problems.”
“A lot of people are, Georgia.”
“True, but I think Estelle and Justin might be brand-new casualties on that foreclosure list, too.”
“But Justin’s a frigging designer at Hewlett-Packard! What kind of money problems could a Silicon Valley–employed Stanford grad be having?”
“Your guess is as good as mine.”
“Who told you?”
“Scarlett and Gabby.”
“Holy shit. They are smart. Why haven’t you asked Estelle about this?”
“I don’t want to embarrass her.”
“Oh, so if they’re about to be homeless, you’ll discuss it then? Come on, Georgia. Sometimes you need to act like you came from Bakersfield.”
“I’m thinking about how best to bring it up.”
“Just tell her those big-mouthed twins spilled the beans, and then she can either enslave them or be glad you’re able to help them.”
We wrap and tape in silence for a few minutes.
“This may not be the best time to tell you this, Georgia, but Nelson and I are thinking of buying a condo in Palm Springs and possibly retiring there.”
“What! Why?”
“Nelson’s arthritis will be better in a dry climate.”
“I never knew he had arthritis.”
“I’m lying. We just like it there, and we’re tired of this cold weather, and plus we both want to golf anytime we want to.”
“You’ll burn up down there.”
“We’re black. We can take the heat.”
“Well, you two might be the only black faces you see for days at a time, because there’s nothing but gay men and rich white people down there, and most of them are Republicans.”
“Ask me if I care.”
“Do you care?”
“No, I do not. I like gay men who don’t hate women, and I don’t mind being around rich white people, because there’s plenty of them in the Bay Area, and I know how to ignore Republicans.”
“Seems like everybody’s moving, huh?”
“So what if your house sells really fast? Where in the world would you move?”
“I don’t know.”
“You have to have some idea.”
“Costa Rica.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Dubai.”
She cuts her eyes at me. “What about New York?”
“I just told Percy that’s where I wanted to live to piss him off because I could tell he’s a die-hard San Franciscan. But as much as I love New York, I feel too old to live there. And I’d only be able to afford a studio apartment, which would probably be more than my mortgage. I’ll visit. Plus, I love sleeping in hotels.”
“Miami?”
“Florida is boring. Too many accents, and half of them you can’t understand or they can’t understand you. I hate that humidity, and I’ve got beaches and sunshine right here, and let’s not forget those hurricanes. No thank you.”
“What about Arizona?”
“Do I look like I would want to live in a desert?”
“Denver?”
“Can’t breathe there. That altitude kills me. And it’s boring as hell unless you’re into nature. Nature scares me. I don’t understand the point of hiking, and I can’t remember how to ski.”
“Seattle is nice.”
“I’d need to be on antidepressants. That rain is romantic and refreshing for a few days, but not nonstop week after week. Granted, it’s full of smart, educated people, and they’ve got the best coffee, but so does the Bay Area.”
“Would it occur to you to just stay right here?”
“Maybe. But to be honest, I don’t think I want to be more than driving distance from my mother and my grandkids.”
I look around at all the taped boxes. We’ve made a lot of progress.
“My work here is done,” Wanda announces.
I thank her with hugs, but at the front door she does an about-face. “Wait!”
“What now?”
“Two things. You want to stay in the guesthouse or with us while this place is being staged?”
“No. But thanks for the offer, honey.”
“I know you’re not thinking of staying in a hotel for two or three weeks.”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I do know I want to do something I haven’t done before and maybe go
“A lot of people are, Georgia.”
“True, but I think Estelle and Justin might be brand-new casualties on that foreclosure list, too.”
“But Justin’s a frigging designer at Hewlett-Packard! What kind of money problems could a Silicon Valley–employed Stanford grad be having?”
“Your guess is as good as mine.”
“Who told you?”
“Scarlett and Gabby.”
“Holy shit. They are smart. Why haven’t you asked Estelle about this?”
“I don’t want to embarrass her.”
“Oh, so if they’re about to be homeless, you’ll discuss it then? Come on, Georgia. Sometimes you need to act like you came from Bakersfield.”
“I’m thinking about how best to bring it up.”
“Just tell her those big-mouthed twins spilled the beans, and then she can either enslave them or be glad you’re able to help them.”
We wrap and tape in silence for a few minutes.
“This may not be the best time to tell you this, Georgia, but Nelson and I are thinking of buying a condo in Palm Springs and possibly retiring there.”
“What! Why?”
“Nelson’s arthritis will be better in a dry climate.”
“I never knew he had arthritis.”
“I’m lying. We just like it there, and we’re tired of this cold weather, and plus we both want to golf anytime we want to.”
“You’ll burn up down there.”
“We’re black. We can take the heat.”
“Well, you two might be the only black faces you see for days at a time, because there’s nothing but gay men and rich white people down there, and most of them are Republicans.”
“Ask me if I care.”
“Do you care?”
“No, I do not. I like gay men who don’t hate women, and I don’t mind being around rich white people, because there’s plenty of them in the Bay Area, and I know how to ignore Republicans.”
“Seems like everybody’s moving, huh?”
“So what if your house sells really fast? Where in the world would you move?”
“I don’t know.”
“You have to have some idea.”
“Costa Rica.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Dubai.”
She cuts her eyes at me. “What about New York?”
“I just told Percy that’s where I wanted to live to piss him off because I could tell he’s a die-hard San Franciscan. But as much as I love New York, I feel too old to live there. And I’d only be able to afford a studio apartment, which would probably be more than my mortgage. I’ll visit. Plus, I love sleeping in hotels.”
“Miami?”
“Florida is boring. Too many accents, and half of them you can’t understand or they can’t understand you. I hate that humidity, and I’ve got beaches and sunshine right here, and let’s not forget those hurricanes. No thank you.”
“What about Arizona?”
“Do I look like I would want to live in a desert?”
“Denver?”
“Can’t breathe there. That altitude kills me. And it’s boring as hell unless you’re into nature. Nature scares me. I don’t understand the point of hiking, and I can’t remember how to ski.”
“Seattle is nice.”
“I’d need to be on antidepressants. That rain is romantic and refreshing for a few days, but not nonstop week after week. Granted, it’s full of smart, educated people, and they’ve got the best coffee, but so does the Bay Area.”
“Would it occur to you to just stay right here?”
“Maybe. But to be honest, I don’t think I want to be more than driving distance from my mother and my grandkids.”
I look around at all the taped boxes. We’ve made a lot of progress.
“My work here is done,” Wanda announces.
I thank her with hugs, but at the front door she does an about-face. “Wait!”
“What now?”
“Two things. You want to stay in the guesthouse or with us while this place is being staged?”
“No. But thanks for the offer, honey.”
“I know you’re not thinking of staying in a hotel for two or three weeks.”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I do know I want to do something I haven’t done before and maybe go
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