Bob

        hes never called his father by namewouldnt assume that familiarity that his mother  sensually  softly  uttered  his mother uttered when she spoke to him at night Bob  they didnt have pet names not that he overheard as a child  or a teenager

   No

calling his father by name would be crossing a line

 

it was his fathers best friends birthday today

                                                  Donnie was deceased

his father was not that hed ever understand   his father someone died he didnt celebrate them their lives their birthdays any longer

they were dead

stone cold  dead

no warmth no candor no remembrance

                                           he had no intentions of that bullshit standing

called his Dad

                    Its your buddy Donnies birthday today  Hes ninetythree

You may not choose to remember

                                    But itll be a cold day in Hell before I let you duck Donnie

Give me a tale about you an he

                                  You can swing tha today I badger once a year that wasnt truehad a calendar

birthdays

deaths

anniversaries

badgered him monthlyfingerscrossed one day  maybe one day the ice would break

                                                                                             they were a big family

for him death did not cull them from memoryhe called his father a halfdozen times a month  more

    Gimme a story Dad

reluctantly

           Donnie introduced me to a girl from the Southside. We didn’t see each other as often as we wanted.

I had to take the train to the end of the line.

Then walk a half hour.

 

Wha was her name

Diane.

Wha was her last name

I don’t remember.

How long did you date

Almost two years.

Too bad it was an ordeal.

 

She finally broke it off, told me it was too much work.

That’s how it goes.

Two years

               While in high school

After.

After

Yeah.

You were drafted Korea year out of school

Yeah.

You met Maw during tha yearDonnie introduced you

Yeah.

I don think you dated Diane almost two years

 

    Maybe it felt like two years with all the travel back an forth you south her north

Maybe.

was like squeezing blood from a turnip swede if being esoteric

                                                                            though squeezing a swede appealed to him sounded erotic

Maybe.

           Was a long time ago, son.

Memory doesn’t serve me well. it didnt his Mother was vouchsafed Thank the fuck God

felt like his Dad was labouring

                            Listen  Ill let you go let you on to the rest of your afternoon

Alright, son.

I wanted you to remember your best friend

I do.

 

    I love you  Well talk soon

I love you too. Thanks for calling, son.

Youre welcome Dad

 

he waited for him to hangup

hed never been one to hangup on people

                                            Couldnt say how many times they hungup on him

1343,  Monday,  31  8. 26

1942,  Monday