Colm Tóibín - Brooklyn

The main course was a flat piece of fried meat covered in a thin coating of batter. When Eilis tasted it, she found that there was cheese and then ham inside the batter. She could not identify the meat. And the batter itself was so crisp and full of flavour that, once more, each time she took a taste, she could not work out what had been used to make it. There were no vegetables or potatoes accompanying it, but as Diana had explained that this was normal for Italians, Eilis was not surprised. She was telling Tony's mother how delicious it was, trying not to imply that it was also strange, when a knock came to the door. Tony's father answered it and returned, shaking his head and laughing.

"Antonio, you are wanted. Number eighteen has a blocked drain."

"Dad, it's dinnertime," Tony said.

"It's Mrs. Bruno. We like her," his father said.

"I don't like her," Frank said.

"Francesco, shut your mouth," his father said.

Tony stood up and pushed his chair back.

"Take your overalls and your tools," his mother said. She pronounced the words as though with difficulty.

"I won't be long," he said to Eilis, "and if he says anything at all, report him to me." He pointed at Frank, who began to laugh.

"Tony is the street plumber," said Maurice and explained that since he worked as a mechanic they called him when cars and trucks and motorbikes needed repairing, while Laurence would soon be a qualified carpenter so that if people's chairs or tables broke they could call him.

"But Frankie here is the brains of the family. He's going to college."

"Only if he learns to keep his mouth shut," Laurence said.

"Those Irish guys who beat Maurizio up," Frank said as though he had not been listening to any of their conversation, "they moved out to Long Island."

"I'm glad to hear that," Eilis replied.

"And out there, they have these big houses and you have your own room and you don't get to sleep in the same room as your brothers."

"Would you not like that?" Eilis asked.

"No," he said, "or maybe just sometimes."

As he spoke, they all looked at him, Eilis noticed, and she had the impression that they thought the same thing as she did, that Frank was the most beautiful boy she had ever seen in her life. She had to stop herself looking at him too much as she waited for Tony to come back.

They decided to go ahead with dessert in Tony's absence. It was a sort of cake, Eilis thought, filled with cream and then soaked in some sort of alcohol. And, as she watched Tony's father unscrewing a machine and putting in water and spoonfuls of coffee, she realized that she would have plenty to tell her fellow lodgers. The coffee cups were tiny, and the coffee, when it came, was thick and bitter, despite the spoonful of sugar that she added. Although she did not like it, she attempted to drink it, as the rest of them seemed to think it was nothing special.

Slowly, the conversation became easier but still she found that she was on display and every word she said was being listened to carefully. When they asked her about home she tried to say as little as possible and then worried that they might think she had something to hide. Each time she spoke now she observed Frank staring at her, taking in everything as though he would need to memorize it. When the meal was over and Tony had still not returned, Laurence and Maurice said that they would go to get him away from the clutches of Mrs. Bruno and her daughter. Tony's parents refused Eilis's offer to help them clear off the table and appeared embarrassed now about Tony's absence.

"I thought it would just take him a second," his mother said. "It must have been serious. It's hard to say no to people."

When Tony's parents were away from the table, Frank signalled to her to come close.

"Has he taken you to Coney Island yet?" he whispered.

"No," she replied in a whisper.

"He took his last girlfriend there and they went on the big wheel and she puked hot dogs all over herself and she blamed him and wouldn't go out with him again. He didn't speak for a month."

"Is that right?"

"Francesco, get up and go out," his father said. "Or go and do homework. What was he saying?"

"He was telling me that Coney Island is nice in the summer," Eilis said.

"He's right. It is," his father said. "Has Tony not brought you?"

"No."

"I hope he will," he said. "You'll like it."

She detected a smile on his face.

Frank was watching her with wonder because, she thought, she had not told his father what he had really said. When his father turned away, she made a grimacing face at him and he stared at her in astonishment before he made a face back at her and left the room just as Tony, in his overalls, was returning with his two brothers. He dropped his tools and held his hands up: they were grimy.

"I'm a saint," he said, and grinned.

When Eilis told Miss Fortini that Tony was going to take her to the beach in Coney Island some Sunday now that the weather was becoming balmy, Miss Fortini expressed alarm. "I don't think you've been watching your figure," she said.

"Yes, I know," Eilis replied. "And I have no bathing costume."

"Italian men!" Miss Fortini said. "They don't care in the winter but in the summer on the beach you have to look your best. My guy won't go on the beach unless he already has a tan."

Miss Fortini said that she had a friend who worked in another store that sold good-quality bathing suits, much better than the ones on sale in Bartocci's, and she would get some on approval so that Eilis could try them. In the meantime, she advised her to begin watching her figure. Eilis attempted to say that she did not think Tony cared that much about suntans or how she might look on the beach, but Miss Fortini interrupted her to say that every Italian man cared about how his girlfriend looked on the beach, no matter how perfect she might be in other ways.

"In Ireland no one looks," Eilis said. "It would be bad manners."

"In Italy it would be bad manners not to look."

Later in the week Miss Fortini approached Eilis in the morning to say that the bathing suits were to be delivered in the afternoon and Eilis could try them on in the fitting room after work when the store had closed. Since the store was busy towards the end of the working day, Eilis had almost forgotten about it until she found Miss Fortini hovering around her with the package. They waited until everyone had left and then Miss Fortini informed the security that they would be there for a while longer, that she herself would turn the lights off and they would leave by a side door.

The first bathing suit was black and appeared the right size for her. Eilis pulled the curtains back and moved out of the changing cubicle so that Miss Fortini could see it. Miss Fortini seemed uncertain as she studied it carefully, putting one hand over her mouth as though this would help her to concentrate better and as though to emphasize that getting this right was a most serious matter. She walked around Eilis so that she could inspect how it fitted from behind and, moving closer, put her hand under the firm elastic that held the bathing suit in place at the top of Eilis's thighs. She pulled the elastic down a fraction and then patted Eilis twice on the bottom, letting her hand linger the second time.

"My, you are going to have to work on your figure," she said as she went to the package and took out a second bathing suit, which was green.

"I think the black might be too severe," she said. "If your skin was not so white, it might be fine. Now try this."

Eilis pulled back the curtain and changed into the green bathing suit. She could hear the humming of the harsh lights overhead but otherwise was aware only of the silence and the emptiness of the store and the intensity and sharpness of Miss Fortini's gaze as she appeared in front of her once more. Without speaking, Miss Fortini knelt down in front of her and once more put her fingers under the elastic.