“Definitely, I’ll page you later, after the protest.” Referring to the use of analog ‘pager’ systems replacing the digital networks daily shutdown, due to conserving data and ongoing maintenance to the digital servers, after Artificial Intelligence prediction programs went haywire last year and a major Crypto operational glitch, crashed financial, and global networks.
“I look forward to it, take care,” Pana replies.
“You too”
She places the phone back onto the kitchen bench next to her pager. Leaning back against bench, looking outside once again, noting that it has become overcast. “How, it changed so quickly. And for the better,” she whispers to herself.

“Ah, yes! You brought wine…” Terri Hannah says, as Pana stands at her apartment door holding out the bottle.
“...You gonna drink some with me?”
“I guess, I only drink wine with you,” she replies.
“Then come in...” Hannah says, as Pana enters her apartment, closing the door behind her. Standing in her kitchen, she studies the bottle. “...California Pinot Noir. Nice.” Whist still clutching the bottle, she reaches up with her freehand, taking down two wine glasses from the kitchen shelf, unscrewing the cap of the bottle, she pours the dark crimson fluid into both glasses. Walking quickly back to her lounge where were Pana is sitting, handing the glass to her, she sits down opposite.
Hannah has a sip of the wine. “How is it, that you hadn't turned that gray? Pointing to her own hair, with right index finger.
Pana sips her wine. “A lot sex”
Hannah nods. “Yes, the estrogen kick. And you hadn't slowed down obviously.”
“No, as regular as I can get it, we now live in an age of free love redux. So, hypersexuality kinda blends in,” Pana replies with a smile, placing the wine onto the coffee table’s ceramic coaster.
Running her hand through her own light brown hair, studying for signs of gray, to which she sees several strands that have turned gray. “I can’t complain, although I am dating this guy that runs a cafe, gallery thing downtown. So the bed hoping has toned down a bit.”
“You mean, there’s been no hugs with benefits?” Pana asks in humorous way, as Hannah chuckles, sipping the wine.
“This is, a really nice red. And pandemic bottled…” Referring to the Alexander Valley wine and the Two Thousand and Twenty when the COVID pandemic hit the world. “...I love a hug, that includes a cock. Best hugs you can get!”
Both women laugh.
Leaning forward, Pana lifts her glass, as does Hannah.
“A toast. For the better, that is of the now. Thank you. We’ll take it”
“Agreed”
The chink the glasses together.
Hannah, looks away briefly. “You know, I was thinking when I was Central Park a few years back, it was Autumn, slightly cold. My father had just passed away…”
Pana places her hands together in a praying manner, closing her eyes. “May his spirit be peacefully vanquished from this place”
Hannah nods in an appreciative manner that Pana was able to assist her in releasing the spirit of her late father after he passed.
“...I was attempting to release the spirit in my own. And I had a single incense burning. Just sitting there, and I heard voices behind me. I was kinda pissed, just wanting to be alone, have no one around me. Anyway this younger woman, walked up to me and asked if she have an incense, for their group. I told her what had happened, she hugged me and then sat with me, which for its time was unusual right?...”
Pana nods in a sardonic way. “For it’s time.”
“...Anyway, it was kinda like, hard to explain, but you know how things flipped, like suddenly. I thought, and I had been drinking, not a lot, that it was sort of happening there and then. Like I said, in retrospect, hard to explain. She wanted to have a wee, I said just use the bushes, I do, and she was like, ‘No, I can’t concentrate out in the open’…”
“There you go, an obvious sign.”
“...Yeah, tense. Suffice to say, she disappeared to go to the toilet and one of the males she was sitting with asked me over to sit with them, which I reluctantly did.**

___

Reading: "Etelke, I of the Conjurer" from COVEAL OF THE HEDONIC (A.Glass 2025).

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