Chapter 49: We Meet Henrys Sister and a New Cast of Characters.

A few weeks into the semester things were settling down. Thomas was, of course, highly eccentric, but he kept house well. He always had something hot for dinner, and it was always good. The following is a typical exchange: Me: Thomas: Me: Thomas: Me: Thomas: Me: Thomas: Me: Thomas: What is this stuff? Aloo gobi. Whats that? Potato and cauliflower curry. And the bread is nan? Si. Its all really good. I especially like the nan. Gracias. So theres no meat in this. Si.

About three weeks after school started I came home and there was an orange Datsun 240Z in the driveway. I found Thomas in the back yard digging up some ground in the back yard as though he were preparing to plant a garden. Whats up? I asked. He was wearing his sandals, back slacks, and no shirt. This is not a sight I would recommend. I need to plant some crocus sativus bulbs, he answered, without looking at me, when he heard me behind him. Theres an orange 240Z in the driveway, I said. Si, he said, continuing at his work. Who owns it? You do, he said. I thought I owned a van, You did. And?

You needed a van to furnish the house. It is now furnished. Well, he had a point. In fact, I hadnt give him much more than a couple thousand bucks to work with but hed set up a pretty comfortable household. Some of the stuff in the house may have been his. In response to a question a week or two ago he told me that one of the paintings in the hall was a Vermeer hed had for a long time, but I found this difficult to believe. So now we have an orange sports car? I asked. Si. You are a young man. You should have a fast car, he said. Why in the world do I need a sports car? Girls like them, he said. Girls dont like me, I said. You wouldnt know if they did, he said. Whys that? I asked. Youre too busy looking for whats wrong, he answered. He finished his spadework and stood, shirtless and sweaty. It looked worse than it sounds. After a short respite I will shower, he said. I will water the ground and plant the crocus bulbs in the morning. Then we need to go to the grocery store. What do we need at the store? You need to drive your new car, and I need an eggplant and some tomatoes. What are you making? Baigan bartha. Another Indian deal? I asked. Si. So Im guessing no meat. Tiene usted razn. English, I said. Technically, si. But there will be fresh hot nan. And Ive found some good dal. And good basmati rice.

Dal? I asked. Indian lentils. But no meat? I asked. Technically. And some good yogurt. You will like baigan bartha. I will shower as soon as I have had a refreshing beverage. After hed downed two shirtless gin and tonics, taken a shower, consumed another g. and t. in his boxers, which were blue and which informed me much more thoroughly about his physique than my curiosity would have ever required, we went to the grocery store, him in his summer priest outfit. He insisted on going to a Vons up1 in Altadena, he claimed because it was better than the store at Hudson and California but I think he just wanted to make me take the new car onto the freeway. I have to admit it was zippy. Id never driven a fast car before and I could see the appeal. The Vons on Allen in Altadena wasnt in any way special. A good grocery store, sensibly organized, but there wasnt any reason for us to have driven up there. I followed Thomas through the aisles as he picked over vegetables and then spices. Then, as we passed the packaged Romaine lettuce, I saw what might be a familiar face. She had a tall teenaged boy with her. I stopped. Hera? I asked. She looked up at me and scowled. She had always scowled a lot. It took her a few seconds, but then I had changed a lot since she last saw me. She looked almost exactly the same. Henry? she asked. Guilty as charged, I said. My heavens! she loudly exclaimed, right there in Vons, then swooped me into an enormous hug. She may have been crying, albeit discretely. Its been so long since Ive seen you, she said. Where have you been? Thomas coughed gently. Hera, allow me to introduce my friend Thomas. Thomas, this is my sister, Hera Tronkh, I said. Actually, Im Hera Jones now, but that happened since I last saw Henry! So glad to meet you! And both of you, this is my son Candy. Candy, this is your Uncle Henry, she said.

In the San Gabriel Valley in the Los Angeles Basin, going up to Altadena is like going up to Jerusalem. Its not like going uptown in New York or New Orleans, where the street numbers go up (well, in New York anyway) . Youre going up in altitude. Altadena is way above the valley floor.

