AFTER HIS SUPPER OF FRIED MEAT AND FRIED POTATOES, sitting alone at the pinewood table in the kitchen, the house so silent and still with just the sough of wind outside, he rinsed off his meager dishes at the sink and moved into the dining room. He took down the phone from the wall and carried it on its long cord to the parlor and sat in his old recliner chair and called Victoria Roubideaux in Fort Collins.
I was just picking up the phone to call you, she said.
Were you, honey? I just figured it was about my turn. I was wondering if you knew when you and Katie was coming home for the summer. I hope you’re still coming.
Oh, yes. Nothing would change that.
I’ll sure be glad to see you. Both of you.
I’ve only got another couple weeks of classes, then finals.
How’s your classes going?
Okay. You know. It’s school.
Well. It’ll be nice to have you home for a while. How’s my little Katie?
Oh, she’s fine. She talks about you all the time. Here, do you want to say something to her?
The little girl came on.
That you, Katie? he said.
She began to talk immediately and her high voice was clear and excited at once, and she was telling him something about day care and some other little girl there with her, and he couldn’t make out much of what she was saying, but he was satisfied just to hear her voice. Then Victoria took the phone again.
I couldn’t get all of that, Raymond said. She’s a talker, ain’t she.
She talks all the time.
Well, that’s good.
Anyway, I plan to be home by Memorial Day, she said. I’ve been thinking I wanted to take some flowers out to the cemetery.
He’d like that.
I think about him just about every day.
I know. I been catching myself talking to him again.
What do you talk about?
Oh, just the work around here. Like we used to do. Making up our minds about what to do concerning one thing or another. I’m just turning old and crazy, I reckon. Somebody ought to take me out back of the barn and shoot me.
I wouldn’t worry about that. You’re not really worried, are you?
No. I guess not, he said. Well. Now how about Del. I guess he’s still in the picture.
Yes. We were out together last night. We took Katie to a movie downtown. That reminds me—do you think you could use him this summer during haying?
Does he want to do that?
He was asking about it. He wanted me to ask you if you thought that would be all right. If he came out for a while this summer.
Well sure, I could always use another hand. He’d be welcome.
Okay, I’ll tell him, she said. But what about you? Have you seen Rose Tyler again?
Well. We been out several times. We been out to eat dinner.
Are you having fun?
Yes ma’am. I believe you could call it that. At least I think so.
I’m glad. I want to meet her. I haven’t even met her yet.
I believe you’re going to like her. She’s a awful fine woman to me. I want to get us all together once you get home.
And have you been taking care of yourself?
Yes. I’d say so.
Have you been eating right?
Pretty good.
I know you haven’t. I know you don’t eat right. I wish you would.
It’s just awful quiet around here, honey. You say you’ll be home by Memorial Day?
Yes. As soon as I can.
That’ll be good, he said. It’ll be good to see you.
They hung up then and Raymond sat in the parlor at the back of the house with the phone in his lap, musing and remembering. Thinking about Victoria and Katie and about Rose Tyler, and about his dead brother, gone on ahead, already this half year and more.
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