Page 71 - Demo

Yeager called. When I answered the phone, she was uncharacteristically halting. They, too, had plans that evening, theirs to go to a premiere performance at the New York Metropolitan Opera. They had intended to take Mr. Lawson with them. After weeks, they still had not caught on to such common courtesies as tell- ing him ahead. But this time Mr. Lawson declared he hated opera and refused to go. Douglas was inclined to leave him home alone, but the prospect worried Claire enough to see if we might look after him. I told her we couldn’t when Jocelyn jumped in. “The old man you mentioned on zoom? I’ll do it,” she said.
him back. Just stop badgering my daughter and admit you’ve made a big mistake.”
“Absolutely not. I’m sure you’re tired after your trip,” I said.
It was only the beginning. The Yaegers asked Jocelyn again and then again, increasingly without qualms. To my growing dismay, she was only too happy to help until my resentment was about to burst—resentment toward the Yaegers for being such miserable caregiv- ers, and yet worse in an insidious way for my daugh- ter’s growing loyalty to this old man.
But Jocelyn insisted. “He hates opera. How bad can he be?” So, our daughter who clearly had no love for Puccini took Mr. Lawson for the night.
Whenever Jocelyn had him in our apartment, masking my true feelings I would tell Mr. Lawson, “Nice to see you.” It seemed he was spending more time with her than his caretakers 20 floors above. She chaperoned him to and fro around the neighborhood. They went to matinees. As it was turning colder, she bundled him up and they went for walks in Central Park. One day I went past the ice cream parlor and saw the two of them, the only ones in there, eating mountainous sundaes. I felt like a spy staring in through the win- dow watching them chattering away like two kids on a date. She must have said something funny because he was laughing, nodding his head, his eyes sparkling with mirth.
Ruth and I came home later to a sight I won’t soon forget: our daughter and Mr. Lawson beside one an- other on the couch, a big basket of Doritos between them, both shoeless with their legs stretched out
on the coffee table watching TV. This was renegade in more ways than one. Ruth would have normally bristled about the Doritos and resulting crumbs in the cracks of the couch. Both of them, and this was even more startling, had holes in their socks. After watching Estragon and Pozzo all night, I was not sure I had left the theater. But we said nothing. Nor was anything said to Douglas when he came by for Mr. Lawson an hour later. If I said anything, I might have lost my shit.
“What are you doing about a job?” I said to Jocelyn that evening. “We can’t support you forever.” She turned her back on the question like work was sec- ondary. Or that I was secondary. “What about me? Where’s the thanks?” I said, not meaning to raise my voice.
The event, however, set in motion circumstances that certified the Yaegers were in no way suitable caretakers for Mr. Lawson, or the state. The next day Claire came to our door to present Jocelyn with a large bouquet of flowers to thank her. I was at work, so this was reported to me by Ruth. Joce- lyn accepted them in a less-than-appreciative man- ner. But this did not stop Claire from asking her if she might consider taking care of Mr. Lawson again Saturday night. They had a formal engagement to attend that was hardly suitable for him. Jocelyn agreed and when I came home to learn about it, I shouted. “He’s not your responsibility just because she gave you flowers.”
After a pause, she said, “I’m sorry you feel that way.”
Jocelyn said, “Fuck the flowers. I’ve got nothing else to do. I’m sure he doesn’t own a tux.” I called Douglas immediately. By my calculation, they had taken in Mr. Lawson about two months before. “Your trial period ends in 30 days. You can still give
I was the last to know. Two or three days went by without any sign of Mr. Lawson. I thought little of it until I saw Douglas and Claire in the building eleva- tor without him on my way out. I angrily returned to our apartment expecting to see him sitting there with Jocelyn. “Nice to see you.” The words rose up in my head. This time I was determined not to say them. But
But Jocelyn spent that Saturday night with Mr. Law- son, this time in the Yaeger’s apartment. At a point, she took him out for ice cream. I noticed she put on a little makeup that when she bothered always added something to her pretty face.
I’ve got to give her credit. She must have learned her timing doing standup. She delivered the line so well it could have pierced my heart.
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