Thomas rested his gaze on a flower bed of red and white tulips planted in perfect rows. The work of a meticulous gardener. Nature was cooperative in this place. There wasn’t even a single weed to throw off the symmetry.
“What we did in the plane—that is, what you helped me to do—was incredible,” he said.
“Really?”
“Going onstage gives me an incredible rush; I feel a fire in my belly. But that feeling’s nothing compared with what I felt the moment that man regained consciousness.”
“It’s funny you say that. Most of my colleagues visited their patients after they’d been taken back to their rooms. But I always preferred tosee them right when they woke up from the anesthesia. I liked watching them come out of it. Whatever their age, whenever my patients opened their eyes or mumbled something as they regained consciousness, I felt like I was witnessing a birth. That moment of awakening was magical. Still, don’t underestimate what you accomplish when you play. I was there at your concert, and I saw the audience light up. Their eyes were full of wonder.Believe you me, as your good old Albert would say.”
“His name’s Marcel. Tell me, why did that man pass out on the plane?”
“He must have overheard your conversation with your seatmate. No doubt it sapped him of his will to live.”
“Could you be serious every once in a while?”
“How strange: When I was alive, you were always telling me to lighten up. That man was diabetic. You saved his life by giving him that injection. Whatever else happens, this trip will have resulted in some good.”
“That’s true.” Thomas sighed. “You win, I’ll scatter your ashes.”
“Ourashes, to be clear,” his father specified. “Don’t forget to shave before going to the funeral home, okay? I’d like you to look your best for Camille.”
“Why? Will she be able to see me?” Thomas asked worriedly.
“I don’t think so. It’s just the principle of the thing. Honestly, you don’t see much of anything at first ... I’d better stop there. I’ll get in trouble if I say any more.”
When he got back to the small Green Street apartment, Thomas did as he had been told. He took a shower, shaved, and put on a pair of jeans and a polo shirt. He was just contemplating where to get breakfast when his dad interrupted.
“I hope you aren’t planning to go to the funeral home dressed like that. Change into your gray suit, please.”
Thomas rifled through his bag, but it wasn’t there. “I forgot it at home,” he said. “I brought two button-down shirts and a pair of khakis, plus what I have on. Since I wasn’t traveling for a concert for once, I just threw in the bare minimum.”
“You don’t have a tie?”
“No tie, no jacket. Except for the suede jacket I had on the plane.”
“A suede jacket? We’re not going to an air show, for heaven’s sake! We’ll have to buy you something decent to wear, right away. And please don’t try to tell me that those things you have on your feet are supposed to pass as dress shoes.”
“Do you honestly believe I can afford to buy new clothes every time I travel to a new city?”
“A dark-colored suit and a pair of loafers, there’s no other way. And a tie! You’ll inherit money when your mother dies,” Raymond replied furiously.
“Charming. I’m sure Mom would be delighted to hear you hurrying along her death so her son can dress nicely for his father’s mistress’s funeral.”
“Don’t exaggerate. Anyway, what’s the point of a credit limit if you don’t use it?”
“I do use it. I’m at my limit.”
“Don’t they pay pianists these days?”
“They do, but not well.”
Raymond slumped onto the couch. “No one attends a funeral in jeans and sneakers,” he complained. “What were you thinking when you were packing?”
“I had a few teeny, tiny things on my mind. Like how I was going to get through airport security with my dad’s remains, why his ghost had suddenly appeared, and how I felt about the fact that he was in love with a woman I never even knew existed. Not to mention the question of why I had agreed to steal her ashes, and—very fleetingly—what might happen if I got caught. Oh, and I almost forgot, there was alsomy concert in Warsaw on Saturday night. You’re right, I can’t believe I was so distracted I forgot to pack my best clothes.”
“This sarcastic streak of yours is new,” Raymond muttered. “You weren’t always like that.”
“You’re right, this is the new me. So, what’s it going to be? Am I going to break into that funeral home dressed in jeans or not at all?”
