Desperately Seeking Susan
The next morning, Jack and Eric left for Memphis.
The concierge remembered Jack. ‘I gave Darla your message, sir, and she’s expecting you. Someone’s in with her at the moment, but if you take a seat I’ll let you know when she’s free.’
Jack thanked him and was about to turn away when a thought struck him. ‘Is this hotel named after the same Peabody they name the radio and television awards after?’
‘I believe it is, sir. Why do you ask?’
‘I was just curious. The Mary Tyler Moore Show won a Peabody Award for excellence in 1977, did you know that?’
‘I didn’t, but I used to enjoy the show. My favourite character was Ted Baxter.’
‘Mine too!’ Jack said enthusiastically. The day was getting off to a better start than expected, and he started to feel optimistic. ‘Which one was your favourite episode? Mine was…?’
‘Are you Mr Guravitch?’ a voice interrupted.
‘Yes ma’am. You must be Darla Thomas.’
They followed Darla to her office. Darla hadn’t smiled when he introduced himself, and he now noticed her broad shoulders. The thought crossed his mind that if Darla had been an employee in the eighties and worn business jackets of the time, with large padded shoulders, she’d have never made it through the office door.
To add formality to the smile-less introduction, Darla now blockaded herself behind a desk.
‘You didn’t used to be a swimmer, did you?’ Jack asked her.
‘No, why do you ask that?’
‘No reason,’ Jack backtracked. ‘It’s just that I’ve been thinking about taking up the sport and figured it would be a good idea to talk to someone who’s been a swimmer. I ask everyone this question. It’s amazing how few swimmers there are in this country.’
‘You wanted to ask me about Susan,’ Darla said.
‘Yes I did. This is Eric Gole, and Susan Lawrence is his cousin. Eric was orphaned recently, and Susan’s his last remaining relative. He’s trying to find her. Warren Kuykendahl told us she’d come to Memphis and might be staying with you. He said you were a friend of hers.’
‘I was… I am… oh, this is complicated. Susan is in Memphis, that’s true. I know where she works, but I don’t know where she lives.’
‘Do you have her mobile number?’ Jack asked.
‘No, I deleted it.’
‘Did you and Susan fall out?’ Eric asked.
‘Something like that – and I’m afraid it was all my fault, too.’ She took a deep breath. ‘I wrongly accused her of flirting with my fiancée and threw her out of the apartment. It turned out that it was him who’d been trying it on with her, and after she refused to play ball, and out of spite, he told me that Susan had come on to him. I should have known she wouldn’t have done that, but at the time I didn’t want to believe he was capable of being unfaithful to me. I loved him. I thought he was the real deal. It was only when I was telling a friend about what happened that she told me he’d made a play for her too. Men! They can be such bastards!’
‘So too can women,’ Jack said. ‘My wife had an affair, too. She became pregnant by the man and told me the child was mine.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Darla said. ‘That must have hurt.’
‘The infidelity hurt, but I don’t regret I’m no longer with her. You’ll get to feel the same way.’
‘I know. It’s not the first time this has happened to me. I’ll survive, but what makes it worse is that I’ve lost a good friend as well as a fiancée. When you find Susan, will you tell her I’m sorry and ask her to give me a call?’
‘I’ll be glad to, Darla, but where will we find her?’
‘She’s working at Graceland, but just where in the complex I don’t know. I’m afraid you’ll just have to buy a ticket and work your way around.’
They left Darla, and Jack was pleased with himself for not having mentioned her speech impediment. The concierge called out to him.
‘Yeth?’ Jack said.
‘It’s the one where Ted’s brother turns up,’ he said. ‘My favourite episode,’ he added when he saw Jack’s puzzled look.
‘What’s Graceland?’ Eric asked.
‘It’s the house where Elvis Presley used to live. You’ve heard of him, haven’t you? He was a rock ’n’ roll singer with bad dietary habits.’
‘I think so. Will we get there today?’
‘It’s less than nine miles away, Eric: we’ll be there in half an hour. We’re closer to Susan now than we’ve ever been. We’ve almost found her!’
