Kent Haruf - Our Souls at Night

I still think you should think about this.

I have, and I like it.

Hell, Daddy.

—

In the end I came to admire some of her qualities, Louis said. She was a good person, with a definite inner direction. She wouldn’t do what others expected of her. We were pretty poor some of those years in the beginning, but she never wanted a career. She had her own ideas. She wanted her independence. I don’t know if it made her happy, though. People talk about life being a journey now, so you could say that was what she was doing. She had a number of women friends here. They would get together at someone’s house and talk about their lives and what women wanted. She talked about us, I’m sure. Women’s liberation was just coming on big then. But we had some other problems too. And it was at least interesting to me that I would be taking care of Holly at night while her mother was at somebody else’s house complaining to her friends about me. It seemed a little ironic. And there was that time with Tamara.

I thought you said she forgave that, Addie said.

I think she did. I think she wanted me back at the time. But I’m sure it came up in their talks. I could tell her friends thought differently about me. But she loved Holly. From the beginning. They were very close. Diane confided in her at an early age. I thought it wasn’t right, talking to her that way, telling everything. But she did anyway. She kept Holly drawn in to her.

You haven’t said how you met.

Oh. Well, we met like you say you and Carl did. We met in college in Fort Collins. We got married after we both graduated. She was a beautiful young woman. We didn’t know anything about making a home or setting up a house. She’d never done any cooking growing up or much housework, her mother did all that. I grew up here in Holt.

Yes, I know that.

For a couple years after we graduated, I was teaching in a little school on the Front Range and when a job opened up in the high school here they hired me and I came back home and have been here ever since. Forty-seven years now. We had Holly, and as I say Diane didn’t go to work when she might have after Holly started school.

I didn’t really have a career either.

You worked. I know you did.

On a night in June Louis said, I had an idea today. Do you want to hear it?

Of course.

Well, I told you about Dorlan Becker at the bakery who said something about us and I’ve told you about Holly’s old high school friends calling her.

Yes, and I told you about going to the grocery store with Ruth and what the clerk said. And what Ruth said.

So here’s my idea. Just to make a virtue out of a necessity. Let’s go downtown in the middle of broad daylight and have lunch at the Holt Café, and walk right down Main Street and take our time and enjoy ourselves.

When do you want to do it?

This Saturday noon when they’re the busiest at the café.

Okay. I’ll be ready.

I’ll call for you.

I might even put on something bright and flashy.

That’s the ticket, Louis said. I might wear a red shirt.

—

On Saturday he came to her house a little before noon and she came out in a yellow bare-backed summer dress and he had on a red and green western short-sleeved shirt, and they walked from Cedar over to Main Street and down the sidewalk four blocks and then past the stores on that side of the street, the bank and the shoe store and the jewelry shop and the department store, walking along all the old-fashioned false storefronts. They stood at the corner of Second and Main in the bright noon sun waiting for the light to change and looked straight back at the people they met and greeted them and nodded and she had her arm entwined with his and then they walked across the street to the Holt Café where he opened the door for her and followed her inside. They stood waiting to be seated. People inside looked at them. They knew about half of those sitting in the café, or at least knew who they were.

The girl came and said, Is it the two of you?

It is, Louis said. We’d like one of those tables out in the middle.

They followed her to a table and Louis pulled out the chair for Addie and then sat next to her, not across from her but close beside her. The girl tookem; margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 2em; text-align: ba about his hand their order and Louis held Addie’s hand out on the table and looked around the room. The food came and they began to eat.

Doesn’t seem too revolutionary so far, Louis said.

No. People are polite enough in public. Nobody wants to make a public fuss. And I think we’re overreacting anyway. People have more on their minds than worrying about us.

Before they were finished eating, three women stopped by the table individually and said hello and then went on out.

The last woman said, I’ve been hearing about you two.

What have I had. I saw

Addie Moore had a grandson named Jamie who was just turning six. In the early summer the trouble between his parents got worse. There were bad arguments in the kitchen and bedroom, accusations and recriminations, her tears and his shouts. They finally separated on a trial basis and she went off to California to stay with a friend, leaving Jamie with his father. He called Addie and told her what happened, that his wife had quit her job as a hairdresser and had gone out to the West Coast.

What’s wrong? Addie said. What’s this about?

We can’t get along. She won’t meet halfway on anything.

When did she leave?

Two days ago. I don’t know what to do.

What about Jamie?

That’s why I called. Could he come out and stay with you for a while?

When is Beverly coming back?

I don’t know if she is coming back.

She’s not just going to leave her son, is she?

Mom, I don’t know, I can’t say what she’ll do. And there’s something else I haven’t told you yet. I’vem; margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 2em; text-align: CDart doesn’t mattere only got till the end of the month. I’ve got to close the store.

Why? What happened there?

It’s the economy, Mom, it’s not me. Nobody wants to buy new furniture now. I need your help.

When do you want to bring him to me?

This weekend. I’ll manage till then.

All right. But you know how hard this is for little children.

What else am I going to do?

—

That night when Louis came to her house she told him about the new arrangement.

I guess that’s the end of us, he said.

Oh, I won’t think that, Addie said. Just wait for him to be here a day or two, will you, then come over to meet him during the day and then come again at night. We can at least see how it goes. I’ll need your help with him anyway. If you’re willing.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been around little kids, Louis said.

Me too, she said.

What’s wrong with his parents? What’s their particular trouble?

He’s too controlling, too protective, and she’s had enough of it. She’s angry and wants to do things on her own. It’s not a new story. Gene doesn’t put it like that, of course.

Some of his problems have to do with what happened to his sister, I take it.

I’m sure they do. I can’t tell about Beverly. I’ve never gotten close to her. I don’t think she wants that with me. There’s something else too. He’s losing his store. He’s had this idea of selling unpainted furniture, people buy it cheaply and paint it themselves. I don’t think it was ever a very good idea. He might have to declare bankruptcy. He told me that this morning. I’ll have to support him till he finds something new. I’ve helped him before. I’ve agreed to help him again.