Page 78 of Playworld

“I’m on thephone!” I said.

“I need to call Matt for my homework,” Oren said.

“I’m talking right now.”

“Well, make it snappy,” he said, and hung up with a clatter.

Amanda said, “Who was that?”

“My brother.”

“Is he younger or older?”

“Younger,” I said. This was followed by the sound of our breathing on the line. “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

“A brother,” Amanda said. “He’s older, but he mostly lives with my father.”

Dad picked up and started dialing.

“Hello?” I said.

From his bedroom, Dad shouted, “Oren, hang up the phone!”

Oren yelled, “Griffin’s on the phone!” but I could also hear him clearly through Dad’s receiver.

Mom said, “Would you two please stop screaming at each other?”

Dad said, “Griffin, I need to call my service.” Then he hung up.

There was another long silence.

“Your father?” she said.

“Yes.”

“He has a nice voice.”

“It’s a bass baritone,” I offered.

Not unkindly, Amanda said, “Do you want to call me back and start over?”

“No,” I said, “but thanks.”

“De nada,”she said.

“Good accent,” I said.

“Good answer,” Amanda said.

“Do you take Spanish?” I asked.

“French.”

“Can you speak it?”

“Un petit peu,”she said. “You?”

“Un poco,”I said.