cookies. . . . Julie? What do you like?” It was clear he was talking to the other Julie.
“Oh, I’m fine, Mr. Prodsky. I couldn’t eat another thing.”
“You sure?” he called from the kitchen.
“Yes. Dinner was delicious. I’m so full,” she said.
“Really? It’s no trouble,” Mom said. “Honey! Will you bring me an apple?” she said to my dad. Then, to Julie, “I’m trying to stay away from the cookies. But you girls go ahead.”
“An apple!” Dad sang from the kitchen.
“Would you like an apple?” Mom said to Julie.
“No, really, I’m fine.”
“We should get going if we’re gonna catch that movie. Is that all right, Mom? If we go now?” I said.
“Well, all right. Where are you going?”
“Loew’s Eighty-Third. We’re seeing Arthur .”
“Okay,” Mom said, seeming a little disappointed that dinner ended so abruptly. I went to the front hall closet to get our jackets.
“Thanks so much for dinner, Mrs. Prodsky,” Julie said.
“Helene,” Mom said, forcing a smile. She sucked on an ice cube from her empty glass of water.
“Oh . . . okay,” Julie said, sounding a little uncomfortable.
“Bye! Have fun, girls!” Dad said from the kitchen doorway.
“Back by eleven thirty, right?” Mom said.
“ Yes , I know ,” I said, not hiding my annoyance.
I locked the door behind us while Julie rang for the elevator.
“I am so sorry,” I said to Julie. “I didn’t think tonight would be such a nightmare.”
“What are you talking about?” she said. “It wasn’t that bad. Your parents are nice. They’re funny. And it only got sticky there at the end with Ellie. I’m sorry if I caused that.”
“No you didn’t. . . . She’s just . . . weird.” Then I just couldn’t hold my tears back anymore; they came sliding down my cheeks.
“Hey,” Julie said, touching my arm, “it’s no big deal, really.”
“I just . . .” I said, trying to catch my tears and finding it difficult to look at her. “My family just gets me so upset!”
“I know,” she said, putting her arm around me. “I guess that’s what families are supposed to do—drive you crazy.”
The elevator came, and I wiped off my face so Freddy, the elevator man who’s known me forever, wouldn’t ask what’s wrong. He just nodded at us, and we pretty much rode silently down the twelve floors. When we got outside Julie stopped in front of my building and said, “Listen. I know you think I have this great family, but believe me, they’re nuts. Completely nuts. Just like yours is nuts, only different.” I just looked at her, not knowing what to say.
“Believe me, you’ll see it, I promise.” She put her arm through mine, and we started walking toward the subway. “And the dinner was good. I loved the Peachy Chicken.”
“I’m sorry I’m being such a baby,” I said, feeling more warm tears on my face. “I feel so stupid.”
“Who better to cry in front of than your best friend?” Julie said.
7
I Did It Alone
One weekend during Christmas season I went down to Canal Jeans by myself. Canal Jeans was in Soho and had excellent vintage clothes. There was also a great flea market nearby on Greene Street. I hadn’t tried stealing there; I guess it felt too risky ’cause of it being outdoors and all out in the open. You never knew who was watching. It was a good excuse to use if Mom asked about any new stolen clothes—that I got them at the flea market. She knew things were cheaper there. But she never asked, which kind of bugged me out. I mean, how out of touch with your kids can you get?
At Canal Jeans I was looking for one more Christmas present for Ellie. Our family celebrated Christmas even though Dad was Jewish and Mom was Protestant. We weren’t really any religion, which was okay with me.
As much as I hated Ellie sometimes, we always got each other good presents, and we’d kept up a Christmas-morning tradition that we started when we were little. Since we weren’t allowed to
“Oh, I’m fine, Mr. Prodsky. I couldn’t eat another thing.”
“You sure?” he called from the kitchen.
“Yes. Dinner was delicious. I’m so full,” she said.
“Really? It’s no trouble,” Mom said. “Honey! Will you bring me an apple?” she said to my dad. Then, to Julie, “I’m trying to stay away from the cookies. But you girls go ahead.”
“An apple!” Dad sang from the kitchen.
“Would you like an apple?” Mom said to Julie.
“No, really, I’m fine.”
“We should get going if we’re gonna catch that movie. Is that all right, Mom? If we go now?” I said.
“Well, all right. Where are you going?”
“Loew’s Eighty-Third. We’re seeing Arthur .”
“Okay,” Mom said, seeming a little disappointed that dinner ended so abruptly. I went to the front hall closet to get our jackets.
“Thanks so much for dinner, Mrs. Prodsky,” Julie said.
“Helene,” Mom said, forcing a smile. She sucked on an ice cube from her empty glass of water.
“Oh . . . okay,” Julie said, sounding a little uncomfortable.
“Bye! Have fun, girls!” Dad said from the kitchen doorway.
“Back by eleven thirty, right?” Mom said.
“ Yes , I know ,” I said, not hiding my annoyance.
I locked the door behind us while Julie rang for the elevator.
“I am so sorry,” I said to Julie. “I didn’t think tonight would be such a nightmare.”
“What are you talking about?” she said. “It wasn’t that bad. Your parents are nice. They’re funny. And it only got sticky there at the end with Ellie. I’m sorry if I caused that.”
“No you didn’t. . . . She’s just . . . weird.” Then I just couldn’t hold my tears back anymore; they came sliding down my cheeks.
“Hey,” Julie said, touching my arm, “it’s no big deal, really.”
“I just . . .” I said, trying to catch my tears and finding it difficult to look at her. “My family just gets me so upset!”
“I know,” she said, putting her arm around me. “I guess that’s what families are supposed to do—drive you crazy.”
The elevator came, and I wiped off my face so Freddy, the elevator man who’s known me forever, wouldn’t ask what’s wrong. He just nodded at us, and we pretty much rode silently down the twelve floors. When we got outside Julie stopped in front of my building and said, “Listen. I know you think I have this great family, but believe me, they’re nuts. Completely nuts. Just like yours is nuts, only different.” I just looked at her, not knowing what to say.
“Believe me, you’ll see it, I promise.” She put her arm through mine, and we started walking toward the subway. “And the dinner was good. I loved the Peachy Chicken.”
“I’m sorry I’m being such a baby,” I said, feeling more warm tears on my face. “I feel so stupid.”
“Who better to cry in front of than your best friend?” Julie said.
7
I Did It Alone
One weekend during Christmas season I went down to Canal Jeans by myself. Canal Jeans was in Soho and had excellent vintage clothes. There was also a great flea market nearby on Greene Street. I hadn’t tried stealing there; I guess it felt too risky ’cause of it being outdoors and all out in the open. You never knew who was watching. It was a good excuse to use if Mom asked about any new stolen clothes—that I got them at the flea market. She knew things were cheaper there. But she never asked, which kind of bugged me out. I mean, how out of touch with your kids can you get?
At Canal Jeans I was looking for one more Christmas present for Ellie. Our family celebrated Christmas even though Dad was Jewish and Mom was Protestant. We weren’t really any religion, which was okay with me.
As much as I hated Ellie sometimes, we always got each other good presents, and we’d kept up a Christmas-morning tradition that we started when we were little. Since we weren’t allowed to
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