clear blue,
like it is on a nice summer morning.
“They’re building a raft,” repeated Andy. He was sitting on his deck, drinking his outdoor morning coffee.
“What does that mean?”
“I don’t know. But it looks like they plan to leave,” said Andy. “Maybe they got scared by the thunderstorm last night.”
“That means trouble! . . . That means trouble. Did they find the saw?”
“Yes.”
“Damn,
I knew it! What should they think if they find a perfectly new saw on—” Jim exhaled some air instead of finishing his sentence. Then he swung his cell phone through the air and shouted, “Moron!” to a passing taxi that had just cut a turn too close.
Andy kept listening to his phone, a little puzzled. He took a sip of his coffee.
“Look,” he said, once he knew he had Jim back on the line, “they probably saw the other island. The one I observe them from. Maybe they think it’s the mainland.”
“What can we do?”
“Worst-case scenario is that they leave and head for that island. Nothing can happen—no harm’s done.”
“Yes, but what can we do? We can’t just pick them up there, can we?”
“No—heck, no.”
“We have to do something,” said Jim, waiting by a Don’t Walk sign.
“Look, let’s observe what they’re doing. Maybe they’re just building the raft for fishing—who knows?”
“I don’t like it, but I guess that’s the only thing we can do now. It was a crazy idea from the beginning.”
“It’s not crazy. I told you—it’s likely to work out, because she just went through some split-up with a good-looking, lazy, boring bastard. Beautiful women need someone who understands their beauty.” Andy stopped for a moment. “Not only their physical beauty. You know what I mean, don’t you?”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”
“So let’s sleep on it. Nothing’s out of control. I’ll keep an eye on them.”
Jim thought for a moment. “But call me as soon as something happens.”
“Of course I will . . . Oh, I almost forgot—did you see the commercial yet?”
“You mean your new one? . . . No.”
“Check the Discovery Channel—it’s on all the time. It came off better than expected. It’s really great.”
“That’s great for you.”
31.
Jim is on his way home. He’s walking to the subway
station with Arnold.
“What would you do if you got lost on a beautiful island with a beautiful girl?” asked Jim.
“That would be great . . . What would I do, though?” He started to think. “What do you mean, what would I do, Mr. Frazier?” he said, looking up at Jim.
“Just tell me what you would do.”
Arnold started to think again. “Well, I wouldn’t have to do anything, because there the girl’s almost forced to fall in love with me. That would be great,” said Arnold.
“But what if you got scared on the island at night?”
“Hmm. That’s a good question.” He thought for a moment, then said, “I would probably build a fort where I could live.”
“That’s an interesting idea,” said Jim, pressing his lips together. “But what if you had enough wood to build a raft?”
“You can’t just build a raft. You need tools.”
“So if you had the tools?”
“Then I would probably build a raft,” said Arnold, but it seemed he had already forgotten what he would build it for.
Jim realized it was a hopeless case, so they walked in silence for a while.
32.
At the Fraziers’. Evening.
Pete was glued to the TV set.
All of a sudden he stood up and said, “Whoa, that’s awesome.”
He sat down again. “Whoa, that’s really something.” Then, “Mom?”
No answer came.
The door opened and Jim came in.
“Hi, Dad. Did you see the commercial yet? It was just on.”
Jim was looking around, trying to get his bearings.
33.
On the phone. Next morning.
“What?”
“They left the island,” repeated Andy. He almost had to shout over the loud hip-hop music in his car.
“Where are they now?” asked Jim.
“Probably on the way to the
like it is on a nice summer morning.
“They’re building a raft,” repeated Andy. He was sitting on his deck, drinking his outdoor morning coffee.
“What does that mean?”
“I don’t know. But it looks like they plan to leave,” said Andy. “Maybe they got scared by the thunderstorm last night.”
“That means trouble! . . . That means trouble. Did they find the saw?”
“Yes.”
“Damn,
I knew it! What should they think if they find a perfectly new saw on—” Jim exhaled some air instead of finishing his sentence. Then he swung his cell phone through the air and shouted, “Moron!” to a passing taxi that had just cut a turn too close.
Andy kept listening to his phone, a little puzzled. He took a sip of his coffee.
“Look,” he said, once he knew he had Jim back on the line, “they probably saw the other island. The one I observe them from. Maybe they think it’s the mainland.”
“What can we do?”
“Worst-case scenario is that they leave and head for that island. Nothing can happen—no harm’s done.”
“Yes, but what can we do? We can’t just pick them up there, can we?”
“No—heck, no.”
“We have to do something,” said Jim, waiting by a Don’t Walk sign.
“Look, let’s observe what they’re doing. Maybe they’re just building the raft for fishing—who knows?”
“I don’t like it, but I guess that’s the only thing we can do now. It was a crazy idea from the beginning.”
“It’s not crazy. I told you—it’s likely to work out, because she just went through some split-up with a good-looking, lazy, boring bastard. Beautiful women need someone who understands their beauty.” Andy stopped for a moment. “Not only their physical beauty. You know what I mean, don’t you?”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”
“So let’s sleep on it. Nothing’s out of control. I’ll keep an eye on them.”
Jim thought for a moment. “But call me as soon as something happens.”
“Of course I will . . . Oh, I almost forgot—did you see the commercial yet?”
“You mean your new one? . . . No.”
“Check the Discovery Channel—it’s on all the time. It came off better than expected. It’s really great.”
“That’s great for you.”
31.
Jim is on his way home. He’s walking to the subway
station with Arnold.
“What would you do if you got lost on a beautiful island with a beautiful girl?” asked Jim.
“That would be great . . . What would I do, though?” He started to think. “What do you mean, what would I do, Mr. Frazier?” he said, looking up at Jim.
“Just tell me what you would do.”
Arnold started to think again. “Well, I wouldn’t have to do anything, because there the girl’s almost forced to fall in love with me. That would be great,” said Arnold.
“But what if you got scared on the island at night?”
“Hmm. That’s a good question.” He thought for a moment, then said, “I would probably build a fort where I could live.”
“That’s an interesting idea,” said Jim, pressing his lips together. “But what if you had enough wood to build a raft?”
“You can’t just build a raft. You need tools.”
“So if you had the tools?”
“Then I would probably build a raft,” said Arnold, but it seemed he had already forgotten what he would build it for.
Jim realized it was a hopeless case, so they walked in silence for a while.
32.
At the Fraziers’. Evening.
Pete was glued to the TV set.
All of a sudden he stood up and said, “Whoa, that’s awesome.”
He sat down again. “Whoa, that’s really something.” Then, “Mom?”
No answer came.
The door opened and Jim came in.
“Hi, Dad. Did you see the commercial yet? It was just on.”
Jim was looking around, trying to get his bearings.
33.
On the phone. Next morning.
“What?”
“They left the island,” repeated Andy. He almost had to shout over the loud hip-hop music in his car.
“Where are they now?” asked Jim.
“Probably on the way to the
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