“Well, on account of...” I drop my gaze.
“What is it, son? Don’t be glum about it. I am curious who has captured your interest. Can’t think of another time a girl has. Can you, Hank? Or do you know something I don’t. A boy doesn’t tell his mother everything, there isn’t any doubt about that!”
Hank has a gleam in his eye. He knows about the girls I’ve spent occasional and very temporary time with overseas. It was the very first thing he asked to know about, and I was happy to tell him. But that’s the type that happens with a sailor when he’s in foreign countries, especially at wartime, and those dames weren’t the kind you bring home to meet your folks.
As for back here in Georgia, she’s right.
“Are you seeing her again?”
“Perhaps.”
“Would you like to?”
“Perhaps.”
She smacks the blanket. “Jerald Daniel, stop being wishy-washy. If there’s one thing a Cocker isn’t, it’s that!”
“I’m not, Ma. Just private is all.”
“Well that won’t do either!”
Hank winks at me. I curl my lip in return.
Ma knows she won’t get anywhere with me now that I’ve dug my heels in, and she waves me away. “Go on now! I thought your father could aggravate me, but you’re worse.” As we head out she grumbles loud enough to make sure we hear, “Nobody tells me anything anymore!”
In the hall beside a painting of our great-great-grandfather, I sock Hank’s arm and he grabs it, laughing silently and heading off to his room.
In my room, I undress, thinking to myself that I just might do some reading.
Little do I know there’s a blue-eyed gal named May who’ll refuse to let me concentrate.
12
MAY
T he conversation with Mother last night went terribly. I took lessons from Sable and lied through my teeth the entire time, saying again and again that no boy set foot in that house, cross my heart and hope to die!
She had enough of being angry and sent me to bed. But today I’m getting the silent treatment something awful and it sure is eating at me.
All through breakfast and lunch she talked with Father, and to Matthew and Margaret — the children here with us through the weekend — but when I asked a question she plain ignored me.
If I didn’t know I was guilty I’d be furious. As it stands, I am frustrated, and have gone up to my room where I can scream into my pillow.
A knock startles me, and I call out, “Come in!”
Lily walks in, making me sit bolt upright, hands clutching my poor pillow. She puts a finger to her lips and says loudly, “Oh May, I’m so glad I found you! You have to come quick!” closing the door the next second and whispering, “Did you tell your folks about the fair?” I shake my head. “Good!” In a louder-than-normal voice she says with convincing emotion, “My mom has gone into the hospital and I need to take care of my little brother, Tommy. Only I want to be with her, and he needs a baby sitter, see? Could you help me out? It would mean the world!”
“Of course!” I answer, also loudly before I whisper, “What gives?”
She whispers back, “Gertie took a wild guess that there was no way Mrs. Kearns would let you come to the fair, so we invented a scheme!”
I jump off the bed and run to put a better dress on.
Lily follows me, grabbing my arm. “No, silly, you’ll give it away if you look too good!”
“Perhaps you’re right,” I frown, “But I want to look good for…” I tilt my head rather than say his name aloud.
Lily announces, “Tommy doesn’t care how you look! Forget about that, and let’s go!” She whispers, “And this is very becoming on you. Besides, May, don’t underestimate the power of a girl’s smile. It’s her greatest asset!”
Lily throws me a pair of stockings that were laid out by the window to dry out so Father didn’t have to look at them in the bathroom.
I sigh, “Those have a run.”
She points to one of her own. “I got this today. Pulled it with a broken fingernail, can you imagine!?”
“That’s how I got mine! Last night I borrowed a pair of Mother’s. I gave them back when she demanded them out of spite. These will have to do.”
“You can’t go around with bare legs.”
“No, I should think not.”
Lily grins, “But wouldn’t that be fun?”
I pull the seams into place so they line my calves perfectly. “At least the run is up high. If I’m lucky that’s where it’ll stay.”
“I wouldn’t worry too much about it. He seems to like this the most.” She wiggles her finger in front of my face, and raises her voice again. “Would you hurry, already? I don’t want to spend a moment away from Mother!”
“I’m coming!” Grabbing my handbag from my vanity dresser, I smooth my curls in the mirror. “Ready!”
We walk out like there’s a wind at our backs, and run smack into Matthew with his ear to the door. He falls backward, caught.
And so are we!
“Little devil!” I whisper-hiss.
Lily digs into her handbag and hands him a whole quarter! “Shhh.”
He nods like extortion was his plan all along, pocketing the valuable coin along with the odd number of jacks and marbles he carries with him everywhere. I hope we didn’t just lead him to believe that lying pays.
Oh goodness — who am I to talk?!
She and I hurry down the stairs, finding Mother in the kitchen, preparing pot roast and potatoes for dinner enough for ten people. Some will be stored in casserole dishes to carry to the neighbors.
Father never grumbles about feeding more than our household with the meager wages he brings home — not after she said if he complained one more time she would get a job to pay for their meals!
That sure took the bite out of his bark. And the
