William Gaddis - Carpenter's Gothic

Movement brought her eyes up, arrested by the clock; all that moved was the dapple of the leaf-filtered sun on the kitchen's white wall, still as breathing till she turned for the radio which promptly informed her that Milwaukee had topped the Indians four to one, but not of what game they were playing, and she turned it off, poured a glass of milk to carry up the stairs where she turned on the television and slipped off her blouse, sunk against pillows.

Where can I change dollars? Dónde puedo cambiar dolares?

She moved her own lips.

Can I change dollars in the hotel? Puedo cambiar dolares en el hotel?

Her lips moved with those on the screen.

At what time does the bank open? A qué hora…

— A qué hora… Even here, where the leaf-broken sun climbed from bared shoulder over her parted lips, the movement continued on the lids closed against it, penetrated in diffuse chiaroscuro where the movement composed the stillness and herself sealed up, time adrift as the sun reached further, shattered by the telephone. She spilled the milk reaching for it.

— Who operator…? Yes it is, speaking yes, it's me speaking I mean who's the call from, who… Oh! Yes put her on operator yes, Edie? How wonderful yes where are you, are you back? I got your card from Eleuth… oh. No I'd just so hoped to see you… You mean you're there now with Jack? I thought he was in Geneva, his office told me He… Oh honestly Edie, did you…? Well didn't everyone tell you that's what would happen? just like that frightful little Burmese who ran off with all your… Oh I hope not no, wait I can't hear you…

She came stretching the line off the foot of the bed where a mouse was flattening a cat with a sledgehammer and turned it off. — What? No it's, it was just some noise in the street Edie when will you be back…? Oh I wish I could I don't see how, we're just getting settled here and Paul's been so busy with all his… No it's a house it's a beautiful old Victorian house right up on the Hudson with a tower, there's a tower on the corner it's all windows that's where I am now, you look right out on the river and the trees, all the leaves are… No not yet we've just rented it, not from anybody I mean nobody we know but you'd love how it's furnished it's all, rosewood chairs and sideboards and the draperies in the alcoves all heavy silk lined and gold and the loveliest lamps and silk flowers I can't wait for you to see it it's just, c'est comme un petit musée, tout… Oh Edie, does it? really…? No well sort of practicing I guess yes, I mean the woman who came in to, today, who came in to lunch today yes a lady I've just met here, she's lived a lot in Haiti and came over for lunch and all we spoke was French, I haven't really… No I know there are just loads of interesting people we just haven't been here that long but Paul you know Paul meets everyone, he's been so busy with all his new clients there was a big story about one of them in the paper today and Paul thinks the next… what? No, honestly? He hasn't mentioned it to me but I mean what did your father say… Oh Edie honestly… Yes well Paul is sort of southern, I mean when he really wants to be but he's never even seen Long-view and he knows how your father feels about him, I can't imagine what he thought he could, wait a minute…

The box of tissue was out of reach and she was up for it and back, — Edie…? sopping up the spilled milk, — no it's, it's all fine Edie honestly Edie it's fine, it's not really Paul's fault he's just, he gets short-tempered sometimes and things haven't gone that well for him since Daddy but he's really trying hard to… No, no it's just so much better with all this clean air after New York and thank Jack for that lovely man he sent me to, that Doctor… who? You mean the girl we knew at Saint Tim's? Oh how awful… yes and after that terrible boy with the motorcycle how really awful… No I know it Daddy always said that, he always said her father was the best senator money could buy but when we were in Washington he always… No, against her father? he's running against Celtic's father…? Oh I know it yes, you've met him down there? but I mean isn't he black…? Oh Edie honestly, you mustn't… No of course I won't I won't tell a soul but your father will simply die if he ever… Oh Edie honestly…! No I know it doesn't, but… Where, with Squeekie? I thought she was in Hawaii with that bass player she found in… oh how awful, really…? No I know it's just money but it's still rather awful, she just always believes whatever she… No he's still around, he was here last week he showed up driving a moving van someplace but you know he and Paul can't stand the sight of… No it's not just that it's that and the estate and all the lawsuits and the trust, Adolph and the trust I can't wait for it to be over, he's just so angry at everybody and he's got this girl Sheila she's all beads and her hair's an inch long and everything's Buddhism and dope and their friends, I mean I thought Buddhism was supposed to be getting freed from desire and selfishness and all these ego things they've got one friend with filthy hair eight feet long piled on his head like a cowpie that's what they call him, Cowpie, he's from Akron I mean I've never seen so much bickering and egos it's just all so depressing it's just so sad Edie, it's really just all about money and it's just so sad. I mean even this girl's father, Sheila's father, he's got a dry cleaner's down on the east side and pays her rent where Billy's living he thought Billy was rich and just blames him for everything, when she went off to India he tried to… what? Oh Edie I'm sorry I didn't mean to go on so, it just all gets… I know it yes I know it but… No she's still in that nursing home Jack found for her nobody sees her, nobody goes to visit her she doesn't know you if you do, she just seems to sleep and Adolph complains about the bills and nobody… No I'm fine Edie honestly, I'm fine I just told you nothing's the matter, I've been… I haven't no, I mean it was going to be sort of a novel but I haven't worked on it since we got here I haven't written a word I haven't even looked at it I've, I've been so busy with, with people here a cancer charity and I'm, I mean I've even started Spanish lessons I just started them, just now when you called, I'd just come back when you called…

She pushed the milk-sodden heap away and brought a fresh tissue to her face, — Edie? I just so long to see you I wish you could visit, it's all so, it's such a beautiful day it's so gentle and warm for fall and the leaves are turning all yellows, all greens and yellows with the sun on them and there's one, one right down on the river with some red that's, that's just… Oh I hope so Edie I hope so, you were sweet to call but it's costing you a fortune, we'd better… Edie? goodbye…

She sat studying the blood fleck on her thumb until cries from the street brought her to the windows, boys (for some reason always all of them, boys) shambling up the hill below her on gusts of bold obscenities turning her back for the hall, the stairs, down getting breath at an alcove window. On the corner opposite, the old man from the house above bent sweeping leaves into a dustpan, straightened up carrying the thing level before him like an offering, each movement, each shuffled step reckoned anxiously toward an open garbage can where he emptied it with ceremonial concern, balanced the broom upright like a crosier getting his footing, wiping a dry forehead, perching his glasses square and lifting his bald gaze on high to branches yellow-blown with benisons yet to fall. She fled for the kitchen. Phone in one hand, the other flurried pages of the directory till she stopped, and dialed. — Yes hello? I'm calling about, do you have flights to Montego Bay…? Yes well I don't know exactly which day but, I mean I just want to know the fare… What? Oh, round trip I guess, yes. I mean it would have to be round trip, wouldn't it…