J R

by William Gaddis

  —Oh Mister Angel Kenny just called from Dayton on that order and those people in Chicago called again they said they’re up against the wall on these specifications, it’s that letter I put right on top there . . .

  He looked down where an ellipse had already taken shape under his blunt pencil in the margin.—Same story isn’t it, want something done right you have to do it yourself.

  —You have to go out there again? I’ll call about your tick . . .

  —That’s all right no I’ll just pick it up at the airport, just call them up and tell them I’ll be out there this afternoon . . . but all that moved about him was his hand laboriously blacking in the shape in the margin there until she pushed her chair back from the typewriter.

  —I’m just going for coffee. You want your regular?

  —I don’t want any, no.

  —Gee I never heard you turn down coffee, you okay Mister Angel?

  —I’m fine Terry . . . he watched her turn for the door and then sat back staring at the worn leather chair near the coat rack, and then he came forward to open the soiled envelope down in the shelter of his desk, looking up from its contents to the chair, working his mouth and swallowing with apparent difficulty, finally pulling open the desk drawer and thrusting the envelope to the back of it, reaching forward to dial the phone and sit staring as it buzzed at his ear. When she came through the door balancing a cup he was sitting back as though studying the curtains.

  —You going home and pack first Mister Angel? or . . .

  —I’ll just buy a shirt and a toothbrush when I get out there . . . he stood tightening the knot at his wilted collar, brought a wallet up from a hip pocket to thumb through bills and double it back, reaching his jacket and pulling it on.—When Coen calls tell him if he gets out before I get back tell him to go ahead and get me everything he can on that old lawsuit over holes with that jukebox company tell him I heard they’re changing hands, tell him I couldn’t make any more sense than he did out there with this estate situation you got that number for them I gave you? Try and get hold of this Edward Bast out there try and get him and Coen together yes and wait, tell Coen the boy’s just not quite, just say he’s kind of hard to get to I couldn’t get to first base with him myself . . . by now he was in his coat, reached up for his hat—and see if you can get hold of my wife Terry, just tell her I’ll try to call her tonight.

  —I can’t usually reach her Mister Angel, should I say how long you think you’ll be gone?

  —I know I just called there just keep trying, shouldn’t be more than a couple of days unless I stop off there in Dayton to give Kenny a push I tell you, when I was on the road here if old Mister Bast would have had to come in and check my territory I would have been out on the street the next morning, used to be all you’d think about’s your commissions now all these salesmen think about’s their expense accounts, his wife called here lately?

  —No sir only that nurse where she’s . . .

  —I’d just hate to be the one footing those bills that’s all . . . he was standing in hat and coat over his desk turning up the pile of letters there,—if that finance company he got himself mixed up with calls again just have to tell them we’ve gone as far as we can now here’s these Triangle paper people again, just hold up on this payment you tell them it’s the third time they’ve come up short on their shipments, they keep up that way we’ll all be out of business here and look at this Terry . . . he pulled a page from the pile he was stuffing in a manila envelope,—this last letter you typed to Ardo looks like you left off the s there, see right here . . . she was up, thrust her hair back brushing against him—where it’s supposed to say metal scrap see it looks like . . .

  —Gee! she snatched it up, pressed against him there—wouldn’t that have been awful if it went out like that? I’m sorry . . .

  —No well that’s, no harm done . . . he cleared his throat in the wave of unconcealing scent, swallowed—I already signed it, you just, just squeeze a little s in there and no harm done . . . he stood as though waiting for her to move, and then came after her.

  —No but I could type it over, gee it’s very embarrass . . .

  —No harm done Terry, one more thing . . . he’d turned abruptly back to his desk,—I told Leo to get me some cost estimates you keep after him on it, I want them waiting here when I get back.

  —Okay but, Mister Angel if you got a second, it was just about Leo . . .

  —No go ahead Terry . . . he straightened up from locking the drawer.

  —That day I stayed late typing up all those tax forms? Well anyway, wait excuse me . . . hello? Oh hi look I’ll call you back the boss is just leaving . . .

  —Well go ahead . . . he stood over her.