Jack headed down Union Avenue and took a right on to Bellevue Boulevard. Bellevue turned into Elvis Presley Boulevard, and Jack followed the signs for Graceland and parked the car. They bought tickets and waited in line for a shuttle bus to take them to the large white columned mansion.
‘Excited?’ Jack asked.
Eric nodded. ‘I hope she recognises me. She’s never seen me with black hair.’
‘I’m sure she will, but will you be able to recognise her? It’s been five years since you’ve seen her.’
‘Sure I will. She’ll be the most beautiful girl here!’
Jack would have preferred a more detailed description to go on, but Eric never went beyond the word beautiful. Warren Kuykendahl’s description of Susan was of equally little value: asking people if they knew of a girl who looked like a bottle of Downy wouldn’t get them far.
The shuttle bus arrived and chauffeured them across the road. Unlike their fellow passengers, they had little or no interest in touring Graceland – their only concern was to find a living girl called Susan Lawrence, not to pay homage to a dead rock ’n’ roll star.
They stayed with the tour guide and heard how Elvis had been the most popular guy in the world, and always at the centre of jokes, laughter and story-telling. ‘I’d be the most popular guy in the world, too, if I bankrolled a bunch of hangers-on like he did,’ Jack whispered to Eric. ‘A real friend would have told him to lay off the drugs and the fried food.’
They visited the mansion’s downstairs living areas, the Jungle Room and the Music Room, and then moved outside to the Meditation Garden, where Presley and his parents were buried. ‘Does this remind you of anywhere?’ Jack asked.
‘Mr Kuykendahl’s house. I think he’d like living here,’ Eric answered.
‘Exactly so!’ Jack said. ‘They should have called this place Graceless Land.’
The tour guide knew of no beautiful girl working in the mansion called Susan, and neither did any other member of staff Jack approached. He started to head for the exit when Eric pulled at his sleeve.
‘We didn’t look upstairs, Jack. Maybe Susan’s working there.’
‘No one’s allowed up there, Eric – not even tour guides. Elvis was found dead on one of the bathroom floors and I’m guessing they want to keep that bit private and away from the gawkers.’
They went outside and waited for the shuttle bus to take them back across the road to the other exhibits – Elvis’ cars, motorcycles and airplanes; Elvis’ years in Hollywood; and Elvis’ years in the army. Jack and Eric only glanced at these, but mentioned Susan’s name to every Graceland employee they found: ‘Her name’s Susan Lawrence and she works here. Have you seen her? She’s supposed to be very beautiful.’ No one had.
They went to the Chrome Grille for lunch. Eric played with his food, seemingly without appetite. ‘We’re not going to find her, are we?’ he said. ‘We’re never going to find her.’
‘Of course we are,’ Jack said, though in truth he too was now harbouring the same fears. For the sake of Eric’s watery eyes, however, he pretended that he didn’t. ‘We’ve still got the other restaurants to check, and also the souvenir shops. She’s got to be here somewhere.’
They drew another blank at the restaurants and turned their attention to the souvenir shops. The amount and variety of junk sold was limitless, but in the Elvis Kids’ store they struck gold. ‘I don’t know her name,’ the cashi
er said, ‘but there’s a new girl working in Gallery Elvis and she’s a stunner! I’m not surprised they gave her a job selling the high-class stuff.’
She left her chair and went to the door with them. ‘You see the Rockabilly’s Diner? Okay, walk past it and Gallery Elvis is the next shop down.’
They walked briskly past the diner and then moved more slowly. Their bravura dimmed, and as they approached the gallery door they became apprehensive. Eric took hold of Jack’s hand and Jack squeezed it tightly. Suddenly, Jack stopped in his tracks. ‘Jesus Christ, Eric! Look at that,’ he said. ‘It’s a Kelvin-Helmholtz!’
Eric looked up and saw what appeared to be huge breaking waves in the sky. The image lasted for no more than a few seconds. It was the rarest cloud of all.
Susan was standing behind a counter, eating a Snickers Bar and staring wistfully into the distance. She had a slender but shapely body, and facial features that were textbook: wide eyes, a small nose, full lips and high cheekbones. She was the most beautiful girl Jack had ever seen.
