The Opposite of Music Read Free Page A

beside Mom, and Mom strokes her hair. “Those kids in the movie, most likely no one cared about them. No one noticed that they were sick. No one tried to help them. In our case, Linda, we have the support we need, and we haven’t missed our opportunity. Dad’s being treated in plenty of time. And I honestly believe Dr. Gupta knows what she’s doing.
    â€œDr. Gupta says that this kind of illness can come from a change in brain chemistry or from a loss or from a change in living situation that the patient has trouble adjusting to. It’s like they’re going through a crisis. So Dad will be taking medicine to help his brain, and he’s also going to get talk therapy to find out what’s going on.”
    â€œI have one question.”
    â€œWhat is that, Billy?”
    â€œWhen will he be better?”
    â€œThe medicine should start working in about two weeks.”
    Linda has curled up under Mom’s hand, until she’s practically in the fetal position.
    â€œWhat I need from you right now is input about any problems or difficulties that could be causing stress in Dad’s life. Any possibility, Dr. Gupta says, even if it appears unrelated. Let your minds run free. Brainstorm. Think outside the box. Don’t censor yourselves.”
    I turn to a fresh page in my history notebook.
    Linda snuffles again. “You’re not gonna like what I have to say, Mom.”
    â€œThat’s okay, honey, just go ahead. This is the time to speak freely.”
    â€œMaybe he feels trapped ,” Linda says. “Maybe he never really wanted a wife and kids. Maybe he’d rather have a totally different life—like be an actor or a race car driver or something.”
    It’s typical that, right after a weepy outburst, Linda is becoming critical again. But Mom’s accustomed to Linda’s moods. Mom slides the wooden beads along the cord of her necklace, and they make a sound like bones clacking. “Let me reassure you of something, Linda: Your father loves this family more than anything on earth. You should have seen him the day you were born. He said, ‘A boy and a girl. Now I have everything I could ever have wanted from life.’”
    I look sideways at Mom. “I thought you said not to censor ourselves.”
    â€œWell, censor a tad . Use your judgment. Linda, I know you wouldn’t say something like that unless you were worried and upset. But maybe we can pursue the possibility that he’s dissatisfied with some area of his life.”
    I write “dissatisfied,” followed by a question mark.
    â€œYou know,” I point out, “maybe Linda’s onto something. What about the fact that Dad never finished art school? Perhaps he thinks of himself as a failure. It isn’t anything like those people in the video, but just, you know, a little unhappy, like something is missing. Like things could be better.”
    â€œDad really isn’t what you would call successful,” Linda agrees. “I mean, compared to some of the other dads, like Jodie’s dad. Not that I’m criticizing him or anything.”
    â€œWell, he chose his own path,” I offer. I heard this once and liked the sound of it.
    â€œThat raises some interesting questions,” Mom says. “What is success? Perhaps Jodie’s dad did build a second garage for his collection of Italian sports cars, and he takes his family on expensive vacations every year, but does he feel successful inside? Is he truly happy with his life?”
    â€œ I think so,” Linda says.
    â€œWell, you just don’t know, do you? You can only discover the truth by probing beneath the surface.”
    In fact, Dad is kind of unsuccessful compared to other adults. But he didn’t seem to want to climb the ladder of success. He got a job as a draftsman in a company that manufactures store fixtures. He opposed overtime as a matter of principle, tore off his necktie when