Delucca Calls

Delucca is frantic about some video she opened in her e-mail.  And this isn’t a cool movie, and it isn’t something you could joke about like those scam spam messages from some Nigerian prince. 

“Emily’s naked,” she says.  “And there is more.  Have you seen it?”  I tell her I have seen it but I don’t feel like talking about it.  The Redlands even in June (wherever I am) feels like winter in the coldest place on the earth.  I can’t get warm, even when I heat blankets up at home, and even when I get heated blankets at the hospital, nothing seems to help.  I am sinking doing Grizzly’s job too answering all the questions about Emily and what happened.  The only upside is that the sex video of Emily takes away questions Delucca and other neighbors would be asking about why I kicked Grizzly out.  Most of them already know, or they heard me on the lawn at the block party and the gossip from that spread all over town, but they want to hear you say it, and they want to judge.

“What’s wrong with you?” Delucca asks. (As if it isn’t obvious.)  “Julio’s father is upset too.  He thinks that video is going to hurt Julio’s chances at this big design school in California.”  When I don’t say anything for a few moments she adds, “By the way how is Emily?”

“There’s been no change,” I say.  “I’m sorry about your son.”

Then she mentions Marianne Martin and the cake.  And it’s like I’m numb.  There is total silence on the line, the kind that must make her wonder whether or not I have hung up (I almost wish I had).  I should not say this, but she brings up the whole pineapple upside down cake and what happened with Don.

“Do you think Marianne was hitting on him?” Delucca asks.

“The whole neighborhood thinks we’re addicts, Emily ran away and then got hit by a car, and now she’s in a coma.  I’d like to forget that evening thank you.  I don’t want Marianne’s recipe.”

“She left a recipe?” Delucca asks.  “For all of that?”

“Don’t be cute.”

“Hasn't Don been any help?”

Except for one night of searching for Emily, but I don’t say this to Delucca.  And I don’t tell her how it’s like Don is almost glad Emily isn’t around now.