I just got off the phone with Hannah … and I\u2019m exhausted. I haven\u2019t been this \u2018done in\u2019 since our last conversation \u2014 if you can call a monologue a conversation. Because that\u2019s what my conversations with my sister always are. I talk and, I imagine, she listens. It\u2019s not that I want \u2014 or need \u2014 to talk, but Hannah doesn\u2019t \u2014 want or need; I haven\u2019t been able to discern which, perhaps both. I tell her about all the things that are going on in my life, but there\u2019s rarely a remark, not to mention a reply or a question on Hannah\u2019s part.
Silence. I get a lot of silences.
It\u2019s not that I don\u2019t enjoy talking, but I do need to have a break now and then. I\u2019ve often wondered if Hannah has anything going on in her life to tell me, thus the reason for her silences? It\u2019s caused me to think: How can I get my sister to participate in our conversations? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Emma, the 17-year-old helper in our stables, overheard me complain about Hannah to my wife.
\u201cEncourage Hannah to join Instagram,\u201d Emma advised me.
\u201cInstagram? Why Instagram?\u201d I asked, as I didn\u2019t know a thing about the app.
\u201cPeople go on Instagram to tell the world all about themselves,\u201d Emma explained.
\u201cAnd … people care?\u201d I wondered.
\u201cThat\u2019s not the point,\u201d Emma said.
\u201cIf that\u2019s not the reason, then why do they go on Instagram?\u201d
\u201cPeople love to talk about themselves, don\u2019t you get it? On Instagram, that\u2019s all anyone does; they tell you everything about themselves,\u201d Emma informed me. \u201cOn Instagram, people can make up stories \u2014 about their lives, who they hang out with, even about their sex life.\u201d
Emma was giving me a real-life education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut, Emma, I don\u2019t believe my sister has much, if anything, to tell people.\u201d
\u201cOh, that doesn\u2019t matter. Being on Instagram is like make-believe. People create the life
they wished they had \u2014 but don\u2019t. It gives them a weird kind of satisfaction and even happiness, thinking they really are living this life they\u2019ve made up. They tell you things that never happened, even about people who don\u2019t exist. Everyone does it. People think that it makes them more interesting than they really are … or so they believe.\u201d
\u201cEmma, to tell people one hardly knows things about themselves that could possibly be \u2014 in many cases are \u2014 exaggerations or outright fantasies \u2014 had never occurred to me.\u201d
\u201cAaron, you\u2019re a writer. Think of Instagram posts as creative nonfiction. Why don\u2019t you ask your sister to come over; I\u2019ll talk to her about what I\u2019ve just told you. If your sister agrees, I think you should be there when we talk. You could use a little help too.\u201d
\u201cThis should be fun,\u201d Emma said during the first meeting with Hannah. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt will give you an outlet to say whatever is in \u2014 and on \u2014 your mind. Do you have a boyfriend?\u201d she asked Hannah.
\u201cSorta,\u201d Hannah said.
I looked at Hannah. She never mentioned a boyfriend to me.
\u201cDo you like him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hannah hesitated, as if by admitting that she did, would be letting out her secret thoughts
\u2014 to a stranger, not to mention to me.
\u201cI take it that by hesitating, you do,\u201d Emma said, answering her own question for Hannah. \u201cHave you had sex with him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hannah blushed, a deep crimson, but I saw her lips curl into a smile.
\u201cI\u2019m assuming by the expression on your face, that you have,\u201d Emma said. \u201cGood; a good start. Now, is the sex satisfying … and by this, I mean do your orgasms make you scream and thump his chest with your fists?\u201d
As Emma said scream and hit his chest with her fists, Hannah began to cough, almost choke. I quickly got her a glass of water; I needed one too.
\u201cGreat. I\u2019m beginning to see a lot of material for Instagram. Is the relationship exclusive? By this I mean, neither of you has sex with anyone else.\u201d
There was a painfully long pause before Hannah answered.
\u201cFor me, he\u2019s the only one ….\u201d
\u201cCan I assume that that is not the case for him?\u201d Emma asked.
Hannah looked away, then down at her hands. She changed positions in her chair, obviously uncomfortable. I was becoming uncomfortable as well.
\u201cHannah, I\u2019m asking this because it\u2019s not uncommon for one party in a relationship to be
fooling around, either with or without the knowledge of the other party. If your boyfriend is
having sex with another girl, do you want him to stop … and only have sex with you?\u201d
\u201cYes,\u201d Hannah answered without hesitation.
