The bus nudged into its next stop and five passengers boarded.
The four women took seats together at the back, but the old man worked his slow way down the aisle to stop beside Wizards seat. Wizard felt his presence and turned to look at him.
The old man nodded gravely and arranged himself carefully in the seat as the bus jerked away from the curb. The old man nodded to the sway of the bus, but didnt speak until Wizard had turned to stare out the window again.
My boy isnt coming home from college for Thanksgiving this year. Says be cant afford it, and when we said wed pay, he said he needed the time to study. Can you beat that? So I asked him, What are Mother and I supposed to do, eat a whole turkey by ourselves? So he said, Why dont you have chicken instead? No understanding. Hes our youngest, you see. The others are all long moved away.
Wizard nodded as he turned to look at the old man, but be, was staring at the back of the next seat. As soon as Wizard turned back to the window, he started it again.
Our second girl had a baby last spring. But she wont come either. Says she wants to have their first Thanksgiving together, just her family alone. So when I said, Well, arent we family, too? she just said, Oh, Daddy, you know how small our place is. By the time you drove clear down here for Thanksgiving, youd have to spend the night, and I just dont have any place to put you. Can you beat that? The old man gave a weary cough. Eldest boys in Germany, you know. Stationed there fourteen months now, and only three letters. Phoned us three weeks ago, though. And when his mother asked him why be didnt write to us, he says, Oh, Mom, you know how it is.
You know I do love you, even if I dont find time to write.
After he hangs up, she says to me, Yes, I know he loves us, but I wish I could feel him love us. Its for her I mind. Not so much for me. Kids were always a damn nuisance anyway, but it hurts her when they dont call or write.
The bus pulled into Wizards stop. He kept his seat with his jaw set against the grumbling of his stomach. As soon as the bus lurched forward again, the old man resumed.
I guess I wasnt around that much when they were growing up. I guess I didnt put as much into them as she did; maybe I didnt give them as much as I should have. So perhaps its only fitting that they arent around when Im feeling my years.
But what about Mother? She gave them her years, and now they leave her alone. Can you beat that?
Just as the old mans voice trailed out, the Knowing came to Wizard. He always wondered how the talkers knew to come to him, how they sensed that he had something to tell them.
Even Cassie had no answer to that question. Every stick has two ends. she had mumbled when he had asked her. Mumbojumbo! he had replied derisively. But now he had something for the old roan, and it must be delivered. He took his eyes from the window, to stare at the seat back with the old man.
He whispered as huskily as a priest giving absolution in a confessional.
Buy the turkey and the trimmings. Tell her that with or without kids at the table, you wouldnt miss her holiday cooking. Your eldest son got some leave time, and hell be flying in from Germany. But he wants to surprise her. So keep it to yourself, but be ready to go to the airport on Thanksgiving morning. Dont spill the beans, now.
He never looked at Wizard. At the next stop the old man rose and made his slow way to the door in the side of the bus.
Wizard watched him go and wished him well. At the next stop he hopped off himself and went looking for the right sort of restaurant.
It took him a moment to get his bearings, and men he recalled a little place he had used before. He mussed his hair slightly, took his newspaper from his shopping bag and tucked it under his arm, and clutched the plastic bag by its handles.
His stomach made him hurry the block and a half to the remembered location.
With a flash of light and a roar of wind, he appeared in me door of the restaurant. A secretary hurrying through her halfhour lunch break paused with her burger halfway to her lips.
Framed by a rectangle of bright blue October, the man in the door blazed blue and white and gold. A strange little squirt of extra blood shot through her heart at the sight of him. Wasnt he me illustration of me wandering prince from some half forgotten book in her childhood? Sunlight rested on his hair like a mothers fond benediction. He was too vital and sparkling for her to break her stare away.
Then the tinted glass door on its pneumatic closer eased shut behind him, revealing to her me cheat. Bereft of wind and sun at his back, the man who had seemed to fill me doorway was only slightly taller than average. The gold highlights on his hair faded to a brown tousle; even this boyishness was denied by a sprinkling of gray throughout it. His lined and weathered face contradicted his youthful stance and easy walk.
Just some smalltime logger from Aberdeen who had wandered into Seattle for a day of shopping. His longsleeved wool shirt was a subdued blue plaid; thermal underwear peeked out me open collar. Dark brown corduroy slacks sheathed his long legs.
The blue spark of fascination in his eyes was only something she had imagined. When the secretary realized her gaze was being returned with interest, she stared past him, scowling slightly, and returned to her hamburger. Wizard shrugged and strolled to the end of the line at the counter.
