Turn 183 of 233

Suggest they talk to Kimo together. He agrees. He calls Samuel "Granpa" eventually

The video plays on Samuel's end and the playing is the thing that is silent on Lena's end because she sent it and the sending is the thing that is done. She is standing on the pad with Kimo in the harness and the phone is still in her hand and the hand is the thing that holds the phone the way it holds the hammer — with the knowing that the thing in the hand is the tool for the job. She puts the phone to her ear.

"Dad," she says. "Why don't you talk to him. Right now. He's here."

The suggestion is the thing that is the offer and the offer is the thing that Lena has not made before because before is the thing that was Samuel watching from the edge and the edge is the thing Samuel stood on. She is asking him to step off the edge and the stepping off is the thing that is the phone and the phone is the thing that is the bridge and the bridge is the thing between the pad and the house where Samuel is sitting.

"Right now?" Samuel says. The saying is the thing that is the question and the question is not no. The question is the thing that says he is checking and the checking is the thing Samuel does before he does.

"Right now. He's right here. He just ate. He's happy. Just talk to him."

Samuel is quiet for three seconds and the three seconds is the thing that is Samuel deciding and the deciding is the thing that is not long for Samuel because Samuel is the thing that once he decides he does and the does is the thing that is the commitment. He does not say okay. He does not say sure. He says nothing and the nothing is the thing that is the beginning and the beginning is the thing that is the voice that comes through the phone.

"Kimo," Samuel says. The name is the thing he says and the saying is the thing that is careful and the careful is the thing that is the way Samuel says names — placed, given weight, treated like the thing that matters because the name is the thing that is the man and Samuel knows this because Samuel is the name his father gave him.

Kimo hears the voice. The hearing is the thing that turns his head and the turning is toward the phone and the phone is against Lena's ear and the ear is the thing that is close. He leans toward the phone and the leaning is the thing that says the voice is the thing he recognizes and the recognizing is the thing that is the photo and the photo is the thing on Lena's screen and the screen is the thing he pointed at and said Samuel.

"Samuel," Kimo says. The name is the name and the name is the thing that comes back through the phone and the phone is the thing that carries it to Samuel and Samuel is the thing that hears it.

Samuel's breath catches. The catching is the thing that is the sound and the sound is the thing that is the sharp and the sharp is the thing that is the name hitting him and the hitting is the thing that is the second time and the second time is the thing that is the phone and the phone is closer than the party. The party was across a pad. The phone is in his hand. The name is in his hand.

"Hey, buddy," Samuel says. "It's your grandfather. Granpa. Can you say Granpa?"

The word is the word Samuel offers and the offering is the thing that is the new word and the new word is the thing Kimo has not heard. Granpa. The word has two syllables and the two syllables are the thing that is the shape and the shape is rounder than Samuel and the rounder is the thing that is easier and the easier is the thing that is the mouth. Kimo's mouth works on it. He is in the harness against Lena's chest and his chin is on her shoulder and his mouth is moving the way it moves when he is trying a word — the lips and the tongue finding the parts.

"Gampa," Kimo says. The word is close and the close is the thing that is the first try and the first try is the thing that drops the r and the r is the thing that is hard and the hard is the thing that will come. But the word is there. Gampa. The word is the thing that is the name and the name is the thing that is Samuel.

On the other end of the phone Samuel makes a sound. The sound is not a word. The sound is the thing that a man makes when a boy says his name and the name is the thing that is the title and the title is the thing that is the role and the role is the thing Samuel has not been called since Samuel's own father died and the died is the thing that is the years and the years are the thing that are in the sound.

"Say it again," Samuel says. The saying is the thing that is the request and the request is the thing Samuel does not make because Samuel does not request. Samuel states. Samuel observes. Samuel says what is. But this is the request and the request is the thing that is the crack and the crack is the thing that is the open and the open is the thing that Lena hears on the phone and the hearing is the thing that makes her put her hand on Kimo's back.

"Gampa," Kimo says again. Clearer this time. The r is still gone but the g is solid and the a is round and the pa is the thing that is the end and the end is the thing that is the name. Then Kimo adds the thing that is the Kimo thing — the thing that is the connection, the linking, the sentence that is not a sentence but is the meaning.

"Gampa big."

Samuel laughs. The laugh is the thing that Lena has not heard from Samuel in years and the years are the thing that are long and the long is the thing that is broken by the laugh and the broken is the thing that is the good kind. The laugh is short and rough and the short and rough is the thing that is Samuel and Samuel is the thing that is laughing because his grandson called him big and the big is the thing that is the word Kimo says about the things that are important — walls and Mamas and Grandpas.

"He said I'm big," Samuel says. The saying is the thing that is the wonder and the wonder is the thing that is not a thing Samuel does but is doing now.

"He said Gampa big."

"He says big about things he likes, Dad. He says it about the walls. He says it about the pad. He says it about me. You're in the category."

"The category," Samuel says. The saying is the thing that is the repeat and the repeat is the thing that is the tasting and the tasting is the thing Samuel does with the word. The category of big. The category of good. The category of things Kimo says about the things that matter. Samuel is in the category and the category is the thing that is the place and the place is the thing Samuel has been trying to get to since the first visit to the site and the site is the thing that is the pad and the pad is the thing where the name was said.