The Freshman Page #5

Sort of an obsession.

He ripped it off? The "Mona Lisa"?

The day it arrived here I was 9.

My dad took it out of this huge crate.

There was Styrofoam

and newspaper everywhere.

And suddenly...

...there it was.

And he turned to me...

...l'll never forget this...

...and he said:

"Now I'm happy.

Now I got the "Mona Lisa."

It's safe here in Queens?

People don't steal from my father.

- They don't?

- No.

- You want to dance?

- Here?

- It's kind of hot.

- Take your sweater off.

My dad tells me you're from Nebraska.

Vermont.

What do you think of New York?

I stopped thinking 24 hours ago.

I'm going on pure instinct.

That's what you should do in New York.

Is your father here now?

He's in the Bronx at some meeting.

Aunt Angelina?

My head's killing me.

I'm going to bed.

This is Clark. Dad mentioned him.

Clark. The boy working for Dad.

I'm going to bed.

Watch "Jeopardy." You come up?

After Clark leaves.

Good night, Aunt Angelina.

Dad's sister.

She moved in when my mother died.

I was 4.

I was 6.

- Your mom?

- No, my dad.

But it's never the same.

No, but what can you do?

Nothing.

Nothing.

I'll get you the keys to the car.

I'm a sophomore at the College of the

Sacred Virgin. Don't laugh.

- Next year I'm going to Harvard.

- Harvard?

That's something. I didn't apply there,

with my high school grades.

Not that they were terrible.

My grades are nothing special.

About a B-.

How did you get in?

Your Boards must have been monsters.

It's Dad.

He told Harvard I wanted to go,

and they said, "Sure."

Are we talking about the same Harvard?

In Cambridge, Massachusetts?

Of course. Harvard needs my dad.

They don't want strikes

by the janitors or gardeners.

All those old trees and lawns.

But he's an importer.

Right?

It's great meeting you, Clark.

A guy from Vermont.

Real American New England-y.

Hold on.

- He's an importer. Just tell me.

- He's an importer. Yes.

An extremely powerful importer.

There are such people.

So what is it?

- What is what?

- The package at the airport.

Hint. It's big.

Bring someone to help you out.

What is it?

If Dad didn't tell you, I can't.

It's not going to be a dead guy

in a box or something, is it?

What an imagination.

You're so unbelievably cute.

I'll see you again.

I could just eat you up.

Good luck tomorrow.

You boys need me?

- You Leo?

- I am Big Leo.

- It just says Leo.

- We are the same. Leo and Big Leo.

- You're synonymous.

- That's right.

Okay, come with me.

You don't bring it out?

No. Not this I don't.

"Not this I don't."

Remember those words.

Not very encouraging.

Here it is. All yours.

It arrived this morning

on the redeye from Borneo.

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