The Salt Eaters

Obie pauses in the locker room of the Academy of 7 Arts while getting ready to exercise. He thinks about the splintering that has occurred in the academy between different staff members and teachers. He also thinks about aligning with groups outside of the academy, including the Women for Action, and moving off the grid. However, these actions seem unlikely. Presently, people are working on the Spring Festival. He believes that Velma’s presence kept people from splintering, and it took eight people to replace her. He wonders where Velma is.

Obie acknowledges he is stalling and “not taking care of business” (94). He tries to motivate himself to exercise with the promise of the sauna and massage afterward. He thinks about Velma’s mental health getting worse and their sex life. Someone calls Obie’s name, but he ignores them while putting on his shoes. He hears a guy named Bobby play the electric guitar and thinks about his brother, Roland, being imprisoned in Rikers for assaulting a woman.

Then Obie thinks about how he and Velma lost their child when they were running a bookstore. Looking at the gym, he reflects that when Velma and others were taking karate, the gym was cleaner.