Father & Son

Lunch

The philologist Carl Hicks
pushed the club sandwich in front
of Rex Dern and said, “Have some.”

He pulled a toothpick from his
coat pocket. “If I may be so blunt,”
Carl said, “as to offer an opinion…”

“Go ahead,” Rex nodded, fixing his
his eyes on the uneaten portion of
Carl’s lunch.  “Be blunt if you like.”

Hicks licked his lips and flicked a
tiny piece of chicken off an incisor
with his tounge. “Eat, Rex, it is 

Paid for, and Tex makes a good one
if you like bacon.” Rex shrugged and 
leaned forward, acknowledging he

Was hungry and liked bacon. “You
were about to opine, Carl?” Hicks 
finally wiped his lips with a napkin.

“Tex and I agree on this, Rex. We
think your son has made a mistake.
It was a bad idea to leave Oberlin.”

Rex took a bite of the sandwich and
looked outside at Talent’s bitter rain 
slanting against Tex’s windowpane.


TS