Mary Clark: Weep No More, My Lady

"I still can't get used to it," Alvirah continued happily. "I mean, one minute, I'm sitting in my living room soaking my feet. Let me tell you, cleaning five different houses a week is no joke, and the Friday one was the killer-six kids and they're all slobs and the mother's worse. Then we hit the lottery. We had all the winning numbers. Willy and I couldn't believe it. 'Willy,' I said, 'we're rich.' And he yelled, 'You bet we are!' You must have read about it last month? Forty million dollars, and a minute before, we didn't have two quarters to rub together."

"You won forty million dollars in the lottery?"

"I'm surprised you didn't see it. We're the biggest single winners in the history of the New York State lottery. How about that?"

"I think it's wonderful," Elizabeth said sincerely.

"Well, I knew what I wanted to do right away, and that was to get to Cypress Point Spa. I've been reading about it for ten years now. I used to dream about how it would be to spend time there and hobnob with the celebrities. Usually you have to wait months for a reservation, but I got one just like that!" She snapped her fingers.

Because Min undoubtedly recognized the publicity value of Alvirah Meehan's telling the world about her lifelong ambition to go to the Spa, Elizabeth thought. Min never missed a trick.

They were on the Coastal Highway. "I thought this was supposed to be a beautiful drive," Alvirah said. "It don't look so hot to me."

"A little farther on it becomes breathtaking," Elizabeth murmured.

Alvirah Meehan straightened up in the seat and turned to Elizabeth, studying her intently. "By the way, I've been talking so much I missed your name."

"Elizabeth Lange."

Large brown eyes, already magnified by thick-rimmed glasses, widened perceptibly. "I know who you are. You're Leila LaSalle's sister. She was my favorite actress in the whole world. I know all about Leila and you. I think the story of the two of you coming to New York when you were just a little girl is so beautiful. Two nights before she died, I saw a preview of her last play. Oh, I'm sorry-I didn't mean to upset you…"

"It's all right. I just have a terrible headache. Maybe if I just rest a bit…"

Elizabeth turned her head toward the window and dabbed at her eyes. To understand Leila, you had to have lived that childhood, that trip to New York, the fear and the disappointments… And you had to know that however good it sounded in People magazine, it wasn't a beautiful story at all…

It was a fourteen-hour bus ride from Lexington to New York. Elizabeth slept curled up in her seat, her head on Leila's lap. She was a little scared, and it made her sad to think of Mama coming home to find them gone, but she knew Matt would say, "Have a drink, honey" and pull Mama into the bedroom, and in a little while they'd be laughing and squealing and the springs of the bed would creak andgroan…

Leila told her which states they were going through: Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey.Then the fields were replaced with ugly tanks and the road got more and more crowded. At the Lincoln Tunnel, the bus kept stopping and starting. Elizabeth 's stomach began to feel kind of funny.Leila noticed. "Good God, Sparrow, don't get sick now. It's just another few minutes."

She couldn't wait to get off the bus. She just wanted to smell cool, clean air. But the air was heavy, and it was so hot - hotter even than at home. Elizabeth felt fretful and tired. She was about to complain, but then she saw how tired Leila looked .

They had just left the platform when a man came over to Leila. He was thin, and his dark hair was curly but started pretty far back. He had long sideburns and small brown eyes that got squinty when he smiled. "I'm Lon Pedsell," he said. "Are you the model the Arbitron Agency from Marylandsent?"

Of course Leila wasn't the model, but Elizabeth could tell she didn't want to just say no. "There wasn't anyone else my age on this bus" was the way she answered him.

"And obviously you are amodel."

"I'm anactress."

The man brightened up as though Leila had given him a present. "This is a break for me, and I hope for you. If you can use a modeling job, you'd be perfect. The pay is one hundred dollars for thesitting."

Leila put down her bags and squeezed Elizabeth 's shoulder. It was her way of saying, "Let me do thetalking."

"I can tell that you're agreeable," Lon Pedsell said. "Come on. I've got my car outside."

Elizabethwas surprised at his studio. When Leila talked about New York, she'd thought that every place Leila worked would be beautiful. But Lon Pedsell took them to a dirty street about six blocks from the bus terminal. Lots of people were sitting on stoops, and garbage was spilled all over the sidewalk. "I have to apologize for my temporary situation, " he said. "I lost the lease on my place across town, and the new one is still beingequipped."

The apartment he brought them to was on the fourth floor and as messy as Mama's house. Lon was breathing hard because he insisted on carrying the two big suitcases. "Why don't I get a Coke for your sister, and she can watch television while you pose?" he said to Leila.

Elizabethcould tell that Leila just wasn't sure what to do. "What kind of model am I supposed to be?" she asked.

"It's for a new swimsuit line. Actually, I'm doing the test shots for the agency. The girl they choose will do a whole series of ads. You're pretty lucky you ran into me today. I have a hunch you're just the type they have inmind."

He brought them into the kitchen. It was a tiny, dingy room with a small television set on a ledge over the sink. He poured a Coke for Elizabeth and wine for Leila and himself. "I'll have a Coke, "Leila said.

"Suit yourself." He turned on the television set. "Now, Elizabeth, I'm going to close the door so leila can concentrate. You just stay here and keep yourselfamused."

Elizabethwatched three programs. Sometimes she could hear Leila saying in a loud voice, "I don't like that idea," but she didn't sound scared, just kind of worried. After a while she came out. "I'm finished, Sparrow. Let's get our bags." Then she turned to Lon. "Do you know where we can get a furnished room?"

"Would you like to stay here?"

"No. Just give me my hundreddollars."

" If you'll sign thisrelease…"

When Leila signed, he smiled over at Elizabeth. "You must be proud of your big sister. She's on her way to becoming a famous model."

Leila handed him the paper. "Give me the hundred dollars."

"Oh, the agency will pay you. Here's their card. Just go over in the morning and they'll issue acheck."

"But yousaid-"

"Leila, you really are going to have to learn the business. Photographers don't pay models. The agency pays when it gets therelease."

He didn't offer to help them carry down their bags.

A hamburger and milk shake at a restaurant called Chock Full o' Nuts made both of them feel better. Leila had bought a street map of New York City and a newspaper. She began to read the real estate section. "Here's an apartment that sounds about right: 'Penthouse; fourteen rooms, spectacular view, wraparound terrace.' Someday, Sparrow. I promise."

They found an ad for an apartment to share. Leila looked at the street map. "It doesn't look too bad," she said. " Ninety-fifth Street and West End Avenue isn't that far, and we can get a bus."