I thought of myself as a writer

But failed dismally

I thought of myself as a poet

But failed dismally

I thought of myself as an artist

But I had no talent

You will always be a chemist Max

Nothing but a chemist

My father had said to me

She is a very exotic creature

Where did you get her

Such raven features

Is she a Jew

Eleanor was next to me at the window

Dressed in an evening gown

She was as beautiful and tactless as ever

Were you greeted by them in the circular hall

Elizabeth is from the Mid West

An American

Obviously

Are you sleeping with her

No

We are just friends

I would not want to cheapen our friendship

Where is she now

Taking a bath and resting

You should be there Max

You have not changed Eleanor

Yes just boring old Eleanor

Do you still love me

No you are insufferable

Then I shall drown myself in the lake

Do not let me stop you

Have I made you cross

No

Then why the stern face

Because you as much as I can see what is happening

There will be a war soon

Just look at the family

They have changed

They used to be so tired but now they have so much energy

When I arrived they insisted on singing a folk song to me

They sang it with a passion with tears in their eyes

It worried me

They probably think that you had brought a Jew with you

It was their defence mechanism

Where did you meet her

In New York

New York

Yes

What were you doing in New York

Father had taken me there

As he wanted to meet Marlowe

Who is Marlowe or what is Marlowe

Alfred Marlowe the great English chemist

Could you have not met him in England

It seems a long way to go to meet an Englishman

He works and lives in New York

Was your friend shining shoes in the street

Eleanor

Sorry

You are in love with her

No I am not

Liar

I just like her very much

I thought so you are sweet on her

I suppose I am

She is very beautiful

I know

In a Jewish sort of way

I have told you that she is not Jewish

Do you think that I would have brought her here if she was Jewish

She inherited her dark looks from her mother who is Cuban

I am not sure how the family will react to a Cuban

That said I do not think that I have met anybody from Cuba before

Her mother was from Cuba but her father was an American

I was wondering what a Cuban was doing in the Mid West

I have no idea but they married and Elizabeth came along

Does she have any brothers as I would like to meet them

No

That is sad

I will just have to put up with you Max

Without being rude Eleanor I will have to see the family

Abandon me then but before you leave tell me about New York

New York

Yes how did you meet her

She met me

Met you

Yes

She literally bumped into me at Grand Central

Her parcels went everywhere

How romantic

I wish someone would bump into me

Would you formally introduce me to your Cuban

As I am sure we will be friends

I will but later today as everybody wants to see me

You will find me here by the window

If I do not jump

Please do

How wicked you are Max

Poor lonely Eleanor

Ignored by all her friends