  —No that’s just my friend Myrna out in the order department, is it okay if I take my typing out there sometimes while you’re gone? It gets sort of lone . . .

  —Fine sure but . . . he cleared his throat again,—what’s that about

  Leo.

  —No that’s okay Mister Angel I don’t want to keep you, I mean when you get back . . .

  —You suit yourself Terry . . . he stood there for a moment,—second thought Leo he can be a funny old geezer maybe better just leave him be, I’ll talk to him on the way out here.

  —Have a nice trip Mister Angel don’t worry about anything, gee I wish you had one of those nice cases like they carry instead of these old envelopes you use . . .

  —What’s in it that counts, keep an eye on things Terry . . .

  —So long have a nice trip Mister Angel, don’t do nothing I wouldn’t do . . . she looked up at the clock, down at her watch, studied her nails the length of her hand and then turned them in on her palm and studied them that way, picked up the phone and dialed—hi, he just went yeah bring in your coffee, you got any Nail Mender . . .? Bring it yeah I just broke one . . . she hung up, dialed again,—hello? Mister Mullins’ office . . .? Hello? Yeah this is Mister Angel’s office in New . . . oh hi, yeah would you tell Mister Mullins he’s on his way out there? He just left . . . this afternoon sometime yeah, he’s . . . okay yeah, goodbye now . . . she hung up.—Wait put your coffee here, drag his chair over.

  —You tell him about Leo?

  —I started to no, maybe when he gets back, you want your sugar?

  —Here. I swear if Leo tries that with me he’ll go out with a hole in his belly. So how long’s he gone for.

  —A couple of days he said, he’s stopping in Dayton I think he’s after Kenny’s ass.

  —That Kenny he gives me a big pain you know where, you got an emery?

  —Here . . . a drawer rolled open between their crossed knees,—you want the radio? No just move your coffee . . .

  —You still using his apartment?

  —No his kid’s still home sick we been using this friend of his, Kenny said he’s a musician someplace I think he’s a fag the way the place is decorated, you know? It’s real nice.

  —I can’t make it like that, like that time with Ronnie I’m always scared somebody’s going to walk in right when you’re wait is that all the pink polish?

  —We made it four times up there Monday before he went, I’ll get more at lunch you want to go shopping? I saw this like silky yellow blouse over on Steinway it would go real nice with your coloring turn it up a little . . .

  ——and save four dollars on genuine leath . . . your gospel station. And ye shall . . . motion to dismiss a class action suit by . . . viernes sabado y domingo, el . . . market is down sixteen cents. The . . . for tomorrow, partly sunny windy and coo . . .

  The voices met, parted, rose over the scratch of emery boards, dropped for the sound of the phone—no he went out of town for a couple of days Mister Shapiro, could I do something for you . . .? no come on now don’t get fresh . . . paused to dial,—yes I’m calling Mis . . . no ma’am no I’m not the lady selling the free dance less . . . no for Mister Bast, is he . . . he’s where . . .? answered again—that last order I got the order right in front of me it sa
ys twenty pound stock yeah . . . and silence, finally, with—wait out here for me, I forgot to turn off the lights . . .

  ——inbound traffic on the Gowanus Exp . . . favor, send your mouth on a vaca . . . and rain, the present tem . . . no tiene nada . . .

  —Turn it off I swear, if he wasn’t so cheap we’d have Muzak. How come you came in so late this morning.

  —I got the worst cramps I been, wait. Hello . . .? No he’s out of town, he went yesterday Mis . . . tomorrow I think, I’ll tell him to call you okay? Goodbye now . . .

  —I got to get back out there, those new forms Mrs Krauer’s having a hemorrhage.

  —Wait lend me a Tampax, I thought I had some here. Kenny didn’t call?

  —Him? I told you he’s bullshitting you I swear, he’s a worse bullshitter even than Ronnie you going shopping at lunch? I’m taking back that yellow blouse I got yesterday my mother said it will shrink.

  —I thought maybe I’ll get a plant.

  —For here?

