Fathers

Gary’s Father

If I’m not around, Gary visits alone with his father, Ken, at the Hip Rehab Center (…makes it sound like Promises, in Malibu). And it would seem Gary’s father casually drops into conversation little tidbits of information about his past, and then Gary repeats those tidbits in an incredulous voice. Gary repeats these conversations to me later.

Ken: “Well, when Harry and I were playing baseball – before he went to the Cardinal’s farm team -“
Gary: “Your friend Harry played for the Cardinals farm team?”
Ken: “Oh, sure. He was a hall of fame pitcher. I was his catcher, and I tried out for the Cardinals but -“
Gary: “You tried out for the Cardinals?”
Ken: “Well I didn’t get very far. I had an E.R.A. of 350 – “
Gary: “350?”
Ken : “My throwing arm wasn’t strong, though.”

Then later:

Ken: “Well, you know I was racing midget cars with my sister before I went to WW2 – “
Gary: “Racing? Midget? Cars?”
Ken: “And then my sister called the army and said my stepmother had died, and so I came home from the war and my stepmother was fine, my sister just got wind of a big battle and wanted to be sure I was safe.” (etc.)

So, anyway, this has led Gary to think he doesn’t know anyone. Therefore, our conversation about my (technical) father, Jerry.

My Father

Gary: “So why didn’t you get to know your father when he was alive?”
Me: “He didn’t sound like someone I’d want to get to know. He was a drunk who broke Julia’s arm -“
Gary: “He broke someone’s arm?“
Me: “Yeah, Julia, my half-sister – “
Gary: “Half-sister?”
Me: “Oh, shut up, you know all this.”
Gary: “I did not know you had a half-sister.”

So, I’m thinking it’s Gary.