\u201cAnd, you\u2019re concerned that if you tell him this, he might dump you for the other girl?\u201d
\u201cYes,\u201d Hannah said in a whisper.
\u201cOkay. You\u2019re going to make him jealous.\u201d
\u201cHow?\u201d Hannah asked, looking up, her face suddenly resembling a 16-year-old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m assuming your boyfriend uses Instagram, since everyone \u2014 except your brother here ….\u201d
\u201cI don\u2019t,\u201d Hannah told her.
\u201cYou will … with my help,\u201d Emma said. \u201cNow, we\u2019re going to set you up with an Instagram account. Then, you\u2019ll post that you met this simply divine hunk ….\u201d
\u201cBut, I haven\u2019t,\u201d Hannah said.
\u201cYou will … in your posting on Instagram. As I told your brother, you needn\u2019t be truthful on Instagram. Hardly anyone is, and, more to the point, no one expects that the posts they read are, in fact, the truth,\u201d Emma informed my sister.
\u201cYou mean, the hunk you were referring to doesn\u2019t have to exist?\u201d Hannah asked in total disbelief.
\u201cExactly,\u201d Emma told her, \u201c… except in your imagination. His name \u2014 what should we call him?\u201d
\u201cMike?\u201d Hannah suggested.
\u201cToo blah. We need a name that suggests … virile masculinity. Chad … or Rod ….\u201d
\u201cWhat about Pearson?\u201d Hannah suggested. \u201cI once knew a boy with that name, in school.\u201d
\u201cYou gotta be kidding,\u201d Emma giggled. \u201cTo me, Pearson suggest a school principal, not a virile hunk. Now, let\u2019s get down to bare tacks. I\u2019ll click on the app … there it is. I\u2019ll let you fill in the information it needs while I clean the stalls, otherwise your brother here might fire me,\u201d Emma laughed.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An hour later, Emma returned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLet\u2019s see,\u201d and Emma reviewed Hannah application for the Instagram app. \u201cGood. Have
you given any thought to your new potential lover?\u201d she asked Hannah.
\u201cI like the name you suggested, Rod,\u201d Hannah told her.
\u201cBefore you meet him, we have to make sure your current lover \u2014 what\u2019s his name?\u201d
\u201cMelvin,\u201d Hannah told her.
\u201cOkay. Tell Melvin that you now have an Instagram account ….\u201d
\u201cWhy?\u201d Hannah asked.
\u201cSo that he reads what you\u2019re going to post, otherwise how will he know that Rod has entered your life. Speak to Melvin tonight and casually mention that you\u2019re on Instagram. You and I will meet tomorrow and start posting, okay?\u201d and Emma returned to cleaning the stalls.
\u201cSo, what do you think?\u201d I asked Hannah after Emma left.
\u201cI don\u2019t know, Aaron. It sounds so … creepy.\u201d
\u201cIt\u2019s exciting, Hannah. A new adventure for you.\u201d
The following morning, after Emma had finished her stall chores, the three of us met.
\u201cDid you tell Melvin?\u201d Emma asked Hannah.
\u201cYeah. He was surprised.\u201d
\u201cWell, he\u2019s in for more surprises. Today, you\u2019ll post that you were shopping in the supermarket and dropped a container of … what do you normally buy that comes in a breakable container?\u201d Emma asked.
\u201cOrange juice. The brand I buy comes in a glass bottle,\u201d Hannah told her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou dropped your bottle of orange juice \u2014 very embarrassing \u2014 and this fellow came over and helped you clean it up before the store personnel said they would take care of it. The fellow and you started chatting; he told you his name was Rod. You continued shopping together and he suggested the two of you have coffee at the Starbucks next door. How\u2019s that for a starter? Melvin\u2019s ears should perk up. When you speak with him tonight, I bet he\u2019s going to make some remark … and I doubt it\u2019ll be complementary.\u201d
When the three of us met two mornings later, Hannah looked different: she had on makeup.
\u201cYou look smart,\u201d I told her.
\u201cI asked my best friend Betsy if I could borrow her stuff. Like it?\u201d Hannah asked.
\u201cIt suits you, sis. Why not buy your own … if you think you\u2019ll be using it regularly, that is,\u201d I suggested.
\u201cHi guys.,\u201d Emma greeted us pushing a wheelbarrow filled with manure and shavings.
