Read Online Specter (9780307823403) by Joan Lowery Nixon - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Joan Lowery Nixon
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I’ve missed you.”
“Everyone’s waiting to see you, but I said I wanted to be the first.”
“I’m glad.” I kick at a little brown bug that is trying to crawl on my sandal.
“Carlotta baked a huge cake for you.”
“She sent me a card.”
“Mrs. Pettigrew said to say hello for her. She left this week to live with her daughter.”
“There’s so much I want you to tell me. Everything that’s gone on since I left.”
Up until now our words have politely skirted each other, keeping a distance, moving in self-conscious little circles. But Holley Jo suddenly grins. “Guess what! Daisy’s getting married! To one of the Parker brothers. The gooney one.”
We laugh, and time is back in place.
Dr. Lynn says, “We’ll pick you up about two o’clock, Dina.”
I wave as they leave. A small white face stares at me from the backseat. I refuse to think about Julie right now. This is where I’ve wanted to be for so long, and I’m not going to think of anything or anyone else.
As we enter the main building, Dr. Martin and his wife come to meet me. Her broad, toothy grin hasn’t changed. Nothing has changed, except me.
Everyone swarms into the room, and I’m pulled into the dining room. Someone has fastened balloons and a banner saying “Hi, Dina” around the door to the dining room. There’s pink punch, and a cake, and laughter, and all of them looking at me through glittery glass eyes that hide their feelings. It’s a nice party. I didn’t expect a party. And I’m tired. So tired.
People are drifting into little groups, and talkingabout baseball games and how glad they are the semester has ended, and who has to go to summer school. I tug at Holley Jo’s arm and whisper, “Could we go to our room for a little while?”
“Sure,” she says. “I know you’re tired.” So I must show how I feel, and I hate my body even more for not being strong enough to hide its horrible secret.
My feet have become so heavy. One step at a time. That’s the way. Try to keep pace with Holley Jo, who is awkwardly trying to keep pace with me. My whole body is exhausted, so unwilling to move. Here are the stairs. I can make it. I will I will I will. There is a room up there. A room with my bed in it. And I can rest. My mind pulls and pushes and prods this body, and it obeys.
“I’ll get the door,” Holley Jo says.
My bed is nearest the door, and I flop on it gratefully, closing my eyes, feeling the pieces of my body settle into place again.
“I’m sorry,” I murmur. “Sometimes I get so tired.”
“Just lie there as long as you want,” she says. “Ellen won’t mind.”
“Ellen?” My eyelids flip open.
I’m on a yellow-and-green-printed bedspread. I roll on my side and stare at the room. It’s yellow, and there are curtains with a ruffle in this same yellow, trimmed in green.
“Everything’s changed!” I cry.
“The Women’s Gospel Committee decided toredecorate this wing,” Holley Jo says. “I don’t much like it. I wish they’d picked blue.”
“Ellen?” I ask. “Did they give my bed to Ellen Greeley?”
Holley Jo squirms and twists her feet around the chair at her desk. “They did some shifting. They said you wouldn’t be back.”
“I guess they had to. It’s just that in my mind this has always been my bed and our room.”
She leans forward eagerly. “If—when—you get better and come back, I know they’ll put you in here, if you want.”
I lie on my back and stare at the ceiling.
“Tell me about Rob.”
“He’s a nothing.”
“Who’s he dating?”
She shrugs and gives me a quick look. “Debbie, I guess.”
“It’s okay,” I tell her. “I’m over him.”
“Did he ever write you?”
“Rob held an early funeral for me. It was easier for him that way.”
“Dina!” she says. “Don’t talk like that!”
“Then tell me about Daisy and her wedding. Isn’t the one she’s marrying named Floyd?
“Yes,” she says with a rush of words, “and
“Everyone’s waiting to see you, but I said I wanted to be the first.”
“I’m glad.” I kick at a little brown bug that is trying to crawl on my sandal.
“Carlotta baked a huge cake for you.”
“She sent me a card.”
“Mrs. Pettigrew said to say hello for her. She left this week to live with her daughter.”
“There’s so much I want you to tell me. Everything that’s gone on since I left.”
Up until now our words have politely skirted each other, keeping a distance, moving in self-conscious little circles. But Holley Jo suddenly grins. “Guess what! Daisy’s getting married! To one of the Parker brothers. The gooney one.”
We laugh, and time is back in place.
Dr. Lynn says, “We’ll pick you up about two o’clock, Dina.”
I wave as they leave. A small white face stares at me from the backseat. I refuse to think about Julie right now. This is where I’ve wanted to be for so long, and I’m not going to think of anything or anyone else.
As we enter the main building, Dr. Martin and his wife come to meet me. Her broad, toothy grin hasn’t changed. Nothing has changed, except me.
Everyone swarms into the room, and I’m pulled into the dining room. Someone has fastened balloons and a banner saying “Hi, Dina” around the door to the dining room. There’s pink punch, and a cake, and laughter, and all of them looking at me through glittery glass eyes that hide their feelings. It’s a nice party. I didn’t expect a party. And I’m tired. So tired.
People are drifting into little groups, and talkingabout baseball games and how glad they are the semester has ended, and who has to go to summer school. I tug at Holley Jo’s arm and whisper, “Could we go to our room for a little while?”
“Sure,” she says. “I know you’re tired.” So I must show how I feel, and I hate my body even more for not being strong enough to hide its horrible secret.
My feet have become so heavy. One step at a time. That’s the way. Try to keep pace with Holley Jo, who is awkwardly trying to keep pace with me. My whole body is exhausted, so unwilling to move. Here are the stairs. I can make it. I will I will I will. There is a room up there. A room with my bed in it. And I can rest. My mind pulls and pushes and prods this body, and it obeys.
“I’ll get the door,” Holley Jo says.
My bed is nearest the door, and I flop on it gratefully, closing my eyes, feeling the pieces of my body settle into place again.
“I’m sorry,” I murmur. “Sometimes I get so tired.”
“Just lie there as long as you want,” she says. “Ellen won’t mind.”
“Ellen?” My eyelids flip open.
I’m on a yellow-and-green-printed bedspread. I roll on my side and stare at the room. It’s yellow, and there are curtains with a ruffle in this same yellow, trimmed in green.
“Everything’s changed!” I cry.
“The Women’s Gospel Committee decided toredecorate this wing,” Holley Jo says. “I don’t much like it. I wish they’d picked blue.”
“Ellen?” I ask. “Did they give my bed to Ellen Greeley?”
Holley Jo squirms and twists her feet around the chair at her desk. “They did some shifting. They said you wouldn’t be back.”
“I guess they had to. It’s just that in my mind this has always been my bed and our room.”
She leans forward eagerly. “If—when—you get better and come back, I know they’ll put you in here, if you want.”
I lie on my back and stare at the ceiling.
“Tell me about Rob.”
“He’s a nothing.”
“Who’s he dating?”
She shrugs and gives me a quick look. “Debbie, I guess.”
“It’s okay,” I tell her. “I’m over him.”
“Did he ever write you?”
“Rob held an early funeral for me. It was easier for him that way.”
“Dina!” she says. “Don’t talk like that!”
“Then tell me about Daisy and her wedding. Isn’t the one she’s marrying named Floyd?
“Yes,” she says with a rush of words, “and
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