The Stardust Lounge (18 page)

Arrested once more for driving on a suspended license, Stephen walks in the door one evening. He's bailed
himself out
of jail, perhaps a good thing for him to know how to do.

Shaking his head, he quotes from the movie
Jaws:
“ ‘Sometimes the sharks go away.’ “ he says. “ ‘Sometimes they
don't
go away’ “

Another evening Trevor storms in the door, furious with the teachers at Amherst Regional High. He spent last summer at a special camp where he not only brought up his grades, he excelled with As in math, English, and history.

He had hoped to improve his status from eternal freshman in high school to junior or senior. When Trevor announced his plans to go to Wolfeboro School Camp in New Hampshire, the local high school suggested it might be possible,
if,
they added, he did well.

But now those teachers say no. No, his intense summer
work is not enough, after all, to advance him. Even though he is much older than all of his classmates he must remain a freshman. Yes, they insist, if he wants to stay in school, he must retake his freshman year. Neither he nor I can change their minds.

Trevor's seething ignites Stephen's demonstrative anger. The two of them begin plotting to get back at the teachers. They're revving up to be sure, holding each other, conspiring.

Charles steps in and places his hands on their shoulders.

“Fellas,” he begins, tuning his voice a little, mimicking the mayor in
Jaws.
Charles exaggerates his preparation to get the boys’ attention. Trevor and Stephen stand back.

“ ‘Fellas, be reasonable, /for one am
not
going to
stand
here and
watch you do
some kind of
half-assed autopsy
on a fish and see that little
Kitner
boy spill
out all
over
this dock
…’ “

We look to all kinds of literature, poems, and songs to find direction. Bob Marley's “You can't blame the youth, you can't fool the youth of today …,” and “One good thing about music …” are favorites. And Charles has an amazing ability to quote whole passages of prose. If I'm worried or upset about something, at my request he lovingly recites the last paragraph of Joyce's
The Dead.

Still,
Jaws
—its plot, characters, dialogue—becomes for us a code of ethics, words to live by, much as verses from the New Testament were my mother's.

As a child I would hear my mother call out to a beautiful spring day, “ ‘This is the day the Lord hath made. Let us be glad and rejoice in it.’ “

Our
Jaws
version is double-edged: “It's a beautiful day… the beaches are open …, “ which carries the multiple
meaning of “Watch your back. This could be the day of a major shark attack.”

If as a child I attempted to twist the truth to turn it in my favor, my mother might have quoted, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free …”

When Stephen or Trevor offer diluted excuses, I might affect Hooper's disgust at the carnage of the first shark attack and the mayor's attempts to cover it up.

“Come off it,” I say. “ ‘This wasn't any boating accident

When the dishes are stacked high in the sink, the laundry piled up to mountainous proportions, when the boys are behind in their schoolwork, Buster is going through a cluster of seizures, my mother might revert to her favorite verse, Romans 8:28, a wonderful disclaimer: “For we know that all things work together for those who love God and who are called according to his purpose.”

The
Jaws
version also recognizes the magnitude of the daily: “We're going to need a bigger boat.”

Heading down the basement one evening to gather the boys’ clothes for the laundry, I see what looks like the apocalypse escaping from beneath the storage room door, open it to find the cats basking before a great light, basking in the warmth of several huge grow-lights, the shelves inside lined with thriving illegal weed.

My mother might be reduced to the belting out the words of the prophets from the dreaded Old Testament, “Get thee down, Moses, for thy people have corrupted themselves!”

Charles, drawn downstairs by cries, shakes his head as he rubs his hands toward the warmth.

“Hmm. Well, well, well.”

“ ‘Take a good look,’ “ I answer. “ ‘Those proportions are correct.’ “

“ ‘Like to get your name in the
National Geographic.’
“

We stare into the brightness.

“Actually it's lovely” I say. “And
green.”

“Just listen to the electric meter ticking.”

“
Busted.
They are
busted …
.”

