“It’s for the boy.”
“God help us.”
“She wants an old-fashioned Christmas.”
“Then she can bring her old-fashioned butt in here and cook it up.”
“Pumpkin pie, too.”
“Is any of this serious?”
“I told you. The boy is coming.”
“He’s always coming. Ain’t got here yet.”
“Then you know as much as I do. Every year the same. She’ll walk on a hot tin roof till he wires saying he can’t. Then look out!”
“You can’t be serious about apples. Surely.”
“I can’t be certain, Ondine. Looks like he might make it this time. He’s already shipped his trunk. That old red footlocker, remember? Yardman supposed to pick it up Thursday.”
“She don’t know that. He call her and say so? Ain’t been no mail come in here from him, has it?”
“She called him, I believe. This morning. Making sure of the time difference.”
“That’s what she rang you up for?”
“I didn’t have time to tell you.”
“When’s he due?”
“Soon, I reckon.” Sydney dropped two sugar cubes into his Postum.
“I thought all he ate was sunflowers and molasses these days.”
Sydney shrugged. “Last time I saw him he ate a mighty lot of steak.”
“And fresh coconut cake. The whole cake as I recall.”
“That’s your fault. You spoiled him stupid.”
“You can’t spoil a child. Love and good food never spoiled nobody.”
“Then maybe he’ll fly in here for sure this time just to get some more of it.”
“No way. Not down here, he won’t. He hates this place, coconuts and all. Always did.”
“Liked it when he was younger.”
“Well, he’s grown now and sees with grown-up eyes, like I do.”
“I still say you ruined him. He can’t fix his mind on nothing.”
“I ain’t ruined him. I gave him what any child is due.”
“Uh-huh.”
“You really believe that? That I ruined him?”
“Oh, I don’t know, girl. Just talking. But between you and the Principal Beauty, he never wanted for affection.”
“Bitch.”
“You have to stop that, Ondine. Every time she comes down here you act out. I’m getting tired of refereeing everybody.”
“The Principal Beauty of Maine is the main bitch of the prince.”
“You worry me. Cut the fire out from under that pan and bring me my breakfast.”
“I just want you to know I am not fooled by all that turkey and apple pie business. Fact is he don’t want to be nowhere near her. And I can’t say as I blame him, mother though she be.”
“You making up a life that nobody is living. She sees him all the time in the States and he don’t complain.”
“Visits. Visits he can’t do nothing about, but he never comes to see her.”
“He writes her sweet letters.”
“That’s what he studied in school.”
“Letters?”
“Poems.”
“Don’t think he don’t love her. He does.”
“I didn’t say he didn’t love her; I said he don’t want to be near her. Sure he love her. That’s only natural. He’s not the one who’s not natural. She is.”
“You and Mr. Street just alike. Always thinking evil about that girl.”
“When she get to be a girl?”
