Frolic of His Own (76 page)

—You'd better get some trousers on before you catch another cold and, oh Lily. I'm sorry, I woke you didn't I.

—Of course you woke her you woke both of us, it's the middle of the . . .

—You don't look well, Lily. Are you all right?

—She's had some bad news Christina, she's had a bad disappointment, you can see she's been crying can't you?

—No I'm okay I'm just, do you want some tea or something? You look cold.

—I'm a little bit hungry.

—Well we're all hungry Christina, we couldn't go shopping without a car could we? The way you drove my car out of here without even, without even calling we didn't know when you'd be back, there's nothing here but a box of spaghetti we can't go shopping in the middle of the night can we? I've been trying to call you and you wouldn't even answer that message I left on your machine, all I got was some woman who said she was Harry's sister what was she doing there, she hung up in my face I didn't even know he had one.

—Her name is Masha. He had two.

—Did she tell you I called? You knew what things were like out here, you could have called couldn't you? just to tell us when you'd be back so we wouldn't, so we'd know what was going on? or at least had him call? just had Harry call couldn't you?

—Harry's dead, Oscar.

—Well if he, if that's all he, what? No, what did you say?

—I'd rather not say it twice.

—But, no. No that's, no but wait Christina that's not what I, no! broken off by a rush and a cry of such anguish behind him that he was left standing there as though his blood had frozen.

—Oh God. Go and see to her, will you?

—But . . .

—Go and help her! her own hands coming up to bury her face —and for God's sake Oscar put on some trousers!

When he came back in fumbling with his clothes she was standing at the window gazing out at the dull glow in the sky far over the pond and he hesitated, and sat down on the sofa. —What happened? and after a moment she turned, sniffing into a tissue.

—Have you been smoking in here?

—Good God Christina I asked you what happened!

—And I just told you I'd rather not repeat it didn't I? She blew her nose sharply, —will you turn up the heat in here? It's cold as a tomb.

—I mean how did he, you know what I mean! We've been worried about you I've called and I just get this sister, this Masha hanging up in my face what's it all about, will you tell me?

—She's loathsome, they both are, the other one's a simpering little thing called Norrie poking around the apartment behind doors and plants I finally asked her what she was looking for, just that painting I gave you Christina, I thought you might have it hanging somewhere? A perfectly hideous thing of a sunset she'd painted herself for a wedding present that made it mean more than just spending a lot of money on some old Rembrandt and she wanted it back, can you imagine? We always wanted warm friendly relations with you when you joined the family but you always seemed so distant because we never had them in to dinner my God, joined the family! while both of them are looking at me as though I'd poisoned him Harry couldn't stand them either, Masha's husband Leo trying to pull him in on some sleazy real estate deal the one time they met he's a slumlord in Cleveland, shows her off in so much jewelry on her it looks fake painted up like a two dollar whore in there right now going through my cosmetics, she's . . .

—But why are they, what are they doing there! You mean you just walked out and left them in your . . .

—I told you didn't I! I couldn't stand the sight of them the, these dirty little looks between them, you and Harry weren't having any problems were you Christina? She's mean as a snake, Masha, both of them blaming me like ten of them trying to corner me that place all glass and mirrors and chrome that had been so, been so glorious when Harry and I, when I came in and he was standing there in a towel and the light and, and I had to get out I just had to get out!

—But they, is that all you brought with you? that book? Why did you . . .

—I don't know why I brought it! I just saw it there and, and . . .

—Oscar leave her alone!

—But all I wanted to know was . . .

—Just quit it! tea splashing from the cup in her haste across the room where their hands clasped one in the other, and the battered copy of Hard Times went to the floor.

—God Lily thank you I, I'm just exhausted, I . . .

—Listen! catching their breath for the shuffle of carpet slippers far down the hall and, as they sank down slowly, a distant trickle, trickle.

—My God is that, is he still here?

—He's still here! I told you Oscar, didn't I tell you? she hissed —he's the one! He's the one that brought it into this house with those ashes and his black sock and the snakes he's the one, she whispered.

