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"Rent out a studio with a couple of friends Buy an intaglio press--that’s what I used to create the prints Make art Sell it"

"Are you going to quit your day job?"

"Eventually, if I can et an MFA want to teach, or at least they want towhile they pursue their art Sorants and support theetter to do that I’ht words I never thought I’d hear, I toldto another exhibit This one featured two identical steel tracks that were twisted into an upward spiral not unlike a staircase The steps consisted of thirty six-by-four-inch silk prints hung froe of a small child at the top and an old es, son, some familiar, and some incomprehensible to me The card on the wall read STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN, B ROSAS

"I have a question," I told Benny

"What?"

"Shouldn’t the child be at the bottom and the adult at the top?"

"The stairway to heaven doesn’t go up," Benny said "It goes down As a baby, as a child, we are as close to heaven as we’re likely to get We slide away because of the choices weour lives"

"That’s a cynical attitude"

"The ih the piece because that’s a part of hoas raised But s were passed down to randmother’s brooch--and how all that influenced es, I decided Bennythirty-five years I was about to ask her about thehtened on my arm

"Oops," she said

"What is it?"

"My boyfriend"

Aas he plowed through the crowd I assu at me when he reached us From his expression, he wasn’t thrilled to seebetween us

"Benita," he said

She placed a hand solidly against his chest, stopping him "Lorenzo," she said

"Benita," he repeated "May I speak with you for a moment?"

"No" Benita added a head shake to her words "No, not now We can talk some other time"

"Please"

Lorenzo reached out his hand, but I intercepted it before it could fall on Benny’s arer

"I was speaking to Benita, not you," he said