Бетти Смит - Maggie-Now

[~9]

whatever he did and thought anti the nay he lived; things that sort of stay after he dies. And it is what goes to hea\

en, too, like Denny said."

"Do you believe that a person eN or lived before in another thlle, a htmdred or so years ago, mayl e''' "Oh, no."

"Have you ever turn. d a corner h1 a strange neigllborllood and come on a street that you'd never seen before and had the feeling that you'd been there before?

In another lifer" "No. I walk around only in my own nei;rllborhood and I lKno\N all the streets anct they never are strange to me.

No, I never had that feeling."

"Some people believe,' he said, "that a person comes back to live in some other form after death."

"I,ike what?" she asked.

"Like these hydrangeas: You told me yotlr mother loved hydrangeas. Wouldn't it make you happy if yol. knew she lived again as one of these plants?"

"I couldn't say," said l\laggie-Now, disturbed and ill at ease. "No. I wouldn't like it. ~ Otl wouldn't want to be a flower, »voulct you? "

"Not a flower. A bird."

"A bird?" blurted on; Lenny ill astonisllnlent.

Mag4-ie-~\oNv pressed his shoulder hard, meaning he was not to laugh.

"But why?" she asked.

"Because a bird is frte. . free. I-le flies over the sea and over the land."

"In winter," said Denny, "chippies come hi our! a. d arid Maggie-Now throws out bread crumbs for them."

"NO, not a sparrow; not a small bird. A great grav and W trite sea gull. I saw some when I crossed over on the Staten Island ferry some weeks ago. That kind of a bird, Denny."

The talk was making Maggie-~Tow uneasy and uncomfortable. She vitas relieved when Denny ran ahead and shouted: "Here it is! I found the grave all by myself."

Claude read the graven names aloud. "Michael

~\loriarity; a powerful name." He paused and breathed, "Mary l`.ioore. The sound of it is like a sigh in the valley on a gravy autumn day."

1 77~) 1 Maggie-Now's eyes misted over because she thought that was such a beautiful thing to say. But Denny backed off and looked at Claude witch suspicion. He liked Claude when he talked about kites and things like that. But he wasn't sure of liking him when he talked about being a bird and how somebody's name sounded.

They had the traditional pot cheese and chives for lunch and Denny had his usual hot dog and strawberry soda.

The waiter asked Claude wouldn't he like a glass of beer with his pot cheese and Claude said, no, as if he were astonished that anyone would ask him to drink beer. This pleased Maggie-Now. She thought that, at least, he wasn't a drinking man. She invited him to Sunday dinner at her home. His acceptance was humbly grateful.

With flattering courtesy, he consulted Denny. "Is it all right with you, Denny? "

"Sure," said Denny. Ele vitas so overwhelmed at being asked that he forgot about Claude wanting to be a bird when he was dead.

Going back in the trolley car, Maggie-Now told Claude all about Mrs. Schondle. E le listened raptly and, when she had finished, he pretended to be angry.

"Why didn't you tell me about her before?" he asked.

"Why did you hold it back?"

"I never thought about her until today," she said.

"Ships that pass in the night!" He savored the words.

"And Mrs. Schondle! What a wonderful name!"

"She gave me a penny once," said Denny. "Because I

said 'hello' to her."

They went up the stairs, Denny carrying the Easter baskets for the twins. Maggie-NoNv tapped on Lottie's door.

"Who is it?" called out Lottie.

"Me. Maggie-Now, and Denny."

"And a friend!" called out Claudc.

There was a living silence before I,ottie called out: "Just a minute, please."

There were hurried thuinpings and bumpings behind the closed door. Maggie-No\v knew that Lottie was furiously straightening out the room for''compally.'' 1 221] "I guess [should have dropped her a card," whispered MaggieNONV. "But I thought she'd expect me. Denny and I always come over Easter eve with the baskets."

A slightly disheveled Lottie opened the door cautiously, stared frankly at Claude and said, '~Come in." She embraced MaggieNow warmly, gave Demly a kiss on a reluctantly offered cheer;, smiled at Claude and saicl: "I'm their Aunt Lottie."

"Aunt I,ottie," said l\ laggie-Now, "let me introduce Sir.

Bassett."

Claude took Lottie's hand and bowed a little bit too much over it. "This is a pleasure I've been looking forward to for a long time," he said.

Maggie-Now was dismayed. Claude vvas using his

"educated' English and Maggie-Now knew that Lottie would think he was putting on airs. She saw that Lottie, expecting the traditional "Pleased to meet you," W.IS

taken aback by Claude's little speech.

Lottie replied with the traditional, "Likewise," and then felt foolish because her reply didn't fit. She had not looked forward to the pleasure of meeting him because she hadn't even known he lived until a few moments ago.

"These are for the twins," said Demly, handing Lottie the two baskets.

"What a shame," she said. "They're not here. Last mght,"

she explained to Maggie-NoNv, "on account of the w ar starting, Gracie dreamed Widdy was killed on the battleship and she said the children would be all she had if Widdy died so she took them back." Courteously, she included Claude in her explanation. "You see, Mr.

Bassett, Dcnny and my twin grandsons were born just a few Steely apart."

itRcally?~, he said She thought he sounded doubtful. She said, "Yes,"

emphatically.

"How's your mother?' asked Maggie-Now.

"Mama fell asleep while she was eating her supper so I

put her to bed. All she eats now is mashed potatoes and a glass of port wine the doctor says she can have." She turned to Claude. "i\ly mother is ninety-two, yo u know."

"Really?" he asked.

"Well, she is," said Loctie.

"Can I show him the album, Aunt Lottie?" asl~ed Denny.

[222 1 "Sure, go ahead, Denny." Again she addressed Claude.

"I\lr.

Shawn, Timmy, my late husband. ." she waited. Ile waited, knowing something was expected of him, but what?

"God rest his soul," said Maggie-Now.

". . gave it to me," continued Lottie, "on our fifth anniversary.

He wrote on the card: 'To my sweetheart.' He always called me sweetheart. "

"Is that so!" He opened the album and cocked his ear to listen to the tinkling music. "Why, this is charming," he said.

Lottie looked at him strangely. She turned to Maggie-No\v.

"Come in the kitchen with me a minute. I want to show you something." To Claude, she said: "Excuse us?"

"Certainly." He stood up.

"Stay sitting," said Lottie.

Out in the kitchen, Lottie spoke in a tense, hurried whisper.

"Who is he?"

"Claude Bass. ."

"I know his name but who is he?"

"Someone I met last Monday."

"What does he dot" "Oh, different things."

"What does he work at?"

"Different things."

"Where does he come from?'' "Different places."

"Wherein" "I don't know, Aunt Lottie."

"Is he got parents?"

"I don't know. He never said and I never asked."

"He ain't Catholic."

"I never asked" "I Pro. Because he didn't say, 'Rest his soul' when I mentioned Timmy's name. 1 ook! I'm your godmother and it's my place to see that you don't marry outside your religion."