The Great Gatsby | A Winrina Story

Creation

The summer was halfway over when he knocked on the door.

I answered and a small man in a worn hat, loose tie, and stains on his shirt was standing there holding a reporter's notebook.

"Can I help you?"

"Do you know Gatsby?" the reporter asked.

"Sir, you just asked the most frequently asked question on all of Long Island. Yes, I know Gatsby, and no, I'm not supplying you any prurient details about her."

"I'm just doing my--"

"I knew you were going to say that at some point. Look," I said in a warmer tone, "I am her friend. I wouldn't talk about her private life if you offered me $5,000."

"I'm offering you $5,000, right here."

I gasped. I'd never expected someone to call such a grand bluff, but this reporter did, and I rather respected him for it. "I'll still pass, but thank you."

"Were your parents Christian missionaries?"

"What!?!"

"You'd have to be close to God to pass up that money, but I'm guessing you're a Wall Street type, and you're probably doing pretty well for yourself, am I right?"

I didn't take the bait but merely smiled deliberately politely, hoping that the subtle iciness might send him on his way.

"Let me tell you something before I leave," he growled. "Gatsby isn't even her real name. Her real name is Jane Gatz, and she's from a dirt poor farming family from North Dakota."

I wanted to stop him, to not learn anything more about Gatsby. But I was curious, and to my shame and dishonor, I let him keep talking.

"The only reason anyone's even discussing Gatsby is a woman named Dawn Cody. They met by chance after the War and Cody hired Gatz to work on her yacht, and took a liking to her. When Cody died, it was natural of Gatz to think there might be something in the will for her, and there was: $25,000."

I let out a long whistle.

"Now Gatz lost all $25,000 in the Panic before The Great War, but she learned a lot about business. Most importantly, she made connections. Powerful connections, both with the New York establishment, and the New York underworld. Gatz is brilliant. She made her entire fortune, including the mansion, in 16 months. Those contacts had saved the day. But then the police showed up. They weren't there for Gatsby -- a missed opportunity for the police, if you ask me -- but to arrest the notorious gambler, Jisoo Wolfsheim. Gatsby's refusal to rat on Wolfsheim earned her gratitude, and in return Wolfsheim set Gatsby up with her own bootlegging operation."

"That's ridiculous. She inherited her fortune. Why risk it by getting arrested as a gangster?"

"Because she wanted to get rich, to buy this house, to throw these parties. Why else?"

"Why Gatsby?" I asked in exasperation.

"Because she's beautiful, rich, and I gotta sell papers, friend," he said as he headed back to his car. "You need to step out of this bubble and ask yourself who Jaye Gatsby, or Jane Gatz, really is before you get caught up in something you don't understand."

I smiled tersely and waved. As he drove away, I resolved to let Gatsby know that a reporter was trying to smear her reputation. I walked over to that glorious mansion and made my way up the steps to the enormous patio, where I was shocked to see Tom and Karina Buchanan having coffee with Gatsby.

"Hi, old sport, join us," Gatsby said.

"'Old sport,'" Tom muttered under his breath.

"So, Ms Gatsby, where are you from?" Tom asked.

Gatsby sighed. "Here and there. My father was a high-ranking general in the Army so we had to move around a lot. It was rough -- I attended 11 grade schools alone -- but it taught me a lot."

"Like what?" Tom asked with a hint of sarcasm.

Gatsby's eyes narrowed. "Like you have to be careful when you meet new people, because their face and their mind may be doing two different things."

Tom leaned back in his chair. "Relax, girl, I was just asking."

"Look, Buchanan," Gatsby said, leaning forward, "If you ever call me 'girl' again I will slit your throat. Are we clear?"

There was a moment of stunned silence at the threat. Finally Tom threw up his hands and said "Sure, fine, I didn't mean anything. But you see, RJ, what happens when women are educated and given the same opportunities as men?" Gatsby, seeing the futility of the conversation, threw her napkin on the table. "Tell you what," Tom said. "How about we all head to Manhattan for dinner? My treat?"

"Tom, that sounds simply scrumptious!" Karina said.

Gatsby, grateful for anything that broke the tension, practically leapt from her seat. "Let me grab my coat, old sport, and we'll be on our way." She hurried back to the house.

Suddenly Tom stood up. "Come on, Karina. We're not having dinner with that common criminal and gangster."

"But Tom!"

Karina winced as Tom squeezed her wrist tightly. "Karina, we're leaving. We're not going to be seen with her. RJ, good to see you and I'm sure we'll see each other soon." For some strange reason, he bowed slightly, then hustled off, dragging Karina behind him.

I was stunned. I didn't know adults behaved that way. In a minute Gatsby returned in a sharp sport coat. She seemed to grasp what had happened in an instant.

"I wish they'd see that I'm human," she said, tears in her eyes.

It didn't seem like the time to tell her that she'd soon appear in the gossip section of the newspaper.