Hey, said Candy, waving briefly to us. You never mentioned an uncle, he said to his mother. Henry and I have been out of touch since before you were born, she said. What have you been up to? Where have you been? she asked me. High school. The road. College. Now Im in grad school. `How wonderful that youve pursued higher education! What are you studying? she asked. Physics. I shrugged. Candy here loves science! she said. Hey, he said to me. So, like, Mom, he said, turning to Hera, does it strike you as a little bit weird that I learned I have an uncle at Vons when Im almost eighteen? Dont be rude, she said. Henrys been out of touch. Really bud, its not her fault. Were just not a close-knit family, I said. So are you in town for long? Hera asked. Im in a Ph.D. program, I answered. Thats what, two years? she asked. Mom, really, said Candy. Threes more like it. Or when I finish my thesis, I said. Candy? said Thomas, to Candy. Candide. I hate being called Candy, said the kid. And you are what? Thomas asked him. A freshman at Cal Tech. Good school. Perhaps youll bump into Henry on campus. What are you studying? Some version of biology, I think, he said. The kid actually looked pretty smart. Hes a college freshman, but hes still living at home, said Hera. I guess I just wasnt ready to let go of him.

Mother of God, said Candide. He could move in with us, said Thomas. Where would we put him? I asked. In the empty bedroom, said Thomas. We have a third bedroom? I asked. Si. Where? I asked. Just beyond yours. I thought you said that was a linen closet. Yeah, Im in, said Candide. Hold your horses, said Hera. Hey, sweetie, said a pretty blonde girl who appeared out of nowhere and kissed Candide on the cheek. Fancy meeting you here. She seemed happy to see him. My sister did not seem happy to see her. Hey, good news, he said to the girl. Im moving in with these guys. With a priest? asked the girl. Why not? Hello, Hera, said a tall ash blond woman dressed as though to play tennis. She nodded politely to my sister. Hello, Candy, she said to Candide. Hello, Mrs. Anderson, said Candide. May I introduce my uncle Henry here he looked at me for a cue. Henry Baida, I said, shaking her hand. And this is my friend Thomas, I said. Thomas shook her hand as well. Baida? said Candide to his mother. That was my maiden name, she said, trying to smile at Mrs. Anderson.

Im Helen Anderson, she said, looking at Thomas and then me in turn. And this is my daughter Fiel. She is a senior at Poly2. I looked at Hera. I hadnt seen her in years but she was still my big sister. Poly is a very good high school in Pasadena, she said. I think Candy and Fiel met at one of their dances. Nah, it was at a Prep3 dance, said Fiel, kind of affectionately hip-checking Candide, the way a soccer player might do. So wheres this place Im moving into? asked Candide. On South Mentor, said Thomas. A block from your school. Both mothers frowned a bit. The eyes of both teens present widened happily and they looked at each other. That is fuc I mean that is awesome, said Candide. He seemed to realize he was worrying the mothers present and turned to Hera. You see, this means I could walk to school. Your objection that you dont want to buy me a car would be nullified. Hera did not seem happy. Im going along with this? I asked Thomas, while the teens smiled and the mothers frowned. Si. Why? He is a young man. He needs some freedom. You will be a negligent chaperone. Plus, it will be good for your soul and will allow a good spiritual influence on the lives of these two eager young people, he said. Youre purporting to be a good spiritual influence on teenagers? No. Not me. You will be the good spiritual influence, he answered. Oh, for Christs sake, I said. I really dont think you know me too well. You are a very good Catholic, said Thomas. What? I said to Thomas. Well, Im not sure this is in the budget, said Hera. How much are you asking? Candide asked Thomas. Thomas looked at me.
2

Polytechnic School in Pasadena. Highly recommended. Nursery through twelfth grade. From the pictures on the website, it looks like they now wear the same uniforms as Clairbourn School a few miles south in San Gabriel, California. Also highly recommended. 3 Flintridge Preparatory School, for my money the best high school in Southern California.

Look, youre talking about moving in and sharing a bathroom and a kitchen with an eccentric gambler and a crazy priest on the basis of a chance encounter in a grocery store, I said. If I have understood Thomas correctly, he was suggesting a few years ago that one of his drinking buddies was an extraterrestrial. I get along with him, but were weird, I said. Thomas made an noncommittal gesture. Im just suggesting you think this through. No, Im cool, said Candide. How much? I calculated. Even though Thomas wasnt paying, the freight for a new roommate should be a third. Im sure its more than we can afford, said Hera, trying to grab Candide by the sleeve and leave, but he was rooted, arm around Fiels waist, much to her mothers frowning disapproval. Hang on, Mom. How much? he asked me. I guess, including utilities, your share would be, what, $250? I looked at Thomas. He kind of shrugged and nodded. Fiel and Candide kind of bounced on their toes in excitement. Henry, dammit, it cant possibly be that cheap, said Hera. Well, it sort of is. I pay $650 a month, plus utilities. So if we split that three ways, it comes to right about $250, as long as he kicks in for long distance calls. Awesome, said Candide. I think we need to talk about this further, said Hera. No, dude, look, Im moving in tomorrow. Thats less than she charges me for living at home. A solid win, he said. Whats the address? Thomas took a small pad of paper out of his pocket and wrote down the address. Sadly, we do not yet have a phone number, said Thomas. I am working on that. I looked at him because this was patently untrue but he didnt register anything when I did. Do you have a friend named Pangloss? Thomas asked Candide. What a peculiar question, said Mrs. Anderson. I wouldnt say friend, he said. Dr. Pangloss is pretty much an asshole. Hera smacked him on the back of his head like a redneck mother at K-Mart might discipline a seven year-old. He rolled his eyes. Ill be by tomorrow, he said to Thomas. Thomas nodded. Ill have a new key cut, said Thomas. The room is completely unfurnished. And we cannot help you with transportation. We have a small car. Oh, thats okay, said Candide. Dad left me the keys to his pickup.

