Her Name Was Lola

13 When Max’s Mind Met Lula Mae

February 1997. Still that Sunday. ‘No,’ says Max’s mind.

‘What no?’ says Max.

‘You’re not going to have a go at that sweet primeval motion.’

‘You sound as if I have a go at anything that moves,’ says Max.

‘So you won’t be looking up Everest Technology in the phone book?’

‘Give me a break. She’s a little bit of home, and naturally if I bump into her we’ll have a coffee or something.’

‘A little bit of home! What, now you’re from Texas?’

‘You know what I mean.’

‘I certainly do. Coffee or something! You’ve got a real thing going with Lola, so what do you want with Lula Mae? As if I didn’t know.’

‘Maybe I’m not ready for This-Is-It.’

‘Well, if this isn’t it you sure as hell better do something pretty soon because Lola’s not someone you can fool around with.’

‘I’m not fooling around.’

‘What else would you call it if you don’t mean what you say?’

‘I do mean what I say.’

‘Wonderful, and the things you’ve said to Lola don’t leave any room for side trips, do they.’

‘Feelings aren’t that simple,’ says Max.

‘Gee whiz!’ says his mind. ‘I never knew that. It’s good that I have you to explain these things to me.’

‘You and I,’ says Max, ‘don’t seem to be getting along too well right now.’

‘That’s because I’m right and you’re wrong. There are times when you know you’ll be sorry for what you’re going to do but you do it anyhow and then you’re sorry.’

‘William Blake said, “If the fool would persist in his folly he would become wise,”’ says Max.

‘Wise and all alone,’ says his mind.