Gandhi's Guide to Getting By

chapter six

It is Sunday. We are sitting down to a family dinner of roast chicken and potatoes. I'm thinking about Matt. More precisely, I'm thinking about how I haven't told Jen about Matt showing up at work and us sharing a cab together. I told Stella not to tell Jen either. She didn't really agree, but then I asked her what weren't we telling Jen anyway? That I shared a cab with Matt? So what? I figured if Matt asked me not to say anything, it's because he wanted to talk to Jen himself, but here's the thing, Jen hasn't heard from Matt. I asked her the other day. "Matt who?" she said, her voice annoyed as if I were reminding her of something unpleasant. "And besides, why would you ask me something like that?"

I mumbled something about "I was just wondering". Jen didn't waste any more time on the subject, her mind preoccuppied with Bluey, her Australian boyfriend. He's decided he's definitely coming to New York for our summer. He arrives tomorrow and plans on living with Jen for a month, maybe two.

"Wine?" Dad, who has finally managed to tear himself away from his phone, asks. He pours a glass for me, then Mom. He asks me how it's going by which he means have I found a "real" job yet and have I given any thought to law school? I answer "FIne" which, translated, means 'No' to the first part of the question, 'Still thinking about it' to the second part.

Dad nods. He reaches for the chicken. "You know, there's a nice young man who just started working for us, a Matt Grierson. I think he mentioned he knows you."

My parents must think my life is really sinking if my father is talking potential life partners. Up until now, it's always been education and career first, boyfriend after, but that was obviously before they realized my career may not be following the stellar path they envisioned. The sad reality is they might be right about my needing a partner who makes significantly more than I do. Yesterday, I tried calculating what I could potentially afford to rent on what I make. A room at the Y would be stretching it. Oh, and I would have to resort to stealing extras such as food and toiletries.  

"He's dating Jen," I say which is more lie than truth, but at least it eliminates Matt from Dad's list of potential life saviors.

"Oh," Dad says. So much for whatever Matt and Emma plans he may have had. "So, what about the the Young office? Any young political... dynamo... law... lawyer... earning-his-own-living, Liv can you help me out here, types?"

Political, dynamo, law, lawyer, earning-his-own-living, Liv can you help me out here types? Mom looks at Dad who looks like he regrets putting his phone away. Even Ax looks at Dad. I'm actually wondering if my 'failure to launch' is affecting Dad's cognitive skills. Chances are, Mom and Ax are wondering the same thing.

"Pardon?" I finally manage to say.

"Ummm, I was just wondering if there are--" Dad looks at Mom for help, but she has this sometimes-Dave-can-be-such-an-idiot look on her face. "I think what your father is trying to ask is whether you've met any nice people at work," she finally says.

"No, Mom, I think Dad's asking Emma whether she's met any potential marriage-material man yet, preferably someone who doesn't have a degree in waitering."

"No, Alex, that's now what I'm asking--"

"It's okay, Dad," Ax says, "We're with family here. I think we should just admit how worried the three of us are about Emma."

I am going to kill my sister. I am going to grab her by the hair and shove her face into a wall.

"Books," Dad says. "We should talk books." Dad reaches for his glass of wine, relief written all over his face. He's probably thanking his lucky star he remembered the topic of books. Book discussions, as far as Dad is concerned, are safe and neutral. Unlike, How was your day?, or, How's school going? Ask your daughter those questions and you risk opening a Pandora's box of too much knowledge.