mother dropped the magazine on the floor. Gregory’s eyebrows went up and he
clutched a throw pillow, then he leaned forward to watch. The reporter was interviewing
Kadin about a legal case he’d just won down in Savannah that involved a serious crime.
Kadin gave the reporter quick, sharp answers and continued walking to his car. He tried
to smile and be gracious, but Gregory could see he didn’t want to discuss the case on TV.
Gregory stared at Kadin’s face for what seemed like endless minutes with his
palm pressed to his mouth. When the report was over, he heard his mother sigh out loud,
but he wouldn’t look her in the eye. He sat there for a few minutes, rubbing his neck,
staring at the television. Then he stood up and went to his room without saying a word.
The next morning, he met Betsy in her office. She worked part time for a design
firm on Peachtree Road. She was working on plans for a new house when he smiled and
said, “I have to go down to Savannah for a while, probably about a week or so.” Betsy put down the pencil and stared at him for a moment. “Is everything okay?”
she asked. “You seem excited about something.”
He bent down and kissed her on the cheek and said, “Everything is fine, dear. I
just need to get away for a while. I haven’t taken time off since I got out of the service. I
just need some time alone is all.” His voice was light and had a friendly lilt.
She tilted her head sidewise and gave him a look. “Then take all the time you
need,” she said. “Just promise you’ll call so I know you’re okay down there.”
“Of course I’ll call,” he said. Then he patted her on the shoulder and said, “You’re
the best.”
* * * *
Kadin closed the computer and smiled. It was well past seven and the nurse was
standing in the doorway of the sunroom with her arms folded across her chest, tapping
her right foot. Everyone had eaten dinner and they were the last ones left. “It’s time to
wrap things up for the night,” Kadin said.
Gregory was picking lint from his sweater and his lips were twitching. He looked
up at Kadin with one green eye and one blue, and asked, “Do you have a car here?”
Kadin laughed. “A car?” His ten-year-old Cadillac was out in the parking lot, but
he didn’t drive it often. Once a week he went out and started it to keep the battery strong;
once a month he went for a haircut. He hated to leave Gregory alone for more than an
hour a day.
Gregory glanced at the nurse and leaned forward. “Yes,” he whispered, “A
getaway car, so you can sneak me out of here when they aren’t looking and take me
home.” “Why would you want to leave? They treat you very well here.” Kadin was afraid
to ask where home was.
Gregory smiled and smoothed out a few wrinkles on his lap. “Ah, well, don’t get
me wrong. You people run a fine hotel, and I’ve already told the manager you’re the best
concierge I’ve ever met. I have no complaints at all. But I have this weird feeling there’s
someplace else I should be. I feel like I’ve been on vacation too long and it’s time to go
home.”
Kadin didn’t want to upset him. Gregory was biting his bottom lip now and that
meant he was getting anxious. So Kadin smiled and said, “You ate a huge dinner tonight.
Double what you usually eat.” He knew he had to change the subject. When Gregory got
into moods like this, he usually wound up sobbing and banging his fists on the table.
But Gregory wouldn’t digress. He stared out the window and said, “I’m not
exactly sure where I’m supposed to be, but there are children there. I remember children
playing and laughing, off in the distance.”
Kadin stood up and nodded at the nurse. She walked over and smiled at him, then
tapped Gregory on the shoulder. When she reached for
clutched a throw pillow, then he leaned forward to watch. The reporter was interviewing
Kadin about a legal case he’d just won down in Savannah that involved a serious crime.
Kadin gave the reporter quick, sharp answers and continued walking to his car. He tried
to smile and be gracious, but Gregory could see he didn’t want to discuss the case on TV.
Gregory stared at Kadin’s face for what seemed like endless minutes with his
palm pressed to his mouth. When the report was over, he heard his mother sigh out loud,
but he wouldn’t look her in the eye. He sat there for a few minutes, rubbing his neck,
staring at the television. Then he stood up and went to his room without saying a word.
The next morning, he met Betsy in her office. She worked part time for a design
firm on Peachtree Road. She was working on plans for a new house when he smiled and
said, “I have to go down to Savannah for a while, probably about a week or so.” Betsy put down the pencil and stared at him for a moment. “Is everything okay?”
she asked. “You seem excited about something.”
He bent down and kissed her on the cheek and said, “Everything is fine, dear. I
just need to get away for a while. I haven’t taken time off since I got out of the service. I
just need some time alone is all.” His voice was light and had a friendly lilt.
She tilted her head sidewise and gave him a look. “Then take all the time you
need,” she said. “Just promise you’ll call so I know you’re okay down there.”
“Of course I’ll call,” he said. Then he patted her on the shoulder and said, “You’re
the best.”
* * * *
Kadin closed the computer and smiled. It was well past seven and the nurse was
standing in the doorway of the sunroom with her arms folded across her chest, tapping
her right foot. Everyone had eaten dinner and they were the last ones left. “It’s time to
wrap things up for the night,” Kadin said.
Gregory was picking lint from his sweater and his lips were twitching. He looked
up at Kadin with one green eye and one blue, and asked, “Do you have a car here?”
Kadin laughed. “A car?” His ten-year-old Cadillac was out in the parking lot, but
he didn’t drive it often. Once a week he went out and started it to keep the battery strong;
once a month he went for a haircut. He hated to leave Gregory alone for more than an
hour a day.
Gregory glanced at the nurse and leaned forward. “Yes,” he whispered, “A
getaway car, so you can sneak me out of here when they aren’t looking and take me
home.” “Why would you want to leave? They treat you very well here.” Kadin was afraid
to ask where home was.
Gregory smiled and smoothed out a few wrinkles on his lap. “Ah, well, don’t get
me wrong. You people run a fine hotel, and I’ve already told the manager you’re the best
concierge I’ve ever met. I have no complaints at all. But I have this weird feeling there’s
someplace else I should be. I feel like I’ve been on vacation too long and it’s time to go
home.”
Kadin didn’t want to upset him. Gregory was biting his bottom lip now and that
meant he was getting anxious. So Kadin smiled and said, “You ate a huge dinner tonight.
Double what you usually eat.” He knew he had to change the subject. When Gregory got
into moods like this, he usually wound up sobbing and banging his fists on the table.
But Gregory wouldn’t digress. He stared out the window and said, “I’m not
exactly sure where I’m supposed to be, but there are children there. I remember children
playing and laughing, off in the distance.”
Kadin stood up and nodded at the nurse. She walked over and smiled at him, then
tapped Gregory on the shoulder. When she reached for
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