borrowed a fan a few days ago, and my mom needs it back because we’re having a lot of company, and ...”
Tom opened the door all the way. “Come in. We’re all going to visit my Uncle Joe out on the Island. It’s a good thing you caught us before we left. Ma! Ma! Molly’s here. She wants her fan back.”
Mrs. Palagonia emerged from the living room. She hit her head with her hand. “I’m so dumb,” she said. “Your mother was nice enough to lend me her fan, and I—" She stopped talking and looked at Beth.
“This is my sister, Beth, Mrs. Palagonia. She’s come for a visit and—"
“Bethy,” said Mrs. Palagonia. “This is Bethy, all grown up, little Bethy ... ” She held out her arms, and Beth immediately moved into them. “So wonderful to see you, darling,” Mrs. Palagonia said, kissing her cheek. “I felt so bad ... all these years ... but, thank God, as your aunt says, it all worked out for the best.”
Beth kissed Mrs. Palagonia too and said, “I remember the Christmas cookies you used to make. I remember they were big stars with shiny, silver balls, and once you made me a beautiful star all silver in the center.”
“Oh, I haven’t baked for years.” Mrs. Palagonia laughed. “But it’s true. You used to come and help me.” She looked at me. “Molly was too little, but you used to come up. “Yes ... I remember too. Come in. Come in. Sit down.”
“Ma,” Tom said, “we’re supposed to be there by one. We don’t have a lot of time.”
“So we’ll be late. This is such a treat for me to see Bethy. I can’t tell you how I cried when ... well, it’s all over, and ... come in, come in!”
We went into Mrs. Palagonia’s cluttered living room with all the mirrors and pictures and little knickknacks. Beth looked around and smiled. “I remember the room just like this,” she said, “with all your pretty things in it. And there was a little white china poodle with a gold collar. You let me hold it sometimes.”
“Yes, yes.” Mrs. Palagonia reached up on one of her crowded shelves of knickknacks and picked up a little china dog. “Here, sweetheart, here. You can hold it. You can keep it. I always wanted to give you a present, but there wasn’t time.”
Ted came into the room, car keys in hand. “Are we ready?”
“Teddy, this is Bethy. Do you remember Bethy, Molly’s sister?”
Ted smiled and nodded. I don’t think he remembered Beth just as Tom hadn’t remembered.
“Mrs. Palagonia,” I said, “my mom needs the fan back because the boys are coming over, and so is Beth’s mother, and Lisa, and somebody named Ginger.”
“Go, Teddy, get the fan. It’s in the kitchen. And maybe you’d like to borrow the big one in the living room. You know, Bethy, I have air-conditioning in my bedroom. The boys are so good to me. And they want to put another one in the living room, but I don’t know ... ”
“Ma,” Tom said, “it’s going to be crowded on the highway, and we’re late already.”
Mrs. Palagonia kissed Beth a few more times before we left with the two fans. She never kissed me like that, and she never gave me one of her little china figures cither.
Chapter 7
Beth pressed all the buttons in the elevator going down—4, 3, 2, 1. She giggled and looked around that hot, dirty little elevator as if it was Cinderella’s magic coach.
I could smell the sauce cooking when I opened the door to our apartment. Beth was carrying the small fan in one hand and the little china dog in the other. I was carrying the big fan.
“Let’s bring the little fan into the kitchen,” I told Beth, putting down the big fan in the hall. “Later, we’ll decide where to put the big one.”
My mom and dad were both working in the kitchen. It was hot and steamy, but the smell of the cooking sauce made my mouth water.
“Look what Mrs. Palagonia gave me,” Beth said, holding up the little china dog.
My father smiled. “You must really rate,” he said. “She doesn’t give
Tom opened the door all the way. “Come in. We’re all going to visit my Uncle Joe out on the Island. It’s a good thing you caught us before we left. Ma! Ma! Molly’s here. She wants her fan back.”
Mrs. Palagonia emerged from the living room. She hit her head with her hand. “I’m so dumb,” she said. “Your mother was nice enough to lend me her fan, and I—" She stopped talking and looked at Beth.
“This is my sister, Beth, Mrs. Palagonia. She’s come for a visit and—"
“Bethy,” said Mrs. Palagonia. “This is Bethy, all grown up, little Bethy ... ” She held out her arms, and Beth immediately moved into them. “So wonderful to see you, darling,” Mrs. Palagonia said, kissing her cheek. “I felt so bad ... all these years ... but, thank God, as your aunt says, it all worked out for the best.”
Beth kissed Mrs. Palagonia too and said, “I remember the Christmas cookies you used to make. I remember they were big stars with shiny, silver balls, and once you made me a beautiful star all silver in the center.”
“Oh, I haven’t baked for years.” Mrs. Palagonia laughed. “But it’s true. You used to come and help me.” She looked at me. “Molly was too little, but you used to come up. “Yes ... I remember too. Come in. Come in. Sit down.”
“Ma,” Tom said, “we’re supposed to be there by one. We don’t have a lot of time.”
“So we’ll be late. This is such a treat for me to see Bethy. I can’t tell you how I cried when ... well, it’s all over, and ... come in, come in!”
We went into Mrs. Palagonia’s cluttered living room with all the mirrors and pictures and little knickknacks. Beth looked around and smiled. “I remember the room just like this,” she said, “with all your pretty things in it. And there was a little white china poodle with a gold collar. You let me hold it sometimes.”
“Yes, yes.” Mrs. Palagonia reached up on one of her crowded shelves of knickknacks and picked up a little china dog. “Here, sweetheart, here. You can hold it. You can keep it. I always wanted to give you a present, but there wasn’t time.”
Ted came into the room, car keys in hand. “Are we ready?”
“Teddy, this is Bethy. Do you remember Bethy, Molly’s sister?”
Ted smiled and nodded. I don’t think he remembered Beth just as Tom hadn’t remembered.
“Mrs. Palagonia,” I said, “my mom needs the fan back because the boys are coming over, and so is Beth’s mother, and Lisa, and somebody named Ginger.”
“Go, Teddy, get the fan. It’s in the kitchen. And maybe you’d like to borrow the big one in the living room. You know, Bethy, I have air-conditioning in my bedroom. The boys are so good to me. And they want to put another one in the living room, but I don’t know ... ”
“Ma,” Tom said, “it’s going to be crowded on the highway, and we’re late already.”
Mrs. Palagonia kissed Beth a few more times before we left with the two fans. She never kissed me like that, and she never gave me one of her little china figures cither.
Chapter 7
Beth pressed all the buttons in the elevator going down—4, 3, 2, 1. She giggled and looked around that hot, dirty little elevator as if it was Cinderella’s magic coach.
I could smell the sauce cooking when I opened the door to our apartment. Beth was carrying the small fan in one hand and the little china dog in the other. I was carrying the big fan.
“Let’s bring the little fan into the kitchen,” I told Beth, putting down the big fan in the hall. “Later, we’ll decide where to put the big one.”
My mom and dad were both working in the kitchen. It was hot and steamy, but the smell of the cooking sauce made my mouth water.
“Look what Mrs. Palagonia gave me,” Beth said, holding up the little china dog.
My father smiled. “You must really rate,” he said. “She doesn’t give
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