His father would sweep him into his arms and Jacky would be propelled
deliriously upward； so fast it seemed he could feel air pressure settling
against his skull like a cap made out of lead； up and up； both of them crying
〃Elevator！ Elevator！〃； and there had been nights when his father in his
drunkenness had not stopped the upward lift of his slabmuscled arms soon enough
and Jacky had gone right over his father's flattopped head like a human
projectile to crash…land on the hall floor behind his dad。 But on other nights
his father would only sweep him into a giggling ecstasy； through the zone of air
where beer hung around his father's face like a mist of raindrops； to be twisted
and turned and shaken like a laughing rag； and finally to be set down on his
feet； hiccupping with reaction。
The receipts slipped from his relaxing hand and seesawed down through the air
to land lazily on the floor； his eyelids； which had settled shut with his
father's image tattooed on their backs like stereopticon images； opened a little
bit and then slipped back down again。 He twitched a little。 Consciousness； like
the receipts； like autumn aspen leaves； seesawed lazily downward。
That had been the first phase of his relationship with his father； and as it
was drawing to its end he had bee aware that Becky and his brothers； all of
them older； hated the father and that their mother； a nondescript woman who
rarely spoke above a mutter； only suffered him because her Catholic upbringing
said that she must。 In those days it had not seemed strange to Jack that the
father won all his arguments with his children by use of his fists； and it had
not seemed strange that his own love should go hand…in…hand with his fear： fear
of the elevator game which might end in a splintering crash on any given night；
fear that his father's bearish good humor on his day off might suddenly change
to boarish bellowing and the smack of his 〃good right hand〃； and sometimes； he
remembered； he had even been afraid that his father's shadow might fall over him
while he was at play。 It was near the end of this phase that he began to notice
that Brett never brought his dates home； or Mike and Becky their chums。
Love began to curdle at nine； when his father put his mother into the hospital
with his cane。 He had begun to carry the cane a year earlier； when a car
accident had left him lame。 After that he was never without it； long and black
and thick and gold…headed。 Now； dozing； Jack's body twitched in a remembered
cringe at the sound it made in the air； a murderous swish； and its heavy crack
against the wall 。。。 or against flesh。 He had beaten their mother for no good
reason at all； suddenly and without warning。 They had been at the supper table。
The cane had been standing by his chair。 It was a Sunday night； the end of a
three…day weekend for Daddy； a weekend which he had boozed away in his usual
inimitable style。 Roast chicken。 Peas。 Mashed potatoes。 Daddy at the head of the
table； his plate heaped high； snoozing or nearly snoozing。 His mother passing
plates。 And suddenly Daddy had been wide awake； his eyes set deeply into their
fat eyesockets； glittering with a kind of stupid； evil petulance。 They flickered
from one member of the family to the next； and the vein in the center of his
forehead was standing out prominently； always a bad sign。 One of his large
freckled hands had dropped to the gold knob of his cane； caressing it。 He said
something about coffee ˉ to this day Jack was sure it had been 〃coffee〃 that his
father said。 Momma had opened her mouth to answer and then the cane was
whickering through the air； smashing against her face。 Blood spurted from her
nose。 Becky screamed。 Momma's spectacles dropped into her gravy。 The cane had
been drawn back； had e down again； this time on top of her head； splitting
the scalp。 Momma had dropped to the floor。 He had been out of his chair and
around to where she lay dazed on the carpet； brandishing the cane； moving with a
fat man's grotesque speed and agility； little eyes flashing； jowls quivering as
he spoke to her just as he had always spoken to his children during such
outbursts。 〃Now。 Now by Christ。 I guess you'll take your medicine now。 Goddam
puppy。 Whelp。 e on and take your medicine。〃 The cane had gone up and down on
her seven more times before Brett and Mike got hold of him； dragged him away；
wrestled the cane out of his hand。 Jack
（little Jacky now he was little Jacky now dozing and mumbling on a cobwebby
camp chair while the furnace roared into hollow life behind him）
knew exactly how many blows it had been because each soft whump against his
mother's body had been engraved on his memory like the irrational swipe of a
chisel on stone。 Seven whumps。 No more； no less。 He and Becky crying；
unbelieving； looking at their mother's spectacles lying in her mashed potatoes；
one cracked lens smeared with gravy。 Brett shouting at Daddy from the back hall；
telling him he'd kill him if he moved。 And Daddy saying over and over： 〃Damn
