Tales of the City 05 - Significant Others

doing.”
    “Rose, he’s an old man.”
    “So was Mengele,” said Rose.
    Booter had heard enough. “Listen here, young lady—”
    “Don’t you call me that!”
    “I’ll call you anything I want!”
    “Rose, we can’t legally—”
    “Get out, Teejay!”
    The girl stood there a moment longer, saying nothing, then muttered under her breath and left.
    “Please,” Booter told her, “call the police….”
    The shaved woman began rummaging noisily through a pile of gear in the corner of the tent. Booter watched as she ripped open a cardboard box, then tore off lengths of masking tape. She leaned over him and clamped something white and gauzy against his mouth, binding it in place with the tape.
    His eyes had begun to water a bit, but he could still discern the label on the box: New Freedom Maxi-pads.

Mrs. Madrigal’s Lament
    I T WAS ALMOST NINE O’CLOCK WHEN BRIAN RETURNED TO the cabin on Austin Creek. All he had done was drive, following the coastal highway as far as Elk, then swinging south again in time for dinner in Jenner at the River’s End Restaurant. Having spoken to no one except a waitress and an Exxon attendant, he welcomed the prospect of company.
    But Michael and Thack were gone. They weren’t in the cabin and they weren’t by the campfire, and they didn’t have a car. Had they walked into Cazadero for dinner?
    He lit a fire and tried to get back into Jitterbug Perfume, but his mind began to wander. On an impulse, he picked up the phone and called Mrs. Madrigal.
    “Madrigal here.”
    “Hi. It’s Brian.”
    “Oh … yes, dear. Are you home?”
    “No. We’re still here. Just thought I’d check on things.”
    “Oh … well … good.”
    “Has Puppy been a problem?”
    “Don’t be silly. As a matter of fact … Puppy dear, come say hello to Daddy. Go on. That’s right, it’s Daddy. Say ‘Hello, Daddy.’ ”
    “Hello, Daddy,” came a small, familiar voice.
    “Hi, Puppy. Have you been good?”
    “Yes.”
    “I miss you a lot.”
    Silence.
    “Do you miss Daddy?”
    Silence.
    “Puppy?”
    Mrs. Madrigal came back on the line. “The telephone throws her. She thinks you should be on TV.”
    “What do you mean?”
    The landlady chuckled. “When Mommy’s away, Mommy’s on TV. So when Daddy’s away … well, it makes sense, doesn’t it?”
    “I suppose.”
    “She misses you, dear. Take my word for it.”
    “Is Mary Ann O.K.?”
    “Fine,” she said evenly. “I haven’t seen her that much, but she’s been so busy lately. Did you try to reach her at The Summit?”
    “No.”
    “Well, she’s at some big gala tonight, but she should be home by ten.”
    “O.K.”
    “She was lovely on that Hollywood show. Did you get a chance to watch?”
    “No.” he said.
    “Well, she was … very poised. What’s the name of that show?”
    “Entertainment Tonight ,” he said.
    “Yes. She was just splendid. I’m sure she taped it. You can watch it when you get home.”
    He couldn’t think of anything to say.
    “Dear, are you all right?”
    “Yeah. Fine.”
    “No you’re not.”
    “I’m just a little tired tonight.”
    “Well, put your feet up. Have some chamomile.”
    “O.K.”
    “When are you coming home?” she asked.
    “Tomorrow.”
    “Good.” She paused. “We lost our appeal, by the way.”
    “Oh … the steps, you mean?”
    “Yes.”
    “What does that mean exactly?”
    “Well … they tear them down on Monday.”
    “So soon?” said Brian. “How will we get up to the lane?”
    The landlady sighed. “Apparently on some horrid temporary thing. Aluminum. Until the concrete sets.” She was quiet for a moment, then added: “It’s too awful to contemplate.”
    He murmured in agreement.
    “Am I being silly?”
    “No. Not at all.”
    “You know … I sit there with my tea in the morning. The wood gets warm in the sun. The very feel of it under my fingers …” She sounded like someone remembering a love affair.
    He asked: “Couldn’t they build a new one in redwood or something?”
    “That’s exactly what I proposed. They can’t be bothered. Maintenance, they said.”
    “Those assholes,” said Brian.
    “All of life is maintenance, for heaven’s sake. That’s the pleasant part. Taking care of things.”
    He thought about that for a moment. “Have you spoken to Mary Ann?”
    “Yes, but … you were right. It’s not really suited for her show.”
    “Maybe so, but she could … I dunno … talk to the people in News, at least.”
    “Well, I