Maggie Now

by Betty Smith

  "Remember? You laughed at note when I sat down at

  the piano, but when I started to play, you had hysterics?"

  "Aw, Cholly," she said fondly.

  "So long, then, Maggie."

  As he went down the stoop she called after him: "Tell

  Gina I said she's a very lucky girl."

  "That's what I keep telling her," he said. "But she don't

  listen."

  Eventually Denny got another job. He worked for an

  Italian greengrocer whom everyone called Ceppi. They got

  on well enough together. Denny insulted Ceppi every time

  he spoke to him. Ceppi insulted him back. Denny enjoyed

  it. He was just like his father that way.

  "I worry so about Denny," confided Ilaggie-Now to

  Annie. "He's going on eighteen now and . . ."

  "Denty is all right," said Annie. "Only wild. You wait.

  When he finds the work he likes to work on, he'll be a

  new boy. You wait." Annie sighed. "My Albie, he is like

  that, too. He gets .

  1 36s]

 

  nickel and goes on the elevator train and gets off by a

  station and bangs on the gum machines so pennies should

  fall out. Then he goes back on the train gets oflf the next

  station. Same thing." She sighed again "Albie, he needs a

  father. Is all what is wrong with him. No father. Your

  Denty, he needs a father, too."

  "He has a father, Annie," said Maggie-Now quietly.

  "Excuse me." Annie blushed. "I forget."

  Maggie-Now inquired after Jamesie. Jamesie had

  married his Shirley and Shirley was going to keep on

  working as long as she had no children. And ,:hey were

  saving their money because Jamesie wanted to go into

  business for himself someday. Yes, Jamesie gave her five

  dollars a week, and with that and Tessie's pay they got

  along hne. Of course, Annie's new flat was smaller than

  the old one, but then the rent was lower.

  Yes, Tessie still liked her job.

  Annie had obtained a job for Tessie in Annie's old alma

  mater, the dime store. Tessie dici not work behind the

  lunch counter. She didn't work behind any counter. She

  walked up and down the aisles wearing a wide leather belt

  to which was attached a small leather satchel. When a

  salesgirl tapped the bell on top of her tiny cash register,

  it was Tes~ie's job to go over, take the bill that the girl

  was waving in the air, and give her ones for it. No girl was

  allowed to have more than five dollars in her register.

  Once each hour, Tessie counted the change in the

  registers and put all over five dollars in her satchel.

  Between times, she wore a little black apron and carried

  a small feather duster with which she dusted oflf the

  hardware.

  "She marries in a few years, maybe," said Annie. "Some

  feller sees she is pretty." Another sigh. "Then I don't have

  her money, but," she said brightly, "then Albie works.

  When Albie gets married, I don't care no more. Then I be

  dead," she said cheerfully.

  And every winter, Claude came back to her again. And

  every spring he left her again.

  1 ,'66]

 

  ~ CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE ~

  SUNDAY afternoons, Denny hung out with some fellers

  around the newsstand of a corner calmly. Denny had an

  act, the purpose of which was to give the fellers a good

  time. Strolling girls were the stooges of the act. Denny'd

  see a girl approach. As she passed, he'd say something

  like: "Oh, you kid with the bedroom eyes." The girl would

  pause, startled, and say something like: "You fresh thing,

  you!" This put the fellers into hysterics.

  He used a different routine for the next passing girl. He

  took off his hat with a flourish, bowed and said: "How do

  you do . . ." When the girl stopped in surprise, he'd

  continue. ". . . that trick with your hat? Like this?" He'd

  twirl his hat around on his forefinger. Laughter from the

  crowd.

  He had a killer, though, in his moving-hat trick. He had

  a derby hat rigged up with strings and rubber bands. The

  strings ran down into his coat pockets. He'd stand there,

  hat on and hands in pockets. When a group of girls

  appeared (the trick was too good for one lone girl), he'd

  say, "Hello," in a dull oafish voice and manipulate the

  strings in his pocket and make the hat stand straight up

  on his head, the brim resting on the nape of his neck.

  Then he'd make the hat turn to sit sidewise on his head.