—Lily listen you're just upset, we've got the car back now, when the time comes we can work things out but it's still the middle of the . . .

—Oscar look out the window it's not the middle of the night! Get him out of here! he's, I told you he's the messenger he can take it someplace else before he takes us all to the other side with him, get his clothes and get him in the car and get him out of here, he's done enough hasn't he? Look at her, look at Christina she's coming to pieces right in front of your eyes while you sit there asking these dumb questions, will you go put some clothes on and get him dressed while he's still up on his feet? Drink that while it's hot Christina and then go up and lay down, I'm going in and wash my face.

Now with dawn breaking through the frosted panes and the creak of the heat rising he came forth buttoning the gap in his trousers like some frayed apparition of old Saint Nick caught out, the last of the Magi surrounded by childhood betrayed in faces drained of all illusion as she skewed the plundered Gladstone toward the hall —and get him that coat Oscar with the fur collar on it.

—But that coat was . . .

—Just get it! herding him ahead of her now, —Christina? are the keys in the car?

—Yes but let Oscar do it, he can take the . . .

—He can stay here you might need him, can I take your coat?

—Yes here but, no I just need to sleep for God's sake take him with you and, Lily? will you pick up some food?

And as the doors clattered behind them —Get his arm, put him in the back he can sleep back there, can't he? and watching the fumbling at the brake, the ignition —my God here, let me drive or we'll never get there.

—But where, where are we going? he asked gripping the dashboard as they careened up the pitted drive.

—To the airport where do you think, you said he has his round trip ticket didn't you? as they swerved out into the road —and turn on some music will you? in case he should start to talk? and so they roared out onto the empty highway to the lowering strains of the Verklärte Nacht until she stabbed at the switch and engulfed them in noise more attuned to the speed of the car.

—What was wrong with that.

—It was spooky! she snapped back, her teeth clenched tight as her hands on the wheel headlong as though fleeing the sun rising behind them to the blare of brass and pounding bass and even voices raised in
screams sounding almost human carrying them, relieved along the way by the usual complement of shopping suggestions, storm window and used car sales, television repair and septic tank rejuvenation, to the posted exit westward where —look, she muttered to him, the land was bright with the lights of —the main terminal, stay here with him while I go in and check it out will you? and she blazed into the curb cutting off a stretch limousine with this dark green status symbol of conspicuous consumption emerging from it with a disdainful toss of the blonde haired leisure class only to be reclaimed by her own once inside among the milling suppliants for Coach Class dodging from one line to another, trying Information and finally surrendering to Snack Bar where her approach was threatened by the friendly advances of a large ungainly dog.

—Pookie stop it! in a flurry of mink —get down now don't, my God it's you! That glorious day we had in the country, it's Lily isn't it? Pookie stop it, you see he remembers you doesn't he, I mean it's rather sweet because he doesn't seem to remember me he can't even remember his own name now get down! with a futile tug at the braided leash —he's just trying to thank you isn't he!

—Me? gathering back her skirt from the dripping muzzle. —but . . .

—I mean you must think me simply gauche never to have called to thank you myself for your marvelous inspiration, I put ads in the papers the way you suggested offering a reward really more of a ransom and a most unsavoury young man appeared at my door quite unshaven in clothing that looked like he slept on the grates of course it may be the latest fashion I scarcely know anymore and I hardly recognized him, Pookie I mean he had him on a rope and my mind wasn't quite clear I'd been at a party with some Tibetans drinking yak milk the night before and he seemed rather larger than I'd remembered him God knows what they'd been feeding him I mean he's really quite enormous isn't he but thank God he doesn't bark and yap like he used to and the young man seemed quite content with my five hundred dollars, I mean there wasn't a peep out of him when we were robbed two nights later but tell me, how are you all how is Oscar.

—He's okay, he's right out in the . . .

