by Sarah Pawley
Grace smiled…a familiar sense of fascination coming over her. It was the same fascination she'd experienced as a child, listening to Alice as she taught her lessons. She had always spoken with such passion…such beauty. But more intriguing, perhaps, was how Alice hardly noticed her own mannerisms and way of speaking. She didn't speak with the intention of impressing anyone. But all the same, that was just what she did.
Not wanting to lapse into pure sentiment, she walked over to the stove where Alice stood. Looking about, she found herself captivated once again by the simple things around the kitchen…things that, to anyone else, might have seemed menial. But to her, they were all objects of immense fascination. She looked at the stove. A familiar thing…and yet, so different.
"I never saw a stove like this before. Where do you put the wood or the coal for the fire?"
Alice shook her head. "You don’t need either one. It runs on gas that's piped through the ground. No chopping wood. No soot, no cinders. No carrying buckets of stinking, dirty coal and messing up the nice clean floor. And if you think that's wonderful, come look at this." She turned, moving a few steps to the refrigerator. She opened the door. "Isn't this just the bees knees? Jack just bought it for us a few months ago. Before that, we used to have an icebox, and there was a pan under it that used to overflow all the time if you didn't empty it. We used to come home and there would be water all over the place. Thank goodness for modern technology."
Grace’s mouth was slightly agape.
"I would have been happy with the icebox. The only cooling we had back home was the root cellar or the cold shed down at the creek. Or the snow in the winter. Remember? And here's a little bit of winter right here, whenever you want it. If that don't beat all. There's even a little light in there, so you can see what you're looking at. That's as handy as a pocket on a shirt."
Alice smiled. "That it is," she said. "But I've always wondered. Does the light stay on or go off when you close the door?"
They looked at each other, both pondering one of life's little mysteries.
After they closed the door they went back to the cooking. They talked of many things. Of how Grace had come to be there…and of Charlie. When his name was mentioned, Grace’s tone took on a sad and bitter note. When the tale was done, Alice shook her head, sighing in amazement.
"My word," she said. “Wait until Jack hears about all this. And when he hears about Charlie, he might just flip his lid.”
They sat at the table now, each of them quiet for several moments. Then, Alice’s expression became soft…almost guilty. "Don’t be mad at me for saying this, but…I feel a little sorry for Charlie."
Grace’s eyes widened. Was this a betrayal? It certainly felt that way. But Alice was quick to offer comfort, and an explanation.
"Don’t take offense. I’m not saying that he should have talked to you the way he did. Men have a primal fear of the word 'no', and Charlie was acting just like any man would. You know that’s how they are when they don’t get what they want. But on the other hand, you have to remember what it was like for Charlie as a little boy. His father rejected him, like a baby chick being kicked out of the nest too soon. That had to have traumatized him something terrible. And when you turned down his proposal, it was like he was being rejected all over again."
She didn't want to hear this explanation, even coming from Alice. Her pride was still shaken, her feelings still hurt, even after the short passage of time. Deep down, she knew Alice spoke with wisdom. She always had. But she didn't reply to the statement. She just sat quietly, and they both seemed to sense that a change of subject was needed.
“Are you still teaching three days a week at the University? I know you wrote to me about it.”
Alice nodded. “I am, and I love it. Right now we’re on summer break. Your brother hates it, though. He always has.” She sighed, leaning her head in her hand. “You know, I love Jack more than life itself. He’s so wonderful…so smart. And he likes to think of himself as a “modern man.” But he still has some of those old ideals in his head. Do you know, the first fight we had as a married couple was because he told me not to work? But I no sooner got through to him with that before he was making other demands…telling me I should quit as soon as we had children.” She paused for a moment, sighing. “Well we’ve been married for six years. And as you can see and hear, there are no little feet pitter-pattering around.”
She sighed again. For a moment, Grace thought they would now fall into a sad spell at the mention of children. After all, Alice and Jack had been married for quite some time and still had no babies, even though they wanted them badly. She looked at her sister-in-law, expecting to see a frown. But instead there was a little smirk on her face. She was intrigued.
“What?” There was a long, quiet moment. And then it dawned on her. Her eyes grew large. “Are you…”
“I’m not sure yet,” Alice replied, trying to hold back a smile. “My doctor's out of town for the next two weeks, so I'm planning on seeing him as soon as I can.”
A shadow of sadness crossed her expression. Grace watched her, sensing what she was thinking of. Alice frowned.
“I don’t know if I should get my hopes up. I lost the other two so early on, and I’ve had a few false alarms. So I’m trying not to get too excited. I haven’t even told Jack yet, because I don’t want to say anything until I’m sure."
Grace reached out, giving her hand a gentle pat. "Keep your hopes up. You never can tell."
They smiled at one another. Then, from out in the hall, a clock struck the half-hour. Alice turned towards the sound.
"It's five-thirty already. Jack should be home any minute."
As if on cue, the front door opened. They looked at each other, Alice putting a finger to her lips. She rose to her feet, going out to greet her husband…and Grace felt her heart begin to flutter, filled with anticipation. She could not remain in her chair, sitting still. Creeping close to the doorway, she remained out of sight, but listened carefully.
