Goodbye, Vitamin

Theo comes over, and he and Ruth camp outside Howard’s office, trying to convince him to come out. They receive no response from Howard until he slips a note under the door informing them that he is about to pee in a jar. They decide to leave.

Ruth watches as a squirrel begins eating the food she bought for the birds. She writes that her father still will not speak to her. Howard places his teaching awards outside his office door. Annie collects them and says that they will put them back up when he feels better. On May 4th, Howard finally leaves his office but continues to ignore Ruth, speaking only to Annie.

Ruth notices that the fish in Howard’s tank are getting increasingly fat, and she realizes why when she sees her father stand up, feed them, and then return to the tank minutes later to feed them again.

Ruth recalls reading about Auguste, the first Alzheimer’s patient, who once was eating cauliflower and pork but, when asked what she was eating, responded “spinach” (121). Ruth writes that something similar happened with Howard on May 11th after she made him (per his request) pork chops and potatoes. As he eats, Howard says “I don’t want this” (121), and when Ruth reminds him that this is what he specifically ordered, he tells her that he did not ask for tomatoes.