Read Online Before My Life Began by Jay Neugeboren - Free Book Online Page B

swell time in there.”
    â€œMy Sheila knows how to have a good time,” Lillian said. “She’s just like I was. Didn’t I always like a good time, Abie? Didn’t we have fun?”
    â€œCan we go home now?” Sheila asked, coming into the room and smoothing down her hair.
    â€œYou stop pouting,” Lillian said. She turned to my mother. “Don’t she look gorgeous when she’s mad?”
    â€œSheila’s a pretty girl,” my mother said. “I always said so. She’ll hook a guy before you know it.”
    â€œBe a good girl, I keep telling her,” Lillian said. “And if you can’t be good, be careful, right?”
    â€œStop,” Abe said. His voice was hard.
    â€œYeah, Ma,” Sheila said, smiling at her father. “You make me embarrassed.”
    â€œSince he’s back it’s like instead of a sergeant in the Army he’s Holy Joe from Holy Cross or something. All he does all day is tell us to stop talking the way we talk.” She stopped. Her eyes flickered. “I was good enough for you before the war, so what’s the matter with me now? You get used to them high-class French broads or something?”
    â€œYou won’t talk this way,” Abe said.
    â€œWhy? You’re gonna stop me the way you used to stop everyone, huh? You’re gonna have your goons do a job on me too, like—”
    Abe slapped her face so quickly that I wasn’t sure I saw him do it. Then he sat. We waited. In the silence I could still hear the crack of his palm against Lillian’s cheek. I saw the red marks rise on her face. Her eyes and mouth opened wide, but it was my mother who started crying.
    â€œOh Abe, my baby!” she cried. “What did they do to you over there? Tell me, darling. I was so worried all the time. I was so worried. What did they do to you. What did you have to see?”
    â€œWe should go,” Abe said. “Get your coats.”
    â€œI think maybe you should put some ice on your cheek,” my father said. “I really think so. Do you want me to get you some ice, Lillian?”
    â€œA lot of good that one is,” my mother said. “What are you asking for—don’t you see how fast she’s swelling up? Don’t you got eyes?”
    â€œHere we go again,” Sheila said.
    â€œShe’s right,” my father said, forcing a smile. “It seems like old times again already, doesn’t it?”
    â€œHe didn’t get enough fighting over there,” Lillian said, “so he gotta come home and start in.”
    My mother put out her arms and Lillian went to her. The two of them kissed and hugged and sniffled. Sheila laughed. My father shrugged. Abe was looking at me, puzzled, a new crease line between his eyes. I imagined one of Tony’s brothers machine-gunning him to death in an alleyway. My mother pressed the cold washcloth against Lillian’s cheek and talked about the kind of job she wanted to get. My father told her to be quiet, that he didn’t like talking business when we were with family for a happy occasion. My mother sat next to Abe and took his hands in hers. I remembered that Little Benny had come to the party late the night before and had gone into the bedroom with Abe. After that, two of Abe’s men had taken turns guarding the building downstairs, with Louie Newman on the roof for lookout. If I knew where Abe was hiding out and Fasalino’s men caught me and tortured me—upside-down with a hose in my mouth, or with pliers to tear my nails off, or by making me watch them do cruel things to my mother—would I be strong enough not to rat on him?
    â€œListen,” she said. “I’m not complaining about Sol’s job, only I just wanted to say that if you should run across something—a good opportunity, if you know what I mean—you should keep Sol in mind.”
    Abe went to the foyer, took their coats from the