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.How is he?""Up and down.One day he looks fine; the next he can't get out of bed.The surgeon says he definitely needs the operation but is too weak to gothrough it right now too congestive, and they're still not sure how manyarteries are involved.They're trying to stabilize him with rest and medicine,Page 112 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlget him strong enough for more tests.I don't know.What can you do? That's the way things go.So how are you? I already asked youthat, didn't I?""Keeping busy.""That's good, Alex.""The koi spawned.""Pardon?""The koi the fish in the pond are laying eggs.First time they've ever doneit.""How nice," she said."So now you'll be a daddy.""Yup.""Ready for the responsibility?""I don't know," I said."We're talking multiple births." If any.She said, "Well, look at it this way.At least there'll be no diapers to dealwith."Both of us laughed, said "So at the same time, and laughed again.Synchrony.But stilted.Like bad summer-stock theater.She said, "Been down to the school?""Last week.Everything seems to be going well.""Real well, from what I hear.I spoke to Ben a couple of days ago.He's turned out to be a bang-up principal.""He's a nice guy," I said."Organized, too.You made a good recemmendation.""Yeah, he is.Very organized." She gave another heartless chuckle."Wonder if I'll have a job when I get back.""I'm sure you will.Made any plans, yet in terms of getting back?""No," she said sharply."How in the world can I?"I was silent.She said, "I didn't mean to snap, Alex.It's just been hell.waiting.Sometimes I think waiting's the hardest thing in the world.Even worse than.Anyway, no sense obsessing on it.It's all part of growingup and being a big girl and facing reality, isn't it?""I'd say you've had more than your share of reality lately."Page 113 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Yeah," she said."Good for toughening up the old hide.""I kind of like your hide the way it is."Pause."Alex, thanks for coming out last month.The three days you spent outhere were the best days I've had.""Want me to come out again?""I wish I could say yes, but I'd be no good to you."You don't have to be good.""That's sweet of you to say but.no it just wouldn't work out.I need to.bewith him.Make sure he gets good care.""I take it Dolores hasn't become much of a nurse?""You take it correctly.She's the original Helpless Hannah a broken nail's amajor tragedy.Till now she's been one of those lucky idiots, never had todeal with anything like this.But the sicker he gets, the more she fallsapart.And when she falls apart, she talks.Lord, how she talks.I don't know how Daddy tolerates it.Thank God I'm hereto shelter him.It's as if she's bad weather-a wordstorm.I said, "I know.I got caught in the downpour.""Poor you."I'll survive."Silence.I tried to conjure her face blond hair against my chest.The feel ofour bodies.The images wouldn't come."Anyway," she said, sounding very tired."Is there anything I can do for you long distance?""Thanks, but I can't think of anything, Alex.Just think good thoughts aboutme.And take care of yourself.""You, too, Linda.""I'll be fine.""I know you will."She said, "I think I hear him coughing.Yeah, I sure do.Got to be going.""Bye.""Bye."I changed into shorts, aT-shirt, and sneakers, and tried to run off the phonecall and the twelve hours that had preceded it.Got home just as the sun wassetting, showered, and put on my ratty yellow bathrobe and rubber thongs.Page 114 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlAfter dark I went back down to the garden and ran a flashlight over thesurface of the water.The fish were inert; even the light didn't arouse them.Postcoital bliss? Some of the egg clusters seemed to have dissipated, butseveral remained, adhering to the pond walls.After I'd been down there for a quarter of an hour, I heard the phone.News from San Labrador, finally.Hopefully, mother and daughter had started totalk.I vaulted up the stairs to the landing and made it into the house in time tocatch it on the fifth ring."Hello.""Alex?" Familiar voice.Familiar, though I hadn't heard it in a time.This time the images tumbled out like vending-machine long candy."Hello, Robin.""You sound out of breath.Everything okay?""Fine.Just made a mad dash up from the garden.""Hope I'm not interrupting anything.""No, no.What's up?""Nothing much.Just wanted to say hi."I thought her voice lacked buoyancy, but it had been a while since I'd been anexpert on anything to do with her."Hi.How've you been doing?""Just great.Working on an arch-top for Joni Mitchell.She's going to use iton her next album.""Terrific.""Lots of hand-carving.I'm enjoying the challenge.What've you been up to?""Working.""That's good, Alex."Same thing Linda had said.Identical inflections.The Protestant ethic, orsomething about me?I said, "How's Dennis?""Gone.Flew the coop.""Oh.""It's okay, Alex.It was long-brewing no great shakes.""Okay.""I'm not trying to be a tough broad, Alex, say it didn't affect me at all.ItPage 115 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmldid.In the beginning.Even though it was mutual, there's always that.emptyspace.But I'm over it.It wasn't like What he and I had was- I mean, it hadits merits as well as its problems.But it was different.from you and me.""It would have to be.""Yes," she said."I don't know if there'll ever be anything like what we had.That's not a manipulation, just the way I feel."My eyelids began to ache.I said, "I know.""Alex," she said in a pinched voice, "don't feel pressured to respond-in anyway.God, that sounds so ridiculous [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.How is he?""Up and down.One day he looks fine; the next he can't get out of bed.The surgeon says he definitely needs the operation but is too weak to gothrough it right now too congestive, and they're still not sure how manyarteries are involved.They're trying to stabilize him with rest and medicine,Page 112 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlget him strong enough for more tests.I don't know.What can you do? That's the way things go.So how are you? I already asked youthat, didn't I?""Keeping busy.""That's good, Alex.""The koi spawned.""Pardon?""The koi the fish in the pond are laying eggs.First time they've ever doneit.""How nice," she said."So now you'll be a daddy.""Yup.""Ready for the responsibility?""I don't know," I said."We're talking multiple births." If any.She said, "Well, look at it this way.At least there'll be no diapers to dealwith."Both of us laughed, said "So at the same time, and laughed again.Synchrony.But stilted.Like bad summer-stock theater.She said, "Been down to the school?""Last week.Everything seems to be going well.""Real well, from what I hear.I spoke to Ben a couple of days ago.He's turned out to be a bang-up principal.""He's a nice guy," I said."Organized, too.You made a good recemmendation.""Yeah, he is.Very organized." She gave another heartless chuckle."Wonder if I'll have a job when I get back.""I'm sure you will.Made any plans, yet in terms of getting back?""No," she said sharply."How in the world can I?"I was silent.She said, "I didn't mean to snap, Alex.It's just been hell.waiting.Sometimes I think waiting's the hardest thing in the world.Even worse than.Anyway, no sense obsessing on it.It's all part of growingup and being a big girl and facing reality, isn't it?""I'd say you've had more than your share of reality lately."Page 113 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Yeah," she said."Good for toughening up the old hide.""I kind of like your hide the way it is."Pause."Alex, thanks for coming out last month.The three days you spent outhere were the best days I've had.""Want me to come out again?""I wish I could say yes, but I'd be no good to you."You don't have to be good.""That's sweet of you to say but.no it just wouldn't work out.I need to.bewith him.Make sure he gets good care.""I take it Dolores hasn't become much of a nurse?""You take it correctly.She's the original Helpless Hannah a broken nail's amajor tragedy.Till now she's been one of those lucky idiots, never had todeal with anything like this.But the sicker he gets, the more she fallsapart.And when she falls apart, she talks.Lord, how she talks.I don't know how Daddy tolerates it.Thank God I'm hereto shelter him.It's as if she's bad weather-a wordstorm.I said, "I know.I got caught in the downpour.""Poor you."I'll survive."Silence.I tried to conjure her face blond hair against my chest.The feel ofour bodies.The images wouldn't come."Anyway," she said, sounding very tired."Is there anything I can do for you long distance?""Thanks, but I can't think of anything, Alex.Just think good thoughts aboutme.And take care of yourself.""You, too, Linda.""I'll be fine.""I know you will."She said, "I think I hear him coughing.Yeah, I sure do.Got to be going.""Bye.""Bye."I changed into shorts, aT-shirt, and sneakers, and tried to run off the phonecall and the twelve hours that had preceded it.Got home just as the sun wassetting, showered, and put on my ratty yellow bathrobe and rubber thongs.Page 114 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlAfter dark I went back down to the garden and ran a flashlight over thesurface of the water.The fish were inert; even the light didn't arouse them.Postcoital bliss? Some of the egg clusters seemed to have dissipated, butseveral remained, adhering to the pond walls.After I'd been down there for a quarter of an hour, I heard the phone.News from San Labrador, finally.Hopefully, mother and daughter had started totalk.I vaulted up the stairs to the landing and made it into the house in time tocatch it on the fifth ring."Hello.""Alex?" Familiar voice.Familiar, though I hadn't heard it in a time.This time the images tumbled out like vending-machine long candy."Hello, Robin.""You sound out of breath.Everything okay?""Fine.Just made a mad dash up from the garden.""Hope I'm not interrupting anything.""No, no.What's up?""Nothing much.Just wanted to say hi."I thought her voice lacked buoyancy, but it had been a while since I'd been anexpert on anything to do with her."Hi.How've you been doing?""Just great.Working on an arch-top for Joni Mitchell.She's going to use iton her next album.""Terrific.""Lots of hand-carving.I'm enjoying the challenge.What've you been up to?""Working.""That's good, Alex."Same thing Linda had said.Identical inflections.The Protestant ethic, orsomething about me?I said, "How's Dennis?""Gone.Flew the coop.""Oh.""It's okay, Alex.It was long-brewing no great shakes.""Okay.""I'm not trying to be a tough broad, Alex, say it didn't affect me at all.ItPage 115 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmldid.In the beginning.Even though it was mutual, there's always that.emptyspace.But I'm over it.It wasn't like What he and I had was- I mean, it hadits merits as well as its problems.But it was different.from you and me.""It would have to be.""Yes," she said."I don't know if there'll ever be anything like what we had.That's not a manipulation, just the way I feel."My eyelids began to ache.I said, "I know.""Alex," she said in a pinched voice, "don't feel pressured to respond-in anyway.God, that sounds so ridiculous [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]