Ordinary People

Today is Conrad’s birthday, and Cal is making him clean the garage. Conrad playfully complains that he shouldn’t have to do such work on his birthday, but he obliges. They reminisce about when Conrad and Buck would clean the garage together, and Cal had to watch them carefully. He says, “Buck especially. He was a genius at getting out of work” (141). One time, the two boys wrote profane words on the wall and then gave themselves away by laughing so hard. Conrad tells Cal that they are still there and leads his dad down into the basement to see. The two of them laugh at the memory.

Back upstairs, Cal asks Conrad what he thinks about Dr. Berger and wants to know if he’d be okay with Cal seeing him. Conrad jokes that Cal doesn’t need to see Dr. Berger because he is doing fine, and Cal shrugs and changes the subject. He is unconvinced that he doesn’t need help. Last night, after he and Beth made love, she expressed her fears that he didn’t love her, crying out, “I need you to love me, Cal! Please promise!” (143). It seemed like he could never convince her.