  The reaction was terrific. Sometimes a girl would shriek

  in terror, another would laugh her head off and so on.

  One day, Denny saw a pretty girl coming along. She had

  a cute shape, too. As she was passing, he said: "Hello,

  good-looking." When she turned to give him an indignant

  look, he said: "Can't you take a joke?" Instead of tossing

  her head and going on her way, the girl came right up to

  him.

  "Dennis Moore! You ought to be ashamed of yourself,

  hanging around on the corner like a loafer and insulting

  girls, and you with such a nice sister and such a nice home

  and all."

  It took him a while to realize that she was Tessie

  Vernacht. The last time he'd seen her, she'd been a

  skinny-legged kid of four

  [ 357 1

 

  teen. But now! Wow! was his opinion of her.

  She lectured him for a good five minutes and then went

  on her way. Dennis was thoroughly ashamed. That must

  never happen again, he told himself. From that time on,

  the fellers on that corner saw him no more. Denny took

  up with a bunch of fellers in another neighborhood w here

  he could perform his acts without the danger of anyone he

  knew seeing him.

  But Tessie stayed in his mind. He wanted to see her

  again to tell her that she had no right to call him down so

  hard in front of the other fellers. He didn't know where to

  find her. He didn't want to ask his sister where she lived.

  Maggie-Now might get ideas, he thought.

  He figured Tessie went to church. He went to a

  different Mass each Sunday: the eight o'clock, the ten

  o'clock, even the eleven o'clock High Mass, which he

  usually avoided because it was so long. He left the church

  before the service was over and waited outside. He waited

  outside for two Sundays but Tessie never appeared. Then

  Denny hit on a way to make Maggie-Now tell him without

  her knowin, what he wanted.

  "I saw Annie in church today," he said. "And she sends

  regards."

  "That's funny," said his sister. "Annie doesn't go to our

  church. She goes to that one on Montrose Avenue, that

  German church. All the Vernachts go there."

  The next Sunday, he went to the six o'clock Mass at his

  own church, then took up his watch outside the church on

  Montrose Avenue. He saw Tessie come out and he fell in

  step with her. He started talking fast before she could sayr />
  a word.

  "Look," he said. "I'm sorry for what happened a couple

  of weeks ago. I didn't know it was you. Gee, you grew up

  so pretty. You did right to bawl me out the way you did.

  Course, I was ashamed in front of the fellers and all, but

  I wouldn't mind being ashamed again that way. I'd like to

  make it up to you, Tessie. Would you go to a movie with

  me or a show?"

  Tessie was pleased with his flattery and his humility and

  a little sorry that she had shamed him in front of his

  friends.

  "I'd like to, Dennis," she said. "But I'll have to ask my

  mother."

  "Can I walk you home?" he asked.

  "No, Dennis. Not until after I ask my mother."

  [358]

 

  He was waiting for her the following Sunday. "Did you

  ask her? "

  "Yes."

  "What did she say?"

  "She said [ couldn't go out Witil you."

  "Did she say why?"

  "She said you were too wild, Dennis."

  "Gee, Tessie, you're old enough. I'm eighteen and you

  must be nearly that. You can go out with me without

  telling your mother."

  "I'd like to go out with you, Dennis. But if I fooled my

  mother, you'd start thinking that maybe I was fooling

  you."

  "You talk like Maggie-Now."

  "I'd be proud if I was as good and decent as your sister."

  "Listen," he said, kicking at a nonexistent pebble.

  "Maybe I am what your mother calls wild. But if I had a

  girl a good girl like you maybe I'd be different."

  "I'll ask her again, Dennis."

  "I don't want to be the way I am," said Denny

  inarticulately. "But I don't know any other way to be."

  "I'll ask her," she repeated.

  "No!" said Annie. "This the last time I say it. No!"

  "But, Mama, I don't even need to ask you. I'm eighteen."

  "He puts that idea in your head."

  "Nobody needs to put it in my head. I am eighteen."

  "You can't go out mit him." Whenever Annie got

  excited, she dropped into her instinctive German.

  "But why?"

