Thomas stared at the man. “Maybe there’s some sort of toxic gas or pollution in the air that’s making everyone a little crazy,” he suggested.
“You should watch your manners, young man. You’re the only one who’s crazy. You were just talking to yourself.”
Thomas shrugged and kept walking. When he turned his head to the side, he saw his father, who wasn’t even trying to hide his amusement.
“You think this is funny?”
“Where’s your sense of humor? It was like a Raymond Devos sketch.”
“Who?”
“He was a stand-up comedian who ... Oh, never mind. You’re too young to know him.”
“Why are you here? Why can I hear and see you?”
“I’m guessing just answering ‘because’ won’t cut it. But I’d rather explain when we get to your place. That way you can sit down and listen closely. We need to talk.”
“And then you’ll leave me alone?”
“Is seeing me again really so terrible?”
“That’s not what I meant. Losing you wasn’t exactly easy. You’d taken up so much space in my life. Mom said it would take time, that I’d go through different stages of grief, but I didn’t realize how intense that process would be.”
“Did your mother talk to you about me much after my death?”
“You’re aware that your question is ridiculous, right?”
“Actually, awareness is about all I’ve got going for me in my current state. What do you mean, I took up ‘so much space’? Did you feel that I overshadowed you somehow?”
He called the last line as Thomas was walking away.
Thomas pushed open the door to his building. When he looked up the stairwell, he saw his father leaning over the railing on the top floor.
“I thought ghosts were supposed to drag along a ball and chain!” he said with a sigh, seeing him up there.
He left his bag in the entryway of his apartment and went straight to the fridge for a beer before collapsing onto his couch.
His father sat down in the armchair across from him.
“You have no idea how much your need to constantly cross and uncross your legs bothers me.”
“It’s not my fault, my legs are too long,” his father said. “I’ve never known what to do with them. Did I have any other habits that annoyed you?”
“Why don’t we get back to the purpose of your little visit? Is there perhaps some aspect of your life that lacks closure?”
“Don’t be rude, Thomas. I’m still your father.”
“And given the way you’re haunting me, I’m not likely to forget it.”
“I came back because I have a big favor to ask of you. If you accept, I promise I’ll leave you alone. But before we talk about that, there are some things I have to tell you about my life. Unless, of course, you’re worried that it will cast too big of a shadow.”
When Thomas didn’t answer, Raymond looked upset. “Why won’t you say anything? Why are you so cold and distant? Are you mad at me about something? Do you think I didn’t love you enough?”
“You set such impossibly high standards,” Thomas told him. “I could never live up to them. You were this famous surgeon who saved lives, and I just play music.”
“What are you talking about? You make people’s lives better. You should have seen the faces in the audience tonight. I was overwhelmed with pride. Sure, I saved a few lives in my day, but in my profession, there’s no applause when you leave the operating room. No one hands you flowers when the symphony of scalpels is over.”
“Look who’s become a poet.”
