Mark Dunn - American Decameron

The man who was seated with the woman carefully conned the timetable in his possession and then looked up in amazement. “The kid’s right. He’s exactly right.”

Charlie had been doing all the talking up to this point, but now it was Mr. Bergen’s turn. “There’s a new show on my network, NBC, that I think you’d be perfect for, son. What’s your name?”

“Todd Heyman.”

“And how old are you?”

“I’m almost fifteen.”

“Good. You’re under sixteen. They want boys and girls under the age of sixteen. You live in Chicago? The show broadcasts out of Chicago.”

Todd nodded.

“What’s the name of the show?” asked Dahlia, making her way through the car. “I’m Todd’s mother.”

“Did you know that your son is a veritable genius? Don’t you agree, Charlie?”

Charlie nodded his wooden head and said, “He’s a regular Casey Jones Einstein.”

“It’s a summer replacement show for Alec Templeton, Mrs. Heyman. It’s called Quiz Kids . I know the producer. I’ll talk to him.”

Back in their room, Dahlia shared the good news with her husband.

“What a kick!” he said. “And it’ll shut my brother Johnny up for good — my own kid on the radio. What do you say, champ?”

“Will Charlie be on the show too?”

“No, honey,” said Dahlia gently. “Charlie McCarthy is on Chase and Sanborn with Mr. Bergen.”

“Oh,” said Todd, turning his dog-eared timetable over in his hands. He looked out the window. “Coming back, of course,” he said quietly to himself, “that lady would have to catch the Number Ten in Flagstaff at 5:40 in the morning. That might be too early. Yes, yes, that just might be a little too early.”

Todd sat and continued to ponder the blue-suited woman’s predicament as the sun-burnished mountains of northern New Mexico began to crowd the tracks of the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe Railroad.

Mr. Bergen’s show was on summer hiatus. It had been replaced during the vacation months by a new detective show, The Bishop and the Gargoyle , about a crime-solving retired Catholic bishop and his ex-con partner. Mr. Bergen was performing at a nightclub in Hollywood and invited Todd and his parents to come and see the show while they were in the area.

Dahlia asked if her sister Lily in Pasadena could come too.

“The more the merrier,” said Charlie McCarthy in his funny voice.

Mr. Bergen performed with all of his friends: Charlie, and the dim-witted Mortimer Snerd, and the geriatric man-chaser Effie Klinker. After the performance, after Bergen had deposited his fellow performers in his dressing room, he joined the Heymans and Dahlia’s sister at their table. Bergen reported that his discussion with the producer of the new quiz show for hyper-intelligent child contestants had gone well, and the man was eager to meet Todd once he got back to Chicago. Todd asked about Charlie. Was he coming back out later?

Bergen chuckled. “Charlie needs his rest, son.” Massaging his throat, he added, “We all need our rest.” Everyone but Todd nodded and laughed. Dahlia laughed the hardest; she was giddy with thoughts of her son’s impending career as a radio “whiz kid.”

“Not whiz kid, honey,” George corrected his wife. “ Quiz kid.”

Todd excused himself to go to the washroom.

When Todd still hadn’t returned after five minutes, George said he would go and look for him. “He’s probably gotten himself into a long-winded discussion with the washroom attendant. Especially if the man used to be a railroad porter.”

Everyone laughed.

Ten minutes passed. George returned ashen-faced. “He isn’t in the washroom. I’ve looked all over the club.”

“Let’s check my dressing room,” said Mr. Bergen.

George and Dahlia accompanied Edgar Bergen to his dressing room. The door was open. There was Todd sitting on the floor next to a still and lifeless Charlie McCarthy, whom Mr. Bergen had draped over his divan. Next to him lay Mortimer and Effie, equally mute and motionless. Todd, his hand resting on one of Charlie’s stationary, dangling legs, was crying. These were not soft tears, but great sobs of nearly hysterical anguish.

Todd turned and looked up at his mother and father through reddened eyes. “He won’t talk to me! Charlie won’t talk to me!” And then to Mr. Bergen: “Is he dead? Did Charlie die?” As his cries grew louder and more intense, Dahlia rushed to put her arms around her son.

