May Cocker (Cocker Brothers Book 24)
Page 5
Lily throws me a pair of stockings that were laid out by the window to dry out so Father didn’t have to look at them in the bathroom.
I sigh, “Those have a run.”
She points to one of her own. “I got this today. Pulled it with a broken fingernail, can you imagine!?”
“That’s how I got mine! Last night I borrowed a pair of Mother’s. I gave them back when she demanded them out of spite. These will have to do.”
“You can’t go around with bare legs.”
“No, I should think not.”
Lily grins, “But wouldn’t that be fun?”
I pull the seams into place so they line my calves perfectly. “At least the run is up high. If I’m lucky that’s where it’ll stay.”
“I wouldn’t worry too much about it. He seems to like this the most.” She wiggles her finger in front of my face, and raises her voice again. “Would you hurry, already? I don’t want to spend a moment away from Mother!”
“I’m coming!” Grabbing my handbag from my vanity dresser, I smooth my curls in the mirror. “Ready!”
We walk out like there’s a wind at our backs, and run smack into Matthew with his ear to the door. He falls backward, caught.
And so are we!
“Little devil!” I whisper-hiss.
Lily digs into her handbag and hands him a whole quarter! “Shhh.”
He nods like extortion was his plan all along, pocketing the valuable coin along with the odd number of jacks and marbles he carries with him everywhere. I hope we didn’t just lead him to believe that lying pays.
Oh goodness — who am I to talk?!
She and I hurry down the stairs, finding Mother in the kitchen, preparing pot roast and potatoes for dinner enough for ten people. Some will be stored in casserole dishes to carry to the neighbors.
Father never grumbles about feeding more than our household with the meager wages he brings home — not after she said if he complained one more time she would get a job to pay for their meals!
That sure took the bite out of his bark. And the bark itself, now that I think about it.
Hoping he’ll test her promise, she buys the good meat now.
Lily kisses her cheek. “Thank you for loaning me May, Mrs. Kearns. There’s nobody I trust with my little brother more than her. I think it must be from all the time she spends helping babysit the kids you keep here.”
“That’s a dear, Lily, you give your mother my best. I do hope this time she’s able to stay… healthy.”
“Yes, ma’am, me too.”
We rush out, but not before I hear, “May!”
Poking my head in from the living room I say a nervous, “Yes, Mother?”
Please let me go.
Please let me go.
Please let me go!
“I’m sorry I wasn’t speaking to you today. That wasn’t my best behavior.”
Guilt dives into my heart. “Oh, um…that’s perfectly alright. I deserved it.”
Her smile comes quick, which just makes it worse. “It’s so like you to own up to your responsibilities. Go on now. Don’t keep Mrs. Marlow waiting a moment longer. Hospitals can be a lonely place.”
“Yes, Mother. Goodbye.” I head out, pause, and stick my head back in. “I love you.”
Her shoulders relax, and she touches her chest. “I love you too.”
Please forgive me.
Please forgive me.
Please forgive me!
Outside we hurry to Sable’s parents car. Lily dashes around to the driver’s side as I scoot in. My eyes go wide at the sight of Sable folded up on the floor in the backseat. I quickly fix my face to show no emotion what-so-ever.
“Gertie should be waiting on her lawn!” Lily announces, pulling away from the curb.
As we drive down the block, Sable hisses, “Lily Marie Marlow, if you crash this car I will never speak to you again.”
Lily turns toward the fair and laughs, “Oh stop, you would so!”
I smile, “How ya doing down there?”
“Stuff it!”
13
JERALD
I t’s Peter, Marvin, my brother Hank, and me again, strolling through a fair erected on an empty lot that only ever seems to serve this purpose. Each year since I was a boy the carnies come to town and set up shop right at this very spot. The rest of the year it’s dirt, dirt, and more dirt awaiting their return and all the excitement they took with them.
On this fine Saturday afternoon, sun shining through enough clouds to make it comfortable, the place is teeming with locals out for a good time.
Hank says, “Seems a lot of folks want to forget about the war.”
“I would hardly think so,” Marv objects, “A portion of the ticket prices go to the war effort, didn’t you know? By coming they’re doing their part.”
“Huh,” my brother nods, casting a wide glance around the place. “Got everything you’d expect, don’t they?”
“Same as last year,” Peter agrees. “Rides, games, and best of all — the freak show.”
“I like the bearded lady!” Marv grins.
“You would.”
He pushes Peter, who laughs, and nearly stumbles over his wide-legged pants. Righting his newsboy-cap, Peter tells us, “Darren wanted to come, but I told him he’d be a fifth wheel.”
My brother jokes, “Like this pal here called Ferris?”
Peter mutters, “Corny!” shaking his head.
The air is light and I’m enjoying it. I’m getting to feel like these are my friends, too, not just Hank’s. Guess the race to escape May’s father last night bonded us without my realizing it might.
Peter has one hand in the pocket of his high-waisted, wide-legged pants, brown and white wingtip shoes poking out the bottom. We’re all wearing pretty much the same thing he is in different colors, sweater vests over our button up shirts, too, with only two of us in ties and it’s not me and my brother. But Hank and Marv both have fedoras, while Peter and I wear different shades of sport caps, or newsboy caps, as some like to call ‘em.
