circumstances.‖
I gave a weak, watery laugh. ―You don‘t know me.‖
―I know what I need to know for now,‖ he said.
c
Mom was all apologies when she came down fifteen minutes later. Her face was scrubbed clean, and she looked better. We had jasmine tea and tuna fish sandwiches. (And, Bob, tuna really is better with a little soy sauce.) Mr. Anderson got Mom talking about books, which was the absolute right thing to do. She jabbered on about the store and then told Mr. Anderson about the big October party: ―It‘s next week. You should come. Please, we‘d love to have you. Bring your wife; I can introduce her to Meryl.‖
―Well, we‘ll see,‖ Mr. Anderson said, noncommittally, and then glanced at his watch. ―I really ought to be going. School night, you know.‖
At the door, Mom shook his hand. ―Thank you so much for looking after Jenna. I don‘t know how to begin to repay your kindness.‖
Fail . Looking after me? Mom made it sound like I was about five years old. She continued, ―Please do think about coming to the party.‖
―I will, but only if you stop apologizing,‖ Mr. Anderson said, and he took her hand in both of his. ―But if you want to do something for me, you can get Jenna a cell phone. She should have one, even if it‘s for nothing other than emergencies. Tonight, she was lucky I was still there. It might have been midnight before you realized you‘d forgotten her, and there is no pay phone at the school.‖
―Oh,‖ Mom faltered. ―Yes. Well—‖
―And she ought to have a license and, maybe, a car. If she drives herself, it wouldn‘t be so much pressure on you. Or, if that‘s really too much trouble, I could bring her by your store after school. It‘s virtually on my way anyway.‖
―Well,‖ Mom said again, looking a little breathless now. ―I wouldn‘t want to put you out.‖
―No trouble at all. But this isn‘t out of the goodness of my heart. To be honest, I have ulterior motives. I want your daughter to join the cross-country team and for that, she‘ll need wheels. Of course, I could take her sometimes or arrange a car pool with some of the other kids, but life‘s easier all the way around if she can take care of getting herself back and forth.‖
By the end, Mom had agreed that a cell phone was a good idea and she would take me to the DMV on Saturday. Oh, and I was going to start training with the cross-country team.
―Great,‖ said Mr. Anderson and gave my mom‘s hands a final squeeze. ―Oh, and Jenna, don‘t forget. Be in my room bright and early tomorrow morning. I need to get you up to speed if you‘re going to be my new TA.‖
―Sure,‖ I said.
―My goodness,‖ Mom said as she closed the front door. ―He certainly is persuasive.‖ She looked a little stunned, like she‘d been blindsided and wasn‘t quite sure by what.
Me neither. This was so surreal. I felt a little like those times when I detached and went into slipstream, watching all the players in my life at a distance. Because had anyone asked me? Uh, that would be no . I stood there like an idiot as the adults talked around me, planned out my life, decided what I should have and when. Sure, I wanted my license and a phone, but it was so weird, the way Mr. Anderson was able to get it done. It was as if my mother was a wall and Mr. Anderson knew where she was weakest, how to get through the chinks without disturbing a single brick. No, better: he knew how to get around her.
It was, come to think of it, a little like a kinder, gentler Psycho-Dad making one of his command decisions: exactly the same, only without all the fuss and blood.
And the thing is, Bob, Mr. Anderson looking out for me, being there, taking over like that?
I liked it.
I... liked it.
16: a
―Corrosives here, inorganics here. Obviously, we keep the corrosives under lock and key. Anytime you need something, you ask and I‘ll unlock the cabinet....Jenna, you with me?‖
―Mmm.‖ I
I gave a weak, watery laugh. ―You don‘t know me.‖
―I know what I need to know for now,‖ he said.
c
Mom was all apologies when she came down fifteen minutes later. Her face was scrubbed clean, and she looked better. We had jasmine tea and tuna fish sandwiches. (And, Bob, tuna really is better with a little soy sauce.) Mr. Anderson got Mom talking about books, which was the absolute right thing to do. She jabbered on about the store and then told Mr. Anderson about the big October party: ―It‘s next week. You should come. Please, we‘d love to have you. Bring your wife; I can introduce her to Meryl.‖
―Well, we‘ll see,‖ Mr. Anderson said, noncommittally, and then glanced at his watch. ―I really ought to be going. School night, you know.‖
At the door, Mom shook his hand. ―Thank you so much for looking after Jenna. I don‘t know how to begin to repay your kindness.‖
Fail . Looking after me? Mom made it sound like I was about five years old. She continued, ―Please do think about coming to the party.‖
―I will, but only if you stop apologizing,‖ Mr. Anderson said, and he took her hand in both of his. ―But if you want to do something for me, you can get Jenna a cell phone. She should have one, even if it‘s for nothing other than emergencies. Tonight, she was lucky I was still there. It might have been midnight before you realized you‘d forgotten her, and there is no pay phone at the school.‖
―Oh,‖ Mom faltered. ―Yes. Well—‖
―And she ought to have a license and, maybe, a car. If she drives herself, it wouldn‘t be so much pressure on you. Or, if that‘s really too much trouble, I could bring her by your store after school. It‘s virtually on my way anyway.‖
―Well,‖ Mom said again, looking a little breathless now. ―I wouldn‘t want to put you out.‖
―No trouble at all. But this isn‘t out of the goodness of my heart. To be honest, I have ulterior motives. I want your daughter to join the cross-country team and for that, she‘ll need wheels. Of course, I could take her sometimes or arrange a car pool with some of the other kids, but life‘s easier all the way around if she can take care of getting herself back and forth.‖
By the end, Mom had agreed that a cell phone was a good idea and she would take me to the DMV on Saturday. Oh, and I was going to start training with the cross-country team.
―Great,‖ said Mr. Anderson and gave my mom‘s hands a final squeeze. ―Oh, and Jenna, don‘t forget. Be in my room bright and early tomorrow morning. I need to get you up to speed if you‘re going to be my new TA.‖
―Sure,‖ I said.
―My goodness,‖ Mom said as she closed the front door. ―He certainly is persuasive.‖ She looked a little stunned, like she‘d been blindsided and wasn‘t quite sure by what.
Me neither. This was so surreal. I felt a little like those times when I detached and went into slipstream, watching all the players in my life at a distance. Because had anyone asked me? Uh, that would be no . I stood there like an idiot as the adults talked around me, planned out my life, decided what I should have and when. Sure, I wanted my license and a phone, but it was so weird, the way Mr. Anderson was able to get it done. It was as if my mother was a wall and Mr. Anderson knew where she was weakest, how to get through the chinks without disturbing a single brick. No, better: he knew how to get around her.
It was, come to think of it, a little like a kinder, gentler Psycho-Dad making one of his command decisions: exactly the same, only without all the fuss and blood.
And the thing is, Bob, Mr. Anderson looking out for me, being there, taking over like that?
I liked it.
I... liked it.
16: a
―Corrosives here, inorganics here. Obviously, we keep the corrosives under lock and key. Anytime you need something, you ask and I‘ll unlock the cabinet....Jenna, you with me?‖
―Mmm.‖ I
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