StatsGrandma
09-29-2006, 01:17 PM
HEART SHAPED WORLD
Part 27
"The shallows and the unseen reefs/That are there from the start/In the shape of a heart..." Jackson Browne
Don was exhausted at the end of the day. He stayed in his father's apartment over night, sleeping on a sofa that didn't have his dents in it, but Alan was adamant that he was too tired to even make it the three blocks to Charlie's.
He woke at 6 a.m., aching, worn out beyond comprehension, and asking his father if he could raid his closet, and did Alan have his prayer shawl and yarmulke.
"You don't need to do this," Alan told him.
"No. I have to be there."
Alan went and found his Bar Mitzvah tallit and yarmulke.
He was uncomfortable with his decision to go, and he would have been uncomfortable not going.
That was somewhat mitigated when he saw his younger brother at the temple, wet curls flying as he raced towards Don in the parking lot.
Charlie said nothing, just took his brother by the arm and led him inside. Don was grateful for his support--and his silence. Knowing how his baby brother was disinclined to get out of bed a moment earlier than necessary to get to work, he was touched that he'd do this.
"Thanks, buddy," was all Don said. Charlie gave him a tiny smile of support, and that was all that he needed to do.
Alan, of course, was there; Stan, Art and Eddie had come, and each offered Don a silent hug of support. Walter had three of his friends with him. They had a quorum. The rabbi joined them and led the prayers, which flowed over Don like a blanket. He wasn't sure what he believed, or who he believed in, but he did leave feeling a bit calmer. No doubt Charlie would have a lengthy explanation about how prayer raises serotonin levels and induces a feeling of well-being...
The feeling of well-being was short lived. The office awaited. Too many cases, too much paperwork. Don prayed for no new cases today.
Apparently, someone was paying attention and cut him some slack on that one. He made a minimal effort at tidying his desk, said goodnight to his teammates, and worked his way to the freeway to join 50,000 of his most intimate friends.
He punched in his daughter's cell number; she'd left him several messages to call him. The messages were ascending in their emotional pitch.
"No way am I missing your game tomorrow," he said when she picked up the phone. "How's it going, kiddo? You with Walter and Felice?"
"Nooooooooo. They said I should go to Charlie's today. I wanted to play with Vinnie and Guido."
"I know, sweetie. I'm sure they had a good reason for not having you come by." Those reasons made Don's guts ache.
"It's cool, I'm playing with Sepulveda and Benazir right now."
"Benazir?"
"Amita's new kitten. She says it's Indian for 'perfect.'"
"Has its feet touched the floor yet?"
"Benazir's not an 'it,' Dad! She's a she!" Sydney's tone suggested disgust with her father's imperfect use of terminology.
"I beg your pardon," Don said dryly.
"Charlie calls her Benny and it makes Amita real annoyed."
"Which is probably why he's doing it."
"Why does he do it when he knows it bugs her?"
"You'll understand when you're older."
"You stole that from Grandpa. He always says that. Grandpa says not to be late, he doesn't want the brisket to turn into shoe leather."
"I'll be there soon. Love ya."
01123581321345589144233377610987
In the 36 hours since Benazir had made her debut as an Eppes, Mara had changed from a relatively easygoing child into a shrieking banshee. She had long since ceased to be placated with attempts by her parents, cousin and nanny to teach her to be gentle with the kitten.
"Sepulveda's getting jealous. You hold her for a while," Sydney told her uncle as she went to retrieve the larger, fatter, and very jealous senior cat member of the family.
"I think I can handle that. How's it going, Benny?"
"That's not her name, Charlie," Amita reminded him tartly.
"It does make her sound like a Catskills entertainer," Alan informed his son.
"She's entertaining, all right--oww!" Benazir dug her claws into Charlie's shoulder. "If you like pointy tips."
Mara detected instantly the kitten's new location and began to whine. She'd mostly given up on pursuing Sepulveda; Sepulveda had long ago established that the almost-toddler was The Enemy and not to be in close contact. The kitten, however, was new, small, and cute. From Mara's vantage point, she probably assumed it would be a great toy. She was probably annoyed that she hadn't been permitted to stick the kitten in her mouth, Charlie thought wryly.
"Sydney, would you mind keeping an eye on Mara for a few minutes? Dad's in the kitchen if you need anything," Amita said, taking her husband by the arm. Charlie noticed her steering him towards the garage. He figured he was about to be lectured on calling the cat by her proper name. As they closed the door behind them, they could hear Mara's wails beginning afresh.