They’re good fellas, not a bad egg in the bunch, and I’m including Darren in that even though I barely met him. You can tell a lot about a person just by shaking hands, most times. Strong handshake or no, looking at them up close gives you a feeling.
An instinct.
And mine feels at home with this bunch, despite my being older.
“Say, there are the girls now!” Peter jogs his chin, and I turn to see who I’ve been thinking about ever since I met her.
May is walking arm in arm with Lily who’s whispering something as they spot us waiting. Gertie waves, and Sable is chewing her lip, hands clasped behind her back as she follows her friends a few steps behind.
May’s three friends are in shirtwaist dresses with thin belts and hemlines bouncing just below their knees, none too flashy but all in fashion. May is cute as a button in polkadots with white sleeves, and I’m standing here like a fool staring at her.
Hank was right, the sun shines brighter when she’s around, and there’s no doubt in my mind that I’d give her the Moon. And all the planets in between while I’m at it.
This doll’s done something funny to me, and I sure am regretting having to leave in just a day and a half. Two if I’m optimistic and count Monday morning.
“Say Lily, what are you whispering about? Why don’t you share it with all of us?”
“Why Peter Tuck, wouldn’t you like to know!”
He grins, “Careful now. You’ve been hanging out with Sable too long, using my whole name and all. Don’t wanna elbow in on her game, do you?”
“I like your name,” Lily smirks, “And besides, I didn’t say the whole thing, now did I? I’ll leave that for her fun.”
Sable throws her hands on her hips. “Lily Marie Marlow! I do not say people’s whole names all the time!”
We all look at her like she’s bats.
She realizes what she just did, and has no idea what to do with herself.
Marvin steps up, “Would you care for some cotton candy, Sable? We can see the sights on the way.”
She hides her gratitude with a haughty, “That sounds mighty fine, thank you. Anything is better than sticking around and being teased for no good reason!”
“Well, all right then,” he grins, and the two walk off with her leading the way.
Hank chuckles, “Marv took that yes to mean she paid him a compliment rather than coined him a consolation prize.”
“He understands her then,” Lily says with a watchful eye on her best friend and the willing captive. “That was Sable’s way of telling him she’s interested in him, too. She doesn’t know any other path but sideways.”
“Speaking of prizes, who wants to play a game?” Peter grins, shoving both hands in his pockets. “Lily, have your eye on any?”
While they discuss it, and Hank says hello to Gertie, asking her if she was at the fair last year, May and I step aside and let the others disappear.
“Hello Jerald,” she smiles, hands clasped. “It sure is good to see you again.” She tries to take it back. “What I mean is…”
“I know what you mean, May, and I’d like to be just as candid. I was up all night thinking about you. Had to open the windows to listen to the real cicadas this time on account of their memory couldn’t crack.” She’s gazing at me like she doesn’t know what to say. “Do you like Ferris wheels?”
A beautiful smile shines. “Oh, I love them! It’s the next best thing to flying, don’t you feel?”
“Guess it is. Would you ride with me?”
Does she know she’s staring at my mouth? If she doesn’t quit it, everyone will know how I feel about that. “I’d love to.”
Hank slaps my back. “Jerald, you going on the Ferris wheel? We’ll join you.”
Lily gazes up at the colorful machine. “Oh let’s ride, too, Peter! Games and prizes can wait.”
“All right then, you all stay here and I’ll grab tickets.”
Hank and I dig in our pockets for our coins. Rattling them in a loose fist, Peter kisses Lily‘s cheek before dashing off.
She gasps, touches the spot, and calls after him, “Peter Tuck, of all the nerve!” He laughs, taking one leap while running, and she turns around to face us. “Who does that boy think I am?”
May smirks, “He’s about to find out.”
“I should say so!” Lily looks at me and Hank. “Did you know that I had to steal this girl from underneath her mother’s nose? She’d not have been allowed to come if it weren’t for me.”
Gertie corrects her, “May wasn’t allowed to come, Lily. Her parents think she’s at the hospital.”
My eyebrows rise. “Why would you be at the hospital? Someone sick?”
“No, I…” May looks at Lily and decides not to finish her sentence. “It’s a long story.”
Hank offers, “We were just at the hospital this week. I don’t know if you saw the news, but our Father had a heart attack. Oh, he’s all right now. But it was pretty iffy there for a second. That’s why Jerald is here.”
May’s concern turns to me. “I’m awful sorry.”
“The Navy let you come home for that?“ Lily asks, impressed. “Must be nice to be a Congressman’s son.”
May whispers, “Oh, that’s why it made the news.”
Gertie explains, “May’s father despises politics and they never have it in the house. He rarely watches the news, gets it from his friends.”
“Mother, too,” I nod.
“I wish I were so lucky. My folks, well, it’s all they seem to wanna talk about!”
Hank asks, “You don’t find it interesting, Gertie?”
“I guess you could say I don’t see the appeal. It’s like I’m thinking about things I have no control over all the time.”
