Tales of the City

Mary Ann stops by Mona’s apartment before attending Mrs. Madrigal’s dinner. Mona offers Mary Ann coke, and Mary Ann mistakenly believes she is talking about the beverage. Mona racks up a line of white powder and encourages Mary Ann to snort it through a food stamp. Mary Ann refuses and leaves for dinner abruptly.

At Mrs. Madrigal’s apartment, Mary Ann finds two plates of hors d’oeuvres: one contains stuffed mushrooms, the other contains joints. Two other guests arrive: a “fiftyish, red-bearded” (42) poet named Joaquin Schwartz and a woman named Laurel, who has unshaven armpits. Laurel believes that “‘The Media” (42) killed the 1967 hippie movement. At one point, Mary Ann is in Mrs. Madrigal’s bedroom and spots a photograph of a young soldier. Pointedly, Mrs. Madrigal states that there has never been a Mr. Madrigal. Mary Ann mourns her inability to find love. 

Edgar visits Ruby Miller’s house. He holds a brief but friendly conversation with Ruby’s husband before she leads him into the garage. There, as Edgar nervously hurries her along, she lays him down on a ping-pong table, begins to rub his temples, and repeats a mantra: “‘Heal him, Jesus! Heal thy servant Edgar. Heal his failing kidneys and make him whole again’” (45).