Read Online Where I'm Calling From by Raymond Carver - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Raymond Carver
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pieces of bread and laying them off to one side, all the time making this purling noise. Anyway, I am so keyed up or something, I knock over his glass of water.
I’m so sorry, I say. It always happens when you get into a. hurry. I’m very sorry, I say. Are you all right?
I’ll get the boy to clean up right away, I say.
It’s nothing, he says. It’s all right, he says, and he puffs. Don’t worry about it, we don’t mind, he says. He smiles and waves as I go off to get Leander, and when I come back to serve the salad, I see the fat man has eaten all his bread and butter.
A little later, when I bring him more bread, he has finished his salad. You know the size of those Caesar salads?
You’re very kind, he says. This bread is marvelous, he says.
Thank you, I say.
Well, it is very good, he says, and we mean that. We don’t often enjoy bread like this, he says.
Where are you from? I ask him. I don’t believe I’ve seen you before, I say.
He’s not the kind of person you’d forget, Rita puts in with a snicker.
Denver, he says.
I don’t say anything more on the subject, though I am curious.
Your soup will be along in a few minutes, sir, I say, and I go off to put the finishing touches to my party of four businessmen, very demanding.
When I serve his soup, I see the bread has disappeared again. He is just putting the last piece of bread into his mouth.
Believe me, he says, we don’t eat like this all the time, he says. And puffs. You’ll have to excuse us, he says.
Don’t think a thing about it, please, I say. I like to see a man eat and enjoy himself, I say.
I don’t know, he says. I guess that’s what you’d call it. And puffs. He arranges the napkin. Then he picks up his spoon.
God, he’s fat! says Leander.
He can’t help it, I say, so shut up.
I put down another basket of bread and more butter. How was the soup? I say.
Thank you. Good, he says. Very good, he says. He wipes his lips and dabs his chin. Do you think it’s warm in here, or is it just me? he says.
No, it is warm in here, I say.
Maybe we’ll take off our coat, he says.
Go right ahead, I say. A person has to be comfortable, I say.
That’s true, he says, that is very, very true, he says.
But I see a little later that he is still wearing his coat.
My large parties are gone now and also the old couple. The place is emptying out. By the time I serve the fat man his chops and baked potato, along with more bread and butter, he is the only one left.
I drop lots of sour cream onto his potato. I sprinkle bacon and chives over his sour cream. I bring him more bread and butter.
Is everything all right? I say.
Fine, he says, and he puffs. Excellent, thank you, he says, and puffs again.
Enjoy your dinner, I say. I raise the lid of his sugar bowl and look in. He nods and keeps looking at me until I move away.
I know now I was after something. But I don’t know what.
How is old tub-of-guts doing? He’s going to run your legs off, says Harriet. You know Harriet.
For dessert, I say to the fat man, there is the Green Lantern Special, which is a pudding cake with sauce, or there is cheesecake or vanilla ice cream or pineapple sherbet.
We’re not making you late, are we? he says, puffing and looking concerned.
Not at all, I say. Of course not, I say. Take your time, I say. I’ll bring you more coffee while you make up your mind.
We’ll be honest with you, he says. And he moves in the seat. We would like the Special, but we may have a dish of vanilla ice cream as well. With just a drop of chocolate syrup, if you please. We told you we were hungry, he says.
I go off to the kitchen to see after his dessert myself, and Rudy says, Harriet says you got a fat man from the circus out there. That true?
Rudy has his apron and hat off now, if you see what I mean.
Rudy, he is fat, I say, but that is not the whole story.
Rudy just laughs.
Sounds to me like she’s sweet on fat-stuff, he says.
Better watch out, Rudy, says Joanne, who
I’m so sorry, I say. It always happens when you get into a. hurry. I’m very sorry, I say. Are you all right?
I’ll get the boy to clean up right away, I say.
It’s nothing, he says. It’s all right, he says, and he puffs. Don’t worry about it, we don’t mind, he says. He smiles and waves as I go off to get Leander, and when I come back to serve the salad, I see the fat man has eaten all his bread and butter.
A little later, when I bring him more bread, he has finished his salad. You know the size of those Caesar salads?
You’re very kind, he says. This bread is marvelous, he says.
Thank you, I say.
Well, it is very good, he says, and we mean that. We don’t often enjoy bread like this, he says.
Where are you from? I ask him. I don’t believe I’ve seen you before, I say.
He’s not the kind of person you’d forget, Rita puts in with a snicker.
Denver, he says.
I don’t say anything more on the subject, though I am curious.
Your soup will be along in a few minutes, sir, I say, and I go off to put the finishing touches to my party of four businessmen, very demanding.
When I serve his soup, I see the bread has disappeared again. He is just putting the last piece of bread into his mouth.
Believe me, he says, we don’t eat like this all the time, he says. And puffs. You’ll have to excuse us, he says.
Don’t think a thing about it, please, I say. I like to see a man eat and enjoy himself, I say.
I don’t know, he says. I guess that’s what you’d call it. And puffs. He arranges the napkin. Then he picks up his spoon.
God, he’s fat! says Leander.
He can’t help it, I say, so shut up.
I put down another basket of bread and more butter. How was the soup? I say.
Thank you. Good, he says. Very good, he says. He wipes his lips and dabs his chin. Do you think it’s warm in here, or is it just me? he says.
No, it is warm in here, I say.
Maybe we’ll take off our coat, he says.
Go right ahead, I say. A person has to be comfortable, I say.
That’s true, he says, that is very, very true, he says.
But I see a little later that he is still wearing his coat.
My large parties are gone now and also the old couple. The place is emptying out. By the time I serve the fat man his chops and baked potato, along with more bread and butter, he is the only one left.
I drop lots of sour cream onto his potato. I sprinkle bacon and chives over his sour cream. I bring him more bread and butter.
Is everything all right? I say.
Fine, he says, and he puffs. Excellent, thank you, he says, and puffs again.
Enjoy your dinner, I say. I raise the lid of his sugar bowl and look in. He nods and keeps looking at me until I move away.
I know now I was after something. But I don’t know what.
How is old tub-of-guts doing? He’s going to run your legs off, says Harriet. You know Harriet.
For dessert, I say to the fat man, there is the Green Lantern Special, which is a pudding cake with sauce, or there is cheesecake or vanilla ice cream or pineapple sherbet.
We’re not making you late, are we? he says, puffing and looking concerned.
Not at all, I say. Of course not, I say. Take your time, I say. I’ll bring you more coffee while you make up your mind.
We’ll be honest with you, he says. And he moves in the seat. We would like the Special, but we may have a dish of vanilla ice cream as well. With just a drop of chocolate syrup, if you please. We told you we were hungry, he says.
I go off to the kitchen to see after his dessert myself, and Rudy says, Harriet says you got a fat man from the circus out there. That true?
Rudy has his apron and hat off now, if you see what I mean.
Rudy, he is fat, I say, but that is not the whole story.
Rudy just laughs.
Sounds to me like she’s sweet on fat-stuff, he says.
Better watch out, Rudy, says Joanne, who
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