'That's why I am so happy you are pursuing the career I cast aside,' he said, turning to me with tears burning behind his eyelids. 'I know you will be a wonderful doctor, Pearl.'
'I'll try, Daddy,' I said, my heart aching, my throat closing as I swallowed my tears. 'I'll try.'
After we returned home, the twins pleaded with me to tell them more about Mrs. Conti and what it was like to see a corpse. I finally pulled out some of my books on anatomy and let them look at the pictures. They were fascinated with what was inside their bodies, but Jean was upset about it as well.
'I'm glad we have skin covering everything,' he remarked. 'So I don't have to look at it.'
Pierre laughed, but I closed the books and lectured both of them about how wonderful the human body was. 'The human body is. one of the most perfect creations in the universe' I explained.
'If it's so perfect, why do we get sick?' Jean demanded.
'It's perfect but not invulnerable,' I said.
He grimaced with confusion.
'She means you can't stop the germs from flying up your nose or into your mouth,' Pierre said. 'Unless you walk around with your nose plugged up and your mouth taped shut. But then they could get in your ears, right, Pearl?'
'So we'll plug up our ears,' Jean said.
'Then you can't hear.'
'So we always get sick,' Jean concluded sadly.
'But that's why we need doctors, right, Pearl?' Pierre asked.
I smiled. 'Yes, Pierre.'
'Couldn't the doctors stop Mrs. Conti from dying?' Jean asked.
'She was old. Her body was tired.'
'She was worn out, like our tricycles,' Pierre explained.
Jean nodded, and then he suddenly burst into a flashbulb smile. 'We'll need a doctor living with us and keeping us from getting too sick all the time. We'll have Pearl!'
I laughed. 'It will be a while yet, Jean.'
'And she won't be living with us. She'll be grown up and married with her own children,' Pierre explained.
Jean's smile faded.
'But I promise. I'll always look after you two,' I said, which restored the brightness to Jean's face. 'Now go up and get ready for bed. Everyone, especially a young person growing a foot a day, needs rest.'
'Or else those organs in your body will shrivel up,' Pierre threatened. Jean's eyes widened and he turned to me.
'No, they won't,' I assured him. 'But go on.' They jumped to their feet.
'Good night, Pearl,' Pierre said.
'Good night, Pearl.' Jean smiled impishly. 'I hope you don't have a nightmare about Mrs. Conti.'
Pierre pulled him out, and they scurried up the stairs, laughing.
It wasn't too much longer before I followed them to bed myself. I had just crawled under my covers when the phone rang. It was Catherine. We hadn't spoken since graduation night. I sensed a formality in her voice. There wasn't any of the warmth and excitement of our former relationship.
'Did you start working in the hospital?' she asked. 'Today.'
'How did it go?' she asked with little real interest. 'I think I’ll learn a lot,' I said. 'An intern asked me to help him study.'
'Oh? What's he look like?'
'It's nothing like that. He just wanted someone to help him keep sharp. An intern's really still a student. It's a great opportunity for me, too.'
'Good for you.' After a moment she said, 'Everyone's still mad at you for not going to Lester's. They think you're a snob.'
'I'm not running for political office,' I said dryly.
'You shouldn't forget who your real friends are,' she said. 'Even if you are the smartest girl in the school.'
'I never forgot them, but as I told you, real friends protect and look after each other.'
'Everyone is the butt of a joke sometimes, Pearl. Don't you think you overreacted?'
She was silent a moment and then decided to fire with both guns. 'Claude had a good time with Diane. They went into one of the guest rooms and didn't come out until morning. They're seeing each other regularly now.'
'Then maybe that was meant to be,' I said.
Catherine sighed with frustration. 'I swear you are the hardest person to be friends with,' she concluded.
I was speechless for a moment. Was she right? Things that interested most girls my age didn't seem to be as important to me. Was that a curse or a blessing?
