his father sat silently , clutching the wheel still , staring ahead , also out at the soaked and shiny parking lot , at the nearly empty now restaurant , the last few people done with their lunches and rushing for their cars , some , curled under newspapers or umbrellas , waiting by the door for the rain to ease , others , talking about the weather , surely , nodding at each other , agreeing , hoping the shower would end soon , move on , bother somewhere else .