\u201cWow, Hannah, you look … terrific. I bet it won\u2019t take Rod long before …. Well, let\u2019s not put the horse before the cart, as your brother here told me when I first started working for him. Did you speak with Melvin last night?\u201d
\u201cYes ….\u201d
\u201cAnd?\u201d
\u201cI got the impression that he didn\u2019t like that I had coffee with … Rod,\u201d Hannah told us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGood. Now, you\u2019re going to have lunch with Rod. I assume you exchanged numbers?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Hannah nodded, Emma continued. \u201cNothing too intimate, but sufficiently quiet and cozy to be intriguing. He asked you to meet him at The Chelsea Grill; how\u2019s that?\u201d
\u201cI like the place. It reminds me of a New York Soho restaurant. I haven\u2019t been there with Melvin as he only eats steak and potatoes which The Chelsea Grill rarely offers.\u201d
\u201cSo, it\u2019s doubtful that he\u2019ll see you there. Now, what\u2019ll you wear, and what will Rod wear?\u201d
\u201cWell, I have this skirt and matching blouse that Melvin thinks is pretty ….\u201d
\u201cNo; absolutely not,\u201d Emma said emphatically. \u201cWhat you wear when you meet Rod must be something Melvin has never seen on you … and it must be revealing.\u201d When Emma said this, I saw Hannah blush once more. \u201cCleavage \u2014 wear something with a modest cleavage, and slacks. I personally don\u2019t like them, but guys go crazy over women in slacks ….\u201d
\u201cBut ….\u201d
\u201cAs for Rod …. Let\u2019s say he\u2019s just over six-foot, wears his dirty blond hair somewhat on the long side, looks like he has a 6:00 shadow \u2014 that\u2019s sexy \u2014 and his jeans ride low on his hips. How does that sound?\u201d
Hannah left smiling. I couldn\u2019t wait to hear about Melvin\u2019s reaction.
When we met the following day, I almost didn\u2019t recognize my sister. She had a new hairstyle \u2014 one with highlights \u2014 and was wearing a cashmere V-neck that was quite … well, revealing, and a pair of slacks that showed off a slim waist and … well-rounded … derri\u00e8re, and heels! She looked like a new person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFrom the smirk on your face, Aaron, I take it you like what you see,\u201d she smiled.
\u201cLike? I love it; you look smashing.\u201d
\u201cHe\u2019s … hot,\u201d she told me in an undertone. \u201cI never thought I would say that about any guy, but Rod is … hot.\u201d
I was beginning to enjoy my sister\u2019s imagination. I couldn\u2019t wait for her next post.
\u201cHannah, is that you?\u201d Emma asked when she joined us. \u201cWell, tell us what Melvin thought of you having lunch with your virile hunk.\u201d
\u201cHe hung up on me. I thought he was going to suggest we have dinner together, but suddenly the connection went dead.\u201d
When Hannah told us this, both Emma and I roared with laughter.
\u201cYou let your line out and caught the fish, Hannah. Now we have to reel him in,\u201d Emma told her.
\u201cAre you referring to Melvin or Rod?\u201d Hannah asked.
I was not a little confused by her question. Melvin was her boyfriend, \u2014 or that\u2019s what I thought he was, whereas Rod was make-believe. Was my sister staring to hallucinate?
\u201cYou told us that Rod works out at the gym several times a week ….\u201d
\u201cMelvin abhors exercise; he never goes to a gym,\u201d Hannah informed us.
\u201cGood. In today\u2019s post you\u2019ll tell everyone that Rod asked you to workout with him … and that the two of you pumped iron \u2014 use those words,\u201d Emma instructed Hannah.
Hannah arrived flushed but happy when the three of us met the day after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRod really looks great in gym shorts and a tank top,\u201d she announced before Emma or could say anything. I was beginning to believe that my sister was developing an imagination, that she was catching on to Emma\u2019s teaching. \u201cAnd, helpful. When I had difficulty lifting the 5- pound barbell, Rod stood in back of me and, leaning forward, lifted it with me.\u201d
Emma and I looked at one another, question marks imprinted on our eyeballs.
\u201cWhat did you … and Rod … do after the gym?\u201d Emma asked as she hadn\u2019t mentioned another post for post-gym activity.
\u201cWe went for a drink.\u201d
\u201cWhere?\u201d I asked. I was becoming fascinated by Hannah\u2019s creative powers.
\u201cRod suggested the Ball & Chains ….\u201d
\u201cWow,\u201d Emma let out. \u201cThat\u2019s the hottest place in town.\u201d
Surprised, I stared at my employee. Emma looked older than her seventeen years; she must use a fake ID, I thought.
