discount for off-hours calls, but he wasn’t positive that there wasn’t anymore. So he did not argue with her supposition.
“Stewart, how are you?” she asked. She did not sound pleased. But then again, Stewart thought, she seldom sounded pleased.
Some people are just that way, I guess.
“I’m fine, Grams. Things up here are fine.”
Stewart’s grandmother had sold her home, the only home Stewart had known, while Stewart was a junior at Penn State. The breakup of all that was familiar to Stewart had been disastrous, like four cars crashing into each other at highway speeds—Stewart, his mother, his father, and his father’s mother, Stewart’s grandmother.
No one escaped without injury. And some injuries remained unhealed, untended for years and years, the scabs turning into tender scars, the pain hidden by silence, civility, and forced smiles.
“Have you heard from your father?”
Why don’t you just call him, Grams? He’s got a telephone. He’s your son, you know.
“Not recently. He’s still in Coudersport. I guess he’s still working for the county. I haven’t heard otherwise.”
Stewart’s grandmother did not speak, and Stewart grew uncomfortable in the silence.
“So, Grams, how are you?”
I think she needs me to ask.
“I’m fine, Stewart. If you called me more often, you would know these things.”
“I know. I keep forgetting.”
Silence.
“So, how’s sunny Florida? I think we finally have spring up here. Winter was hard, that’s for sure.”
“It’s hot and humid here. Like it always is, Stewart. They give the weather for Florida on the Weather Channel.”
“I know. I guess I don’t watch much television.”
“So…” she said, waiting, and Stewart held his tongue, not sure what she wanted him to say. “What about this dog business? That store that the newspaper mentioned—that is the one you work at, right? The Tops Market on Main Street.”
How does she know about the dog?
“Yes. It is. And how do you know about the dog?”
“Stewart,” she said, and then sighed loudly. “I may be old, but I don’t live in the Dark Ages. There is a computer in the community room downstairs that is attached to that Internet thing. Sometimes, if no one else is hogging it, I read the news from Wellsboro. The Gazette is online—isn’t that what they call it? I can’t afford that sort of computer and all those fancy setups and wireless thingamabobs, you know.”
“Oh. Okay. So you know that a dog has been stealing rawhide bones from the store. Mr. Arden is really upset. Put up posters all over town asking for help in catching it. Offering a reward, I guess.”
Stewart’s grandmother sniffed, as if an unpleasant smell had come across the phone wires.
“So, then, you’re still working there. At a grocery store.”
“I am, Grams. I’m looking all the time for something better.”
Maybe she’ll change the subject.
“Thebold’s grandmother said he just got a new position with something called Goldman Sachs. What is that, Stewart? She said he has to move to New York City. I wouldn’t do that for all the tea in China, but she said they are paying for his moving expenses. And a big salary, she said. What does that company do?”
“Stocks and securities, I think. Investing. Banking.”
Stewart’s grandmother sighed again.
“Maybe you could call him. You went to grade school together. Maybe he could get you a job there.”
This time Stewart sighed, but very quietly. They were walking on familiar ground.
“Maybe, Grams. But I haven’t seen him in, like, twenty years. And I didn’t study finance.”
“Please do not use ‘like’ in your sentences. Respect my years of teaching high school English.”
“I know. I know. It just slipped.”
“So what about this dog? Did they catch him yet? Do they think it has rabies?”
“Grams, I am pretty sure it doesn’t.”
At this point in the conversation, Hubert groaned quietly and stood up, shook himself, then sat
“Stewart, how are you?” she asked. She did not sound pleased. But then again, Stewart thought, she seldom sounded pleased.
Some people are just that way, I guess.
“I’m fine, Grams. Things up here are fine.”
Stewart’s grandmother had sold her home, the only home Stewart had known, while Stewart was a junior at Penn State. The breakup of all that was familiar to Stewart had been disastrous, like four cars crashing into each other at highway speeds—Stewart, his mother, his father, and his father’s mother, Stewart’s grandmother.
No one escaped without injury. And some injuries remained unhealed, untended for years and years, the scabs turning into tender scars, the pain hidden by silence, civility, and forced smiles.
“Have you heard from your father?”
Why don’t you just call him, Grams? He’s got a telephone. He’s your son, you know.
“Not recently. He’s still in Coudersport. I guess he’s still working for the county. I haven’t heard otherwise.”
Stewart’s grandmother did not speak, and Stewart grew uncomfortable in the silence.
“So, Grams, how are you?”
I think she needs me to ask.
“I’m fine, Stewart. If you called me more often, you would know these things.”
“I know. I keep forgetting.”
Silence.
“So, how’s sunny Florida? I think we finally have spring up here. Winter was hard, that’s for sure.”
“It’s hot and humid here. Like it always is, Stewart. They give the weather for Florida on the Weather Channel.”
“I know. I guess I don’t watch much television.”
“So…” she said, waiting, and Stewart held his tongue, not sure what she wanted him to say. “What about this dog business? That store that the newspaper mentioned—that is the one you work at, right? The Tops Market on Main Street.”
How does she know about the dog?
“Yes. It is. And how do you know about the dog?”
“Stewart,” she said, and then sighed loudly. “I may be old, but I don’t live in the Dark Ages. There is a computer in the community room downstairs that is attached to that Internet thing. Sometimes, if no one else is hogging it, I read the news from Wellsboro. The Gazette is online—isn’t that what they call it? I can’t afford that sort of computer and all those fancy setups and wireless thingamabobs, you know.”
“Oh. Okay. So you know that a dog has been stealing rawhide bones from the store. Mr. Arden is really upset. Put up posters all over town asking for help in catching it. Offering a reward, I guess.”
Stewart’s grandmother sniffed, as if an unpleasant smell had come across the phone wires.
“So, then, you’re still working there. At a grocery store.”
“I am, Grams. I’m looking all the time for something better.”
Maybe she’ll change the subject.
“Thebold’s grandmother said he just got a new position with something called Goldman Sachs. What is that, Stewart? She said he has to move to New York City. I wouldn’t do that for all the tea in China, but she said they are paying for his moving expenses. And a big salary, she said. What does that company do?”
“Stocks and securities, I think. Investing. Banking.”
Stewart’s grandmother sighed again.
“Maybe you could call him. You went to grade school together. Maybe he could get you a job there.”
This time Stewart sighed, but very quietly. They were walking on familiar ground.
“Maybe, Grams. But I haven’t seen him in, like, twenty years. And I didn’t study finance.”
“Please do not use ‘like’ in your sentences. Respect my years of teaching high school English.”
“I know. I know. It just slipped.”
“So what about this dog? Did they catch him yet? Do they think it has rabies?”
“Grams, I am pretty sure it doesn’t.”
At this point in the conversation, Hubert groaned quietly and stood up, shook himself, then sat
Similar Books