And then she heard that beloved voice…one that was as familiar to her as her own, even after all these years. It made a tear come to her eye. She listened, hearing him talk to Alice.
"Honey, I'm home. And it's Friday, which means you get to spend two whole days with me. Doesn’t that make you the luckiest woman in the world?"
She couldn’t resist stealing a glimpse of him…just a small one. Peeking around the corner, she watched as he put his arms around Alice, kissing her. They stayed in each other’s arms for more than a few moments, exchanging soft little presses of their lips, until Alice pulled back in his embrace. She smirked up at him.
"You came home to me, fella, so think of yourself as the lucky one.”
Grace listened to the sweet little sounds they made as they went on with each other. For a few moments she wondered if Alice had forgotten about her. Then she heard Jack speak.
"Supper smells good. What are we having?"
"Don't worry about that now," Alice replied. "We have a visitor staying with us."
There was a pause, and Grace heard Jack grumble.
"A visitor? Oh honey, I ain’t in the mood for visitors. Tell whoever it is that I have some awful disease, and then send them the hell back home.”
Grace smiled, watching as Alice punched Jack in the shoulder.
"Don't be such a rat. Besides, you'll never believe the surprise I have for you."
This was the moment. Alice took Jack by the hand, pulling him forward. But just before he entered the room, he brought both of them to a halt, turning to look at her. He tried to keep his voice low as he griped.
"You know I hate surprises.”
Ignoring his complaint, Alice gave him a determined little push, making him scoot forward into the kitchen. He turned his head to look…and at last, Grace was looking him in the eye. She took in the sight of him, seeing him…the real him, not just a picture…for the first time in six years. And he looked back at her, his mouth slightly open in shock. She had
imagined their reunion. She’d imagined tears and loving embraces. And now, she waited to see if her imaginings would come true. But he just stood there, looking at her. He looked over at Alice…and then back at her again, dumbfounded.
"What are you doing here?”
She blinked, unsure of what to say or what to do, baffled by his reaction. She looked over at Alice, who sighed and rolled her eyes.
“Boy, sometimes you just gripe my cookies.” She reached up, backhanding him hard across the upper arm. “You haven’t seen your sister after all this time, and this is what you do? You knucklehead. Give her a hug or something, will you?”
He finally seemed to wake up, coming to hug her. And as she hugged him back, she felt the strength of their bond growing stronger by the moment. How wonderful it was to be so near him again. When at last he let go of her, he held her at arms length, looking her up and down.
“I’m sorry if I acted so dopey just now. I just can’t believe you’re standing here in my own kitchen. So, what are you doing here? And why in the world are you dressed like that? If Mama saw you in pants, she'd have a fit.”
He smiled with the same lopsided grin she knew so well. It made her almost giddy to see it again.
“Look at you,” he declared. “All grown up. I can’t hardly believe my eyes.”
She grinned. “Look at yourself. You’re shined up like a new penny.”
He took a slight step back, holding his arms out so she could get a better look at him. In his white dress shirt and black vest…his grey slacks and shiny black shoes, he looked every bit the city gentleman. How different he looked! So different from the country boy she used to know. But she felt quite safe in knowing that no matter what he looked like on the outside, the same old brother was still there. And she couldn’t have been happier than she was at that moment.
* * * * *
During supper and long after, they talked of her long journey from home…of all that had happened. Just as she’d expected, Jack was upset over everything he heard, and he wasn’t afraid to say just what he felt.
"Some things never change. Just one little difference in your thinking, just one little behavior that’s different than theirs, and they want to tie you to a stake and burn you for witchcraft. And Charlie…" He paused, snorting bitterly. "If I ever get a hold of him, I'll put a boot in his ass."
Grace smiled, looking over at Alice, who was smiling as well but shaking her head. She rose to her feet, picking up her plate. She smiled over at him.
“You talk about someone who never changes, you big ape.” Coming around to where he sat, she reached out to run her fingers through his hair. “I still love you anyway, hopeless as you are.” She bent down slightly, leaning forward to give him a sweet kiss.
Grace was smiling as she watched them together. She looked at Jack, who was openly admiring his wife, watching her as she went to the counter to get a slice of cake. There was a dreamy expression on his face…the slightest smile on his lips. But after a moment he seemed to realize Grace was watching. She saw him squirm, his face turning slightly red.
It almost made her giggle to see the changes in his expression…bolding admiring his wife one moment, and then embarrassed to be caught in such a moment of sentiment. He was just the same old Jack he'd always been. Tough and protective, but tender, and just a little bit shy at times.
"Funny that you ran into Henry and Victoria," he mentioned, clearly wanting to take the direction away from himself.
Hearing their names, Grace’s smile fell a little. It was hard to hide her sarcasm. “They’re not the nicest couple in the world, are they?”
Alice smiled and shrugged. “Victoria is an actress, so that makes her a little temperamental. Her folks were in show business and she’s always been a little Princess. At least that’s what I’ve heard.”
“And now she works at Henry’s nightclub,” Jack chimed in. A grin came across his face as he lifted his glass of tea, pausing just before it reached his lips. “You might say she’s at his service, in more ways than one.”
