Where I'm Calling From

said. “Helen and Carl asked us over tonight. Helen got Carl a water pipe for his birthday and they’re anxious to try it out.” Mary looked at him. “Is it all right with you?”
    “What time?”
    “Around seven.”
    “It’s all right,” he said.
    She looked at his shoes again and sucked her cheeks. “Take your bath,” she said.
    Jack ran the water and took off his shoes and clothes. He lay in the tub for a while and then used a brush to get at the lube grease under his nails. He dropped his hands and then raised them to his eyes.
    She opened the bathroom door. “I brought you a beer,” she said. Steam drifted around her and out into the living room.
    “I’ll be out in a minute,” he said. He drank some of the beer.
    She sat on the edge of the tub and put her hand on his thigh. “Home from the wars,” she said.
    “Home from the wars,” he said.
    She moved her hand through the wet hair on his thigh. Then she clapped her hands. “Hey, I have something to tell you! I had an interview today, and I think they’re going to offer me a job—in Fairbanks.”
    “Alaska?” he said.
    She nodded. “What do you think of that?”
    “I’ve always wanted to go to Alaska. Does it look pretty definite?”
    She nodded again. “They liked me. They said I’d hear next week.”
    “That’s great. Hand me a towel, will you? I’m getting out.”
    “I’ll go and set the table,” she said.
    His fingertips and toes were pale and wrinkled. He dried slowly and put on clean clothes and the new shoes. He combed his hair and went out to the kitchen. He drank another beer while she put dinner on the table.
    “We’re supposed to bring some cream soda and something to munch on,” she said. “We’ll have to go by the store.”
    “Cream soda and munchies. Okay,” he said.
    When they had eaten, he helped her clear the table. Then they drove to the market and bought cream soda and potato chips and corn chips and onion-flavored snack crackers. At the checkout counter he added a handful of U-No bars to the order.
    “Hey, yeah,” she said when she saw them.
    They drove home again and parked, and then they walked the block to Helen and Carl’s.
    Helen opened the door. Jack put the sack on the dining-room table.
    Mary sat down in the rocking chair and sniffed.
    “We’re late,” she said. “They started without us, Jack.”
    Helen laughed. “We had one when Carl came in. We haven’t lighted the water pipe yet. We were waiting until you got here.” She stood in the middle of the room, looking at them and grinning. “Let’s see what’s in the sack,” she said. “Oh, wow! Say, I think I’ll have one of these corn chips right now. You guys want some?”
    “We just ate dinner,” Jack said. “We’ll have some pretty soon.” Water had stopped running and Jack could hear Carl whistling in the bathroom.
    ‘We have some Popsicles and some M&M’s,” Helen said. She stood beside the table and dug into the potato-chip bag. “If Carl ever gets out of the shower, he’ll get the water pipe going.” She opened the box of snack crackers and put one in her mouth. “Say, these are really good,” she said.
    “I don’t know what Emily Post would say about you,” Mary said.
    Helen laughed. She shook her head.
    Carl came out of the bathroom. “Hi, everybody. Hi, Jack. What’s so funny?” he said, grinning. “I could hear you laughing.”
    “We were laughing at Helen,” Mary said.
    “Helen was just laughing,” Jack said.
    “She’s funny.” Carl said. “Look at the goodies! Hey, you guys ready for a glass of cream soda? I’ll get the pipe going.”
    “I’ll have a glass,” Mary said. “What about you, Jack?”
    “I’ll have some,” Jack said.
    “Jack’s on a little bummer tonight,” Mary said.
    “Why do you say that? “Jack asked. He looked at her. “That’s a good way to put me on one.”
    “I was just teasing,” Mary said. She came over and sat beside him on the sofa. “I was just teasing, honey.”
    “Hey, Jack, don’t get on a bummer,” Carl said. “Let me show you what I got for my birthday. Helen, open one of those bottles of cream soda while I get the pipe going. I’m real dry.”
    Helen carried the chips and crackers to the coffee table. Then she produced a bottle of cream soda and four glasses.
    “Looks like we’re going to have a party,” Mary said.
    “If I didn’t starve myself all day, I’d put on ten pounds a week,” Helen said.
    “I know what you mean,”