“Well, when you get to be eighteen, then you’ll have just as much control as the next person.”
“Not as much as someone in the House,” she reminds him.
“So run for Congress!”
“Oh, I don’t know,” she whispers, eyes on the ground.
“Why not you?”
They look at each other as I see Peter strolling up.
I walk over to meet him halfway. “Just in time. I was about to climb up the wheel and take May with me.”
He chuckles and hands me two tickets. “Want to be alone with her, eh? I know the feeling.”
“Careful there. Lily is going to make you pay for that stolen kiss.”
He frowns, “You mean it?”
“If her word is any good.”
“It is. Okay, thanks for the warning.”
We walk back and he raises his volume to normal. “Here we go! And the line isn’t looking too bad. Say, Hank, why don’t you ride with me! Let Gertie and Lily have their own basket ahead of us. Just us fellas.” Lily gasps and he looks at her. “You alright?”
Speechless, her mouth drops open again, but nothing comes out.
My brother grins, “Be like when we were kids!”
“It’s settled then!”
Gertie is now just as disappointed, anyone could see it. But they don’t want to object. That wouldn’t be the thing to do at all.
We six take our place in line. May is concerned on account of her friends losing their enthusiasm, so I bend to get her attention, and her frown melts away. The line starts moving as I ask, “Do you have any brothers and sisters?”
She shakes her head, blonde curls bouncing. “They tried to have more children, but I guess it wasn’t in God‘s plan. But that’s alright, because I feel like I have sisters in my friends. I never feel lonely. And then there are the kids we look after, they’re always around now. The house is never quiet, if you know what I mean.”
“I do. Ma was just saying last night how much she misses having me around because my brother and I make the place lively. And I can understand that, especially with Pops in the state he’s in.”
“Is he really better?”
“Every day more like himself. Just slower than we’d like.”
May concentrates on my face as we near the beginning of the line, the other four in front of us keeping up a steady conversation all their own. “Jerald, am I to understand that you’ll be gone soon?”
I frown, “Very soon. Monday, in fact.”
“Oh. That is soon.”
“I’d like to spend as much time with you before I go as I can, if that’s all right.”
Her voice goes shy, eyes beautiful as she stares at me. “That would be swell, Jerald. Thank you.”
“I’m the one who should be grateful. Being around you makes me feel…”
After a long pause, she presses me, “Feel how?”
“Well, I…” I’m staring at her and can’t remember what we were talking about. May’s just the prettiest little thing I’ve ever seen and if I could sneak her onto that sub, there would be no hesitating.
Peter shouts, “Hey Jerald! You going to just stand there or are you going to join us?”
We look over to find Lily and Gertie rising up in a basket, Hank and Peter climbing into the next, and nobody in front of us in line but a whole lot of empty space.
Behind us, those waiting start laughing. Even the jaded carny is amused, with a cigarette hanging off his smirk.
No denying I’m smitten.
Better just to own up.
I take May’s hand and grin, “Come on.”
14
MAY
With Jerald sitting with me, the Ferris wheel begins to turn. I hold the bar and look back as Hank shouts, “May, when you were talking last night about becoming a pilot, I forgot to mention — that’s what I’m gonna be!”
“Isn’t this like flying?”
“Dunno, but I can’t wait to find out!”
I ask Jerald, “Have you and your brother always gotten along so well?” I pause. “Gee, I almost forgot to ask, do you have any other brothers and sisters? I plain assumed he was the only one without asking.”
“Have you always gotten along so well?”
“Sure we have. I guess brothers have their differences now and again, but we’ve had none that stick. With our father traveling back-and-forth to Washington D.C., and Ma being busy with her society dinners and everything it takes to be a Congressman’s wife, that left Hank and I pretty much to ourselves.”
The breeze lifts my curls and I forget to watch the fair become smaller, I’m so interested in getting to know Jerald better. “You must’ve traveled an awful lot.”
“You could say that,” he smiles, “How about you?”
“My grandparents on my Mother’s side live in Tallahassee. Other than that, and Atlanta once or twice when I was little, I haven’t. I’m surprised you don’t live in Atlanta. Wouldn’t a Congressman want to live somewhere more city-like?”
“They talk about it sometimes, since there’s so much travel. It sure would be more convenient. But Pops likes being among the people. He’s of the mind that the city is two steps ahead of the common folk. It’s his aim to remain in step with them so he can meet their needs as best he can.”
“Sounds like an honorable man.”
“That he is. That he is.”
“Will you follow in his footsteps then?”
“I’m already an honorable man, May. Unless you don’t want me to be.”
I blush, “I…I meant, are you going to be a politician?”
His smile says he knew. “Not sure if it’s for me. But I haven’t made up my mind yet. How would you feel about it?”
Lily says it’s always important to play hard to get. She’s wiser in all the ways on account of all she’s been through. We girls listen to her every chance we get when it comes to matters like, well, boys. Even Sable, though she would never admit it.
“Why…I don’t see what that has to do with anything. You should make up your own mind about who you want to be.”
“How old are you?”
Surprised, I toss his question back. “How old are you?”