It is Saturday afternoon. Some things have happened.
First, Professor Michael (he says call him Mike), Regan, and Margery eat Friday dinner with us. Renata makes kielbasas and potatoes and cucumber salad and sernik (a cheesecake), many of my favorite Polish foods. From Carli I am in a good mood. From the food I am even better. After, while Professor Mike and Renata talk in the kitchen, I play that I am a great dragon and Regan and Margery defeat me with magic and violence. Regan leaps from the back of the couch onto my gut when I am lying on the floor, which does hurt, but is so explosive an act it makes me laugh. Margery cups my head and says I am dying honorably.
Second, Renata, Barry, and I attend the girls’ dance recital on Saturday morning. The floors of the studio, in an old brick building downtown, are wood and shiny. The walls have mirrors. The room is filled with families and many little girls in puffy costumes. An old lady plays bad piano to get things started. The little girls run and jump. I have never been at a dance recital, but this is a fine one. By far the best dancers in the whole show are Margery and Regan. They jump the highest and they mess up the dance and they don’t seem to care about anything except for the parts where there are kicks and fast spins. When their part is over, Regan slides on her stomach to leave the dance space. Barry whoops and applauds loud. Professor Mike leans and whispers, “She is too old to behave like that. See what I’m saying?” But I think she is only eight. Is that too old? I don’t care what he thinks, because Regan is excellent. Barry agrees with me.
Third, we eat tacos for Saturday lunch. Tacos are now my favorite food, even more than meat pierogi. We all eat too much. Renata and Professor Mike go to the study to talk. Barry falls asleep on the floor of the living room. The girls fall asleep on the couch. I watch basketball all folded up on our love seat (I am too tall). But these kids? And Barry? All the noise they make?
I am happy. Me.
Then the telephone rings. Regan groans. Barry rolls over on the floor. He is drooling. He goes back to sleep. I hear Renata answer. I hear her say, “I’m sure Adam will want to talk to him.”
Who?
But then Renata doesn’t come out of the study to tell me who called, to tell me who I will want to talk with.
Who?
I get off the love seat and walk down the hall to the study and walk in on Renata and Professor Mike kissing like they are teenagers.