Post Office

Hank keeps his apartment in town but spends most of his time 100 miles down the coast, where the racetrack has moved. He wins regularly and settles into a routine of betting and drinking at the bar. One night, he wagers $50 on a horse named Blue Stocking, pretending to others that his choice is based on racing conditions while keeping his real reasoning to himself. During the race, Blue Stocking isn’t mentioned until the final stretch, when it suddenly surges ahead and wins. Hank collects his winnings, takes a drink, tips the bartender generously, and leaves, satisfied with another profitable day.

Hank settles into a comfortable routine, finally enjoying life. Each night, after leaving the track, he dines on steaks at expensive restaurants, often enjoying views of the ocean. Afterward, he drives until he finds a motel, stopping at bars to drink whiskey and beer along the way.

Hank notices an attractive woman at the racetrack bar who is too drunk to be served. A track cop starts escorting her out, but Hank pretends that she’s his wife and takes her back inside. She introduces herself as Mary Lou, and they quickly strike up a connection, moving to another bar at the track, where she fetches him drinks. He wins bets in two of the last three races. Afterward, they leave together, kissing in the car before heading down the coast. He gets a table at a restaurant overlooking the ocean, where they drink, wait for steaks, and attract the attention of everyone in the restaurant. He lights her cigarette and reflects on life, enjoying the feeling of being in control. Lighting a cigar, he orders more drinks for them.

Hank and Mary Lou spend the night together in a hotel overlooking the ocean, where the waves are audible below them. It’s one of the best sexual encounters Hank has ever experienced.

Hank accompanies Mary Lou to pick up her things from a motel, where they encounter Hector, a small but threatening man. Hector questions her about leaving with Hank, and when she chooses Hank, the situation turns violent. As Hector tries to attack Hank with a knife, Hank strikes Hector in the mouth with a beer bottle, leaving him bloodied and crying, with broken teeth. Hank takes the knife, humiliates him further, and then turns on Mary Lou, accusing her of setting him up to be killed for the money in his wallet. He slaps her, tears her dress, and storms out, convinced that she betrayed him. For weeks afterward, he remains paranoid, expecting retaliation, but nothing happens. He never sees Mary Lou or Hector again.

Hank’s lucky streak comes to an end, and he drifts through his remaining leave after losing money at the track, eventually returning to the post office, worn down by drinking, nerves, and constant traffic tickets. Soon, he meets Fay, an older woman with gray hair who dresses in black, claims to be protesting the war, and attends writers’ workshops. She lives on alimony, with help from her mother, and has strong ideas about saving the world. Fay quickly moves into Hank’s apartment, where her habits frustrate him. She leaves the kitchen in disarray, lounges in bed reading The New Yorker and eating chocolates while Hank is trying to sleep, and shows little concern for him.

One night, exhausted, Hank comes home to find Fay in bed as usual. Too sore and worn out to bathe, he collapses beside her while she keeps reading and eating. Fay speaks about Robby, another writer from her workshop who lives with his mother and only writes satirical pieces about the Catholic Church. She says Robby lost his delivery job and feels unable to write without the security of work. Hank suggests the post office, but Fay angrily insists that Robby is too sensitive for such a job, leaving Hank frustrated and silenced.

Hank continues working Sundays at the post office, where endless hours on his feet leave him with dizziness and near blackouts. At home, Fay surrounds herself with pretentious friends who boast about their writing talent but never publish, deepening Hank’s resentment. At work one Sunday, desperate for coffee, he ignores a warning sign and takes a stairwell shortcut, only to find himself locked inside. Trapped for nearly half an hour, he finally attracts someone’s attention and is let out, which forces him to play off his mistake when a supervisor passes by.

Fay becomes pregnant, but nothing in her behavior changes, and the post office remains the same grind. Hank observes the crew of workers assigned miscellaneous jobs, noting how a group of large Black workers avoid heavy labor by discussing sports and pretending to tally mail. They dominate the easy jobs through seniority and intimidation, leaving the bulk of the work to others, while management looks the other way.