"If this is about the cat--" Charlie began, but Amita cut him off.
"I really don't care what you call her. This is about my dad."
Charlie put an arm over her shoulder. "How is he?"
She shook her head. "He isn't responding to the protocol."
Charlie drew her in closer. "I'm sorry, love." What else could he say?
Amita looked up at him again. "He's going to try an experimental protocol. I spent most of the afternoon reading up on it."
"How's the data look?"
"It's new enough that there's barely any of it."
"Want me to look it over?"
"Sure. I mean, it's only been tried in 12 patients before. It's still in the safety trial phase."
"That's a pretty small n to place a bet on."
"The trials are only 10 months old. And 4 of the patients have died."
"33.33% in under a year...what were the odds that they would have survived longer without the therapy?"
"All of the patients in the safety study are considered terminal. Most were given six to twelve months to survive."
"So the mortality rates could be significant, or not."
"Exactly. Unfortunately, it's difficult to interpret the data in the context in which it exists."
"Yeah, I get that a lot," Charlie said, smiling a tiny bit.
"I'm going to review it more over the weekend, but I figured you might be able to learn something about it."
"And if I don't understand something, I can always call Kristen."
"I didn't even think of that," Amita said. "Maybe she's got some information on this."
"Or she knows someone who knows."
"And it'll be a good excuse to talk to Crazy Kristen again. We can brag about our kids, too. Of course, ours is better."
Mara's shrieks continued unabated.
"Yes, usually." Amita managed a laugh.
The door began to open. "Don't let her out here!" Amita and Charlie called out, referring to their daughter.
Don stuck his head out. "Hey, I'm not the one that's holding dinner up. For a change."
01123581321345589144233377610987
Despite feeling mildly demoralized over her behavior of the past week, Megan's enthusiasm for the trip to Spain had not dimmed.
"I am so ready for this vacation, it's not funny," she told Larry.
"I, of course, will have to do the usual face time at the conference, but it will be good to see old friends," Larry said. "You don't mind, do you?"
"I thought that's the reason we were taking this trip in the first place. I'm so glad you asked me along," Megan said.
Larry smiled. "I have enjoyed the virtues of solo travel many times. Now, I think, it should be better to have a traveling companion."
Megan teased, "You could have taken Charlie for that."
Larry grimaced slightly. "Charles can be amusing, but frustrating, to travel with. I believe there will be no better traveling companion than you, love of my life."
"It looks beautiful," Megan sighed, glancing at the websites as she packed.
"It dates back to the time of the Phoenicians, who named the city Gadir, founded over a thousand years before the birth of Christ. It has a long tradition of religious and political liberalism and tolerance; it was also the port that was used starting in the 16th Century when explorers were looking for Asia and instead found a new world. So, a very old city, rich in history."
"The Mediterranean looks beautiful there."
"Quite chilly, however. The Arctic currents still affect the Costa del Sol in that region. But we should enjoy a trip to the headlands, where there is reportedly one of the most beautiful vistas in the world."
"I'm looking forward to all of it," Megan said, snuggling up to him. "Mostly, however, I'm looking forward to making a little bit of history ourselves."
Larry eyed her quizzically.
"Don't worry, I'm not planning anything in the way of civil unrest," Megan laughed. "But...I was thinking..."
Larry cupped her cheek in his hand. "What were you contemplating, mi corazon?"
Megan halted. "You do remember we talked about...well, having a child?"
Larry halted for a moment. "I do indeed."
"I was wondering..."
She and Larry stayed silent, he taking her hand in his. Finally, he spoke.
"I think...that would be quite wonderful, yes."
She eyed him skeptically. "Are you sure?"
"I've been giving it a great deal of thought, despite my silence as of late on the subject. And it would only seem fitting that in a city with a golden past and a shining present, that we would create something most valuable for the future."
Megan smiled. "Of course, it may not happen while we're there."
Larry smiled. "Yes, but should it not, we will have had the most powerful of soul moving experiences in the attempt to achieve such an end. As it's said, it's not the destination so much as the journey. And regardless of where this takes us, I feel that our lives have been, and will continue to be, the most amazing of journeys."
Megan took his hands in hers. "Larry, have I told you how wonderful you've made my life?"
"I doubt very much it could compare to that which you have brought to mine."
"Now that's where you're wrong," she told him, grinning.
"Perhaps we could debate this on the plane," he said, smiling tenderly.
"Or we could just join the Mile High Club," Megan giggled.