  "I tell you before, I tell you now: He iss too wild. And

  you are a good girl."

  "Sometimes a good girl can get a wild boy to change his

  ways." "I do not bring up my daughter to make angels out

  of devils."

  "But, Mama . . ."

  "No! " shouted Annie. "Nein! Und das is alles. Is all," she

  translated.

  Annie went over to see Maggie-Now right away.

  Fumblingly, inarticulately, apologetically, mixing German

  with English, but firmly, she told Maggie-Now to tell her

  brother to keep away from Tessie.

  [ 369 J

 

  "lch liebe dicta, Magg~e-Now," she said. "You are like

  daughter to me. Aber ich . . . I got feelings about Tessie.

  She is mine only girl. And Denty . . . good. But like they

  say, is wild. Maybe they get older, Denty gets berter, then

  I have nothing to say."

  "I'll speak to Denny," said Maggie-Now. "They're both

  very young." Ilaggie-Now did not mean to speak coldly but

  her voice came out that way. Amlie lowered her head and

  kissed MaggieNow's hand. "Don't! " said Maggie-Now

  sharply. "He's my brother and I think he's good enough for

  any girl. But I'll tell him not to bother Tessie."

  On the way home from Maggie-Now's house, Annie

  decided to buy an open peach cake for Tessie's supper

  dessert. It was a kind of compensation to the girl. She

  detoured to have a chat with Van Clees.

  "I bought cake for my Tessie's supper," she announced.

  "Tessie comes in the store last week," he said. "My, what

  a nice young lady she turned out to be. But all your

  children is nice, Annie."

  "I think, yes. But then. I'm the mother."

  "Even so. Now Jamesie: married to a nice girl with what

  they say, class."

  "Shirley," Annie shrugged. Shirley was all right only

  Annie didn't think she was good enough for her son.

  "And Albie." Mr. Van Clees raised his eyebrows and

  spread out his hands. Annie took this as a gesture of

  disparagement against her youngest.

  "Albie is not worser as other boys like his age," she said.

  "Did I say different? Then excuse me. But Tessie, now.

  Too bad Gus don't live to see her grow up to be a lady."

  There was a moment of silence our of love for a beloved

  husband and a beloved friend.

  "Yes, Tessie, now," continued Van Clees. "Only yesterday

  a straight-up-and-down kill. And today, a woman with a

  built."

  Annie tucked her pocketbook under her armpit to

  indicate that the visit was over. "I say to you, good day,"

  she said.

  "Did I say something?" he asked, worried.

  "You did, then you know it. You don't know it, I don't tell

  you."

  She walked away angry. She didn't think it becoming of Mr.

  ~,701

 

  Van Clees, who had known Tessie from infancy, to notice

  and to comment on the fact that the infant had grown a

  bust.

  That's what I get, she thought, talking all the time to

  everybody what listens.

  Annie was upset about Van Clees's observation of

  Tessie. She was upset that Denny W.IS, as she presumed,

  after Tessie; that Tessie wanted Denny to be after her.

  She trembled for Tessie's safety in a world suddenly filled

  with wolves.

  There is things I should tell Tessie. Like my mother

  should-a told me. But she didn't know how to tell me and I

  don't know how to tell Tessie. So l till her anyway because

  somebody must talk.

  After supper, Amlie sent Albie off on an errand in

  order to Tell Tessie Things.

  "Tessie, now you change to be a young lady. Young

  ladies what just stopped being girls, sometimes they get

  funny idears. Then a man looks on them and gets funny

  idears."

  Here it comes, groaned Tessie inwardly. Mama's going to

  tell me about sex and it's going to be terrible for both of us.

  Just because I want to go out with Denny, all of a sudden all

  eaten are awf ul.

  "In the world," began Annie portentously, "there gives

  men and women And from men and women together,

  come babies."

  "No kidding!" said Tessie.

  "Get fresh with me," said Annie, "and I'll give it to

  you big like you are."

  "I didn't mean to get fresh, Mama. But this makes me

  nervous; this all about where babies come from. I know all

  about it."

