J R

— I wouldn’t let her bring things like that into any house of mine, muttered the old man shifting from one ham to the other beneath the belittling thrust of a primitive insistence particularly African. — Nobody’s built like that. They couldn’t walk around. What…? He looked up, — yes the dog, the dog smells something terrible today, don’t he… and he settled back to the spirit ditty of no tone struggling to escape his fingers on the saxophone erect, as diCephalis started a round of turning off lights. Foyer, hall, bathroom, foyer, closet, side door, snap, snap, snap snap he made his way along stuffing his pockets again with everything but the letter and a newspaper clipping stuck to it, snap, snap, into the bedroom.

— What are you doing?

— We don’t need all these lights on in rooms nobody’s in.

— All these lights, she said to her streaked image in the glass, removing lashes.

— Are you using the typewriter?

— Do I look like I’m using the typewriter?

— Well no, I meant, just these papers…

— Just these papers! Throw them out. It’s just my project summary for the Foundation grant throw it out! What are all those papers you’re dumping there.

— Nothing. A questionnaire I’m filling out.

— Nothing. I’ll bet nothing. For a job? Your name must be as well known in personnel offices as Santy Claus.

— But in this one there’s no name it’s, they use computers. He brandished a flyer carrying a man’s face eradicated by punched holes and numbers. — They use, they call it coded anonymity, where they can make more meaningful evaluations of qualifi…

— What do you need to put your anonymity in code for?

— Respecting the dignity of the private individ…

— Nobody knows who you are anyway. Noral Stop that racket! what in God’s name are they doing, can’t you stop them? And what’s this, right in with my face creams. More papers.

— Oh that, I’ve been looking for that.

— Well this is a good place for it, nobody would steal it here.

— Who would steal it anywhere? It’s for refinancing our mortgage.

— Refinancing? What’s that, you’re borrowing more?

— We have to, we owe…

— We? That last time they hauled the car in? She looked up to catch him in the mirror but he clung to a shoulder strap. — Or the time before, every time. Is that we?

— No I didn’t mean, what I meant, I meant to ask you, do you remember that last towing charge? how much it was?

— Fifty cents? something… ow!

— It couldn’t have been that little, it…

— So maybe it was four fifty, six fifty, I distinctly remember the fifty cents Nora, stop it! What in God’s name are you doing? Nora! Can’t you stop them? Instead of standing in here arguing about fifty cents? This thing you have about money you have a real thing about it. The way you plunge the house into darkness the minute you walk in going around turning off all the lights, turning down the heat every time you pass it, fifty cents! You get a break you’re scared to keep it, like that tax refund for three hundred dollars, and you send it back.

— Daddy! Dad…!

— No, it was three hundred twenty thirty-six and the refund I filed for was only thirty-seven ten so I couldn’t…

— Quick, a penny! Gimme another penny quick!

— I couldn’t keep it, and I couldn’t just…

— Quick!

— What for, Nora?

— Quick. Donny is this machine which I have to put a penny in him to make him go, to make it go.

— What it would have done to their records if I’d cashed it, what kind of machine?

— A jumping machine. Didn’t you hear it? Quick I have to put in another penny before he rims out.

— Wait! Wait a minute, to put in where? What do you mean another penny, where!

— In his mouth, this penny I found on your dresser it… wait! Wait…! What are you… what are you doing to him? Look out, you’ll break him! You’ll… upside down, he’ll… Mama! Mama!… There, see? I told you!

— Well, don’t… don’t step in it! Get a rag. Donny! Come here, don’t touch your mother’s…

— My God! and all over my sari! Let go, let me go! Nora, take him! Can’t one of you take him? The smell will never come out. Don’t just stand there Nora! Get a rag!

— Daddy, I got your penny back. Here…

— A rag I said, don’t wipe it on your dress! And look at my sandals! she got past them, rounded the corner and shook the bathroom door. — Dad! Are you in there? A rude sound responded promptly from within, and here she came again. — All of you! You’re all against me, all of you…!