my pride and joy, next to my missus, of course.”
Sandy had come to America in 1946, right after the war. Within a year, he wrote home that he had married an American woman. His f amily in Glasgow, thinking he’d never marry, had told Jimmy and Cathy they were thankful for the good news.
As Sandy stuffed the last of the suitcases into the trunk, Mary brought over her own traveling bag. “Mr. Jordon, can I put this in?” she asked.
“ Call me Uncle Sandy.”
“ Are you my uncle?” she asked curiously.
“ I am now. We’re each other’s family here.”
She looked intently, studying him. “Are you a Catholic?”
He patted her head, “Of course. I’m your daddy’s friend. Why wouldn’t I be a Catholic?”
“ Will we have a Granda here too?” Mary asked.
“ We’ve already got a Granda and a Granny,” said Annie as she heaved a heavy bag into the trunk, not waiting for Sandy to help.
“ Mammy, will Granda B come here to live with us?” Mary wanted her mother to confirm the new situation with their new relatives in America.
“ Of course not,” said Maggie, rolling her eyes. “We’re too far away for them to come. We’ll never see them again.”
Mary frowned at her sister ’s remark. “Liar. That’s not true, is it Mammy?”
With her head deep in the trunk of the car, Cathy paid no heed to the girls ’ voices as she looked through a suitcase for some cardigans. Even with the sun shining, the weather in California was colder than she’d imagined it would be.
“ It’s true, Mary. We’ll never see them. Just like you won’t see Helen anymore,” said June, sitting on the car’s bumper swinging her legs back and forth and chewing bubble gum.
With her hands full of different colored cardigans, Cathy heard June ’s words about Helen. Her face paled, tears gushed forth, and although she cupped cardigans over her mouth, sobs broke through her lips. Jimmy rushed past the girls to help Cathy into the comfortable leather seat in the back of the car.
“ Girls, get in the car. Now,” Jimmy ordered. “We’ll be off in a minute. June! Off that fender.” He moved toward the front of the car where Sandy was bent over the open hood, anxious to show off the engine.
Maliciously, Maggie hissed at Mary, “Shut up about Granda and Granny, stupid.” And to June she said, “You made Mammy cry. Troublemaker.”
Annie took control before a shouting match erupted. She walked past Maggie and bumped her shoulder hard. “Shut your mouth,” she said.
Sulking, Mary did as her father had ordered and shoved June aside as she climbed in. June followed her, slapping at Mary’s backside
Maggie moved aside and with an exaggerated bow, waved Annie into the car. “You first, Queen Anne. I’ll sit by the window.”
Annie wanted to keep peace for the sake of her mother. “I’ll let you do that, Margaret, just this once,” she said sweetly to Maggie. She knew her sister hated to be called by her proper name.
Annie got in the car and Maggie followed close behind.
The men closed the hood and got into the front seat. Remarking on the size of the engine, Jimmy said jokingly, “That’s a huge piece of machinery. Hope you can handle all that horsepower!”
“Aye, man, I can handle it!” Sandy revved up the engine and then let the roar calm down to a purr. The men nodded their approval of the sound. Sandy pulled the car away from the curb and onto the road toward San Francisco.
The girls settled into the back seat with their mother. Cathy turned her head to look out the window. She remained quiet, not answering the girls ’ questions. Soon the chattering voices died down and the three oldest girls were lulled to sleep by the car’s hum.
June peeked out from the corner of her eye and saw her mother wiping tears off her cheeks. The little girl felt sure her mother was thinking of Helen. The next time June looked over she saw her mother’s eyes slowly closing.
Too excited to doze off herself, she stood
Sandy had come to America in 1946, right after the war. Within a year, he wrote home that he had married an American woman. His f amily in Glasgow, thinking he’d never marry, had told Jimmy and Cathy they were thankful for the good news.
As Sandy stuffed the last of the suitcases into the trunk, Mary brought over her own traveling bag. “Mr. Jordon, can I put this in?” she asked.
“ Call me Uncle Sandy.”
“ Are you my uncle?” she asked curiously.
“ I am now. We’re each other’s family here.”
She looked intently, studying him. “Are you a Catholic?”
He patted her head, “Of course. I’m your daddy’s friend. Why wouldn’t I be a Catholic?”
“ Will we have a Granda here too?” Mary asked.
“ We’ve already got a Granda and a Granny,” said Annie as she heaved a heavy bag into the trunk, not waiting for Sandy to help.
“ Mammy, will Granda B come here to live with us?” Mary wanted her mother to confirm the new situation with their new relatives in America.
“ Of course not,” said Maggie, rolling her eyes. “We’re too far away for them to come. We’ll never see them again.”
Mary frowned at her sister ’s remark. “Liar. That’s not true, is it Mammy?”
With her head deep in the trunk of the car, Cathy paid no heed to the girls ’ voices as she looked through a suitcase for some cardigans. Even with the sun shining, the weather in California was colder than she’d imagined it would be.
“ It’s true, Mary. We’ll never see them. Just like you won’t see Helen anymore,” said June, sitting on the car’s bumper swinging her legs back and forth and chewing bubble gum.
With her hands full of different colored cardigans, Cathy heard June ’s words about Helen. Her face paled, tears gushed forth, and although she cupped cardigans over her mouth, sobs broke through her lips. Jimmy rushed past the girls to help Cathy into the comfortable leather seat in the back of the car.
“ Girls, get in the car. Now,” Jimmy ordered. “We’ll be off in a minute. June! Off that fender.” He moved toward the front of the car where Sandy was bent over the open hood, anxious to show off the engine.
Maliciously, Maggie hissed at Mary, “Shut up about Granda and Granny, stupid.” And to June she said, “You made Mammy cry. Troublemaker.”
Annie took control before a shouting match erupted. She walked past Maggie and bumped her shoulder hard. “Shut your mouth,” she said.
Sulking, Mary did as her father had ordered and shoved June aside as she climbed in. June followed her, slapping at Mary’s backside
Maggie moved aside and with an exaggerated bow, waved Annie into the car. “You first, Queen Anne. I’ll sit by the window.”
Annie wanted to keep peace for the sake of her mother. “I’ll let you do that, Margaret, just this once,” she said sweetly to Maggie. She knew her sister hated to be called by her proper name.
Annie got in the car and Maggie followed close behind.
The men closed the hood and got into the front seat. Remarking on the size of the engine, Jimmy said jokingly, “That’s a huge piece of machinery. Hope you can handle all that horsepower!”
“Aye, man, I can handle it!” Sandy revved up the engine and then let the roar calm down to a purr. The men nodded their approval of the sound. Sandy pulled the car away from the curb and onto the road toward San Francisco.
The girls settled into the back seat with their mother. Cathy turned her head to look out the window. She remained quiet, not answering the girls ’ questions. Soon the chattering voices died down and the three oldest girls were lulled to sleep by the car’s hum.
June peeked out from the corner of her eye and saw her mother wiping tears off her cheeks. The little girl felt sure her mother was thinking of Helen. The next time June looked over she saw her mother’s eyes slowly closing.
Too excited to doze off herself, she stood
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