Читать книгу The Future Homemakers of America - Laurie Graham - Страница 29

So the deal was, I’d take Betty and Kath and Lois, and Audrey’d bring Gayle and all the kids.

Gayle said, ‘I’m getting in practice for next year, Peggy. Soon as this tour’s done, me and Okey are gonna have a little baby.’

Of course, the minute it seemed like we were all set, Betty started changing everything around.

‘I’ll have to take my own car,’ she said. ‘Ed don’t like the girls riding with other drivers.’

Then she was worried about Cromer. ‘We don’t know a thing about the place,’ she said to me. ‘What if we break down and they don’t even have telephones out there?’

Tuesday was dry and bright. We said we’d try for Wednesday, and Tuesday night there was such a sunset, that great big sky was all pink and orange and then it turned green and mauve. Crystal had her lunch-pail packed and ready. Snickers, potato chips, and her rabbit-fur mittens sent by Mom Dewey.

I said, ‘Precious, you’re gonna lose them and then you’ll be sad. Why don’t you just leave them safe at home?’

Her lip started to tremble.

Vern pitched in. ‘Don’t you start snivelling,’ he said to her. Fastest way to get the tears flowing, of course. Amazing how a man can know so much about aerodynamics and so little about psychology, but I guess the brain only has space for so much.

Then he turned on me. ‘You only don’t like her treasuring her mitts on account they come from the Deweys. What she ever get from your side of the family? What did your mom ever send her?’

Crystal was now going full throttle. Then Betty phoned. ‘Ed wants to know what time we’ll be home,’ she said.

Me and Vern picked up where we’d left off. He was right about Crystal’s Gramma Shea, but I wasn’t gonna give him the satisfaction.

I said, ‘I could care less who sent what. It’s high summer, high as it gets in this two-bit island you brung us to, and I ain’t having my day in the sunshine ruined when she loses her fur mittens. Which I guarantee she will do.’

‘Yeah,’ he said, ‘you’re having a real hard time of it here, Peg, I can see. Hanging out with the girls, uh-oh, Pepsi Hour again – my, how the time does fly! Driving around, taking in the sights. Running a beauty parlour for breeds.’

I just had to laugh in his silly face when he called Kath’s kitchen a beauty parlour. He raised his hand to me. I said, ‘Don’t even think about it,’ and the phone rang again.

She said, ‘Ed wants to know…’

I said, ‘Betty, what is wrong with your husband? Does he wanna come along with us, ride shotgun?’

‘Well!’ she said. ‘There’s no call to take that attitude. Ed just wants to know…’

I said, ‘He think you’re going on this trip to meet men? Put him on. I’ll tell him he’s right.’

By the time I was through with her, Vern had got a smile back on Crystal’s face, pulling one of his tickle-fight stunts, and he was on his way out the door, going eel-netting with John Pharaoh.

Goddarned mitts. Probably full of bugs and all sorts. But that’s Maine folk for you.