—Out in the country oh I know, it restores your faith in human nature not having to see anyone, I've been helping Bunker do over his country place and I can't tell you how the creative spirit takes wings simply choosing new slipcovers, of course the place is bedlam because they've torn up the floor to put in the new bar with the space behind it for his barman a good foot lower since Bunker can't bear to look up at him and he's putting in an entire carpentry shop where his handyman can repair the furniture that gets broken at his parties without the outrageous prices and haggling these antique restorers put you through Pookie! get down!
Will you tell dear Teen that's why I haven't called her? I've simply been up to my eyes with these decorators and upholsterers and God knows what since the day we were married and I hope she wasn't annoyed at not being invited, I mean you only get married for the fourth time once but Bunker's lawyers wanted to get it out of the way this year on account of his taxes since I've had these marvelous losses wherever you look, will you just hold him for a moment? and she thrust out the leash, digging in her purse.

—But I have to go, I . . .

—Oh I know, it's down there on the left isn't it awful, I mean it always comes on you in public places like this God knows what you can catch.

—Get down quit it! Quit it!

—Pookie stop it! I just have to find my ticket to see where I'm going, there simply hasn't been a moment to get him spayed will you tell Teen that's why I haven't called? I mean I'd just seen her father's picture in the paper the old Judge, I don't remember what it was all about I think he'd done something terribly important and of course I haven't dared call dear Larry when I'm right in the midst of suing his ridiculous law firm behaving simply abominably over these bills and I really can't help blaming it is Larry, isn't it? because he got me mixed up with them in the first place but I haven't said a word because it might upset Teen whenever I've tried to call him they say he's out or in court of course I know he's simply trying to avoid facing me when they tell me he's away they can hardly expect me to believe them can they?

—Ouch! no, I think you can believe them this time . . .

—Pookie stop it! a ribbon of tickets fluttering in one hand as she yanked back the leash with the other —I mean after all self preservation's nine tenths of the law really, isn't it? and she was left clutching the ticket with —my God, Rio?

Outside at the curb, the policeman looming over the baleful figure huddled alone in the car's front seat looked up sharply from his summons pad to the disheveled onslaught of blonde hair, coat flying loose as she pulled up short for the moment it took her to seize the situation and rush at him with —Officer! pointing haphazard down the platform at a man who might have been fleeing for a tiled refuge from the throes of diarrhea —he stole my purse! and, the pursuit so joined, turned back to the car. —Where is he?

—Gone. I told him we'd wait for his . . . but she was already round the other side of the car.

—We're waiting for nothing! to the squeal of a cab's brakes behind them as she swept into the stream of traffic leading out to the highway full into the rising sun.

—You're driving too fast. What took you so long in there.

—A woman with a dog.

—But why did . . .

—I told you! Their course veered to the blare of horns as she reached up for the sunshade —a crazy woman with a dog!

—I thought you were finding out about his flight, I had to sit out there with him while he . . .

—What's that? where her eye caught the glitter of gold snapping open and closed in his hand.

—This? It's my grandfather's watch, it was in his pocket he almost forgot to give it to me. I had to sit out there with him while he dragged me through the whole thing again, Father getting furious when he saw that lower court decision where Mudpye put one over on that stupid woman judge and what fools we were not to spot the trap they laid for us letting us sue in district court here instead of California preempting the Federal statutes and getting it in under New York law and not even following through with an appeal, what kind of nitwits were my lawyers anyhow? This old bugger tried to run them down but they told him my lawyer had gone fishing and they didn't know anything about that black who showed up down there trying to register those family letters for copyright so Father sat down and did it himself. He knew Judge Bone, knew he'd see right through it but he sat down and wrote out the appeals brief himself and sent that local kid lawyer up here with it, that was Father. You want something done right you do it yourself, he could have called me couldn't he? what I was going through? May have thought I was a, that I was a damn fool that's what he said, that I was just a damn fool but I wasn't venal, that I'd sold out the family and Grandfather writing that movie he knew they were just using it to block his seat on the circuit court with the madness and all the rest of it but, and then he told me, when I said maybe Father thought I was a damn fool but, but he came through for me didn't he? snapping the watch case open, snapping it closed hard and clutching it there —that he cared about me, that he did it because he cared enough about me to . . .