\u201cDid Rod take you back to his place?\u201d Emma asked.
\u201cEmma!\u201d Hannah looked shocked at the suggestion. \u201cIt was our first date. He dropped me off at my apartment … but we spoke later, before I went to bed.\u201d
Now I was wondering what romantic novel my sister was reading.
\u201cOkay, it\u2019s time for Melvin to declare his faithfulness, and what I mean by that is he\u2019s got to tell you that you\u2019re the only one and break off with the other woman,\u201d Emma told Hannah.
\u201cI can\u2019t tonight ….\u201d
\u201cWhy?\u201d Emma asked. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to reel Melvin in while he\u2019s on the hook.\u201d
\u201cRod\u2019s coming over tonight. I told him I\u2019d cook dinner and he said he\u2019d love to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I spent a restless night, thinking about Hannah and her Instagram boyfriend. While I never liked Melvin, at least he was a real person.
\u201cGrilled salmon steaks,\u201d Hannah told us the morning after her \u201cdate\u201d with Rod.
\u201cYou grilled salmon steaks?\u201d I said, incredulously. \u201cSince when do you cook?\u201d
\u201cYou know I don\u2019t, so I called Rosie ….\u201d
\u201cMom\u2019s cook?\u201d I asked.
\u201cShe walked me through it, even loaning me a Martha Stewart\u2019s cookbook for the mustard sauce. Rod loved it; asked for seconds. I served it with Veuve Clicquot … that I borrowed from your wine cellar, Aaron.\u201d
When Hannah left, as she told us she was meeting Rod for coffee at The Black Cap, I said to Emma,
\u201cI\u2019m beginning to believe my sister has entered a fantasy world.\u201d
\u201cShe has, Aaron. That\u2019s Instagram. She\u2019s a fast learner, but isn\u2019t it wonderful? I mean, look at her; a completely different person than the sister you introduced me to a few days ago.\u201d
Emma went back to cleaning the horse stalls and I called my mother\u2019s cook.
\u201cRosie, Hannah told me you gave her help to cook grilled salmon. I just wondered…\u201d
\u201cShe called me while I was preparing your mother\u2019s dinner and I told her exactly how to prepare the fish and how to grill it. I sent Albert over with all the ingredients, including two salmon steaks that I was going to cook tomorrow night. Why?\u201d
\u201cOh, nothing. I was just checking because she\u2019s never cooked in her life, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That night I had to take a sleeping pill. Had I created an even bigger problem than a non-conversant sister?
Over the week that followed, Emma gave Hannah new posts every day, but Hannah always seemed to be one step ahead of her. Melvin appeared to be panting after Hannah but my sister kept him somewhat at arm\u2019s length, making one excuse after another as though she were avoiding him \u2014 at least, that\u2019s what I thought. Then, Emma gave her the post that would be the coup de grace.
\u201cSay that you\u2019ve purchased the most divine negligee and that you can\u2019t wait for Rod to
see you in it,\u201d she instructed Hannah.
\u201cI already have ….\u201d
\u201cWhat?\u201d I asked, confused.
\u201cI saw this fabulous \u2018thing\u2019 at Bergdorf\u2019s \u2014 a deep rose-pink trimmed in Brussels lace
that didn\u2019t leave much to anyone\u2019s imagination \u2014 that I\u2019ll put on tonight ….\u201d
\u201cIs Melvin sleeping over?\u201d I asked.
\u201cMelvin? Ever since we had coffee after he helped me clean up the broken orange juice
container in the supermarket, Rod\u2019s been asking when he could stay over. I held out … until
tonight.\u201d
Hannah left, to prepare. I pulled Emma aside as I needed to talk with her.
\u201cEmma, to me, Hannah has mixed reality with her fantasies and now doesn\u2019t know one from the other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“But that\u2019s what Instagram is all about, Aaron. When we first talked about my helping
Hannah, I told you to think of Instagram as creative nonfiction.\u201d
I couldn\u2019t but dwell on what Hannah had told me \u2014 that she had invited Rod to spend the night \u2014 and what Emma said \u2014 that blending fantasy with reality is what makes Instagram so popular. I tossed and turned all night.
The next morning, I encountered one of Hannah\u2019s neighbors who lives in the apartment
adjacent to my sister\u2019s.
\u201cAaron, I just bumped into this 6-foot virile hunk with long dirty-blond hair wearing hip-hugging jeans and a tank top, leaving your sister\u2019s apartment,\u201d she winked. \u201cSaid his name was Rod.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n