My Architect: A Son's Journey Page #2

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the hair stand up,

because it really is like that, as if

he's in some way communicating

with this fundamental thing, that

God is in the work.

So it has to be perfect, you see.

It has to be perfect.

It can't be impatient.

It's timeless.

I wanted to ask you.

Do you think...

did anybody know

that Lou had three families all at once?

No, I didn't.

As a matter of fact, for years

I didn't know Lou was married.

- Really?

- Yeah.

That was part of his mystery.

My mother and I lived on

the outskirts of Philadelphia

at the end of a secluded road.

Lou would visit every once in a while,

mostly at night.

We never knew quite when it would be.

He'd call at the last minute

and say he was on his way.

My mother would frantically

whip up a five-course meal

and have a Martini in a

frozen glass waiting for him.

I got to stay up late,

and Lou would tell me

wonderful stories about India

and elephants and tigers.

In the middle of the night,

we'd all bundle into the car

and drive him back downtown.

I'd lie in the backseat.

We were all silent.

When I asked my mother why

we couldn't all live together,

she explained that his wife

wouldn't give him a divorce.

Why didn't he just run away?

We'd stop at the end of Clinton Street

and let him out.

He'd walk down the block

and disappear into the dark house,

his wife's house.

Her name was Esther.

They had a daughter named Sue,

who was 20 years older than me.

When I was in first grade,

I found out I had

another half sister, Alex.

Her mother was a lady named Anne.

Then there was my mother and me.

Lou was 61 when I was born.

All three families lived within

several miles of each other,

but we never crossed

paths until Lou's funeral.

- Do you remember this guy?

- Hell of a man.

- Sure, I remember him.

- Did he ever ride in your cab?

20, 40 times. Who knows?

He was a cab rider, strictly cab rider.

- Yeah, he didn't drive?

- Never. He used to sit in front.

- He sat in front?

- Oh, yeah.

- Really?

- Yeah. That was your dad,

world-famous architect.

Yeah, that was your father.

- Do you remember him at all?

- A little bit, vaguely.

- Did he ever ride in your cab?

- Vaguely. He loved the women.

Not the young ones,

but he loved the women.

Do you remember what

he looked like or...

His face was pointed.

Yeah, and his hair was...

his hair was, you know,

very thin, like a blond.

- Like a what?

- Like it was blond. Yeah.

Oh, blond, uh-huh.

Do you remember that he

had scars on his face?

Oh, sure.

It would look like he was burned.

Yeah.

This is where your

father had his office,

right there, where it

says tickets, upstairs.

That's 1501. That's

where he was, right here.

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