Breathing Lessons (1989 Pulitzer Prize) - Anne Tyler [71]
"And besides, then it did seem his wheel was acting kind of funny," Maggie told Lament. "So we brought him here to the Texaco." Lamont looked no more threatening than he'd seemed all along, Ira was relieved to see. In fact, he dismissed the two of them entirely. He turned instead to his uncle. "Hear that?" he asked. "See there? Now it comes to you running folks off the road." "Lamont, I'll tell you the truth," Mr. Otis said. "I do believe when I think back on it that wheel has not been acting properly for some days now.'' "Didn't I say you ought to give up driving? Didn't we all say that? Didn't Florence beg you to hand in your license? Next time you might not be so lucky. Some crazy white man going to shoot your head off next time." Mr. Otis appeared to shrink, standing there quietly with his hat brim shielding his face.
"If you'd've stayed home with Aunt Duluth where you belong, none of this wouldn't be happening," Lamont told him. "Cruising about on the interstate! Sleeping here and there like some hippie!" "Well, I had thought I was driving real cautious and careful," Mr. Otis said.
Ira cleared his throat. "So about the wheel-" he said.
"You just got to go on back home and make up," Lamont told Mr. Otis. "Quit drawing this thing out and apologize to Aunt Duluth and get that rust heap out of folkses' way." "I can't apologize! I ain't done nothing to be sorry for," Mr. Otis said.
"What's the difference, man? Apologize even so." "See, I couldn 't have done it; it was only in her dream. Duluth went and had this dream, see-" "You been married fifty-some years to that woman," Lamont said, "and half of those years the two of you been in a snit about something. She ain't speaking to you or you ain't speaking to her or she moves out or you moves out. Shoot, man, one time you both moves out and leaves your house standing empty. Plenty would give their right arms for a nice little house like you-all's, and what do you do? Leave it stand empty while you off careening about in your Chevy and Aunt Duluth's sleeping on Florence's couch discommoding her family." A reminiscent smile crossed Mr. Otis's face. "It's true," he said. "I had thought I was leaving her, that time, and she thought she was leaving me." "You two act like quarrelsome children," Lamont told him.
"Well, at least I'm still married, you notice!" Mr. Otis said. "At least I'm still married, unlike some certain others I could name!" Ira said, "Well, at any rate-" "Even worse than children," Lamont went on, as if he hadn't heard. "Children at least got the time to spare, but you two are old and coming to the end of your lives. Pretty soon one or the other of you going to die and the one that's left behind will say, 'Why did I act so ugly? That was who it was; that person was who I was with; and here we threw ourselves away on spitefulness,' you'll say." "Well, it's probably going to be me that dies first," Mr. Otis said, "so I just ain't going to worry about that." "I'm serious, Uncle." "I'm serious. Could be what you throw away is all that really counts; could be that's the whole point of things, wouldn't that be something? Spill it! Spill it all, I say! No way not to spill it. And anyhow, just look at the times we had. Maybe that's what I'll end up thinking. 'My, we surely did have us a time. We were a real knock-down, drag-out, heart-and-soul type of couple,' I'll say. Something to reflect on in the nursing home." Lament rolled his eyes heavenward.
Ira said, "Well, not to change the subject, but is this wheel business under control now?" Both men looked over at him. "Oh," Mr. Otis said finally. "I reckon you two will want to be moving on." "Only if you're sure you're all right," Maggie told him.
"He'll be fine," Lament said. "Get on and go." "Yes, don't you give me another thought," Mr. Otis said. "Let me squire you to your car." And he walked off between the two of them. Lament stayed behind, looking disgusted.
"That boy is just so cranky," Mr. Otis told Ira. "I don't know who he takes after." "You think he'll be willing to help you?" "Oh, surely.