Page 54 of After His Eulogy
“Yes.”
“How did he find you.”
“He didn’t. We are at the same school. He was already here. I came in September. He has been here a year longer.”
“You knew.”
“No.I did not know. I found out in October. I should have called you in October. I haven’t been calling you since October. I have been operating on a private decision.”
“You have been operating on a private decision for two months.”
“Yes.”
“While drawing a stipend from a program whose entire premise is that you do not make private decisions.”
“Yes.”
“Reed.”
“I know.”
I am watching him. I am watching him and his face is doing something I have not seen his face do, which is that his face is taking it. He is taking it. He is letting Mendez say the things and he is not interrupting and he is not defending and he is not apologizing. He is letting it happen. He is sitting at his desk in his apartment with my hand visible to him in his peripheral vision on the couch and he is taking what Mendez is giving him.
“Is he there with you now,” Mendez says.
“Yes.”
“Hi.”
I look at the phone.
“Hi,” I say.
“What’s your name.”
“Griffin.”
“Griffin what.”
“Just Griffin. For now.”
“Smart kid.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me.”
I almost laugh. I do not laugh. Reed is watching me. He has caught the don’t thank me, the way I would have caught it. He is not laughing either, but his face does the small thing it does, just at the corner of the mouth.
“Griffin,” Mendez says.
“Yes.”
“You knew this man before.”
“Yes.”
“You know what he did.”