Well, then, Mr. Tronkh, Candide said. Mr. Tronkh, we will see you tomorrow, said Thomas. Mrs. Anderson, Mrs. Jones, and Miss Anderson, we must bid you a fond buenos noches. It is time for us to go home. I made my good byes with Hera, who was still glaring, promised to stay in touch, and we left. She said we all needed to have dinner together next weekend and I agreed. After I paid for our groceries and we were walking to the new car, I ruminated aloud to Thomas about what had just happened. I guess I dont understand what happened, I said. ? he asked. Well, for one thing, why was Candide so eager to get out of his mothers house? Why was the girl so happy about the idea? Why did both mothers seem so hostile to it? Why did Hera agree to let her son move into my house? She doesnt know me from Adam. Nothing about it made sense. Tiene perfecto sentido, he said. English, I said. It makes perfect sense. Wait, I said, as we approached the new car. Before you explain that, how did you trade a broken down old van for a really fast 240z? The Datsun wasnt working this morning, and the drug dealer who owned it yesterday had a delivery to make that wouldnt have fit in the Datsun anyway. Wasnt working? I asked. Wouldnt crank, he said. And you fixed it? I asked. I know a guy, he said. Yeah, okay, so you were telling me how everything that happened with my long lost sister and her coterie of children and acquaintances made sense. I do not understand what you misunderstand, he said. Well, why is it that Candide was so eager to move out?

Because he is acutely interested in having some privacy, he answered, as I unlocked the car. Why? You did not look at that girl? Thomas asked. Well surely they can see each other in private from time to time, I said. You did not look at that girl carefully enough. Why were both mothers frowning? Neither one likes the other and both suspect that their children are having sex. Really? Si. And both are aware that Poly is only two blocks from your new house, so much unchaperoned access will be possible for the two teens. Poly? Polytechnic School. Her high school. The young lovers are a year apart in age, so she is still in high school as he is starting college at a prestigious institution. The difference in their stations in life does not prevent them from longing for access to each other. Access. Si. So why did Hera let it happen? Your nephew is very clever. To have said no in front of her friend Mrs. Anderson she would have to have admitted that she had been out of touch with you for decades which doesnt happen in the best of families and this would have embarrassed her so he brought it up in a hurry and in front of someone whom your sister views as something of a rival. How could she be a rival? I asked. Her shirt bore the insignia of the Valley Hunt Club, he said. The what?

Its like a good Southern country club only more so, he said. I was puzzled. Its a society thing. You wouldnt understand, he said. But why would they be rivals under any set of circumstances? Perhaps they both wanted the same position in the Junior League, he said. The what? Never mind. And why do I want my nephew living with me? You find friends by happenstance and are unlikely to meet many here. You should become closer with your family. By this time we were back down Allen to the freeway. I dont think you know me very well, I said. Solitude agrees with me. This will change, you will see, he said. This is all just so weird, I said. Que? I frowned at him for a second, although I was moving along pretty quickly in the new car on the freeway, and that brief frown caused me to miss my exit. What? What is weird? Thomas asked. We go to this out of the way grocery store for no good reason and I run into my sister whom I havent seen since the Nixon administration and end up taking in a nephew I never knew I had because of the machinations of a crazy old priest. Si But being around you it is generally far worse than this, he said. I wend down the 210 two more exits and doubled back on surface streets. We passed a big Romanesque church in an older part of town. I craned my head to look at it as we passed. Wow, I said, to nobody. Te gustar existe, said Thomas. I was irritated with him for his last remark so I didnt prod him to translate.