Larry's face turned utterly pink.
Part 27
"The shallows and the unseen reefs/That are there from the start/In the shape of a heart..." Jackson Browne
Don was exhausted at the end of the day. He stayed in his father's apartment over night, sleeping on a sofa that didn't have his dents in it, but Alan was adamant that he was too tired to even make it the three blocks to Charlie's.
He woke at 6 a.m., aching, worn out beyond comprehension, and asking his father if he could raid his closet, and did Alan have his prayer shawl and yarmulke.
"You don't need to do this," Alan told him.
"No. I have to be there."
Alan went and found his Bar Mitzvah tallit and yarmulke.
He was uncomfortable with his decision to go, and he would have been uncomfortable not going.
That was somewhat mitigated when he saw his younger brother at the temple, wet curls flying as he raced towards Don in the parking lot.
Charlie said nothing, just took his brother by the arm and led him inside. Don was grateful for his support--and his silence. Knowing how his baby brother was disinclined to get out of bed a moment earlier than necessary to get to work, he was touched that he'd do this.
"Thanks, buddy," was all Don said. Charlie gave him a tiny smile of support, and that was all that he needed to do.
Alan, of course, was there; Stan, Art and Eddie had come, and each offered Don a silent hug of support. Walter had three of his friends with him. They had a quorum. The rabbi joined them and led the prayers, which flowed over Don like a blanket. He wasn't sure what he believed, or who he believed in, but he did leave feeling a bit calmer. No doubt Charlie would have a lengthy explanation about how prayer raises serotonin levels and induces a feeling of well-being...
The feeling of well-being was short lived. The office awaited. Too many cases, too much paperwork. Don prayed for no new cases today.
Apparently, someone was paying attention and cut him some slack on that one. He made a minimal effort at tidying his desk, said goodnight to his teammates, and worked his way to the freeway to join 50,000 of his most intimate friends.
He punched in his daughter's cell number; she'd left him several messages to call him. The messages were ascending in their emotional pitch.
"No way am I missing your game tomorrow," he said when she picked up the phone. "How's it going, kiddo? You with Walter and Felice?"
"Nooooooooo. They said I should go to Charlie's today. I wanted to play with Vinnie and Guido."
"I know, sweetie. I'm sure they had a good reason for not having you come by." Those reasons made Don's guts ache.
"It's cool, I'm playing with Sepulveda and Benazir right now."
"Benazir?"
"Amita's new kitten. She says it's Indian for 'perfect.'"
"Has its feet touched the floor yet?"
"Benazir's not an 'it,' Dad! She's a she!" Sydney's tone suggested disgust with her father's imperfect use of terminology.
"I beg your pardon," Don said dryly.
"Charlie calls her Benny and it makes Amita real annoyed."
"Which is probably why he's doing it."
"Why does he do it when he knows it bugs her?"
"You'll understand when you're older."
"You stole that from Grandpa. He always says that. Grandpa says not to be late, he doesn't want the brisket to turn into shoe leather."
"I'll be there soon. Love ya."
01123581321345589144233377610987
In the 36 hours since Benazir had made her debut as an Eppes, Mara had changed from a relatively easygoing child into a shrieking banshee. She had long since ceased to be placated with attempts by her parents, cousin and nanny to teach her to be gentle with the kitten.
"Sepulveda's getting jealous. You hold her for a while," Sydney told her uncle as she went to retrieve the larger, fatter, and very jealous senior cat member of the family.
"I think I can handle that. How's it going, Benny?"
"That's not her name, Charlie," Amita reminded him tartly.
"It does make her sound like a Catskills entertainer," Alan informed his son.
"She's entertaining, all right--oww!" Benazir dug her claws into Charlie's shoulder. "If you like pointy tips."
Mara detected instantly the kitten's new location and began to whine. She'd mostly given up on pursuing Sepulveda; Sepulveda had long ago established that the almost-toddler was The Enemy and not to be in close contact. The kitten, however, was new, small, and cute. From Mara's vantage point, she probably assumed it would be a great toy. She was probably annoyed that she hadn't been permitted to stick the kitten in her mouth, Charlie thought wryly.
"Sydney, would you mind keeping an eye on Mara for a few minutes? Dad's in the kitchen if you need anything," Amita said, taking her husband by the arm. Charlie noticed her steering him towards the garage. He figured he was about to be lectured on calling the cat by her proper name. As they closed the door behind them, they could hear Mara's wails beginning afresh.
