" (weilerswist-metternich: dittrich verlag, 2020), 36–39. translation from the original german by robert b. roger, 2021)
