Falling Man

Three years after the attack on the World Trade Center, Justin and Lianne join half a million people in a march against the imminent war in Iraq. Amid the chaos, Justin reads a leaflet about Islam, and a man tells Lianne that today is the birthday of the jazz musician Charlie Parker. As Justin reads Arabic words aloud from his leaflet, Lianne recalls the time she visited Cairo, Egypt, during the final days of Ramadan. The feast ended with a big party. Keith is not due back from a trip for nine days, so Lianne takes care of Justin. She takes him to a bookstore during the march and, when they get home, she plays him a Charlie Parker record from her father’s collection.

Lianne visits a doctor and is examined for potential warning signs of dementia. After being declared medically “unremarkable” (109), Lianne continues some of the brain exercises because she finds them comforting. In a casino, Keith takes part in a poker tournament. Lianne begins to feel lonely. Her mother died four months ago, and she thinks about the funeral often. She has stayed in touch with Martin, though she is unsure why.