"If this is about the cat--" Charlie began, but Amita cut him off.
"I really don't care what you call her. This is about my dad."
Charlie put an arm over her shoulder. "How is he?"
She shook her head. "He isn't responding to the protocol."
Charlie drew her in closer. "I'm sorry, love." What else could he say?
Amita looked up at him again. "He's going to try an experimental protocol. I spent most of the afternoon reading up on it."
"How's the data look?"
"It's new enough that there's barely any of it."
"Want me to look it over?"
"Sure. I mean, it's only been tried in 12 patients before. It's still in the safety trial phase."
"That's a pretty small n to place a bet on."
"The trials are only 10 months old. And 4 of the patients have died."
"33.33% in under a year...what were the odds that they would have survived longer without the therapy?"
"All of the patients in the safety study are considered terminal. Most were given six to twelve months to survive."
"So the mortality rates could be significant, or not."
"Exactly. Unfortunately, it's difficult to interpret the data in the context in which it exists."
"Yeah, I get that a lot," Charlie said, smiling a tiny bit.
"I'm going to review it more over the weekend, but I figured you might be able to learn something about it."
"And if I don't understand something, I can always call Kristen."
"I didn't even think of that," Amita said. "Maybe she's got some information on this."
"Or she knows someone who knows."
"And it'll be a good excuse to talk to Crazy Kristen again. We can brag about our kids, too. Of course, ours is better."
Mara's shrieks continued unabated.
"Yes, usually." Amita managed a laugh.
The door began to open. "Don't let her out here!" Amita and Charlie called out, referring to their daughter.
Don stuck his head out. "Hey, I'm not the one that's holding dinner up. For a change."
01123581321345589144233377610987
Despite feeling mildly demoralized over her behavior of the past week, Megan's enthusiasm for the trip to Spain had not dimmed.
"I am so ready for this vacation, it's not funny," she told Larry.
"I, of course, will have to do the usual face time at the conference, but it will be good to see old friends," Larry said. "You don't mind, do you?"
"I thought that's the reason we were taking this trip in the first place. I'm so glad you asked me along," Megan said.
Larry smiled. "I have enjoyed the virtues of solo travel many times. Now, I think, it should be better to have a traveling companion."
Megan teased, "You could have taken Charlie for that."
Larry grimaced slightly. "Charles can be amusing, but frustrating, to travel with. I believe there will be no better traveling companion than you, love of my life."
"It looks beautiful," Megan sighed, glancing at the websites as she packed.
"It dates back to the time of the Phoenicians, who named the city Gadir, founded over a thousand years before the birth of Christ. It has a long tradition of religious and political liberalism and tolerance; it was also the port that was used starting in the 16th Century when explorers were looking for Asia and instead found a new world. So, a very old city, rich in history."
"The Mediterranean looks beautiful there."
"Quite chilly, however. The Arctic currents still affect the Costa del Sol in that region. But we should enjoy a trip to the headlands, where there is reportedly one of the most beautiful vistas in the world."
"I'm looking forward to all of it," Megan said, snuggling up to him. "Mostly, however, I'm looking forward to making a little bit of history ourselves."
Larry eyed her quizzically.
"Don't worry, I'm not planning anything in the way of civil unrest," Megan laughed. "But...I was thinking..."
Larry cupped her cheek in his hand. "What were you contemplating, mi corazon?"
Megan halted. "You do remember we talked about...well, having a child?"
Larry halted for a moment. "I do indeed."
"I was wondering..."
She and Larry stayed silent, he taking her hand in his. Finally, he spoke.
"I think...that would be quite wonderful, yes."
She eyed him skeptically. "Are you sure?"
"I've been giving it a great deal of thought, despite my silence as of late on the subject. And it would only seem fitting that in a city with a golden past and a shining present, that we would create something most valuable for the future."
Megan smiled. "Of course, it may not happen while we're there."
Larry smiled. "Yes, but should it not, we will have had the most powerful of soul moving experiences in the attempt to achieve such an end. As it's said, it's not the destination so much as the journey. And regardless of where this takes us, I feel that our lives have been, and will continue to be, the most amazing of journeys."
Megan took his hands in hers. "Larry, have I told you how wonderful you've made my life?"
"I doubt very much it could compare to that which you have brought to mine."
"Now that's where you're wrong," she told him, grinning.
"Perhaps we could debate this on the plane," he said, smiling tenderly.
"Or we could just join the Mile High Club," Megan giggled.
Larry's face turned utterly pink.