Panisse, from Muir Woods to Toroya’s, from the Chinese cemetery to Bolinas Reef.
It began with the seismograph. “That needle is connected to a drum deep in the earth,” Freddy quoted from a high-school science
lecture. “You could say that needle has its finger on the earth’s heart. When the plates shift, when the mantle buckles, it
tells us just how much and where.”
“What good does that do,” Nora Jane said, “if the building you’re in is falling down?”
“Come on,” he said. “We’re late to the concert at the Campanile.”
They drove all over town in Freddy’s new DeLorean. “Why does this car have fingerprints all over it?” Nora Jane asked. “If
I had a car this nice I’d keep it waxed.”
“It’s made of stainless steel. It’s the only stainless steel DeLorean in town. You can’t wax stainless steel.”
“If I got a car I’d get a baby blue convertible,” she said. “This girl at home, Dany Nasser, that went to Sacred Heart with
me, had one. She kept promising to let me drive it but she never did.”
“You can drive my car,” he said. “You can drive it all day long. You can drive it anyplace you want to drive it to.”
“Except over bridges,” she said. “I don’t drive over bridges.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know. It always seems like there’s nothing underneath them. Like there’s nothing there.”
* * *
He asked her to move in with him but she turned him down. “I couldn’t do that,” she said. “I wouldn’t want to live with anyone
just now.”
“Then let’s go steady. Or get matching tattoos. Or have a baby. Or buy a dog. Or call up everyone we know and tell them we
can’t see them anymore.”
“There isn’t anyone for me to call,” she said. “You’re the only one I know.”
In August Sandy found her. Nora Jane was getting ready to go to work. She was putting in her coral earrings when Tam Suyin
called her to the phone.
“I was in Colorado,” he said. “I didn’t get your letter until a week ago. I’ve been looking all over the place for you. Finally
I got Ron and he told me where you were.”
“Who’s Pam,” she said. “Tell me about Pam.”
“So you’re the one that broke my window.”
“I’ll pay for your window. Tell me about Pam.”
“Pam was a mistake. She took advantage of me. Look, Nora Jane, I’ve got big plans for us. I’ve got something planned that
only you and I could do. I mean, this is big money. Where are you? I want to see you right away.”
“Well, you can’t come now. I’m on my way to work. I’ve got a job, Sandy.”
“A job?”
“In an art gallery. A friend got it for me.”
“What time do you get off? I’ll come wait for you.”
“No, don’t do that. Come over here. I’ll meet you here at five. It’s 1512 Arch Street. In Berkeley. Can you find the way?”
“I’ll find the way. I’ll be counting the minutes.”
* * *
She called Freddy and broke a date to go to the movies. “I have to talk to him,” she said. “I have to give him a chance to
explain.”
“Oh, sure,” he said. “Do whatever you have to do.”
“Don’t sound like that.”
“What do you want me to do? Pretend like I don’t care? Your old boyfriend shows up at eight o’clock in the morning…the robber
baron shows up, and I’m supposed to act like I think it’s great.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Don’t bother. I won’t be here. I’m going out of town.”
He worked all morning and half the afternoon without giving in to his desire to call her. By two-thirty his sinus headache
was so bad he could hardly breathe. He stood on his head for twenty minutes reciting “The Four Quartets.” Nothing helped.
At three he stormed out of the store. I’m sitting on her steps till she gets home from work, he told himself. I can’t make
myself sick just to be a nice guy. Unless that bastard picks her up at work. What if he picks her up at work. He’ll drag her
into
It began with the seismograph. “That needle is connected to a drum deep in the earth,” Freddy quoted from a high-school science
lecture. “You could say that needle has its finger on the earth’s heart. When the plates shift, when the mantle buckles, it
tells us just how much and where.”
“What good does that do,” Nora Jane said, “if the building you’re in is falling down?”
“Come on,” he said. “We’re late to the concert at the Campanile.”
They drove all over town in Freddy’s new DeLorean. “Why does this car have fingerprints all over it?” Nora Jane asked. “If
I had a car this nice I’d keep it waxed.”
“It’s made of stainless steel. It’s the only stainless steel DeLorean in town. You can’t wax stainless steel.”
“If I got a car I’d get a baby blue convertible,” she said. “This girl at home, Dany Nasser, that went to Sacred Heart with
me, had one. She kept promising to let me drive it but she never did.”
“You can drive my car,” he said. “You can drive it all day long. You can drive it anyplace you want to drive it to.”
“Except over bridges,” she said. “I don’t drive over bridges.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know. It always seems like there’s nothing underneath them. Like there’s nothing there.”
* * *
He asked her to move in with him but she turned him down. “I couldn’t do that,” she said. “I wouldn’t want to live with anyone
just now.”
“Then let’s go steady. Or get matching tattoos. Or have a baby. Or buy a dog. Or call up everyone we know and tell them we
can’t see them anymore.”
“There isn’t anyone for me to call,” she said. “You’re the only one I know.”
In August Sandy found her. Nora Jane was getting ready to go to work. She was putting in her coral earrings when Tam Suyin
called her to the phone.
“I was in Colorado,” he said. “I didn’t get your letter until a week ago. I’ve been looking all over the place for you. Finally
I got Ron and he told me where you were.”
“Who’s Pam,” she said. “Tell me about Pam.”
“So you’re the one that broke my window.”
“I’ll pay for your window. Tell me about Pam.”
“Pam was a mistake. She took advantage of me. Look, Nora Jane, I’ve got big plans for us. I’ve got something planned that
only you and I could do. I mean, this is big money. Where are you? I want to see you right away.”
“Well, you can’t come now. I’m on my way to work. I’ve got a job, Sandy.”
“A job?”
“In an art gallery. A friend got it for me.”
“What time do you get off? I’ll come wait for you.”
“No, don’t do that. Come over here. I’ll meet you here at five. It’s 1512 Arch Street. In Berkeley. Can you find the way?”
“I’ll find the way. I’ll be counting the minutes.”
* * *
She called Freddy and broke a date to go to the movies. “I have to talk to him,” she said. “I have to give him a chance to
explain.”
“Oh, sure,” he said. “Do whatever you have to do.”
“Don’t sound like that.”
“What do you want me to do? Pretend like I don’t care? Your old boyfriend shows up at eight o’clock in the morning…the robber
baron shows up, and I’m supposed to act like I think it’s great.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Don’t bother. I won’t be here. I’m going out of town.”
He worked all morning and half the afternoon without giving in to his desire to call her. By two-thirty his sinus headache
was so bad he could hardly breathe. He stood on his head for twenty minutes reciting “The Four Quartets.” Nothing helped.
At three he stormed out of the store. I’m sitting on her steps till she gets home from work, he told himself. I can’t make
myself sick just to be a nice guy. Unless that bastard picks her up at work. What if he picks her up at work. He’ll drag her
into
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