‘That’s her, Jack. That’s Susan!’ Eric whispered. ‘What should I do now?’
‘Go talk to her,’ Jack said gently, letting go of Eric’s hand and nudging him forwards. ‘And don’t forget to introduce me.’
Eric walked hesitantly towards her, hobnailed butterflies dancing a stomp in his stomach. ‘It’s me Susan,’ he said, timidly. ‘Eric!’
Susan looked at the small boy, momentarily confused by the white cycling helmet, red washing-up gloves and dyed eyebrows. Then, she shrieked his name in recognition, dashed from behind the counter and flung her arms around him. ‘Eric! Oh my God, it is you!’
Eric’s stiff upper lip – still in its formative stage – weakened, and despite his best efforts to the contrary, he started to cry. He held on to Susan and Susan held on to him. They hugged without words, communicated through sobs and soothing noises. Then Susan started to cry.
Jack checked his reflection in a glass cabinet and put a stick of gum in his mouth. A potential customer came into the gallery and left immediately. The manageress of the store returned from lunch and suggested that Susan and Eric take their reunion someplace else, perhaps the Heartbreak Hotel. They walked instead to the Shake, Split & Dip and ordered ice creams.
Susan and Eric sat together and Jack, who Eric had introduced to Susan as the man who’d bought him the washing-up gloves, dyed his hair black and told him the facts of life, sat facing them. ‘He’s like my big brother, Susan,’ Eric said.
Susan looked at Jack doubtfully and then turned her attention back to Eric.
‘I was so sorry to hear about your mom and dad, Eric,’ she said. ‘Jeff told me about how they died. If I’d known at the time, I’d have come to the funeral and stood with you. It must have been so hard going through it alone.’
‘My daddy forgave you, Susan,’ Eric said. ‘I think he’d want me to tell you that.’
‘What for?’ Susan asked puzzled.
‘For tearing the pages out of his Bible.’
‘Oh… I’d forgotten about that,’ Susan said, a bit sheepishly. ‘I used to do a lot of crazy things in those days… But who’s looking after you now, how did you find me?’
‘No one, Susan. I’m an orphan. I was… I was… I was hop…’ He then burst into tears again and Susan cradled him, pulling him towards her so that his head rested on her right breast.
For a moment, Jack envied the boy, wished it was his head resting there, but quickly remembered himself and spoke on Eric’s behalf.
‘He’s got no one to speak of, Susan. His guardians don’t seem to care: they enrolled him in a deaf school, believe it or not, and he’s run away from there. A friend of mine picked him up close to where your dad’s in prison, and he’s been travelling with us ever since. He’s been looking for you. He went to Hershey and talked to some guy there…’
‘Fred?’ Susan interrupted.
‘I wasn’t with Eric then so I don’t know his name, but the guy gave him Warren Kuykendahl’s name and address, and Warren told us to get in touch with Darla Thomas. I think he wants to live with you, Susan – for you to take care of him. If you can’t… then the two of us will figure something out.’
Susan’s prompt response surprised him. ‘Of course I’ll take care of you, honey,’ she said to Eric. ‘You can live with me for as long as you like!’
Eric’s face lit up like a Fourth of July night sky and he quickly wiped away his tears. ‘I’ll be good, Susan. I promise I will! I won’t be any trouble, and when I grow up I’ll pay you back – I’m going to be a postman! Thank you, thank you, Susan… and thank you too, God,’ he said, looking up at the Shake, Split & Dip’s ceiling
He hugged Susan and just as quickly let go. ‘Where’s the toilet, Jack? I need to use the toilet!’
Jack and Susan were left alone together, smiling at Eric’s abrupt departure. Jack mentioned Darla Thomas, but Susan quickly changed the subject. ‘What Eric said about you dying his hair and telling him the facts of life?’
‘It makes me sound a bit creepy, doesn’t it?’ Jack smiled. ‘I’ll put it in context for you.’ He then told Susan the story of the trip and the people they travelled with, sensibly omitting the part where they’d kidnapped Nancy from the nursing home.
‘You’ve shown Eric a great deal of kindness,’ Susan said. ‘You all have. Thank you.’
