before I had the accident?”
“Where were you?” My mother looked at her most serene. “Why, you were here, of course, darling.”
“I stayed on right here after my father died? I went out in the Buick from here when I had the accident?”
“Why, of course, Gordy. You...” My mother broke off suddenly, a flush spreading her cheeks. “Marny hasn’t been telling you things, has she?”
I had promised Netti not to give her away, but since my mother assumed I’d got the information from Marny I had no scruples.
“I heard,” I said, “that I disappeared the day my father died and that I never showed up again until I was found in the wrecked car. I heard,” I added, “that I was on a prolonged and colossal bat.”
My mother’s smooth white fingers were tapping agitatedly on her lap. I caught a flash of anger blazing in her eyes. She wasn’t the sort of person I had thought of as getting angry. But she controlled herself superbly. Almost immediately the old soothing smile was in command.
“Darling, whoever told you that was awfully naughty. Yes, I’m afraid I lied. You were off on one of your… er… jaunts.” She glanced swiftly at Dr. Croft. “Nate and I decided it was best to keep quiet about it for a while. After all, it’s not a very nice memory and it does you no good to be told.”
“Don’t worry, Gordy, old man.” Dr. Nate Croft was smiling his reassuring smile. “We all of us go on a bender once in a while.” His face was serious. “Maybe that’s the memory you’re trying to suppress, Gordy. Getting tight, missing your father’s funeral... You know, it the sort of thing a guy wishes he hadn’t done.”
I asked the question to which Netti had given me so darkly cryptic an answer. “Why did I pick the day Father died to go off on a bat?”
Mrs. Friend was in entire control of herself now. She watched me serenely. “Really, dear, I wouldn’t know, would I? I expect you were depressed about your poor father being sick. Or”—she shrugged—“you never were particularly reasonable about the times you chose, you know.”
“But I walked out while he was actually dying.”
Mrs. Friend patted my hand. “Darling boy, don’t start nagging yourself about it. After all, it wasn’t as if you knew he was dying. It happened after you left.”
“Suddenly?”
“Yes, dear, quite suddenly—with no warning.”
Dr. Croft’s lips were stretched again, but this time the reassuring smile looked a bit sickly. “Even the doctor wasn’t prepared for it, Gordy. So you see you can’t blame yourself.” He turned to my mother. “Well, Mrs. Friend, this is a lot of fun, but a doctor’s a doctor. There’s a pile of work ahead of me still.” He took my left hand in his, letting his warm, smooth fingers linger there. “I think we’ve got you straightened out now, eh, Gordy?”
“I guess,” I said.
A shadow of annoyance passed across his face as if he felt I wasn’t convinced and it wounded his professional pride.
“If the feeling keeps up,” he said stiffly, “we’ll get a second opinion. There’s no reason why you should have confidence in me.”
He made me feel I had been pointlessly crass. I said: “Sure I have confidence in you, Nate.”
“You do? After all, it’s kind of silly thinking of us as enemies. We’re your friends, you know.”
He smiled. So did my mother.
“We’re your friends, aren’t we, darling?” she repeated.
“Sure,” I said. “Sure, you’re my friends.”
Chapter 7
“Take it easy, Gordy. Don’t force anything. You’ll be all right. ’Night now. ’Night, Mrs. Friend.”
Nate Croft moved to the door. My mother looked down at me and then, as if suddenly remembering something, she rose hurriedly and followed the doctor out of the room.
Although she was supposed to be nursing me, she didn’t come back. No one came for a long time. I started feeling sleepy. The little gold travelling clock on the bedside
“Where were you?” My mother looked at her most serene. “Why, you were here, of course, darling.”
“I stayed on right here after my father died? I went out in the Buick from here when I had the accident?”
“Why, of course, Gordy. You...” My mother broke off suddenly, a flush spreading her cheeks. “Marny hasn’t been telling you things, has she?”
I had promised Netti not to give her away, but since my mother assumed I’d got the information from Marny I had no scruples.
“I heard,” I said, “that I disappeared the day my father died and that I never showed up again until I was found in the wrecked car. I heard,” I added, “that I was on a prolonged and colossal bat.”
My mother’s smooth white fingers were tapping agitatedly on her lap. I caught a flash of anger blazing in her eyes. She wasn’t the sort of person I had thought of as getting angry. But she controlled herself superbly. Almost immediately the old soothing smile was in command.
“Darling, whoever told you that was awfully naughty. Yes, I’m afraid I lied. You were off on one of your… er… jaunts.” She glanced swiftly at Dr. Croft. “Nate and I decided it was best to keep quiet about it for a while. After all, it’s not a very nice memory and it does you no good to be told.”
“Don’t worry, Gordy, old man.” Dr. Nate Croft was smiling his reassuring smile. “We all of us go on a bender once in a while.” His face was serious. “Maybe that’s the memory you’re trying to suppress, Gordy. Getting tight, missing your father’s funeral... You know, it the sort of thing a guy wishes he hadn’t done.”
I asked the question to which Netti had given me so darkly cryptic an answer. “Why did I pick the day Father died to go off on a bat?”
Mrs. Friend was in entire control of herself now. She watched me serenely. “Really, dear, I wouldn’t know, would I? I expect you were depressed about your poor father being sick. Or”—she shrugged—“you never were particularly reasonable about the times you chose, you know.”
“But I walked out while he was actually dying.”
Mrs. Friend patted my hand. “Darling boy, don’t start nagging yourself about it. After all, it wasn’t as if you knew he was dying. It happened after you left.”
“Suddenly?”
“Yes, dear, quite suddenly—with no warning.”
Dr. Croft’s lips were stretched again, but this time the reassuring smile looked a bit sickly. “Even the doctor wasn’t prepared for it, Gordy. So you see you can’t blame yourself.” He turned to my mother. “Well, Mrs. Friend, this is a lot of fun, but a doctor’s a doctor. There’s a pile of work ahead of me still.” He took my left hand in his, letting his warm, smooth fingers linger there. “I think we’ve got you straightened out now, eh, Gordy?”
“I guess,” I said.
A shadow of annoyance passed across his face as if he felt I wasn’t convinced and it wounded his professional pride.
“If the feeling keeps up,” he said stiffly, “we’ll get a second opinion. There’s no reason why you should have confidence in me.”
He made me feel I had been pointlessly crass. I said: “Sure I have confidence in you, Nate.”
“You do? After all, it’s kind of silly thinking of us as enemies. We’re your friends, you know.”
He smiled. So did my mother.
“We’re your friends, aren’t we, darling?” she repeated.
“Sure,” I said. “Sure, you’re my friends.”
Chapter 7
“Take it easy, Gordy. Don’t force anything. You’ll be all right. ’Night now. ’Night, Mrs. Friend.”
Nate Croft moved to the door. My mother looked down at me and then, as if suddenly remembering something, she rose hurriedly and followed the doctor out of the room.
Although she was supposed to be nursing me, she didn’t come back. No one came for a long time. I started feeling sleepy. The little gold travelling clock on the bedside
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