“She says she hasn’t heard from you in a long time, Joe. I’d be glad to write one for you before I go, anything you dictate—and send it by Mercury to be sure she gets it.”
“Maybe. Thanks.” Joe did not seem enthusiastic. “See later. Paint first. Any more? Just tell.”
(Eunice, here comes the tough part.) (So skip it!) (I can’t!)
(“I seen you in the teevee and almost dropped dead when you said you gave away a thousand million dollars you had every right to. Dont your own mother mean nothing to you? I didnt raise you and love you and take care of you when you busted your collarbone to be treated like that. You go straight to that Miss Yohan Bassing Bock Smith and tell her she can just wipe that nasty sneer of / her face because l want my rightful share of whats coming to me and I’m going to get it. I already been to a lawyer and he said hed take my side for fifty-fifty as soon as I paid him a thousand dollars for expenses. I told him he was a thief. But you just tell that stuckup Miss Smith to pay up or my lawyer will put her in jail!!!!
“Sometimes l think the best thing is just pack up everybody and go visit you till she pays up. Maybe just stay. Would be hard to leave all our old friends here in Philly but you need somebody to keep house now that you havent got no wife to do for you. It wont be the first time lye made sacrifices for my darling boy.
“Your Loving -Mother.”
“Joe, apparently your mother watched my identity hearing on video and heard your testimony. She seems disappointed to learn that you gave money to establish a memorial to Eunice, when you could have kept it.”
Joe made no comment.
Joan went on: “She says she may pack up all the family and pay you a visit but the way it’s phrased I don’t think she will. That’s all except she sends you her love. Joe, I can see how your mother could be disappointed in what you did about—”
“My business. Not hers.”
“May I finish, Joe? From this letter I think she must be poor and I have been poor myself and know how it feels. Joe, I think that your memorial to Eunice was a wonderful thing, the most gallant tribute of a husband to the memory of his wife I’ve ever heard of. I heartily approve and I think Eunice must feel honored by it.” (I do, Boss. But maybe he overdid it, huh? Jake could have set up a little annuity for Joe—eating money, I mean—with part of it. But Joe never did know how to do anything part way—whole hawg, or nothing; that’s Joe.) (Maybe we can fix it, dear.)
“Joe, if I paid your mother an allowance—you know I can afford it!—it wouldn’t be you accepting money from Eunice’s death.”
“No.”
“But I would like to! She’s your mother, it would be sort of an additional memorial to Eunice. Say enough to—”
“No,” he repeated flatly.
Joan Eunice sighed. “I should have kept quiet and arranged it through Jake Salomon.” She memorized the return address, intending to do it anyhow. “Joe, you are a lovable man and I can see why Eunice was devoted to you—I’ve fallen in love with you myself and I think you both know it—without any intention of crowding you out, Gigi; I love you just as much. But, Joe, sweet and gallant as you are. . you are a bit stiff-necked, too.” (Sure he is, Boss darllng, but it’s no use trying to change people. So drop it. You didn’t need to sneak that address; I could have told you.)
“Joan.”
“Yes, Gigi?”
“Hate to say this, hon—but Joe’s right and you’re wrong.”
“But—”
“Tell you later, we’ll talk while we pose. Grab the bathroom if you need to while I put dishes to soak; Joe wants to start.”
Joan was surprised to learn that she could visit with Gigi while they posed. But Joe assured her that he had the expressions he wanted from the photographs; he simply wanted them to hold still. He took even more pains to get them arranged than he had for the camera. Talk did not bother him as long as it was not to him. Nevertheless Joan tended to whisper while Gigi used the normal tones of a face-to-face conversation.