‘It was no hardship,’ Jack said. ‘The kid’s got a good heart. Are you sure you’re going to be okay looking after him by yourself – you didn’t seem to give it too much thought.’
‘You sound as if you’re checking me out as a suitable foster parent,’ Susan smiled.
‘Your life will change. You know that, don’t you?’
‘I hope my life does change – it needs to change. And what kind of person would I be if I turned my back on Eric? He’s family. I might dance naked for a living, but I know what the right thing to do is. The decision was easy.’
Jack looked at her. ‘I could help you get things squared with his guardians, if you like. I can vouch that he hasn’t been in any danger or up to no good while he’s been missing, and I’ve got time on my hands to do it.’
‘How come you have the time? Don’t you have a job?’
Jack told her about Laura and Conrad, and his fall from grace as a television weatherman.
‘Wow, that’s so cool!’ Susan laughed. ‘Not the bit about Laura and Conrad, but the way you resigned on air. I wish I could have seen it.’
‘You still can,’ Jack said. ‘Evidently, it’s a big hit on YouTube.’
‘So what do you plan to do now?’
‘I’m going to retrain as a hairdresser. Fortunately, I have funds that aren’t affected by the divorce. My father never liked Laura and didn’t figure the marriage would last, so he left everything to my godfather, and he’s holding it in trust for me – he’s Doc, the guy on the bus I was telling you about.’
Susan studied Jack’s face for a moment and then smiled. ‘It would be great if you could do that, Jack,’ she said. ‘It would really help!’
‘It’s no hardship,’ Jack said, and it wasn’t. Spending time with Susan would be no misfortune.
‘Do you believe in love at first sight, Doc?’ Jack asked.
‘I’m not sure I even believe in like at first sight,’ Doc replied. ‘Why are you asking?’
‘Because I fell in love with Susan the moment I saw her. I know it sounds crazy, and you’ll probably make fun of me, but it happened. It wasn’t just her looks, either: it was her voice, her laugh, her smell, the things she said and the way she was with Eric.’
‘You don’t think you’re at all vulnerable at the moment, do you?’
‘Vulnerable? In what way?’
‘You’ve lost your job; you’ve left your wife; the kid you thought was yours isn’t; you’ve grown attached to Eric; you’re thinking of becoming a hairdresser… Do you want me to go on?’
‘I know all these things, Doc, but I don’t think any o
f them has made me vulnerable. If anything, they’ve made me a stronger person. I’m thinking more clearly now than at any other time of my life. Tell me: what didn’t I mention about Susan when I was describing her just then?’
Doc thought for a moment. ‘Her star sign?’
‘Give me a break, Doc! Her hair! I didn’t mention her hair. Doesn’t that tell you something? In the past, it’s always been about the hair. It had to be thick, long and shining. Susan’s hair isn’t anything like that – it’s fine, cut in a pageboy style.’
‘So what are you saying?’
‘I’m saying that I’ve matured. I’m seeing the bigger picture. Can’t you be pleased for me?’
‘If you’re sure about this, then of course I’m pleased for you. I just don’t want you getting hurt. How does Susan feel about you?’
‘I don’t know – you don’t think I told her I loved her, did you? Even I know that would have been the kiss of death. She likes me, though – I’m sure of that – and the two of us are going to take Eric back home and get things straightened out for him.
‘You should have seen Eric when he saw her. The kid burst into tears and couldn’t stop sobbing. It was like he’d found his mother again. Susan just held on to him. She didn’t have to think twice before she agreed to help him. It was immediate. She handed in her notice then and there, and she’s going to put her career on hold until we figure out what to do with Eric.’
Doc smiled, wondering how Susan’s career at Gallery Elvis had been going. ‘So when are you three leaving for California, and how are you getting there?’
‘Saturday. The manager of the store was understanding, but said she needed Susan to work out the week. I’ll drive to Memphis with Eric on Thursday, turn in the car and help Susan tie up loose ends. We’ll be driving to California in her car.’
‘That’s the same day Bob leaves – the day after the party.’
‘Are you going to be okay with Nancy by yourself?’
‘We’ll be fine,’ Doc said. ‘We’ll need a fair wind and some groceries, but we’ll work things out.’
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