Peter teases her, “Cutting your nails isn’t hard work.”
Sable argues, “Peter Thomas Tuck! She cuts them to avoid dangerous situations. They have to wear headscarves not for fashion, but so their hair doesn’t get caught in the machines when they’re leaning in with all the intricate…” Flustered by his smile, she realizes, “You think it’s so easy to get a rise out of me!”
“I do.”
Lily breaks off a corner of her sandwich. “I quite like the way they look, and those coveralls! There’s something very feminine about a woman in a man’s work clothes.”
I haven’t lost sight of May’s answer. “May, why did you raise your hand?”
She blushes at the attention being drawn back to her so suddenly. Perhaps it was my tone. I hadn’t meant to sound so serious when the conversation was quite the opposite, but I’m not like these kids anymore. And seeing them so lighthearted only rings that more true.
Everyone turns their concentration to her, chewing what’s left of their sandwiches and grabbing another as they listen.
“Well I,” she begins, “I don’t know that I would want to be in a factory. I mean to say, I wouldn’t mind. Mother wishes she could go, and I listen to her friends tell their stories. I understand the appeal, I do! But I saw on the news a little something about women air pilots. WASPS, I think they called them.” Surprised reactions all around except from me and my brother.
Since Hank is the more gregarious of us two, he interjects, “Isn’t that something? They fly supplies back-and-forth.”
Sable worries, “Over battlegrounds? Where there’s shooting?”
“They aren’t in combat, but they do fly bullets by the caseloads!”
“Just them in a plane with boxes of bullets? Holy hell, no sir!”
Lily glances to Peter by her side. “Leave it to Sable to worry about women she never met flying planes she will never see, enough to make her swear in front of company.”
“I just think it would be swell to learn how to fly.” Everyone looks at May because her quiet voice has awe in it. “Just think, it hasn’t been that long since the flying machines were invented, yet now everybody has an opportunity to be a pilot. Just imagine being up where the birds are, and how small the world must look when you’re way up there. To see a cloud up close, right here!” She holds a small hand in front of her pretty face. “It sure would put things in perspective.” Her gaze lands on me and I nod, hypnotized by her.
Life sure is a funny thing. I’ve got to leave on Monday, only the weekend left. And suddenly time is all I can think about, the lack of it, when before I couldn’t wait to return.
The telephone rings. Everyone jumps. Even me. Sable dashes to pick it up like the floorboards are on fire. “It’s Sister Charlotte!”
We exchange glances and Peter asks, “Why’d she take so long?” Lily hits him and they both turn around on the sofa to watch.
The only ones not watching Sable talk on the telephone now are May and I. We’re staring at each other and she looks as if she wishes we could run away from the world.
“Hello?” Pause. “Why yes, Mrs. Kearns, May is with me.” Longer pause. “No, there aren’t any boys here. You know me better than that! Why would you think so?” Longest pause yet. The group is frozen. May is holding her breath. “Sister Charlotte said she jumped in a car with the Cocker boys? Well, yes, they drove Gertie and May here because we didn’t have enough room in Marvin’s car, that’s all. But the moment they got here, I told them to leave straight away. They wanted to stay and kid around, but you know me, Mrs. Kearns! I wouldn’t have it. I get hives you know, when I do things my parents wouldn’t like!” Peter covers Lily’s mouth before her laughter causes trouble. “Alright. I’ll tell her.” The mouthpiece makes a racket as she sets it down on account of her hands are badly shaking.
Lily jumps off the couch and points. “I love you more than I ever have!”
Twisting around on the sofa, May grabs onto the back of it. “Gee Sable, I’m terribly sorry you had to go through all that for me. But I’m glad you did!”
Sable adjusts her glasses to gain control of herself. “Don’t be too glad. Your Father is on his way right this minute to gather you up.”
Peter leaps from the sofa like it licked him. “Right this very minute?”
“I’d say so. There isn’t much time!”
Hank turns to Gertie, “This looks like goodbye. But I’ll be calling you.” He doesn’t ask if that’s okay.
It’s not for lack of moxie that I walk to ask May, “Can I call on you tomorrow afternoon?” It’s out of respect and because I can’t chance her playing hard to get with so little time on my hands. “You see, the fair is in town and I sure would like to take you.”
Her smile lights up the world, then fades. “Oh but...I’m not sure how Mother will...you know what? Never mind. I’ll be there. I’m not sure how I’ll manage but perhaps I can talk her into it. In fact, I know I can!”
“You sure?”
“Yes!”
Hank grabs my arm to hurry me up. “Say everybody, that’s a swell idea. How ‘bout we all go?”
I look at him as the room all but cheers, the answer a resounding affirmative.
Peter and Marv walk out with us as Hank says, “It’s settled then! We’ll meet you gals by the Ferris wheel at three o’clock sharp!”
As soon as we’re out the door, the four of us break into a run, jumping into two vehicles.
I ask Hank with the choice to turn left or right before me, “Do you know which way May lives?”
“I sure don’t. But if you go right that’s more toward the warehouses, less of a chance that you’ll
