Read Online A Book of Common Prayer by Joan Didion - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Joan Didion
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the lisp,” Gerardo said. “I wouldn’t mention Bebe Chicago in front of Grace if I were you, she’ll cut off your clothes allowance.”
I said nothing. Bebe Chicago was a West Indian homosexual who after some years at the London School of Economics and a few more organizing Caribbean “liberation fronts” out of Mexico had turned up in Boca Grande to see what he could promote. His name was François Parmentier but everyone called him Bebe Chicago. I have no idea why. He was said to have connections with the guerrilleros . I heard about him frequently, from both Victor and Tuck Bradley. People like Bebe Chicago come and go in Boca Grande, and the main mark they leave is to have provided inadvertent employment for the many other people required to follow them around and tap their telephones.
“Grace thinks Bebe Chicago and I are using you,” Gerardo said.
“Delicious,” Elena said. “Do it.”
“Actually that’s not the dynamic.” Gerardo smiled at me and Elena. “Actually I’m using Bebe Chicago. Listen to this girl. I like the lisp and the pinafore together. Very nice.”
“All you think about is sex,” Elena said.
“You wish that were true,” Gerardo said. “But it’s not.”
“She bores me,” Carmen Arrellano said sullenly. Carmen had been arranged since dinner in a corner of the room where she could gaze at herself in a mirror. “It bores me.”
“Of course it bores you,” Gerardo said. “You don’t like sex. You can’t dress for it, there are never any photographers. Or is that what bores you?”
“The radio ,” Carmen said sullenly.
“I didn’t dream you were listening,” Elena said. “I thought you were devising a new makeup. Have you ever thought of bleaching your eyebrows?”
“I said this is boring me,” Carmen said to Gerardo.
Gerardo held up a hand to silence her and moved closer to the radio.
“This was really a terribly amusing party you missed last night,” Elena said to Carmen.
Carmen picked up a magazine.
“Steel band,” Elena said. Actually Elena had not found the “party” amusing at all. Actually Elena had complained before she stopped speaking to me that Gerardo’s friends did not dance but sat around a filthy room watching a Cuban film about sugar production. Elena smiled at Carmen. “Lots of Dominicans and these frightful Cubans. We danced until five this morning. Are you still bored?”
“Carmen is always bored,” Gerardo said. “Excuse me. Camilla is always bored. I want to hear this lisp.”
“ We shall reply to repression with liberation. We shall reply to the terrorism of the dictatorship with the terrorism of the revolution. ”
Elena continued to smile benignly at Carmen.
Carmen dropped her magazine on the floor and stood up.
“We’re tiring your mother,” Carmen announced to Gerardo. “And your amusing aunt.”
“I should say,” Elena said. “It’s nearly nine.”
“I’ll take you home when this is over,” Gerardo said. “Meanwhile you might listen.”
“Pinched little parrot talking about capitalism,” Carmen said. “Who cares about capitalism.”
“That’s very interesting, Carmen.” Gerardo was turning the radio dials to keep the relay from fading. “It’s very interesting because there’s a body of thought that capitalism is precisely what ruined your character.”
There was a silence.
Elena giggled.
“Also yours,” Gerardo said to Elena. “Not that I agree entirely.”
I was relieved when the relay faded out.
I was equally tired of listening to Gerardo and Elena and Carmen Arrellano and the little girl on the tape.
I recall that none of the four had my sympathy that night.
6
T HE NIGHT CHARLOTTE FIRST HEARD THE TAPE SHE apparently tried to transcribe it word for word, so that she could explain to Leonard and Warren what Marin had in mind. She got only as far as the part where Marin discussed what she called the revolutionary character of her organization. “ Now I would like to discuss
I said nothing. Bebe Chicago was a West Indian homosexual who after some years at the London School of Economics and a few more organizing Caribbean “liberation fronts” out of Mexico had turned up in Boca Grande to see what he could promote. His name was François Parmentier but everyone called him Bebe Chicago. I have no idea why. He was said to have connections with the guerrilleros . I heard about him frequently, from both Victor and Tuck Bradley. People like Bebe Chicago come and go in Boca Grande, and the main mark they leave is to have provided inadvertent employment for the many other people required to follow them around and tap their telephones.
“Grace thinks Bebe Chicago and I are using you,” Gerardo said.
“Delicious,” Elena said. “Do it.”
“Actually that’s not the dynamic.” Gerardo smiled at me and Elena. “Actually I’m using Bebe Chicago. Listen to this girl. I like the lisp and the pinafore together. Very nice.”
“All you think about is sex,” Elena said.
“You wish that were true,” Gerardo said. “But it’s not.”
“She bores me,” Carmen Arrellano said sullenly. Carmen had been arranged since dinner in a corner of the room where she could gaze at herself in a mirror. “It bores me.”
“Of course it bores you,” Gerardo said. “You don’t like sex. You can’t dress for it, there are never any photographers. Or is that what bores you?”
“The radio ,” Carmen said sullenly.
“I didn’t dream you were listening,” Elena said. “I thought you were devising a new makeup. Have you ever thought of bleaching your eyebrows?”
“I said this is boring me,” Carmen said to Gerardo.
Gerardo held up a hand to silence her and moved closer to the radio.
“This was really a terribly amusing party you missed last night,” Elena said to Carmen.
Carmen picked up a magazine.
“Steel band,” Elena said. Actually Elena had not found the “party” amusing at all. Actually Elena had complained before she stopped speaking to me that Gerardo’s friends did not dance but sat around a filthy room watching a Cuban film about sugar production. Elena smiled at Carmen. “Lots of Dominicans and these frightful Cubans. We danced until five this morning. Are you still bored?”
“Carmen is always bored,” Gerardo said. “Excuse me. Camilla is always bored. I want to hear this lisp.”
“ We shall reply to repression with liberation. We shall reply to the terrorism of the dictatorship with the terrorism of the revolution. ”
Elena continued to smile benignly at Carmen.
Carmen dropped her magazine on the floor and stood up.
“We’re tiring your mother,” Carmen announced to Gerardo. “And your amusing aunt.”
“I should say,” Elena said. “It’s nearly nine.”
“I’ll take you home when this is over,” Gerardo said. “Meanwhile you might listen.”
“Pinched little parrot talking about capitalism,” Carmen said. “Who cares about capitalism.”
“That’s very interesting, Carmen.” Gerardo was turning the radio dials to keep the relay from fading. “It’s very interesting because there’s a body of thought that capitalism is precisely what ruined your character.”
There was a silence.
Elena giggled.
“Also yours,” Gerardo said to Elena. “Not that I agree entirely.”
I was relieved when the relay faded out.
I was equally tired of listening to Gerardo and Elena and Carmen Arrellano and the little girl on the tape.
I recall that none of the four had my sympathy that night.
6
T HE NIGHT CHARLOTTE FIRST HEARD THE TAPE SHE apparently tried to transcribe it word for word, so that she could explain to Leonard and Warren what Marin had in mind. She got only as far as the part where Marin discussed what she called the revolutionary character of her organization. “ Now I would like to discuss
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