Read Online The Book Borrower by Alice Mattison - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Alice Mattison
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welcome, said Jeremiah, standing up in his socks.
Jill and Rose pointed, and Deborah pulled Ruben down to her sweaty, milky, freckly half nakedness for a kiss. Her hospital gown, blue and pink teddy bears, was wrinkled over her shoulder. When Ruben leaned over, Squirrel bumped Deborah.
âHereâs the boy!
âShh.
âWhat?
âSurely heâs not allowed. Nervous Ruben was all but sorry sheâd come. The baby was lovely, pink and sweet, but Jeremiah saying Welcome made her shy; people welcomed are outsiders.
âJill and Rose are allowed. Itâs a private room. If they ask, Iâll say heâs my son.
âYou have them nine months apart, of course.
âWe Catholics are like that. I forgot to mention him, I have so many.
Squirrel cried, but nobody came running. Ruben bounced on her heels and Jill and Rose demanded that she take him out, as if theyâd never seen him before. Jill made rude noises into her new sisterâs face. Letâs put him next to our baby and see if heâs bigger, she said. Ruben liked that, but she wasnât going to do it. Jeremiah edgily put on one shoe and tied the bow carefully. Ruben found a place in the lounge chair, which was covered with the childrenâs coats and with newspapers and books, and wished she carried enough peace inside her to quiet Squirrel just by circling her hand on his back.
But a nurse came in. That babyâs not allowed in here, she said. Iâm surprised at you, Mrs. Laidlaw. Introducing your baby to all those germs.
âHow about my own kidsâ germs? They have more germs. They play in the germy mud.
âSibling visits are permitted. But theyâll have to go soon, too.
âEverybodyâs going, said Deborah.
It hurt Rubenâs feelings. I wouldnât harm the baby! she said. She thought she might cry. She could break a rule, but only a silly rule.
âWeâve got to have some kind of control, said the nurse.
âWhat do you think I am? Ruben said. She was embarrassed. Not only had her smuggling failed to conceal Squirrel, the nurse hadnât noticed that she was attempting to conceal him. Hey, what do you think I am, the Symbionese Liberation Army?
âWhatâs that? said Deborah.
âYou know, Jeremiah said. Patty Hearst.
âOh, right, Deborah said. Toby thinks Patty Hearst is a phony. I thought she was wonderful.
âShe was tricked, said the nurse. She thought she was doing good, but she wasnât.
âThatâs what Toby thinks, Deborah said, like a queen, a queen with her breasts hanging out and a now sleeping new-born on her arm. Defiantly and wrongly, Deborah could insist that Ruben and the mean nurse make friends, wielding the authority of pink and blue teddy bears.
âNo, itâs not, said Ruben, who wanted to fight with the nurse. Thatâs not what I think. Patty Hearst doesnât give a damn about people in trouble. Sheâs not a real revolutionary.
âWell, the baby has to go, said the nurse, and Deborah was apologizing, ordering everyone out: Youâre absolutely right! Iâm so sorry! We should have thought! Deborah wouldnât stop. As if, Deborah said to the nurse, working in this madhouse isnât hard enough, weâre making things harder for you!
Which was not true. They had not made things harder for the nurse.
And before anybody could fight with anybody, Deborah went on: I need some rest! All of you chickens and roosters and caterpillars. Get going.
But also saving something Ruben would have spoiled. How delicate. How lovely. Ruben felt loved and held in check for her own sake, a rare feeling she always enjoyed; but she was also angry that she didnât get to have her fight.
She wanted one thump of Deborahâs hand on Squirrel or on her head or her shoulder. She wished to outstay the others by a second. But Jeremiah offered a ride home and in a moment she was just a mommy in the departing crowd, helping
Jill and Rose pointed, and Deborah pulled Ruben down to her sweaty, milky, freckly half nakedness for a kiss. Her hospital gown, blue and pink teddy bears, was wrinkled over her shoulder. When Ruben leaned over, Squirrel bumped Deborah.
âHereâs the boy!
âShh.
âWhat?
âSurely heâs not allowed. Nervous Ruben was all but sorry sheâd come. The baby was lovely, pink and sweet, but Jeremiah saying Welcome made her shy; people welcomed are outsiders.
âJill and Rose are allowed. Itâs a private room. If they ask, Iâll say heâs my son.
âYou have them nine months apart, of course.
âWe Catholics are like that. I forgot to mention him, I have so many.
Squirrel cried, but nobody came running. Ruben bounced on her heels and Jill and Rose demanded that she take him out, as if theyâd never seen him before. Jill made rude noises into her new sisterâs face. Letâs put him next to our baby and see if heâs bigger, she said. Ruben liked that, but she wasnât going to do it. Jeremiah edgily put on one shoe and tied the bow carefully. Ruben found a place in the lounge chair, which was covered with the childrenâs coats and with newspapers and books, and wished she carried enough peace inside her to quiet Squirrel just by circling her hand on his back.
But a nurse came in. That babyâs not allowed in here, she said. Iâm surprised at you, Mrs. Laidlaw. Introducing your baby to all those germs.
âHow about my own kidsâ germs? They have more germs. They play in the germy mud.
âSibling visits are permitted. But theyâll have to go soon, too.
âEverybodyâs going, said Deborah.
It hurt Rubenâs feelings. I wouldnât harm the baby! she said. She thought she might cry. She could break a rule, but only a silly rule.
âWeâve got to have some kind of control, said the nurse.
âWhat do you think I am? Ruben said. She was embarrassed. Not only had her smuggling failed to conceal Squirrel, the nurse hadnât noticed that she was attempting to conceal him. Hey, what do you think I am, the Symbionese Liberation Army?
âWhatâs that? said Deborah.
âYou know, Jeremiah said. Patty Hearst.
âOh, right, Deborah said. Toby thinks Patty Hearst is a phony. I thought she was wonderful.
âShe was tricked, said the nurse. She thought she was doing good, but she wasnât.
âThatâs what Toby thinks, Deborah said, like a queen, a queen with her breasts hanging out and a now sleeping new-born on her arm. Defiantly and wrongly, Deborah could insist that Ruben and the mean nurse make friends, wielding the authority of pink and blue teddy bears.
âNo, itâs not, said Ruben, who wanted to fight with the nurse. Thatâs not what I think. Patty Hearst doesnât give a damn about people in trouble. Sheâs not a real revolutionary.
âWell, the baby has to go, said the nurse, and Deborah was apologizing, ordering everyone out: Youâre absolutely right! Iâm so sorry! We should have thought! Deborah wouldnât stop. As if, Deborah said to the nurse, working in this madhouse isnât hard enough, weâre making things harder for you!
Which was not true. They had not made things harder for the nurse.
And before anybody could fight with anybody, Deborah went on: I need some rest! All of you chickens and roosters and caterpillars. Get going.
But also saving something Ruben would have spoiled. How delicate. How lovely. Ruben felt loved and held in check for her own sake, a rare feeling she always enjoyed; but she was also angry that she didnât get to have her fight.
She wanted one thump of Deborahâs hand on Squirrel or on her head or her shoulder. She wished to outstay the others by a second. But Jeremiah offered a ride home and in a moment she was just a mommy in the departing crowd, helping
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