anyone want to be in neutral? You’re either moving forward or moving backwards. Seriously, this whole right of way and neutral business is too complicated.”
“You’re making it complicated, Jess. It’s a driver’s test. Don’t get so bent out of shape.”
But I couldn’t help it. I was fixated on neutral, and where I wanted to be was moving forward, with Jonas, fast. Typical of him not to notice the deeper meaning in what I was saying.
CHAPTER 5
“How are you feeling, Mr. Levy?”
It was a Friday afternoon, the weekend was upon us, and I’d delayed going home. Visiting the Levy family gave me the fictitious belief that I was no longer alone.
“Old,” he answered.
“You’re not old,” I said. “Mrs. Maxwell down the hall, now she’s really old . She’s fifty-five.”
“Fifty-five?” he laughed, “I’ll forgive you for that one, Jessie.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say you’re old.”
“It’s okay. Unfortunately I feel like a ninety-one-year-old. It’s not good for business, that much I can tell you.”
“What business is that?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It matters. What did you do before you got sick?”
“Guess,” he said.
“I love guessing games. Banking?”
“No.”
“Lawyer?”
“Do I come across that boring and stuffy?”
“Absolutely not,” I said with conviction. “You’re the furthest thing from boring and stuffy, especially with MTV playing in your room all day long.”
“Why the uptight professions?”
“I see how the doctors and nurses take care of you, how they respect you. I guess I just see you in a position of power, like Blake Carrington on Dynasty .”
“Now that’s a person I’ve never been compared to.”
“It’s not a criticism. Blake Carrington’s a pretty successful guy.”
“Depends on how you define success. For some it’s power and prestige. For others it’s something different.”
“What is it to you?”
“My family.”
“That’s nice,” I gushed.
“You look very happy when you smile,” he noted.
“I was thinking the same thing about you.”
“Then let’s do it more often.”
“It’s a deal,” I said, kindly offering my hand to him, but he was having trouble reaching my fingers with the IV hooked up at an angle that made the stretch painful. His fingers had also turned that eerie shade of blue that Jonas was concerned about. I stretched my arm farther and slid my hand beneath his palm, giving it a friendly squeeze. “There, it’s official. Now, tell me what you do. You’re not some famous celebrity, are you?”
“You are persistent,” he laughed, while a deep cough broke away from his chest. For a brief time, I had forgotten he was sick. “See that?” he said, nodding toward the television. It was MTV again. I was already thrown by his fixation on this new-borne phenomenon and wasn’t sure if it had to do with the network or U2 singing on the screen. “That’s what I do.
“And you see this radio over here?” he said, motioning to the boom box that had been brought in. “That’s part of my job too.”
I had noticed the stereo system, the piles of cassettes, the addiction to MTV, but I figured these were merely hobbies. It never occurred to me that they might make up a profession. Maybe there was hope for me to decide on a career after all.
“Have you heard of Mindy Samuels?”
“Of course.”
“And Chuck Perry?”
“Hello. I’m a teenager in America. Who hasn’t…”
“The Funk Brothers?”
“Oh, my God, I love them. They’re one of my favorites.”
“They’re all part of my job.” He then pointed to the Los Angeles Times that lay beside him. His coughing was getting worse.
“Guess you didn’t read the paper this morning?” he asked.
“Only my horoscope, Dear Abby, and tonight’s television lineup.” This , I hadn’t seen. There it was, a full-page article about the man in the bed.
“I’m too tired, Jessie. It tells you everything you need to
“You’re making it complicated, Jess. It’s a driver’s test. Don’t get so bent out of shape.”
But I couldn’t help it. I was fixated on neutral, and where I wanted to be was moving forward, with Jonas, fast. Typical of him not to notice the deeper meaning in what I was saying.
CHAPTER 5
“How are you feeling, Mr. Levy?”
It was a Friday afternoon, the weekend was upon us, and I’d delayed going home. Visiting the Levy family gave me the fictitious belief that I was no longer alone.
“Old,” he answered.
“You’re not old,” I said. “Mrs. Maxwell down the hall, now she’s really old . She’s fifty-five.”
“Fifty-five?” he laughed, “I’ll forgive you for that one, Jessie.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say you’re old.”
“It’s okay. Unfortunately I feel like a ninety-one-year-old. It’s not good for business, that much I can tell you.”
“What business is that?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It matters. What did you do before you got sick?”
“Guess,” he said.
“I love guessing games. Banking?”
“No.”
“Lawyer?”
“Do I come across that boring and stuffy?”
“Absolutely not,” I said with conviction. “You’re the furthest thing from boring and stuffy, especially with MTV playing in your room all day long.”
“Why the uptight professions?”
“I see how the doctors and nurses take care of you, how they respect you. I guess I just see you in a position of power, like Blake Carrington on Dynasty .”
“Now that’s a person I’ve never been compared to.”
“It’s not a criticism. Blake Carrington’s a pretty successful guy.”
“Depends on how you define success. For some it’s power and prestige. For others it’s something different.”
“What is it to you?”
“My family.”
“That’s nice,” I gushed.
“You look very happy when you smile,” he noted.
“I was thinking the same thing about you.”
“Then let’s do it more often.”
“It’s a deal,” I said, kindly offering my hand to him, but he was having trouble reaching my fingers with the IV hooked up at an angle that made the stretch painful. His fingers had also turned that eerie shade of blue that Jonas was concerned about. I stretched my arm farther and slid my hand beneath his palm, giving it a friendly squeeze. “There, it’s official. Now, tell me what you do. You’re not some famous celebrity, are you?”
“You are persistent,” he laughed, while a deep cough broke away from his chest. For a brief time, I had forgotten he was sick. “See that?” he said, nodding toward the television. It was MTV again. I was already thrown by his fixation on this new-borne phenomenon and wasn’t sure if it had to do with the network or U2 singing on the screen. “That’s what I do.
“And you see this radio over here?” he said, motioning to the boom box that had been brought in. “That’s part of my job too.”
I had noticed the stereo system, the piles of cassettes, the addiction to MTV, but I figured these were merely hobbies. It never occurred to me that they might make up a profession. Maybe there was hope for me to decide on a career after all.
“Have you heard of Mindy Samuels?”
“Of course.”
“And Chuck Perry?”
“Hello. I’m a teenager in America. Who hasn’t…”
“The Funk Brothers?”
“Oh, my God, I love them. They’re one of my favorites.”
“They’re all part of my job.” He then pointed to the Los Angeles Times that lay beside him. His coughing was getting worse.
“Guess you didn’t read the paper this morning?” he asked.
“Only my horoscope, Dear Abby, and tonight’s television lineup.” This , I hadn’t seen. There it was, a full-page article about the man in the bed.
“I’m too tired, Jessie. It tells you everything you need to
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