“Don’t be dead, Charlie!” cried Todd, now hugging both of the dummy’s legs. “Please don’t be dead!”

“But he can’t be d—” Edgar Bergen did not finish his sentence.

“Todd,” said George. “Look at me, Todd.” George’s voice was even, the words delivered in a placid, demulcent tone. Todd looked at his father.

“Number Sixty-six, Todd.”

There was family ritual in the words; they had been said before.

“What?”

George took a step toward his son. Then another. “Number Sixty-six. Fort Worth to San Angelo.”

“Charlie’s dead.”

“Number Sixty-six, son,” said the father.

“Dry your tears, baby,” said the mother.

“Train Number Sixty-six,” said Todd in a mechanical monotone. “Fort Worth, 11:05 p.m. Primrose, 11:33 p.m. Flag stop. Winscott, 11:40 p.m. Flag stop.” Todd choked back his tears, his voice becoming quieter now as George laid a comforting hand upon his shoulder. “Cresson, 12:01 a.m. Chapin, 12:09 a.m. Flag stop. Waples…”

The Day That Hawaii Was Attacked

by Lisa Chapman

Miss King’s Class

My name is Lisa Chapman. I am eight and a half years old and I live with my mother and father and baby brother in Makalapa. That is a hill that Daddy says was lava but now it is hard and you can live on it. On Sunday Mama was making oatmeal for my baby brother and me. His name is Jeff. He has the same name as my father. But my mother and me have different names because her name is Frieda. Daddy calls her Val because they were married on Valentine’s Day and she is his Valentine. Mama was making eggs and bacon for my father. We heard some loud noises. Daddy was reading the paper. He got mad because he said they were probably blasting the lava rocks to make room for some more houses and they should not be doing this on a Sunday morning so he threw his paper down and went out on the lanai to see what was happening. Mama and Jeffie and me and Fumiyo who is our maid and cook went out too. Pearl Harbor is burning up!! cried my mother. She was pointing at the ships which you can see down the hill from our backyard. There was smoke coming from some of the ships. Daddy was pointing to the planes in the air. He said fixed landing gear. I didn’t know what he meant. Daddy said this meant that they were Japanese planes. It was Japanese fliers that were dropping bombs on the harbor.

Go get my binoculars said Daddy. When Mama came back with the binoculars, Daddy looked down at the harbor. He said I have to get down there with my men. Don’t go said my mother. She was still holding the fork she was using for the bacon. Mama doesn’t like Fumiyo to make the breakfast because she doesn’t know how to make an American breakfast. Fumiyo has only been in Hawaii for a couple of months. She tries very hard but Mama says she still doesn’t know the American ways.

I have to go says Daddy. Lock up the house and stay inside. We all went inside. In no time at all Daddy was dressed in his uniform. He kissed Mama and then he kissed my little brother Jeffie then he kissed me. Do what your mother says.

After Daddy left some planes came flying low over the house. We all got scared and Mama said Jeffie and Lisa stay close beside me. Fumiyo was standing at the window watching the planes. Get away from the window Fumiyo says Mama. Fumiyo does not always understand what we say to her. Mama pulled Fumiyo away from the window. She said she saw anti aircraft shells going up to the planes but they were not hitting them. Fumiyo looked very scared. There was a loud knock at the door. Don’t open that door!! yelled Mama to Fumiyo. Mama told Jeffie and me to go and get in hall closet. Then we heard who was at the door. It was Mrs. Hicks who lives next door. Mrs. Hicks and her husband don’t have any children. He is a navy captain like my Daddy. Let me in!! Let me in!! It’s Mabel said Mabel Hicks. Mama unlocked the door and let Mrs. hicks come in The first thing Mrs. Hicks said was Their invading the island!! Turn on the radio!! Mama turned on the radio. While it was warming up Mrs. Hicks said that she had a gun. She showed it to us. Do you have a gun, Frieda? she asked my mother. She said that we have to protect ourselves.