sucking feverishly at his cigarette.
"Sorry," Peggy said. "That's way over my head."
"No trouble," the fat man said. "Believe me, darling, I get bitches like you in here all day long."
The fat man swiveled on the stool and flicked his cigarette butt into the empty paint bucket that stood against the wall.
***
Outside, Peggy checked the time. She had forty-five minutes to pick up Sam. She trotted the rest of the way to the subway entrance and paced nervously up and down the platform, all thoughts of her work completely dispelled. She was focused completely on Sam—her heart jumping with fierce anticipation at seeing him, at hearing his description of how it all went the first day.
It was crazy how it came to her at a time when other things should have been on her mind.
She had the idea the instant she saw Sam among the first group of boys to appear at the top of the stairs, his back pack slung rakishly across one shoulder. All right, the timing was wrong. But everything else about it was right.
Peggy stored it away in he mind for use later on, and as Sam came hopping down the stairs, she was there at the bottom of them, ready with outstretched arms to fold her son inside.
***
She waited until they were around the corner and out of earshot of the other mothers. It was all she could do to wait that long.
"How'd it go, sweetie?"
"Great!"
"No problems?"
"It was great, Mom. I really love that school."
"Terrific," Peggy said. "And what about your teacher? What's she like?"
"Miss Putnam?"
"Is that her name? I thought it was going to be a Mrs. something, the one that talked to you the day you went with Daddy. Mrs. Booth, wasn't that her name?"
Sam swung his back pack onto his other shoulder. "She's the teacher for the other section."
"I see," Peggy said. "So you have Putnam. That's nice. What's she like?"
"Nice," said Sam, skipping a little to keep pace.
"That's good," Peggy said. "But don't you want to describe her to me?"
"She's just this lady," Sam said. "You know. She's just nice."
"Well," Peggy said, "I mean is she tall or short or what? Draw me a word picture, okay?"
"I don't know," Sam said, knitting his brow for an instant and then shoving the whole question aside. "She's tall, I guess. I mean, I don't know, Mom. She's taller than you are."
"Taller than Daddy?"
"Golly, I don't know," Sam said. "It's hard to tell. Maybe."
"Isn't there something else about her that would help me see her? You know, does she wear glasses or anything? Isn't there something that stands out kind of?"
Sam shrugged, and Peggy could see it was useless.
"Maybe," he said. "I don't know. I don't remember. I'll take a better look tomorrow, okay?"
"Sure," Peggy said. "Tomorrow's plenty of time. It's just that Mommy wants to know all about everything, you know?"
She figured she'd pushed him enough. Maybe after supper she'd ask again. But wouldn't Sam recognize a face he'd drawn? And anyway, what was there to stop her from having a look herself? Tomorrow, when she walked Sam over, why not just pop in and introduce herself?
"So you like her," Peggy said. "Your new teacher."
"Oh, sure," Sam said. "She's really great."
***
Sam was polishing off a snack of milk and cookies and Peggy was sorting through the day's mail when the telephone rang. It was Hal. He was calling from his office to say he'd be home late, to go ahead with supper without him.
"But this is Sam's first day at school," Peggy said. "I want you to hear all about it."
"When I get home," Hal said. "That's time enough."
"But aren't you interested?"
"Of course," he said. "It's just I've got this hassle here right now. Kiss the old scout for me and tell him I'll be home as soon as I can."
"Please try to make it before bedtime," Peggy said.
"I will, I will," she heard him say, and then she heard him hang up.
***
She stayed angry with him all through supper. But then she reminded herself that it was Hal's first day, too, and she was ashamed of herself for
"Sorry," Peggy said. "That's way over my head."
"No trouble," the fat man said. "Believe me, darling, I get bitches like you in here all day long."
The fat man swiveled on the stool and flicked his cigarette butt into the empty paint bucket that stood against the wall.
***
Outside, Peggy checked the time. She had forty-five minutes to pick up Sam. She trotted the rest of the way to the subway entrance and paced nervously up and down the platform, all thoughts of her work completely dispelled. She was focused completely on Sam—her heart jumping with fierce anticipation at seeing him, at hearing his description of how it all went the first day.
It was crazy how it came to her at a time when other things should have been on her mind.
She had the idea the instant she saw Sam among the first group of boys to appear at the top of the stairs, his back pack slung rakishly across one shoulder. All right, the timing was wrong. But everything else about it was right.
Peggy stored it away in he mind for use later on, and as Sam came hopping down the stairs, she was there at the bottom of them, ready with outstretched arms to fold her son inside.
***
She waited until they were around the corner and out of earshot of the other mothers. It was all she could do to wait that long.
"How'd it go, sweetie?"
"Great!"
"No problems?"
"It was great, Mom. I really love that school."
"Terrific," Peggy said. "And what about your teacher? What's she like?"
"Miss Putnam?"
"Is that her name? I thought it was going to be a Mrs. something, the one that talked to you the day you went with Daddy. Mrs. Booth, wasn't that her name?"
Sam swung his back pack onto his other shoulder. "She's the teacher for the other section."
"I see," Peggy said. "So you have Putnam. That's nice. What's she like?"
"Nice," said Sam, skipping a little to keep pace.
"That's good," Peggy said. "But don't you want to describe her to me?"
"She's just this lady," Sam said. "You know. She's just nice."
"Well," Peggy said, "I mean is she tall or short or what? Draw me a word picture, okay?"
"I don't know," Sam said, knitting his brow for an instant and then shoving the whole question aside. "She's tall, I guess. I mean, I don't know, Mom. She's taller than you are."
"Taller than Daddy?"
"Golly, I don't know," Sam said. "It's hard to tell. Maybe."
"Isn't there something else about her that would help me see her? You know, does she wear glasses or anything? Isn't there something that stands out kind of?"
Sam shrugged, and Peggy could see it was useless.
"Maybe," he said. "I don't know. I don't remember. I'll take a better look tomorrow, okay?"
"Sure," Peggy said. "Tomorrow's plenty of time. It's just that Mommy wants to know all about everything, you know?"
She figured she'd pushed him enough. Maybe after supper she'd ask again. But wouldn't Sam recognize a face he'd drawn? And anyway, what was there to stop her from having a look herself? Tomorrow, when she walked Sam over, why not just pop in and introduce herself?
"So you like her," Peggy said. "Your new teacher."
"Oh, sure," Sam said. "She's really great."
***
Sam was polishing off a snack of milk and cookies and Peggy was sorting through the day's mail when the telephone rang. It was Hal. He was calling from his office to say he'd be home late, to go ahead with supper without him.
"But this is Sam's first day at school," Peggy said. "I want you to hear all about it."
"When I get home," Hal said. "That's time enough."
"But aren't you interested?"
"Of course," he said. "It's just I've got this hassle here right now. Kiss the old scout for me and tell him I'll be home as soon as I can."
"Please try to make it before bedtime," Peggy said.
"I will, I will," she heard him say, and then she heard him hang up.
***
She stayed angry with him all through supper. But then she reminded herself that it was Hal's first day, too, and she was ashamed of herself for
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