  —One yeah mainly just leaves, I mean I’m spending half my life here you know . . .? the drawer rolled open—how the days go by you can’t tell one from the next one sometimes . . . she studied her nails turned in on her palm and then studied them the length of her hand.—I mean sometimes I get real bored . . . and the emery board took up, the phone, the typewriter, voices meeting and parting.

  —Yeah I know, he’s supposed to be back yesterday he had to stop off at Dayton . . . no I told him you called Mister Shapiro, he . . . thank you that’s very nice but I can’t, no, my sister’s having a . . .

  ——active issues. I T and T thirteen, up one eighth. Diamond Cable, seventee . . . revised forecast continued rain and . . . join the biggest savings bank fam . . . do your mouth a favor, send . . . four dollars on genuine leather work boots, come in now and . . .

  —How come you go out this way now, it’s so dark.

  —Just not to pass the shipping room, you know? Those boys with their cracks.

  —That one Jimmy’s nice.

  —Nice yeah, he’s hard up like all of them in there . . .

  ——were killed when a taxi went out of con . . . sunny and colder, with temp . . . in next year’s pennant race. The . . . of famous maker sheets and . . . to be expected.

  —Hello . . .? It’s me yeah who did you think it . . . yeah what are you doing up so early I been trying to call you every night since . . . big order I bet yeah, I bet you’re sacked out with this big order right now you . . . Yeah I bet listen you think I never saw you talk on the phone while you’re in the saddle? don’t . . . I heard it yeah don’t tell me it’s the television like that time you came back from Cleveland for two days you couldn’t even . . . When yesterday? No . . . no he just called in he didn’t say . . . Okay I kept telling you didn’t I? What did he . . . yeah okay what am I sup . . . by talking to him yeah about what, you think I can save your ass now by telling him you . . . I bet . . . yeah I bet . . . I bet yeah, you . . . yeah okay you do that Kenny you can kiss my . . . you can kiss that too yeah, good . . . I bet you would, goodbye.

  —He’s fired?

  —Yeah now he’s telling, he’s telling me will I ask the boss if, wait hello . . .? Oh hi Mister Co, Coen they let you out . . .? No he, he said sometime today, he’s . . . no I, I guess I got a cold . . .

  —Use my, wait here’s a napkin . . .

  —Yes I’m, okay go ahead Mister Coen I got my pad . . .

  —I swear, didn’t I tell you?

  ——revised forecast, partly cloudy with . . .

  —Like I was saying in his car that time where he already had about ten daiquaris so I finally just tell him look, I don’t go down unless I really like somebody, you going shopping at lunch? I saw this black wig . . .

  —Okay just move his chair back so if he comes in wait, hello . . .? Gee no he still didn’t come back yet we . . . Sure yeah I’ll tell him you wait, wait hold on a second, he’s just walking in the office, Mister Angel? It’s your wife calling . . .

  —Well just, here. Hello, Stel . . . just walked in this minute yes, what . . . yes well fine you go ahead then I’ll just fix something when I come in, are there any eggs . . .? Don’t do that no I’ll find something, you didn’t hear from our boy Edward while I was gone did you . . .? No wait a minute, Terry? did you ever get hold of that Mister Bast at that Long Island number I gave you?

  —No I called but they said he went abroad someplace accepting some award so . . .

  —I guess not no unless Coen . . . that’s all right you go ahead yes, goodbye . . . he dropped the large envelopes under his arm to his desk, took off his hat—you girls just going out to lunch?

  —If that’s okay Mister Angel, we just waited till late because it makes the afternoon shorter you know? Here’s all your phone calls, this Mister Shapiro called about ten times and Mister Coen called this morning about this whole tax thing I wrote it all down . . .

  —That’s fine Terry . . . he came round behind his desk getting out of his coat,—ought to keep me busy till you get back.

  When she did he was pouring bourbon into a paper cup.—Gee we didn’t expect you to be gone so long Mister Angel, I mean even being gone the whole weekend and all, you notice any changes?

  He put the bottle back into the file cabinet drawer.—I guess that looks like a new . . .

  —No not about me I mean, that. The plant.