She wondered at that smirk on his face. When Alice threw a napkin at him, Grace could see her smirking a little herself, even as she scolded him for his comment.
"You shouldn't talk about that, you know.”
Grace looked eagerly between the two of them. "What?"
Alice sighed. "Well, since your brother already flapped his gums, I guess there’s no use in keeping quiet." She leaned in close, speaking in a low, almost secretive voice. Grace eagerly leaned in to listen.
"Victoria and Henry are lovers.”
Jack leaned forward, speaking in his own low tone of voice. “Very unmarried lovers.”
Grace's mouth fell open a little, her eyes growing wide. She'd heard whispers about such things before. She’d even known that some of her neighbors supposedly did such things. But she’d never been openly exposed to such a subject. It was shocking. She spoke softly, just as they did.
“They really live together like that? Do other people around here know about it?”
Jack shrugged. “It’s nobody’s business, if you ask me. But I don’t think in this one case that people pay it much attention. You see, Henry was a war hero when he got home. He came back from Europe and everyone looked on him like a big shining star. So, most people ignore his little indiscretions."
Little indiscretions? she thought. She couldn't believe he would talk about it like that. Alice just shrugged.
“Personally, I never could decide if I minded or not. And I’m still not sure.”
Grace blinked, not understanding. “Why’s that?”
Again, Alice shrugged. “Well for one thing, he’s not exactly sweet to his women. He had a few others before Victoria, and he treats them more like pets than people. I’m surprised he doesn’t keep a rolled up newspaper in his hand to whack them on the nose when they get out of line.”
Grace smiled at that observation…one that seemed to be spot on. Henry had certainly seemed to treat Victoria, and herself for that matter, with an air of disdain.
“But then,” Alice said, “There’s another side of Henry that most people don’t see. Sometimes, he can be so sweet and generous. When we were first getting started, he offered us this house to rent. He even paid for our wedding reception and sent us on our honeymoon.”
Jack nodded. "He helped me land my job too. I wouldn't be where I am if it wasn’t for him. So whoever he shares a bed with is his own business, not mine."
Grace felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment at such talk, but she didn’t shy away from it. Actually, she felt a naughty kind of delight in hearing such adult conversation for the first time. It made her feel as if, for the first time, she was really being acknowledged as a grown woman.
A comfortable silence fell over the room as they all sort of smiled and looked at each other. Then, she tried to stifle a yawn, which Alice took immediate notice of.
"My word, look at us," she said, "Keeping this girl up so late. We should be ashamed of ourselves, Jack." She rose to her feet, and Jack and Grace followed.
Out of habit, Grace began to gather up the dishes from the table, but Alice stopped her.
"Leave that where it is," she said. "Dishes can wait until the morning. Let's get you upstairs to your room." She gave her a little push towards the hall, and Grace smiled, shaking her head. The three moved up the stairs, Jack bringing up the rear and turning off lights as he went. Grace looked around, admiring all the lovely things surrounding her, in particular the lighted wall sconces.
"It feels funny not needing a coal-oil lamp. All these modern things sure are nice."
"They are swell," said Jack, and as they paused at the top of the stairs, he turned to look at her. His expression was quite serious as he gestured a finger at her. “Another modern convenience is the telephone. And first thing in the morning, I want you to call down to Doctor Smith's house so he can tell Mama and Daddy where you are, and that you're all right."
Grace smirked at him,
giving a little mock salute. “Yes boss. Whatever you say.”
"Little Miss Smarty Pants," he said. “I wonder where you get that from." He grinned slightly, giving her a little peck on the forehead. "Good night, baby sister.” Then he looked at Alice, gesturing his head towards their room. "Are you coming to bed?"
"I'll be there in a minute," she replied. She and Grace watched him vanish into the bedroom. After he closed the door, Alice opened the door across the hall from theirs. She switched on the light.
Grace took in a little breath as she looked around. She smiled.
"Oh Alice, this is the prettiest bedroom I ever saw. It's nearly too good for the likes of me."
Alice just shook her head.
"Silly goose. It's just another room… nothing special. But if it makes you happy, that's fine with me. Come on in the bathroom. I don't think you've ever seen one before, have you?"Grace followed her into the room next door…into the white and blue tiled bathroom. She looked around, her expression full of wonder. Sparkling clean, shining with fine fixtures of ceramic and brass, it seemed to be a showcase all on its own. Most impressive was the enormous claw-footed bathtub. Alice went over to it and turned on the faucet. Taking a small bottle from the nearby shelf, she poured a bit of liquid under the running water.
"You've had such a day. The best way to end it is for you to enjoy a nice, hot bubble bath. You've never had a hot bath, have you?"
Grace shook her head. "I still can't believe you’ve got water running right into your house, and without a pump. That's really something.”
Alice just smiled again. "There's soap here, and the little pitcher on the floor to rinse your hair when you wash it.” She looked around, and then she suddenly snapped her fingers. “Oh gosh, I just thought of something. Be right back.” She ran out of the room, was gone for a minute, and came hurrying back with garments in her hands. “Here, wear these. They’re Jack’s, but he won’t mind. I wear them sometimes myself.”
