small safe in the basement. I liked those the best—a gold brooch of a raven clutching a fiery opal, a necklace of real pearls. For the feast, she was wearing her two-inch, 22-K gold bracelet, carved by a famous artist that she was careful not to name unless asked, so that people wouldn’t think she was bragging. She bought me dainty, dime-sized earrings and elegantbracelets and brooches. I found them boring. I went for the earrings that dangled to my shoulders, or jingled and sparkled when I walked.
I saw some of my friends and Mom waved me away to play with them, firmly in a conversation with Aunt Trudy about Stanley’s open-heart surgery, while Mick flirted with some women I didn’t know. Erica didn’t leave her table. She sat there the whole time with her hands neatly folded in her lap, waiting patiently. I couldn’t believe anybody was buying her goody-two-shoes act. She was the first girl in our age group to smoke and the first to get a hickey.
Ma-ma-oo entered the gym wearing a black sweater. I called to her and ran back to our table and pulled out a chair for her. As soon as she saw Aunt Trudy, Ma-ma-oo’s wide smile hardened into falseness. She sat stiffly in her chair. “Trudy,” she said.
“Mother,” Aunt Trudy said.
“If you get bored, I have a Pac-Man game.” I offered it to Ma-ma-oo. “You can use it if you want.”
“Lisa,” Mom said in a warning tone.
“If someone’s speaking, you have to listen,” Ma-ma-oo said. “You have to show them respect, even if—”
“Yes, be a good girl, Lisa,” Aunt Trudy interrupted. “Be a fucking little lady. See what that gets you.”
Mom asked me to get her a coffee, and when I came back no one at our table wanted to talk.
Dad and Jimmy arrived as dinner was winding down. Jimmy barreled towards Mom, wrapping his arms around her waist. He held up the medal he was now wearing around his neck and she kissed the top of his head, telling him how proud she was.
When Dad came in, he waved at Mom, then at me, but he stopped short when he saw Ma-ma-oo and Aunt Trudy sitting side by side. He advanced slowly while Jimmy was excitedly telling Mom how he kicked butt, but Mom was only pretending to listen, was nervously sneaking looks back and forth at Ma-ma-oo and Aunt Trudy.
“Come on, Jimmy-boy,” Dad said. “Let’s put that medal with the rest. We’re going to have to build a trophy case soon.”
“Aw, Dad,” Jimmy said.
“Let’s go.”
“See ya later, Ma-ma-oo!”
Ma-ma-oo watched them leave, hands locked around her cup. They stopped to talk to Josh, who laughed at something Jimmy said.
“You be careful, Trudy. Josh isn’t right.”
Trudy gave an exaggerated sigh. “You think he’s not good enough for me? Or is it the other way around?”
Ma-ma-oo’s lips thinned to a tight line.
Mick came back to the table as there was a bustle of activity at the head table. He pulled up a chair and wedged himself between Ma-ma-oo and Aunt Trudy, loudly announcing that he wanted to be between the two most beautiful women in the whole of Kitamaat Village.
Jimmy and Dad came back moments before Rick, the master of ceremonies, opened the floor to anyone who wanted to speak. Marty Gable stood up and there was a subdued sigh from the crowd. Marty the Mouth—the man who had never heard the saying “Silence is golden”—began with his birth and worked his way up to his retirement from commercial fishing. Everyonearound me was looking glazed. I couldn’t figure out why Ma-ma-oo and Aunt Trudy didn’t get along.
Mick came over to our house for coffee. The grown-ups sat around the kitchen table. I listened to them from the front porch while I waited for Aunt Trudy to bring Tab over. Trudy, Mick and Mick’s friend Josh were going out to the bars and I could hear Mick trying to talk Dad into going along. Aunt Trudy’s green car pulled into our driveway. She waved at me as Tab stepped out. It occurred to me then that if Dad didn’t talk much to
I saw some of my friends and Mom waved me away to play with them, firmly in a conversation with Aunt Trudy about Stanley’s open-heart surgery, while Mick flirted with some women I didn’t know. Erica didn’t leave her table. She sat there the whole time with her hands neatly folded in her lap, waiting patiently. I couldn’t believe anybody was buying her goody-two-shoes act. She was the first girl in our age group to smoke and the first to get a hickey.
Ma-ma-oo entered the gym wearing a black sweater. I called to her and ran back to our table and pulled out a chair for her. As soon as she saw Aunt Trudy, Ma-ma-oo’s wide smile hardened into falseness. She sat stiffly in her chair. “Trudy,” she said.
“Mother,” Aunt Trudy said.
“If you get bored, I have a Pac-Man game.” I offered it to Ma-ma-oo. “You can use it if you want.”
“Lisa,” Mom said in a warning tone.
“If someone’s speaking, you have to listen,” Ma-ma-oo said. “You have to show them respect, even if—”
“Yes, be a good girl, Lisa,” Aunt Trudy interrupted. “Be a fucking little lady. See what that gets you.”
Mom asked me to get her a coffee, and when I came back no one at our table wanted to talk.
Dad and Jimmy arrived as dinner was winding down. Jimmy barreled towards Mom, wrapping his arms around her waist. He held up the medal he was now wearing around his neck and she kissed the top of his head, telling him how proud she was.
When Dad came in, he waved at Mom, then at me, but he stopped short when he saw Ma-ma-oo and Aunt Trudy sitting side by side. He advanced slowly while Jimmy was excitedly telling Mom how he kicked butt, but Mom was only pretending to listen, was nervously sneaking looks back and forth at Ma-ma-oo and Aunt Trudy.
“Come on, Jimmy-boy,” Dad said. “Let’s put that medal with the rest. We’re going to have to build a trophy case soon.”
“Aw, Dad,” Jimmy said.
“Let’s go.”
“See ya later, Ma-ma-oo!”
Ma-ma-oo watched them leave, hands locked around her cup. They stopped to talk to Josh, who laughed at something Jimmy said.
“You be careful, Trudy. Josh isn’t right.”
Trudy gave an exaggerated sigh. “You think he’s not good enough for me? Or is it the other way around?”
Ma-ma-oo’s lips thinned to a tight line.
Mick came back to the table as there was a bustle of activity at the head table. He pulled up a chair and wedged himself between Ma-ma-oo and Aunt Trudy, loudly announcing that he wanted to be between the two most beautiful women in the whole of Kitamaat Village.
Jimmy and Dad came back moments before Rick, the master of ceremonies, opened the floor to anyone who wanted to speak. Marty Gable stood up and there was a subdued sigh from the crowd. Marty the Mouth—the man who had never heard the saying “Silence is golden”—began with his birth and worked his way up to his retirement from commercial fishing. Everyonearound me was looking glazed. I couldn’t figure out why Ma-ma-oo and Aunt Trudy didn’t get along.
Mick came over to our house for coffee. The grown-ups sat around the kitchen table. I listened to them from the front porch while I waited for Aunt Trudy to bring Tab over. Trudy, Mick and Mick’s friend Josh were going out to the bars and I could hear Mick trying to talk Dad into going along. Aunt Trudy’s green car pulled into our driveway. She waved at me as Tab stepped out. It occurred to me then that if Dad didn’t talk much to
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