from my office earlier today

paul and i exchanged harried cell phone messages in between our normal lives
about jak
i’m worried for his safety as an american in africa
the last we heard he’d been living in ghana
and that’s close enough
paul had been leaving urgent notes with someone at the last known address
so far to no avail
and there’s the issue of times zones between us all that i’ve not bothered to consider
he may have moved on by now, paul would say when it was his turn
and i’d reply without any consideration to honesty, I’m sure everything’s fine.
but i’m positive this sick feeling in my stomach isn’t going to stop until i know for sure