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