  —Yes well, where’d that come from.

  —I got it a couple of days ago gee it looks like it’s wilting already, they had big ones too only they were a lot more, you know?

  —Yes well it’s, it’s just fine Terry but you shouldn’t spend your own money like that on something for the office.

  —No that’s okay, I mean like you said once we spend half our life in here . . . she was squaring papers on her typewriter, turned thrusting red hair back.—This letter to Dayton, you want carbons to anybody Mister Angel?

  —One for the file’s all it’s just confirming that order, I just scribbled it on the plane can you read it?

  —Sure . . . she squared them in the typewriter,—so everything went okay?

  —Wouldn’t have if I hadn’t stopped off there, it looks like I have to replace Kenny.

  —Really? gee that’s, that’s too bad Mister Angel . . . she typed a word,—maybe he’s, maybe he just had an off day this time I mean that big Cleveland order he got that time, he can . . .

  —No way you’d have known it Terry I spent three nights on the phone clearing that one up too . . . he put the paper cup down emptied.—I don’t like to fire somebody any better than the next man but I can’t do his job and mine too, some things about Kenny I picked up you’d as well just not hear but, something wrong?

  —No, no . . . the drawer rolled closed at her knee and she brought up a tissue,—I just must have caught cold . . .

  —I heard you had rain here . . . he picked up the empty cup and put it down sitting back slowly, looking, dug for a key and pulled open the drawer reaching to the back of it for the soiled envelope opened down at his waist’s level, looking up from one to the next of the pictures as though to catch, in that moment of moistening his lips and swallowing, an evanescent matching tilt of nose or fall of hair, a turn of wrist or cheapringed crook of finger or grasp of hand regardless what it grasped or crooked or turned about coming up straight as her typing stopped and she stood suddenly crossing to a filing cabinet, sinking back in his chair as she stooped for a folder in a bottom drawer there turning up the next picture and the next, and next, as though to seize the moment of that simulated leather expanse to match in one of them its crevassed counterpart in white.

  —Excuse me Mist . . .

  —Oh . . .? he came up straight keeping his lap composed, in toward his desk where she stood over him,—what . . .

  —No just, I’m sorry I just, in, just in this letter these specifications you put in if they should match their last order in the file here where we say sixteen . . .

  —Yes well yes, yes that�
�s, don’t have to ask me that that’s the, says it right here doesn’t it to specifications contained in your order of June the . . .

  —No no yes sir I just wanted to check I didn’t . . .

  —Yes well that’s the, that’s all right Terry I guess I’m just tired from all this running around haven’t even had lunch myself yet I’m, you couldn’t stay a little late could you?

  —Well if you, I didn’t know it’s so late already Mister Angel my friend Myrna in the order room, you know? She waits for me to ride in on the subway together so we don’t have to ride it alone and my sister’s having this . . .

  —Yes well that’s all right Terry you’re, you can leave that till tomorrow you got a cold too and . . .

  —No that’s okay but I mean you should get something to eat Mister Angel if you didn’t even eat yet, you . . .

  —Might as well I guess yes . . . he snapped the desk’s drawer closed, turned the key—not much choice around here though where . . .

  —There’s this place Joe’s where we go over by Thirty-third it’s not

  bad.

  —Near that Army post?

  —Right acrost it’s not so bad, this special they have of . . .

  —Terry?

  —Yes what sir . . . she came up straight at the typewriter.

  —Leo did he bring in this cost estimate?

  —No sir I didn’t even hardly see him all the time you were . . .

  —What’s that you wanted to tell me about him there . . . he was up pulling on his coat,—just when I was leaving, you . . .

  —No that’s nothing Mister Angel you better get something to eat while you, I’ll just put this on your desk if you’re coming back . . .

  He stood there with his hat.—Yes well, yes just finish that up and go ahead home then.

  —Thanks Mister Angel you, it’s nice you’re back . . .

  —Yes thanks Terry it’s, I’m glad to be back you, you take care of that cold now . . . and he stood there a moment longer with his hat before he put it on and turned down the length of porous green.—Leo . . .?