Once in line, he took the folded Seattle Times from under his arm and stuffed it into the top of his plastic shopping bag.
He scanned the restaurant expectantly. The place was an elegantly disguised cafeteria. The tables had donned red-checked cloths and boasted small guttering candles in little red hobnail holders. Their dimmed gleam was augmented by the shining fluorescent light over the stainless steel salad bar. The girl clearing tables wore a lacy little apron and a dainty starched cap. But the fine masquerade was betrayed by the metal dispenser for paper napkins on the condiment bar, and the swingfront plastic trash containers that crouched discreetly beneath potted plants. Wizard was not deceived. He caught the glance of a small, girl seated at a corner table with her brother and parents. His face lit when he spotted her. With a broad grin and a wink, he reduced her to giggles.
Ready to older, sir, the cashier informed him. Her square plastic name tag introduced her as Nina Cashier Trainee.
Coffee. He tried a melting smile on her, but she was too nervous to thaw. He jingled the change in his pocket as her finger wiped his order onto her machine.
You want that to go, she told him.
No, Ill drink it here. He refocused the smile on her. Its pretty nippy outside.
She mustered an uncertain authority. You cant sit in a boom with just coffee and be alone. She gabbled the words as her pen jabbed up at a sign posted high above anyones eye level. In stout black letters it proclaimed LONE PATRONS OR PERSONS ORDERING LESS THAN $I.50 EACH ARE NOT PERMITTED TO SIT IN BOOTHS BETWEEN II:00 AND 2:00 PM. DUE TO LIMITED TABLESPACE THE MANAGEMENT REGRETS THIS NECESSARY MEASURE IN OUR EFFORTS TO KEEP OUR PRICES LOW. So did Wizard.
The sign bad not been there last month.
But Im not alone. Miss Nina. His use of her name unbalanced her. Im joining some friends. Looks like Im a bit late. He winked at the little girl in the corner booth, and she squirmed delightedly. Isnt the kid a doll? Her mom looked just like that when we were kids.
Nina hastily surrendered, barely glancing at the child. A real cutie. Fifty-seven cents, please. Help yourself to refills from our bottomless pot.
I always do. He pushed mixed coins onto the counter to equal exactly fifty-seven cents. I used to be a regular here, but the service got so bad I quit coming in. With people like you working here, maybe Ill become a regular again.
For an instant a real person peered out of her eyes at him.
He received a flash of gratitude. He smiled at her and let the tension out of her bunched shoulders. She served him steaming coffee in a heavy white mug. He let her forget him completely as she turned to her next customer.
Wizard took his mug to the condiment counter. He helped himself to three packets of cream substitute and six packets of sugar, a plastic spoon, and four napkins. He sauntered casually over to the corner booth where the small girl and her brother pushed their food about on their plates as their parents lingered over coffee. He halted just short of intruding on them and allowed himself a few silent moments to make character adjustments. Turning me facets of your personality until an appropriate one is face up was how Cassie described it when she had taught him how. Prepared, he took the one more pace that put him within their space, and waited for the husband to look up. He did so quickly, his brown eyes narrowing. The muscles in his thick neck bunched as the man hiked his shoulder warningly, and set down his coffee mug to have his fists free.
Very territorial. Wizard decided. He smiled ingratiatingly, cocking his head like a friendly pup.
Hi! he ventured in an uncertain voice. He cleared his throat and shifted his feet awkwardly. A country twang invaded his voice. I, uh, I hate to intrude, but I wonder if I could share your table. Im waiting for my lady friend.
Then wait at an empty table, the man growled. His wife looked both apprehensive and intrigued.
Uh. I would, but, well, look, its like this. The first time I ever took her out, we wound up here, sitting at this table until three in the morning. Since then, weve always sat here whenever we come in. And well. today is kind of special. I mink Im going to, you know, ask her. I got the ring and the whole bit. He patted his breast pocket with a mixture of pride and embarrassment. His soft voice was awed at his own boldness.
The seated man was not moved. Buzz off, be growled, but his wife reached quickly to cover his hand with hers.
Come on, Ted, show a little sense of romance. What harm can it do? Were nearly finished anyway.
Well She squeezed his hand warmly as she smiled at him. Teds hackles went down. I guess its okay. Ted gave a snort of harsh laughter. But maybe Id be doing you a bigger favor if I refused. Look how they get, once you many em.