I raise my hand to add my vote. I can’t speak because my mouth is full of ten pounds of pastrami.
“Well, you’re all very sweet. But like I said, we have the security guards at the front gate.”
“He could grow desperate, mother,” says Ceepak. “Purchase a weapon.”
“Can he do that?” says Rita. “I know he didn’t serve much time in prison, but he is a convicted felon.”
“Under federal law,” says Ceepak, “those with felony convictions do, indeed, forfeit their right to bear arms. However, due in part to an overhaul of federal gun laws orchestrated by the National Rifle Association, every year, thousands of felons across the country have those rights reinstated, often with little or no review.”
“Well, don’t tell your father,” jokes Mrs. Ceepak. “He might try the same thing.”
The waitress brings Styrofoam cartons to our table so we can all box up the second half of our sandwiches and take them home. I’ll probably be eating pastrami till Wednesday.
“Where are they sitting shiva?” asks Rita, probably to steer the conversation away from scary stories about Old Man Ceepak getting a gun.
According to my buddy Joe Getzler, “shiva” means seven in Hebrew. Traditionally, the mourning family receives guests and accepts condolences for a week. “Reform families only do it for three days,” Joe told me. “Sometimes, if people have to travel, it only lasts a day.”
I have a hunch that Arnie Rosen will be given short-shrift-shiva.
“The family will be accepting calls at David and Judith’s house,” says Ceepak.
“Should we go?” asks his mother. “Arnie was such a good man.”
That’s when Ceepak’s cell phone chirrups.
“Work?” says his mother who, I guess, has memorized her son’s different ringtones. “On a Sunday?”
“Apparently so,” says Ceepak, squinting so he can read the caller ID window. “Dr. Kurth,” he mumbles.
The medical examiner.
I’m glad the lid is down on my Styrofoam box. There’s something slightly sickening about hearing gory medical details while staring at a juicy mound of meat.
“This is Ceepak. Yes, ma’am. I see. Well, be sure to thank them for the quick turnaround. We weren’t expecting your answer until much later in the week. Any indication as to where it came from? Very well. Yes, ma’am. I will, indeed, tell her.”
Ceepak closes up his phone.
“Danny?”
“Yeah?”
“You’ll be with me again this week.”