The Lob

Minus a Snappy Comeback, the Perfect Landing

My sister Suzanne and I like to take walks a couple of times a week. We live in adjacent neighborhoods of the same town, and we take turns walking in both. With us is Drew, Suzanne’s son, my nephew, who is about to turn 29. Drew is profoundly autistic and completely non-verbal, but I can make him smile by singing Taylor Swift songs. He doesn’t care that I’m off-key; he just gives me a radiant grin that makes me feel, well, like Taylor Swift.

We were walking together in my neighborhood a few days ago. We have a habit of walking in streets, rather than on sidewalks, because the surface is less uneven and you can generally walk even three abreast safely, if you walk facing traffic. That was what we were doing, walking near the side of the road on the left, facing traffic, when a car came up behind us on the right. It was beige, an older model sedan, and it was going quite slowly. Instinctively, Suzanne tugged Drew closer as the car passed us. The driver stuck his hand out of the window and leaned out. I saw a flash of pale skin, dark hair. “Sidewalks are nice,” he said, in a tone meant to convey sarcasm or irritation or maybe both. Then, he drove off.

“What did that guy say?” Suzanne asked.

“Sidewalks are nice.” I told her. “I mean, this street doesn’t even have sidewalks.”

“What a jerk,” Suzanne said, because she’s lovely and would never call anyone a fucking asshole.

“I wonder why he felt the need to tell us that. There’s no traffic, and we were far enough over,” I said.

“Some people just like to lob snarky comments. It makes them feel superior.” Suzanne shrugged. “By the time you process everything and have a good comeback, they’re long gone.”

Drew was looking at us, his brow furrowed. That’s his look of concern, and as much as I adore his smile, his transparent worry breaks my heart. “It’s okay, Drew,” I told him. “That guy was a HUGE JERK.”

Drew looked at me and grinned. I am certain this was not the reaction car guy was hoping for, but he lobbed, and that was how it landed.