William Gaddis - A Folic Of His Own

— 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!