1 APRIL — YEAR OF THE TUCKS MEDICATED PAD
‘All I know is my dad said to come here.’
‘Come right in. You’ll see a chair to your immediate left.’
‘So I’m here.’
‘That’s just fine. Seven-Up? Maybe some lemon soda?’
‘I guess not, thanks. I’m just here, is all, and I’m kind of wondering why my dad sent me down, you know. Your door there doesn’t have anything on it, and I was just at the dentist last week, and so I’m wondering why I’m here, exactly, is all. That’s why I’m not sitting down yet.’
‘You’re how old, Hal, fourteen?’
Til be eleven in June. Are you a dentist? Is this like a dental consult?’
‘You’re here to converse.’
‘Converse?’
‘Yes. Pardon me while I key in this age-correction. Your father had listed you as fourteen, for some reason.’
‘Converse as in with you?’
‘You’re here to converse with me, Hal, yes. I’m almost going to have to implore you to have a lemon soda. Your mouth is making those dry sticky inadequate-saliva sounds.’