[Continued from part 2]

The phone didn’t ring any more on Friday night, and by Saturday morning it had been cleaned inside and out, wiping the dirty bits both literal and figurative.

My cellphone doesn’t have a batch delete option for the camera, so I had to delete each photo individually. The images flashed on the tiny screen, one after the other like a little nudie flip book. A jittery silent porno. Not much plot, but I’ve seen worse.

It wasn’t until the afternoon that I found the text messages.

Dozens and dozens of text messages, all to or from the same number. Hello, Mr. Formerly Blocked ID.

The play opens in the wee hours of Tuesday May 5:

Her: 1:52A Bring my cloths now my aunt is coming

Him: 1:58A On friday and i love u ok and stop hangin phone on me ok. That is not kool

Her: 2:02A Goodbye then were done

Him: 2:08A Hey listen i dont need it. I will drop them friday ok

Her: 2:16A I needthem now i wanted to take them u said ud bring them some r tonys now shes mad

Then silence for a half an hour, until she tries another tack:

Her: 2:38A I still loveu

Still no response from him. A half hour later, another volley:

Her:: 3:05A Come here i need sex with u.

Him: 3:05A I love u. Im coming ovr now.

Her: 3:06A Bring the cloths.

And so the curtain closes on Act I. The play resumes a couple hours later, and clearly there has been drama offstage:

Him: 4:57A So now ur chettin on me right. I c .

Her: 4:59A Ur wrong im no cheat.

Him: 5:00A I saw you like an hour ago

Her: 5:02A I was with you

Him: 5:04A That wuzn me you b

And after a pause:

Her: 5:15A U sure?

Him: 5:17A Id no if u were with me. I saw u.

Her: 5:18A LOL looked like u

Him: 5:19A If ur doin this at back then amanda am sorry i can se u anymore thanks

Her: 5:22A Made mistake any1 cud.

Him: 5:23A Crazy bich

Thus the curtain closes on Act I. On Thursday, our hero gives a soliloquy for Act II:

Him: 1:37A Can u call me pls

Him: 2:20A Call me

Him: 2:15A Why u call to just hang up.

Him: 2:40A Ur so mean i will drop ur stuff at robbes. Cuz i cant take this anymore and have fun with ur new man. How ru always hang up on me?

Act III takes place early Friday morning, when the passion and confusion of our protagonists builds to a dramatic conclusion:

Her: 6:18A When r u coming

Him: 6:33A Am working cuz i need money to pay my bills.so drop ur stuff around 6pm. Make sure phone is on cuz i have 31 cent

Her: 6:40A Ok

Her: 6:41A Thanks for being therewhen i need u

Him: 6:44A U say u need me. Then y u be with another man.

Her: 6:48A So long ago. U need to not hang on things. I love u only now.

Him: 6:58A And also i cant be with a person who has another man. So when i bring ur stuff an sorry amanda cuz ur hartin me alot and i can do this anymore

Her 6:47A I dont have any other man but u and done want one

Him: 7:13A Ur hartin me so much u know that right

Him: 7:20A U relly not have another man?

Her: 7:29A I love u only forevr. No other man is like u.

Him: 7:33A I love u.

Her: 7:36A Love u

Her: 7:44A Dont forget to bring the cloths

And so the curtain closes on our reconciled lovers. Presumably our hero delivers the clothes after work as promised. And so we begin to think of sentences that begin with “Happily” and end with “after.”

But lo! Before the house lights rise, there is a denouement:

Him: 6:24P Thanks for letting me kno u dont have one, and u dont wants one. Is all good

Her: 6:26P Rick is my man now.

Him: 6:33P C R A Z Y B T C H

Her: 6:40P Joking wit u. Srry. Love u

Him: 6:43P Dont do that to m

Her: 8:56P Gonn c u later right. I need sex with u.

Him: 9:35P U want me to com ovr now?

Her: 9:39P Ya need u now.

Her: 9:43P Bring the rst of the cloths

And… scene!