Read Online Life Among the Savages by Shirley Jackson - Free Book Online Page B

time.”
    â€œBring me a present,” Jannie added.
    â€œDon’t worry about a thing,” my husband said.
    â€œNow, don’t you sorry,” I told him. “There’s nothing to worry about.”
    â€œEverything will be fine,” he said. “Don’t worry.”
    I waited for a good moment and then scrambled into the taxi without grace; I did not dare risk my reassuring smile on the taxi driver but I nodded to him briskly.
    â€œI’ll be with you in an hour,” my husband said nervously. “And don’t worry.”
    â€œEverything will be fine,” I said. “Don’t worry.”
    â€œNothing to worry about,” the taxi driver said to my husband, and we started off, my husband standing on the lawn wringing his hands and the taxi tacking insanely from side to side of the road to avoid even the slightest bump.
    I sat very still in the back seat, trying not to breathe. I had one arm lovingly around my suitcase, which held my yellow nightgown, and I tried to light a cigarette without using any muscles except those in my hands and my neck and still not let go of my suitcase.
    â€œGoing to be a beautiful day,” I said to the taxi driver at last. We had a twenty-minute trip ahead of us, at least —much longer, if he continued his zig-zag path. “Pretty warm for this time of year.”
    â€œPretty warm yesterday, too,” the taxi driver said.
    â€œIt was warm yesterday,” I conceded, and stopped to catch my breath. The driver, who was obviously avoiding looking at me in the mirror, said a little bit hysterically, “Probably be warm tomorrow, too.”
    I waited for a minute, and then I was able to say, dubiously, “I don’t know as it will stay warm that long. Might cool off by tomorrow.”
    â€œWell,” the taxi driver said, “it was sure warm yesterday.”
    â€œYesterday?” I said. “Yes, that was a warm day.”
    â€œGoing to be nice today, too,” the driver said. I clutched my suitcase tighter and made some small sound–more like a yelp than anything else—and the taxi veered madly off to the left and then began to pick up speed with enthusiasm.
    â€œVery warm indeed,” the driver babbled, leaning forward against the wheel. “Warmest day I ever saw for the time of year. Usually this time of year it’s colder. Yesterday it was terribly–”
    â€œIt was not,” I said. “It was freezing. I can see the tower of the hospital.”
    â€œI remember thinking how warm it was,” the driver said. He turned into the hospital drive. “It was so warm I noticed it right away. ‘This is a warm day,’ I thought; that’s how warm it was.”
    We pulled up with a magnificent flourish at the hospital entrance, and the driver skittered out of the front seat and came around and opened the door and took my arm.
    â€œMy wife had five,” he said. “I’ll take the suitcase, Miss. Five and never a minute’s trouble with any of them.”
    He rushed me in through the door and up to the desk. “Here,” he said to the desk clerk. “Pay me later,” he said to me, and fled.
    â€œName?” the desk clerk said to me politely, her pencil poised.
    â€œName,” I said vaguely. I remembered, and told her.
    â€œAge?” she asked. “Sex? Occupation?”
    â€œWriter,” I said.
    â€œHousewife,” she said.
    â€œWriter,” I said.
    â€œI’ll just put down housewife,” she said. “Doctor? How many children?”
    â€œTwo,” I said. “Up to now.”
    â€œNormal pregnancy?” she said. “Blood test? X-ray?”
    â€œLook–” I said.
    â€œHusband’s name?” she said. “Address? Occupation?”
    â€œJust put down housewife,” I said. “I don’t remember his name, really.”
    â€œLegitimate? ”
    â€œWhat?” I