dead people don’t keep theirphone bills paid so they wouldn’t be listed in any directory.
Mr. Z is still looking at that piece of paper in his hand, so we are both a little startled by the ring of my cell phone. Of course, it’s not a ring like a telephone makes. It’s more like a happy tune from a kid’s song.
“Sorry.” I reach down to detach my phone from its place on my belt. “I’ll just turn the ringer down. It’ll only take a message.”
“But it might be important,” Mr. Z protests. “Maybe it’s your brother calling.”
“I don’t have a brother.”
“Well, maybe it’s your aunt,” he says with a wave of his hand. “We wouldn’t want to keep her waiting if she wants to talk to you. Family is important. You can take the call here while I finish looking at this catalog.”
I reach for my cell phone and check the number. Sure enough, it is my aunt Inga.
“Hi,” I answer the phone, but I try to keep my voice quiet out of respect for where I am.
“Julie, is that you?”
Aunt Inga always says that when I answer the phone. I don’t think she quite trusts the telephone company to get her to the right person. I suppose it is a miracle that they do when you think about how many people have phones. “Yes, it’s me, Aunt Inga. How’s everything?”
“We’ve got trouble.”
“I know about the wedding plans. I’ve been thinking there are lots of places in Los Angeles to have a wedding.”
“Have you asked your Mr. Z yet?”
“I’m in his office now, but I’m sure he’s already booked. Thanksgiving weekend is less than two weeks away.”
I hear Mr. Z rustle his catalog pages and I look up to see him looking at me.
“When?” I hear Mr. Z whisper.
“I’m sorry, Aunt Inga,” I say into the cell phone. “Mr. Z has a question. I’ll be right back.”
I put my hand over the mouthpiece on the phone and look at Mr. Z. “What?”
“This wedding, when is it?” he says.
“The day after Thanksgiving,” I say. “But I completely understand that you’ll be booked.”
“Thanksgiving is such a nice holiday,” Mr. Z says and he gets a distant look in his eyes before zeroing in on me again. “All the families they get together in this country?”
“Well, yes, they do. Most of them anyway.”
“I’ll take a holiday,” Mr. Z says with a slap to his desk that makes the room shake a little. “If a man can’t take a holiday to be with his family, what is the good of living? Yes, I’ll close the Big M.”
“You’re going to close the—” Had I heard him right? “Can you do that?”
“Of course, I can do that,” Mr. Z says and then he stands up. “Nothing is already booked for that weekend and you shall have your wedding day.”
“It’s really my cousin that’s getting married.” I stammer a little.
“Then your cousin shall have her wedding day here,” Mr. Z says with a flourish. “And I’ll take the time off and go to Florida.”
“To visit your brother?”
“If he will have me,” Mr. Z says as he strides over to the door and walks out of the room.
I am stunned. And sit there for a minute before I remember I have my cell phone in my hand.
“Aunt Inga?” I say when I put the cell phone to my ear.
“Julie?” my aunt answers. “I heard everything.”
“I’m not sure…” I begin to say and then my words dwindle. What can I say?
“I’m so glad we have the chapel arranged for the wedding,” Aunt Inga says in a calm voice just as if a miracle hasn’t occurred here. “That will take some worry off everyone’s mind now that Jerry’s gone.”
“Jerry? Where’d he go?” I am starting to breathe again. “You know, Aunt Inga, there are many other places Elaine could get married. The Pacific Ocean is right by here and it would make beautiful pictures.”
“It’s November. It might rain. Besides, what place could be better than a lovely wedding chapel that is all set up for weddings?”
What place indeed? “I’m not sure she’ll
Mr. Z is still looking at that piece of paper in his hand, so we are both a little startled by the ring of my cell phone. Of course, it’s not a ring like a telephone makes. It’s more like a happy tune from a kid’s song.
“Sorry.” I reach down to detach my phone from its place on my belt. “I’ll just turn the ringer down. It’ll only take a message.”
“But it might be important,” Mr. Z protests. “Maybe it’s your brother calling.”
“I don’t have a brother.”
“Well, maybe it’s your aunt,” he says with a wave of his hand. “We wouldn’t want to keep her waiting if she wants to talk to you. Family is important. You can take the call here while I finish looking at this catalog.”
I reach for my cell phone and check the number. Sure enough, it is my aunt Inga.
“Hi,” I answer the phone, but I try to keep my voice quiet out of respect for where I am.
“Julie, is that you?”
Aunt Inga always says that when I answer the phone. I don’t think she quite trusts the telephone company to get her to the right person. I suppose it is a miracle that they do when you think about how many people have phones. “Yes, it’s me, Aunt Inga. How’s everything?”
“We’ve got trouble.”
“I know about the wedding plans. I’ve been thinking there are lots of places in Los Angeles to have a wedding.”
“Have you asked your Mr. Z yet?”
“I’m in his office now, but I’m sure he’s already booked. Thanksgiving weekend is less than two weeks away.”
I hear Mr. Z rustle his catalog pages and I look up to see him looking at me.
“When?” I hear Mr. Z whisper.
“I’m sorry, Aunt Inga,” I say into the cell phone. “Mr. Z has a question. I’ll be right back.”
I put my hand over the mouthpiece on the phone and look at Mr. Z. “What?”
“This wedding, when is it?” he says.
“The day after Thanksgiving,” I say. “But I completely understand that you’ll be booked.”
“Thanksgiving is such a nice holiday,” Mr. Z says and he gets a distant look in his eyes before zeroing in on me again. “All the families they get together in this country?”
“Well, yes, they do. Most of them anyway.”
“I’ll take a holiday,” Mr. Z says with a slap to his desk that makes the room shake a little. “If a man can’t take a holiday to be with his family, what is the good of living? Yes, I’ll close the Big M.”
“You’re going to close the—” Had I heard him right? “Can you do that?”
“Of course, I can do that,” Mr. Z says and then he stands up. “Nothing is already booked for that weekend and you shall have your wedding day.”
“It’s really my cousin that’s getting married.” I stammer a little.
“Then your cousin shall have her wedding day here,” Mr. Z says with a flourish. “And I’ll take the time off and go to Florida.”
“To visit your brother?”
“If he will have me,” Mr. Z says as he strides over to the door and walks out of the room.
I am stunned. And sit there for a minute before I remember I have my cell phone in my hand.
“Aunt Inga?” I say when I put the cell phone to my ear.
“Julie?” my aunt answers. “I heard everything.”
“I’m not sure…” I begin to say and then my words dwindle. What can I say?
“I’m so glad we have the chapel arranged for the wedding,” Aunt Inga says in a calm voice just as if a miracle hasn’t occurred here. “That will take some worry off everyone’s mind now that Jerry’s gone.”
“Jerry? Where’d he go?” I am starting to breathe again. “You know, Aunt Inga, there are many other places Elaine could get married. The Pacific Ocean is right by here and it would make beautiful pictures.”
“It’s November. It might rain. Besides, what place could be better than a lovely wedding chapel that is all set up for weddings?”
What place indeed? “I’m not sure she’ll
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