return was too powerful to resist. Cody repeated the name in her head many times after Ghania was gone, to keep from forgetting it.
CHAPTER 8
I was a little startled by your urgent invitation this morning, Jenna,” Maggie said when she arrived in Greenwich after her daughter’s call. “I’ve tried to reach you for days with no success, and then suddenly, I’m summoned? I’ve been really worried about Cody since my last visit here. Is she all right?”
“Of course, she’s all right, Mother,” Jenna replied bristling. “Why wouldn’t she be?”
“Perhaps, because she’s been yanked out of a familiar environment and plopped into one that’s hardly ordinary. Perhaps, because she was dragged out of my arms by Jabba-the-Nanny, who seems to have all the childrearing skills of Josef Mengele.”
“Really, Mother, don’t you think you’re being just a little melodramatic?”
“No, Jenna, I don’t think so. I think you’re putting too much power in that Amah’s hands. You’re Cody’s mother, not Ghania. You must see there’s been a significant personality change in the child in just a month.”
“There certainly has been, Mother, and I think it’s for the better.”
Maggie sighed, and tried again. “Are you all right , Jenna?” she asked, quelling her frustration. “You seem so unreachable. Isn’t there any way we can talk to each other?”
“Look, I don’t want to fight with you, Mom,” the girl replied. “So please don’t start with me. My life is perfect here, and then you come along trying to change things where Cody is concerned, and it just makes me mad. That’s all.”
“Oh, Jenna. It’s so sad that you and I don’t seem to know how to talk to each other,” Maggie said, unnerved by the continuing failure. “I’m so sorry if I don’t say the right things to you—but I’m just as worried about you as I am about Cody. Something is very wrong her, Jenna! This place seems so desolate, so alien. Are you absolutely sure you’re happy here?”
Jenna smiled frostily. “I’m perfectly happy, Mother. How could I not be happy—look at everything I’ve got.”
“ Things are not what make people happy, Jenna. People do. And valuable work does. And—“
“Look, Mom!” Jenna cut her off. “I don’t see things the way you do. I never did. I never will. I called you to come here, because I didn’t want you worrying about Cody, after the other day. So, why don’t we just go see her and forget about analyzing my life, okay?”
Another closed door. Maggie took the rebuff stoically; at least this time it was civil.
“I’m glad you called—I hate it when things go wrong between us. And I would really like to be able to spend a little time alone with Cody, Jenna, if that’s possible. You must realize life is very lonesome for me, now that she’s gone.”
Maggie could read the calculation in Jenna’s face . . . Maybe if I let her see the child alone she’ll go away. “All right, Mother. If she isn’t napping, you can spend an hour with her.”
“Without Ghania?”
“If that would make you happy.” Jenna had been startled when Ghania told her to see to it Maggie visited today. She still had no idea why the Amah had insisted.
“Oh, Jenna, it would! I promise I won’t cause a hassle about going home. If she sees I’ve returned so quickly, she won’t be so skittish about my leaving again.”
Jenna departed and Maggie stood at the window, staring out across the expansive lawn. Jenna’s eyes were dilated and hooded—her speech, slightly slurred. She knew there was no point arguing with an addict who was using, but it saddened her to the soul. She didn’t intend to leave today, until she had a handle on what was going on in this strange household.
Cody’s face seemed to implode with emotion when she saw her grandmother. There was joy, dismay, relief, and something else Maggie
CHAPTER 8
I was a little startled by your urgent invitation this morning, Jenna,” Maggie said when she arrived in Greenwich after her daughter’s call. “I’ve tried to reach you for days with no success, and then suddenly, I’m summoned? I’ve been really worried about Cody since my last visit here. Is she all right?”
“Of course, she’s all right, Mother,” Jenna replied bristling. “Why wouldn’t she be?”
“Perhaps, because she’s been yanked out of a familiar environment and plopped into one that’s hardly ordinary. Perhaps, because she was dragged out of my arms by Jabba-the-Nanny, who seems to have all the childrearing skills of Josef Mengele.”
“Really, Mother, don’t you think you’re being just a little melodramatic?”
“No, Jenna, I don’t think so. I think you’re putting too much power in that Amah’s hands. You’re Cody’s mother, not Ghania. You must see there’s been a significant personality change in the child in just a month.”
“There certainly has been, Mother, and I think it’s for the better.”
Maggie sighed, and tried again. “Are you all right , Jenna?” she asked, quelling her frustration. “You seem so unreachable. Isn’t there any way we can talk to each other?”
“Look, I don’t want to fight with you, Mom,” the girl replied. “So please don’t start with me. My life is perfect here, and then you come along trying to change things where Cody is concerned, and it just makes me mad. That’s all.”
“Oh, Jenna. It’s so sad that you and I don’t seem to know how to talk to each other,” Maggie said, unnerved by the continuing failure. “I’m so sorry if I don’t say the right things to you—but I’m just as worried about you as I am about Cody. Something is very wrong her, Jenna! This place seems so desolate, so alien. Are you absolutely sure you’re happy here?”
Jenna smiled frostily. “I’m perfectly happy, Mother. How could I not be happy—look at everything I’ve got.”
“ Things are not what make people happy, Jenna. People do. And valuable work does. And—“
“Look, Mom!” Jenna cut her off. “I don’t see things the way you do. I never did. I never will. I called you to come here, because I didn’t want you worrying about Cody, after the other day. So, why don’t we just go see her and forget about analyzing my life, okay?”
Another closed door. Maggie took the rebuff stoically; at least this time it was civil.
“I’m glad you called—I hate it when things go wrong between us. And I would really like to be able to spend a little time alone with Cody, Jenna, if that’s possible. You must realize life is very lonesome for me, now that she’s gone.”
Maggie could read the calculation in Jenna’s face . . . Maybe if I let her see the child alone she’ll go away. “All right, Mother. If she isn’t napping, you can spend an hour with her.”
“Without Ghania?”
“If that would make you happy.” Jenna had been startled when Ghania told her to see to it Maggie visited today. She still had no idea why the Amah had insisted.
“Oh, Jenna, it would! I promise I won’t cause a hassle about going home. If she sees I’ve returned so quickly, she won’t be so skittish about my leaving again.”
Jenna departed and Maggie stood at the window, staring out across the expansive lawn. Jenna’s eyes were dilated and hooded—her speech, slightly slurred. She knew there was no point arguing with an addict who was using, but it saddened her to the soul. She didn’t intend to leave today, until she had a handle on what was going on in this strange household.
Cody’s face seemed to implode with emotion when she saw her grandmother. There was joy, dismay, relief, and something else Maggie
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