Behold the Dreamers

When Neni first goes to the Edwardses’ Hamptons house, she tries not to show Anna how “awed” she is by their large “two-story warm gray stone-and-wood-shingled house,” which they only occupy for a few months a year. The afternoon when she arrives, Vince gives her a big hug and tells her to make herself comfortable. She spends all evening on that first day in the kitchen with Mighty, whom she knows will be “her only true source of joy there.” The boy reminds her of Liomi, particularly in regard to his cheerful nature and love of laughter.

Babysitting Mighty is the best part of Neni’s job, and Cindy approves of how happy she makes Mighty. Neni observes how Cindy’s concern for her children’s happiness is “followed closely” by her need for a sense of belonging. Neni doesn’t understand this, particularly given Cindy’s air of superiority, which was evident during Neni’s first meeting with her. She behaved like a woman who had the right “to take as much of a listener’s time as she wished.” She gave instructions like an empress and told Neni what she couldn’t stand in a housekeeper: dishonesty, poor communication, and a lack of poise around company.

Neni sees that Cindy is obsessed with being where everyone else in her social circle is and doing what they’re doing. Neni doesn’t understand why people care about “stupid things like the approval of others.” Five days after she arrives at the house, she calls Jende to tell him that Mrs. Edwards seems “very sick.” She says that Cindy went into her bedroom for a nap, while Neni stayed in the basement, doing laundry. When she opened the door to the second-floor guest bedroom, she saw Mrs. Edwards inside, which was a surprise because Neni thought that she’d be in the master bedroom. The normally composed woman is splayed against the headboard of the bed with hair strands stuck to her sweaty face, her hands limp at her sides, and her mouth half open with saliva running down her chin.

Jende asks Neni if she looks dead. Neni says that Cindy was still breathing. She asks him what to do and he tells her not to touch her or go back into the room. Instead, he wants her husband or sons to find her and decide on what to do. He admonishes her when she insists on doing something. Neni hangs up on their call and phones her friend, Betty, who tells her that Cindy’s probably on drugs. Neni doesn’t believe it, but Betty insists that people like Mrs. Edwards do drugs all the time. She says that Neni should go wake her up and, if Mrs. Edwards is dead, Neni should call her husband, not the police. Also, if Neni calls the police, Betty begs that Neni not mention her name, due to her fear of the police.

Neni goes back upstairs to the guest bedroom and sees Cindy sleeping in the same position. She leans forward and whispers Cindy’s name, while nudging her in the arm. Cindy doesn’t respond. Neni leans closer and says Cindy’s name, directly in her ear. Suddenly, Cindy closes her mouth and begins smacking her lips. She asks Neni what she wants and Neni assures her that she just wanted to make sure that “madam” was all right. Cindy asks Neni for the time: it’s five o’clock. Cindy swings her legs around to get out of bed and staggers a bit but assures Neni that she’s fine. Neni offers to run a bath and Cindy nods in agreement. She then tells Neni that Clark won’t be coming home that night, and that Vince is leaving after he and Mighty return. Around seven o’clock Cindy starts the engine to her Jaguar and leaves for her social engagements.