  "Ha! "

  "Listen, Mama. I know how you and Papa had us three

  children and how it happened that: Shirley and Jamesie

  are going to have a baby. A girl gets married, she's going

  to have a baby. That's all."

  "Sometimes," said Annie darkly, "a girl could have a

  baby even if they ain't married."

  "Not a decent girl, Mama."

  "Them kind, too. A i~m
ercent girl she loves a

  nice-looking man and they go out dancing and they dance

  like they was stuck together like flypaper. After, they

  stand in the hallway where is dark and he says: 'You is

  beautiful like a queen with a crown on.'

  t37i 1

 

  And then . . ."

  Annie's face flamed red with embarrassment. She

  looked the other way.

  "And then . . . and then . . . he kisses her on the neck

  where it tickles and the next thing, she's got a baby."

  Tessie choked back a laugh. "Sit in the rocker, Mama."

  Tessie faced her mother, her hands on the rocking-chair

  arms, and rocked her mother back and forth soothingly as

  she spoke. "Look, Mama, I appreciate it that you're trying

  to tell me . . . things. But listen, Mama, I know. In high

  school the girls and me talked about such things and w hat

  one didn't know, the other one did. And one of the girls

  had a book that told all about it. So I know, Mama. And

  you don't have to knock yourself out telling me. Okay? "

  "Ho-key. NONV stop rocking me. You want your mama

  should get a headache?"

  ~ CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR ~

  ". . . and as far as I'm concerned, Denny, you're good

  enough for any girl. But Annie's worried...."

  "Okay! Okay! Do I have to sign a paper? I felt sorry for

  the kid. Who'd give her a second look; I offered to take

  her to a movie. Tell your Annie for me that her kid's

  poison as far as I'm concerned." He threw himself out of

  the house.

  Maggie-Now sighed and wished that Denny wouldn't, as

  always, give up so easily.

  Each Sunday when Tessie came out of church, she

  walked slowly, expecting Denny to appear and fall into

  step with her. She gave up expecting that after three

  Sundays in a row.

  Denny went out with other girls. Maggie-Now always

  knew when, because he made a derogatory remark about

  Tessie after each date with some other girl.

  "That Tessie!" He mimicked her in a mincing way. "My

  goodness! I must ask my mama." That was one remark.

  [ 372 ~

 

  "All you got to do is say hello to that Tessie and she

  thinks she's engaged to you." Remarks like that.

  He likes her, deduced Maggie-Now.

  Denny got to staying out late nights. Pat got tired of

  telling him to get home early. He issued a simple

  ultimatum: "From now on, if you ain't in the house by ten

  o'clock, I'll go looking for you with me big stick."

  Denny took the easy way out and got home before ten.

  His father was always sitting by the window with his

  shillelagh between his knees, his expression black with

  disappointment because Denny got in on time and he

  couldn't go out looking for him.

  One night, Denny wasn't home by ten and Pat went out

  looking for him. He found him in the areaway of a vacant

  store. Dennv and four other boys were kneeling in a

  circle. They were shooting craps. Facing Pat was a fat

  backside straining at the seat of a pair of pants. It was as

  though Pat had been waiting all his life for that. He gave

  it a good whack with his thorny shillelagh. The boys

  scattered, except Denny, who knew it was no use to run,

  and the fat boy, who was in too much pain to run.

  Pat spoke gently to his son. "Here, me boy. Hold me

  stick." Denny held it while Pat got down on his knees and

  scooped up the nickels and dimes.

  "Hey, mister," whined the fat boy, "that money belongs to

  us."

  "I will give it to the Churcll,'' said Pat, "for the sins of

  all of youse."

  (Of course, the Church never saw the money.)

  After that, Denny took to hanging out in the pool

  parlor. In those prohibition days, nearly every poor section

  of Brooklyn was the headquarters of some crime syndicate

  or some gangster corporation. The poolroom where

  Denny hung out was a front for the neighborhood gang

  lord.

  Sal (The Gimp) Hazzetti (he got his nickname because

  one of his legs was a half inch shorter than the other)

  used this poolroom as a sort of gangster college. Entrance