Hank begins to experience worsening dizzy spells at work. The mail feels heavier, and his body grows weaker. Fearing something serious, he visits his doctor, who runs tests but finds nothing wrong. During a special blood test that requires multiple timed extractions, Hank grows distracted by a woman he sees at a bus stop. Entranced, he follows her into a post office, lingers behind her in line, and buys stamps just to stay near her, ultimately returning to the doctor late for his final test. The results still show no medical issue, yet his dizziness increases. Unable to endure full shifts, Hank starts clocking out early without permission, coming home late at night to Fay, who is concerned as he explains that the work is simply too much for him.

At Dorsey station, Hank continues working nights while keeping his struggles hidden from his coworkers. He greets them with exaggerated friendliness, and together they engage in a recurring routine of racial banter and crude jokes. Though the banter is a nightly ritual, Hank finds it repetitive and dull, and it provides no real escape from the work’s drudgery.

Fay goes into labor, and Hank waits with her at home until she decides it’s time to leave for the hospital. Hank tries to help but mostly observes her calm, admiring how she handles the pain and uncertainty. He drives her to the hospital, fumbling with where to park despite having practiced beforehand. Once she’s settled in a hospital room overlooking the street, Fay asks Hank to hold her hand. They talk quietly about birth and life, sharing a moment of connection as she endures the contractions. When the nurse arrives, Hank is told to leave the room, and he gives Fay a small, uncertain gesture of support before taking the elevator downstairs.

Hank learns from his German doctor that Fay has delivered a healthy baby. Faye and Hank watch the newborn through the nursery glass as the nurse holds her up. He feels a mix of awe, amusement, and uncertainty, noticing the baby’s loud cries and imagining her future beauty. He helps clean a small spot of blood from Fay’s mouth and comforts her as she expresses frustration at being separated from their child. A nurse eventually asks Hank to leave so that Fay can rest, and he squeezes her hand, kisses her forehead, and reflects on her resilience and accomplishment.

Fay names the baby Marina Louise, and Hank watches her in the crib, taking in the little details of her surroundings. He tries to care for her while she cries for her mother’s attention. Fay can’t always be there to nurse her, and Hank can’t replace Fay, but he juggles childcare with the demands of his job. Meanwhile, riots break out in parts of the city.

Hank rides the elevator with Black coworkers who discuss the riots, describing people walking through the streets drunk, carrying televisions and appliances in broad daylight, while the police do nothing. They talk about shops putting up signs claiming unity, but the people can tell which businesses belong to white owners. Hank stays silent and gets off the elevator with them.

Later, the postmaster announces over the intercom that the southeast area of the city has been barricaded. A seven o’clock evening curfew is in effect, and anyone living within the barricaded area is excused from work. Hank decides to leave, taking his timecard, and when his supervisor questions him, Hank replies, “‘What do you know, WHITEY?” (157). He punches out for the night.

After the riots subside, Hank settles back into a routine with Fay and the baby, though his dizzy spells continue. His doctor prescribes Librium, which offers some relief. One night at work, after Hank takes a short break, Chambers (a supervisor) accuses him of being gone for 40 minutes. Chambers claims to have seven witnesses, though Hank insists that it was only 10 minutes. Frustrated, Hank sarcastically admits to the longer break just to end the argument, but when pressed again by the general foreman, he retracts the admission and demands to see the supposed witnesses.

Days later, Hank spots Chambers smiling at him in the racetrack coffee line. Hank spits into a trash can while staring him down, and after that, Chambers never bothers him again.

Hank reflects on the strangeness of having Fay, their baby Marina, and even the cat all relying on him. Soon after, Fay begins reading the classifieds and tells him that she’s moving out. Hank agrees to help her find a place and to provide monthly support. Fay keeps custody of Marina while Hank keeps the cat. He continues to visit his daughter several times a week, finding comfort in seeing her.

Fay becomes increasingly involved in antiwar protests, poetry readings, political meetings, and the counterculture scene. She often takes Marina along to these gatherings. When Hank visits, Fay sometimes discusses her new relationships, including a truck driver who paints and with whom she has been involved. Eventually, Hank receives a letter from Fay explaining that she and Marina have moved to a hippie commune in New Mexico, where she thinks the child will have a good life. The letter contains a drawing that Marina made for him.