Chapter 16 there's one more thing

LD's wife, Maxine, came home from get off work at night to find him drunk again, cursing at their fifteen-year-old son, Ray, and told him to get out. LD and Ray are sitting at the kitchen table arguing.Maxine didn't even have time to put down her bag or take off her coat. Ray said, "Tell him, Mom, tell him what we said." LD swung the glass around, but didn't drink.Maxine looked at him with angry disgust. "Better not put your nose into things you don't know," LD said. "I can't be serious about someone who sits around reading astrology magazines all day." "It's not about astrology," Ray said. "You don't have to insult me." As for Ray, she hasn't been to school for two weeks.She said no one could force her to go.Maxine said it was another misfortune in a string of misfortunes for low-income families. "Shut up both of you!" Maxine said. "My God, my head's grown." "Tell him, Mom," Ray said. "Tell him it's in his head. Anyone with a little common sense will tell you that's the problem!" "What about diabetes?" LD said. "And epilepsy? Can the brain control that?" He held up the glass under Maxine's eyelids and drank it. "Diabetes, too," Ray said. "Epileptic, whatever! The brain is the most powerful organ in the human body, by the way." She picked up his cigarette and lit one for herself. "Cancer. How about cancer?" LD said.He thought he might have stumped her.He looked at Maxine. "I don't know how we got into this," LD said to Maxine. "Cancer," Ray said, shaking his head at his stupidity. "It's the same with cancer, it starts in the brain." "It's crazy!" LD said.He slapped the table with his palm.The ashtray jumped up.His glass fell and rolled to the floor. "You're crazy, Ray! Do you know that?" "Shut up!" Maxine said.She unbuttoned her jacket and put her bag on the table.She looked at LD and said, "LD, I'm done. So is Ray. Everyone who knows you is the same. I've thought about this for a long time. I want you to move out of here. Tonight. Right now. That's it A moment. Get the hell out of here." LD wasn't going anywhere.He turned his gaze from Maxine to the bottle of pickles that had been on the table since noon.He picked up the bottle and threw it out the kitchen window.Ray jumped up from his chair. "My God! He's crazy!"

She went and stood beside her mother.She took a slight breath through her mouth. "Call the police," Maxine said. "He's violent. Get out of the kitchen before he hurts you. Call the police," Maxine said.They exit the kitchen. "I'm going," LD said. "Okay, I'm going now," he said. "That's what I like. You're all a bunch of lunatics anyway, and here's a madhouse. There's another life out there. Believe me, life here isn't interesting at all, this asylum." The wind from the hole. "That's where I'm going," he said. "Outside," he said, pointing. "Excellent," Maxine said. "Okay, I'm going," LD said.He slapped the table hard.He pushed his chair back sharply and stood up. "You'll never see me again," LD said. "You gave me enough to remember you," Maxine said. "That's good," LD said. "Come on, get out," Maxine said. "I pay the rent here and I want you to go. Right now." "I'm going," he said. "Don't push me," he said. "I'm going." "Going," Maxine said. "I'm leaving this madhouse," LD said.He went into the bedroom and took one of her suitcases from the closet.It was an old white leatherette case with one of the clasps broken.She once took it to college, full of sweaters.He also went to college.He threw the box on the bed and started putting in it his underwear, his trousers, his shirt, his sweater, his old belt with the copper buckle, his socks and all his other things.He took a few magazines from the bedside table to read.He took the ashtray.As long as it fits in, he put everything in it.He snapped the good buckle and tightened the straps, and then he remembered the bathroom stuff.He found the plastic shaving bag from the back of her hat on a closet shelf.Put in his razor, his shaving cream, his talcum powder, his deodorant stick and his toothbrush.He also took the toothpaste.Then he took the floss.He could hear them talking quietly in the living room.

He washed his face.Put the soap and towel in the shaving bag.Then he put in the soap dish, the cup, the nail clippers, and the clips for her curlers.He can't close the shaving bag, but that's okay.He put on his coat and picked up his suitcase.He walked into the living room.Seeing him, Maxine put her arm around Ray's shoulders. "That's it," LD said. "That's goodbye," he said. "I guess there's nothing else to say other than never wanting to see you again. You too, Ray," LD said to Ray. "You still have your crazy ideas." "Come on," Maxine said.She grabbed Ray's hand. "Haven't you hurt this family enough? Don't stop, LD. Get out of here and let's have a few days in peace." "Don't forget," Ray said. "It's in your head." "I'm walking, that's all I can say," LD said. "Wherever you want. Stay away from this madhouse," he said. "That's the key." He took one last look around the living room, and then he shifted the case from one hand to the other, and tucked the shaving bag under his arm. "I'll keep in touch, Ray. Maxine, you'd better get out of this madhouse yourself." "You're turning this into a madhouse," Maxine said. "If this is a madhouse, you made it." He put the case down and put the shaving bag on top of it.He straightened up and faced them.They backed away. "Be careful, Mom," Ray said. "I'm not afraid of him," Maxine said. L． D．Tucking the shaving bag under his arm, he picked up the case."I just want to say one more thing," he said, but he couldn't remember what it was.