little boy or girl comes into the world like that,” she said. “The stork brings you, and drops you in the woods. In a special secret hiding place. And for each little boy or girl, there’s only one person in the whole world who knows how to find you. And that’s the man who found you in the woods. So if anybody ever says anything to you about your being out lost in the woods, now you’ll know what they mean.”
Her eyes remained glued to the story playing out silently on the screen.
“Jacob doesn’t have a man.”
“Everybody has a man.”
“Jacob doesn’t get presents from his man.”
“Well, then, you’re the lucky one. Aren’t you? Now run turn up the sound, hon. I’m missing the show.”
• • •
“You wanna trade for it?’ Jacob asked. He didn’t have to say he meant the chemistry set. They both knew what he meant.
Gamma had tucked them in and turned out the lights. They had to keep their voices down so she wouldn’t know they were awake. Because if she heard them she’d have to come back up and raise Cain.
“What’ve you got to trade?”
“My cat is about to have kittens. Trade you for a kitten. You can have your pick of the litter.”
“I should be so lucky. My grandmother would never let me keep a cat.”
“Not even in the garage?”
“She wouldn’t even let me keep the ant farm in the garage. And it was all behind glass. Hey. Maybe I could pick out a kitten but it could live at your house.”
“Not a chance. My mom says every single one has to be gone in six weeks. I’m lucky I get to keep the mom cat. I had to cry.”
“What else have you got to trade?”
“A baseball bat. But it has a crack in it.”
“Can you hit a ball with it?”
“Yeah, but one of these times it’ll pop right in half. Maybe not soon, though.”
“OK,” Nat said. “Deal.”
And they shook on the trade.
4 January 1968
The Issue
Next time he saw Jacob, it was the Monday after New Year’s Day. The first day of the new semester of school.
Jacob walked the half-block to stand at the curb and wait for the school bus with Nat. As he often did, if there was enough time.
“The bat popped in half,” Nat said.
“Already? Oh. Well. I’ll give you back the chemistry set if you want.”
“No, that’s OK.”
They stood in silence for a minute or two, watching their breath puff out in great clouds and waiting for the bus as if it were a hangman’s noose or a guillotine.
Then Jacob said, “I asked my mother. And she said you really were left out in the woods.”
“I know,” Nat said. “My grandmother told me. The day after Christmas.”
“Oh,” Jacob said.
That seemed to settle the issue between them well enough, so that it would not need to be raised again.
20 March 1973
Where
When Nat got home from school, Gamma was standing next to a packed suitcase in the living room. Already twisting a knit scarf around her neck.
“Where are you going?” Nat asked.
“Your Uncle Mick is in the hospital. His appendix burst. I have to take the bus to Akron to sit with his kids.”
“Where will I be?” he asked, hoping she would judge him old enough to stay at home by himself.
“I made arrangements with Jacob’s mother. She’s making that homemade chicken noodle soup you like so much for dinner. Now run quick and grab your toothbrush and a pair of pajamas, and anything else you think you’ll need, and hurry over there right now. I have to go.”
Nat sighed, and trudged up the stairs to his room. He pulled his red pajamas out of the drawer, threw them on the bed, grabbed his toothbrush from the bathroom, threw it on top, then rolled up the whole mess, wedging it under his arm.
He liked Jacob’s house well enough, but the situation made him feel he was being treated like a child — at nearly thirteen years old.
Gamma stood shifting from foot to foot at the bottom of the stairs.
“Can you possibly move any slower? You know I have to go.”
“Why
Her eyes remained glued to the story playing out silently on the screen.
“Jacob doesn’t have a man.”
“Everybody has a man.”
“Jacob doesn’t get presents from his man.”
“Well, then, you’re the lucky one. Aren’t you? Now run turn up the sound, hon. I’m missing the show.”
• • •
“You wanna trade for it?’ Jacob asked. He didn’t have to say he meant the chemistry set. They both knew what he meant.
Gamma had tucked them in and turned out the lights. They had to keep their voices down so she wouldn’t know they were awake. Because if she heard them she’d have to come back up and raise Cain.
“What’ve you got to trade?”
“My cat is about to have kittens. Trade you for a kitten. You can have your pick of the litter.”
“I should be so lucky. My grandmother would never let me keep a cat.”
“Not even in the garage?”
“She wouldn’t even let me keep the ant farm in the garage. And it was all behind glass. Hey. Maybe I could pick out a kitten but it could live at your house.”
“Not a chance. My mom says every single one has to be gone in six weeks. I’m lucky I get to keep the mom cat. I had to cry.”
“What else have you got to trade?”
“A baseball bat. But it has a crack in it.”
“Can you hit a ball with it?”
“Yeah, but one of these times it’ll pop right in half. Maybe not soon, though.”
“OK,” Nat said. “Deal.”
And they shook on the trade.
4 January 1968
The Issue
Next time he saw Jacob, it was the Monday after New Year’s Day. The first day of the new semester of school.
Jacob walked the half-block to stand at the curb and wait for the school bus with Nat. As he often did, if there was enough time.
“The bat popped in half,” Nat said.
“Already? Oh. Well. I’ll give you back the chemistry set if you want.”
“No, that’s OK.”
They stood in silence for a minute or two, watching their breath puff out in great clouds and waiting for the bus as if it were a hangman’s noose or a guillotine.
Then Jacob said, “I asked my mother. And she said you really were left out in the woods.”
“I know,” Nat said. “My grandmother told me. The day after Christmas.”
“Oh,” Jacob said.
That seemed to settle the issue between them well enough, so that it would not need to be raised again.
20 March 1973
Where
When Nat got home from school, Gamma was standing next to a packed suitcase in the living room. Already twisting a knit scarf around her neck.
“Where are you going?” Nat asked.
“Your Uncle Mick is in the hospital. His appendix burst. I have to take the bus to Akron to sit with his kids.”
“Where will I be?” he asked, hoping she would judge him old enough to stay at home by himself.
“I made arrangements with Jacob’s mother. She’s making that homemade chicken noodle soup you like so much for dinner. Now run quick and grab your toothbrush and a pair of pajamas, and anything else you think you’ll need, and hurry over there right now. I have to go.”
Nat sighed, and trudged up the stairs to his room. He pulled his red pajamas out of the drawer, threw them on the bed, grabbed his toothbrush from the bathroom, threw it on top, then rolled up the whole mess, wedging it under his arm.
He liked Jacob’s house well enough, but the situation made him feel he was being treated like a child — at nearly thirteen years old.
Gamma stood shifting from foot to foot at the bottom of the stairs.
“Can you possibly move any slower? You know I have to go.”
“Why
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