JOYCE CAROL OATES
405
They were up until two, drinking. Repeatedly Paul used the odd ex–
pression "guys" as ifits sound, its grating musicality, had imprinted itself in his
brain. "O. K. guys how's about another drink?" he would say, rubbing his
hands together. "O.K. guys how the hell have you been?"
Next morning, a brilliantly sunny morning, no one was up before
eleven. Paul appeared in swimming trunks and T-shirt in the kitchen at noon ,
boisterous, swaggering, unshaven , in much the mood of the night before–
remarkable! The Riegels had hired a local handyman to shore up some rot–
ting steps and the handyman was an oldish gray-grizzled black and after the
man was paid and departed Paul spoke in an exaggerated comical black ac–
cent hugging Ceci and Charlotte around their waists until Charlotte pushed
him away stiffly saying, "I don't think you're being funny, Paul." There was
a moment's startled silence, then she repeated, vehemently,
"I don't think
that's funny, Paul."
As ifon cue Ceci turned on her heel and walked out of the room.
But Paul continued his clowning. He blundered about in the kitchen
pleading with "white missus"; bowing, shuffling, tugging what remained of
his forelock; kneeling to pluck at Charlotte's denim skirt. His flushed face
seemed to have turned to rubber, his lips red, moist, turned obscenely inside
out. "Beg pardon white mussus! Oh white missus
begpardon!"
Charlotte said, "I think we should leave."
Barry, who had been staring appalled at his friend, as if he'd never
seen him before, said quickly, "Yes. I think we should leave."
They went to their room at the rear of the house leaving Paul behind
and in a numbed stricken silence packed their things, each of them badly
trembling. They anticipated one or both of the Riegels following them but
neither did and as Charlotte yanked sheets off the bed, towels off the towel
rack in the bathroom, to fold and pile them neatly at the foot of the bed, she
could not believe that their friends would allow them to leave without protest.
With a wad of toilet paper she cleaned the bathroom sink as Barry
called to her to please hurry. She examined the claw-footed tub - she and
Barry had each showered that morning - and saw near the drain a tiny
curly dark hair, hers or Barry's, indistinguishable, and this hair she leaned
over to snatch up but her fingers closed in air and she tried another time still
failing to grasp it then finally she picked it up and flushed it down the toilet.
Her face was burning and her heart knocking so hard in her chest she could
scarcely breathe.
The Carsons left the Riegels' cottage in Nantucket shortly after noon of
the day following their arrival.
They drove seven hours back to their home with a single stop, silent
much of the time but excited, nervously elated. When he drove, Barry kept
