Name Dropping by Jane Heller

Author:Jane Heller
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781682303597
Publisher: Diversion Books
Published: 2016-04-22T04:00:00+00:00

Bill was working late the next night, so I took the opportunity to call the Levins, screwing up my courage as their phone rang. One ringie dingie. Two ringie dingies. Three ringie dingies. Either nobody was home or nobody was answering. I was mentally rehearsing the message I would leave on their machine when Bob Levin picked up.

“Yeah,” he barked.

Don’t you love when people greet their callers that way? Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy.

“Mr. Levin?” I said.

“You got him.”

“Hi. This is Nancy Stern, Fischer’s teacher at Small Blessings?” I hated that I put a question mark in my voice at the end of that sentence. I knew who I was, for God’s sake.

“My wife’s not here,” was his response, even though I hadn’t asked to speak to her. In the Levin household, matters pertaining to Fischer were handled by the womenfolk, apparently.

“When do you expect her back?”

“Don’t have a clue. She’s in Switzerland at some clinic.”

“Oh. Is she ill?”

“Whadayoukidding? She’s having a face-lift.”

“I see.” Gretchen Levin was younger than I was. “Then I wonder if I might take a few minutes of your time, Mr. Levin. I know how busy you are, but there’s a situation concerning Fischer that I’d like to discuss with you.”

“Not that again,” he boomed. “I told you, you teachers coddle the boy, don’t appreciate what you’ve got there. A real tiger, that’s what he is. A chip off the old block.”

“Yes,” I said with a little laugh, in order to give Bob Levin the impression that I thought being a chip off his old block was a plus. “But the problem I’m referring to isn’t Fischer’s aggressiveness. It’s his fantasizing.”

“Haw-haw. You’re telling me he got his hands on a Playboy magazine or something?”

“No, it’s nothing like that, Mr. Levin.” You crude gasbag. “He fantasizes about being a pirate, and he communicates this both to the other children and to his teachers. Now, it’s not at all uncommon for children to play pretend or have an imaginary friend. In fact, such behavior is a healthy part of growing up. It’s only a problem when it interferes with the child’s ability to function, his ability to enjoy real life. I’m afraid that’s what’s happening with Fischer, Mr. Levin.”

“That’s complete bull. Fischer’s a great kid.”

“But is he a happy kid? Happy kids don’t talk incessantly about being a pirate. His entire self-esteem seems linked to this pirate fantasy.”

I explained about the pin and Fischer’s constant chatter about how he stole it from a buried treasure chest.

“Complete bull, like I said. Fischer got the pin from the Wal-Mart store in Branford, Connecticut. The nanny took him there to buy it on their way up to our weekend place. He told me about it on the plane to London just before Christmas. He was all keyed up about it.”

“That was sweet of him.”

“He’s a sweet kid, I’m telling you. He even brought the receipt along to show it to me, because I taught him that the IRS comes after you if you don’t keep receipts.

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