19

Huddling at the Forum plus Ben, Mags was still annoyed that she was slighted at the hospital. Jim kept watch on her mood and made sure he was attentive. Jim made several trips to the buffet to arrange her plate just so. Ben couldn’t help noticing and was now becoming annoyed that Mags tiff was making him behave like an unpaid waiter.

“Jim, can you just sit down! Your princess, oh wait, Margaret is going to survive.”

The conflict had carried over to Rami’s personal space, with its turn of the century architecture. Why should this place be tainted with petty differences, saddened him.

“So does everyone here know that your friend was a football god?”

Ben threw that out with abandon and didn’t care if he stepped on anyone’s toes. His comment had Mags come back to the atrium.

“What?” she asked with anger.

“Yes. Your friend is a genius too. First in his class Yale Law School!”

It kept getting more interesting for her. Suddenly all her ideas of the man had evaporated.

“Rami, is that true? How did you manage to wrangle this-situation?”

Rami’s high voltage smile disappeared. If there was anything untoward about his current dilemma, he needed to explain, and fast. Even Carolyn, who previously professed her undying love for him, was looking for some foul odor in Denmark. They could see Rami struggle to make it sound like his being in Minneapolis was happenstance, but one thing about Ben, he could sniff out bullshit. And this stunk.

“Goddamnit Rami. You deceived us.”

Since this came from Carolyn, that alone heightened the odds they were in the company of a charlatan. Rami knew his situation was dire, and his pontificating on this and that didn’t help. It was his fault by omission, and he didn’t expect Ben to expose his hand-especially so soon.

“Yale Law, quarterback, god I know how that can twist one’s head, right Jim?”

They looked at Jim who had taken the first train out of Minneapolis. Rami breathed easier now that the focus was off him.

“Take your time Jim, we have all day,” Ben added sarcastically.

Every time Ben opened his mouth, produced waves of chaos. The moment he came through the doors of General Hospital, everyone was on edge. Jim’s instinct was to fawn on his wife. Carolyn played her part with her rapt attention on Ben. The only one not drawn into the melodrama was Rami, but that was over. Ben was playing the table like a chess master without any push-back. Ben’s exposure of Rami’s background was check-mate, and he was feeling like a champ-again.

“Ben,” Rami started.

The group shifted to the Third Man and awaited his testimony.

“My reason for not saying anything was this wasn’t about me, but Bill. He was in dire straits, and it was incumbent on me to focus my energy on him. I see that once the focus is off you, it disturbs you. Since Bill was part of Nelson-Bastian, I can imagine how hard it is for you to imagine the change.”

They all leaned in to hear what Rami was saying.

“They say change is the hardest thing any individual can attempt to do, since the failure rate is so high. So, you look at Ben Nelson without your friend to build you up, very scary. My brief encounter with Bill suggested that he was an empty shell, and that didn’t happen overnight. Sure, I didn’t pull out my resume for everyone to gawk at, and frankly, that’s all that would have accomplished.”

Carolyn was tracking Rami and smiled at that.

“6I have moved on beyond those superficial markers in my life and have never felt better. I should mention to our intimate group that you offered me a job, and by the looks of your ‘best’ friend, that wouldn’t be in my best interests.”

The chess master was beaten. Ben looked around sheepishly, and knew Rami was correct. It was a dirty trick to float the possibility that Rami was here because of the possible career advancement, and the others looked embarrassed too. Mags smiled.

“Ben took us. Ben always takes us. Ben took my dad from me, with his power of attorney. What a sorry excuse for a human being.”

The fighting words from Mags were stunning. Ben’s puffed persona was deflating by the second, and they were waiting for the next person to pile on. Mags thought this would be the perfect opportunity for his son to add to the character defaults of Ben, but Jim stayed silent. Instead, she said-

“Ben, let me tell you something about your son. Two nights ago, he laid out a Chicago cop five inches taller, and at least one hundred pounds heavier, with one punch to his chin. Then after Dunleavy found us at the Drake and calling Jim a coward, your son rolled up his sleeves and said- let’s go’.”

Jim looked like he wanted to become invisible and got up to study the desert trays.

“He has more piss and vinegar than you will ever know! Jim is secure enough, so he doesn’t have to run around and pound his chest and beat up he sees as weaker. He doesn’t yell or intimidate those he finds to be-I just hope he doesn’t use that same punch on you!”

They were quiet after Mag’s salvo. It was no surprise that Ben stayed motionless, since he was outnumbered, and not having Bill around made him feel exposed, and weak.  

“Ben Nelson!”

They all looked up to see Sid Hartman about to slap him on the back.

“What? Having a reunion, the Curtis Hotel would be perfect…where’s Bastian?”

“Dead.”

Ben said it with a finality that struck everyone as the sincerest thing he had said up to now. Sid sat quietly.

“Dead. My buddy is dead!”

Ben buried his face in his hands as he finally let the dam break. Once a proud, obnoxious man starts to show real emotion, it is confusing. Do you sympathize or feel pity?

“Its okay, we all feel the sadness of Bill’s death,” Rami said without missing a beat.

Mags stuck to her guns and let Rami’s gesture pass. Sid reached over and patted Ben on the shoulder, a gracious act. Then he looked at Mags- “sorry Margaret.”

Mag’s estimation of Sid was elevated by his remark. He is a good guy. Rami? Mags felt shame that she fell for Ben’s gossip. He is a good guy too!