little puppy。 Damn little whelp。 Give me my cane； you damn little pup。 Give it
to me。〃 Brett brandishing it hysterically； saying yes； yes； I'll give it to you；
just you move a little bit and I'll give you all you want and two extra。 I'll
give you plenty。 Momma getting slowly to her feet； dazed； her face already
puffed and swelling like an old tire with too much air in it； bleeding in four
or five different places； and she had said a terrible thing； perhaps the only
thing Momma had ever said which Jacky could recall word for word： 〃Who's got the
newspaper？ Your daddy wants the funnies。 Is it raining yet？〃 And then she sank
to her knees again； her hair hanging in her puffed and bleeding face。 Mike
calling the doctor； babbling into the phone。 Could he e right away？ It was
their mother。 No； he couldn't say what the trouble was； not over the phone； not
over a party line he couldn't。 Just e。 The doctor came and took Momma away to
the hospital where Daddy had worked all of his adult life。 Daddy； sobered up
some （or perhaps only with the stupid cunning of any hardpressed animal）； told
the doctor she had fallen downstairs。 There was blood on the tablecloth because
he had tried to wipe her dear face with it。 Had her glasses flown all the way
through the living room and into the dining room to land in her mashed potatoes
and gravy？ the doctor asked with a kind of horrid； grinning sarcasm。 Is that
what happened； Mark？ I have heard of folks who can get a radio station on their
gold fillings and I have seen a man get shot between the eyes and live to tell
about it； but that is a new one on me。 Daddy had merely shook his head and said
he didn't know； they must have fallen off her face when he brought her through
the dining room。 The four children had been stunned to silence by the calm
stupendousness of the lie。 Four days later Brett quit his job in the mill and
joined the Army。 Jack had always felt it was not just the sudden and irrational
beating his father had administered at the dinner table but the fact that； in
the hospital； their mother had corroborated their father's story while holding
the hand of the parish priest。 Revolted； Brett had left them to whatever might
e。 He had been killed in Dong Ho province in 1965； the year when Jack
Torrance； undergraduate； had joined the active college agitation to end the war。
He had waved his brother's bloody shirt at rallies that were increasingly well
attended； but it was not Brett's face that hung before his eyes when he spoke it
was the face of his mother； a dazed； unprehending face； his mother saying：
〃Who's got the newspaper？〃
Mike escaped three years later when Jack was twelve he went to UNH on a hefty
Merit Scholarship。 A year after that their father died of a sudden； massive
stroke which occurred while he was prepping a patient for surgery。 He had
collapsed in his flapping and untucked hospital whites； dead possibly even
before he hit the industrial black…and…red hospital tiles； and three days later
the man who had dominated Jacky's life； the irrational white ghost…god； was
under ground。
The stone read Mark Anthony Torrance； Loving Father。 To that Jack would have
added one line： He Knew How to Play Elevator。
There had been a great lot of insurance money。 There are people who collect
insurance as pulsively as others collect coins and stamps； and Mark Torrance
had been that type。 The insurance money came in at the same time the monthly
policy payments and liquor bills stopped。 For five years they had been rich。
Nearly rich 。。。
In his shallow； uneasy sleep his face rose before him as if in a glass； his
face but not his face； the wide eyes and innocent bowed mouth of a boy sitting
in the ball with his trucks； waiting for his daddy； waiting for the white ghost…
god； waiting for the elevator to rise up with dizzying； exhilarating speed
through the salt…and…sawdust mist of exhaled taverns； waiting perhaps for it to
go crashing down； spilling old clocksprings out of his ears while his daddy
roared with laughter； and it
（transformed into Danny's face； so much like his own had been； his eyes had
been light blue while Danny's were cloudy gray； but the lips still made a bow
and the plexion was fair； Danny in his study； wearing training pants； all his
papers soggy and the fine misty smell of beer rising 。。。 a dreadful batter all
in ferment； rising on the wings of yeast； the breath of taverns 。。。 snap of
bone 。。。 his own voice； mewling drunkenly Danny； you okay doc？ 。。。 Oh God oh
God your poor sweet arm 。。。 and that face transformed into）
（momma's dazed face rising up from below the table； punched and bleeding； and
momma was saying）
（〃 — from your father。 I repeat； an enormously important announcement from your
father。 Please stay tuned or tune immediately to the Happy Jack frequency。
Repeat； tune immediately to the Happy Hour frequency。 I repeat — 〃）
A slow dissolve。 Disembodied voices echoing up to him as if along an endless；
cloudy hallway。
（Things keep getting in the way