“ ‘Chief,’ “ Charles says, beginning to clear the shelves, “ ‘put out the fire, will you?’ “

Dear Frank,

I'm so glad you'll be coming to dinner, but ever since I invited you, I've been worried sick. Maybe I haven't been entirely honest with you about the nature of this household, and thought to write to prepare you If you decide not to come, I understand.

You should be forewarned, especially since you'll be coming on a weeknight.

This is a wild household. Dogs sleep on beds no questions asked. The boys of en do their homework in my room
—
Steve at his word processor (his mouse Frederick in his pocket!), Trevor spread out on the floor, Buster and Rufus snoring as the pizza man arrives with dinner, cats leaping in and out of the windows (we ‘ve removed all screens for this purpose, the upshot of this that the most beautiful moths grace the walls and ceilings now and all through the summer and fall)!

There may be phone calls from teachers, more often the cops. Yes, cops. As you know Buster goes through cluster seizures, and I'm afraid he is about due.

I suppose I had some sort of fifties fantasy when I invited you out. To be honest I'm not a very involved cook, the volume of food required here forbidding little more than whole bags of things dumped in to boil.

If you'd rather not come, I understand. I'd love for you to, but I'll take it in stride if you decided against it. From what you've told me, you live a very different life.

Hey, I'm not trying to scare you, but let's not entertain false assumptions

Sincerely,

P.S. If you decide to come, I should explain the smell in the kitchen. We've been propping the doors open each night so the dogs can go out to pee if they need to. Well, a skunk wandered in the kitchen door
—
probably after the cat food
—
and I'm afraid he sprayed. Though we've washed everything down, there's still quite an odor. At any rate, if it doesn't rain, we'll cook outside.

Dear Mr. P
,

I so enjoyed judging your poetry contest! Please let these students know that I was impressed and moved by the power of their feelings and their care with language and form. I commented on at least one poem by each poet. It
was very hard to decide, and I hope it is okay with you that besides the first, second, and third place winners, I chose six honorable mentions… .

Hip-hop, reggae, and R&B are free of charge. Any deviation from this selection will result in a twenty-dollar surcharge.

1. We spend thirty minutes preview for Presentation. Beyond that time, a fifteen-dollar minimum is required.

2. A fifteen-dollar consultation fee is required.

3. All presentations are on a cash basis and require 50% deposit on all cash sales above twenty-five dollars to begin presentation jobs, such as equipment, ground space, transportation, etc. These extra costs are separate from presentation and will be paid for by client.

4. We are not responsible for any damage or other liabilities. The only responsibility pertaining to our organization is the music.

5. Our standard fee is based upon the hourly rates for work and does not include separate, pre-presentation costs.

In the event of cancellation, a fee will be charged based upon the original contract price. It is to the client's utmost
advantage to come with information and organization to avoid adding any time to the job structure.

Client

Contractors: Stephen Digges and Trevor Clunes

Date Signed:

HOURLY RATES: 20$

TRANSPORTATION/EQUIPMENT FEE: 30$

CANCELLATION FEE: 50% OF ORIGINAL CONTRACT FEE

Dear Trev,

While I am gone I am putting you in charge of several things:

1. Watering and maintaining the gardens and the window boxes. Make sure each evening all the gardens have lots of water, and don't forget the little window boxes on the front of the house, over by the garage, and on the back patio.

2. E-mailing me in Russia at least three times. I'll have shown you exactly how to get on-line with CompuServe. Please keep me informed of everything, send me news!

3. You will also be in charge of dinner on Tues., Wed, and Sat, and Tues. night of next week (see calendar in kitchen). Tues. and Wed, Joanne will be here, so Steve will be busy
with tutoring. Then he will clean up those nights and fix dinner on other nights.

The nights that he fixes dinner, you are in charge of cleanup. There will be plenty of things to eat, and it will be your job, while Steve is with Joanne, and then later, too, to plan and get the meal on the table for you and Steve and Brian.

4. Buster's hips really bother him at night so I am asking you that while I am away, DO NOT LET HIM PLAY WITH THE BASKETBALL! If you want to play, close the front door and the side door, too.

5. Keep up with your laundry and keep your room neat.

I know you can do it, and I wish you luck! I'll miss you!

Dear Mr. T
: