Read Online The Sisters Montclair by Cathy Holton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cathy Holton
Ads: Link
married.”
Alice snorted and turned back to her letter. “I wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that one,” she said.
After supper, Stella finished washing up and had just settled down for more reading in the sunroom when Alice rang the bell. When she appeared in the bedroom doorway, Alice looked up at her and said, “Do you know how to put me to bed?”
“Yes, ma’am. I did it last night.”
“You did? Oh, all right then.” The old woman seemed bewildered, frail, her white hair standing up around her head like whipped egg whites. Alice’s frailty affected Stella, made her feel oddly tender. It must be terrible for an intelligent woman, a reader, to lose her memory the way Alice seemed to have lost hers. Although it wasn’t a permanent loss. Memory seemed to come and go, flowing and ebbing like waves on a beach. Sometimes she was sharp and quick and lucid; her stories of the past, down to the minutest detail, were proof of that.
Stella brought the walker and Alice went into the bathroom to brush her teeth.
Wheel of Fortune
blared on the television.
And her stories weren’t lies, like some old people told, they weren’t made up, because she told the same ones over and over again, and the details were always the same. So she was remembering events as they actually happened; she wasn’t making stuff up.
As she came hobbling out of the bathroom, Alice said, “I’ll wear something else tomorrow.” She sat down on the edge of the bed. “Turn on that light. No, that one on the wall. Okay, now open the closet door.”
Stella did as she instructed, sliding the door open. A long line of neatly-ironed pastel knit dresses hung on hangers.
“Okay, now grab that blue one. No, not that one, the blue one.”
“This one?”
“No. The blue one! The blue one!”
“I’m not sure where you’re pointing.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sakes,” Alice said.
Stella pulled out a pale lavender dress with large buttons down the front. “This one?”
“Yes. That one. Now, put it over the chair. And take this one and put it in the hamper to be cleaned. Elaine will be so happy because now I won’t be wearing a dress with germs on it. That girl drives me crazy with her phobia about germs.”
Alice stood unsteadily and pulled her dress up around her hips and Stella hurried over to help her. After Alice was dressed in her cotton knit nightgown (My K-Mart special, she called it) and settled in bed, Stella rubbed oil on her arms and legs. Alice was quiet through most of this, staring at the TV. When she had finished, Stella went into the bathroom to wash her hands, and when she came back out, Alice was staring at the silver framed photograph on the nightstand.
“What’s that doing in here?” she said.
“You told me to put it there. This afternoon when we were walking.”
“I did?”
“Yes. Do you know who is in the picture?”
Alice gave her a scornful look. “Of course I do,” she said. “That’s my sister, Adeline. My sister Adeline and two of her daughters.”
Stella put the cap back on the baby oil. “I thought it might be.”
“Put it out in the living room,” Alice said. “It doesn’t belong in here.”
After she’d gotten Alice settled in bed watching
Jeopardy
, Stella walked out into the sunroom to find Adeline sitting in a chair, flipping through a magazine. Stella was so startled she jumped, putting a hand to her throat.
Adeline glanced at her and then back at the magazine. “Sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“I didn’t hear you come in,” Stella said, slowly advancing into the room.
“You might want to lock that front door,” Adeline said.
“I thought it was locked.”
“Apparently not.”
Stella was quiet a moment, staring at the older woman who continued to flip casually through
The New Yorker
. “Do you want me to tell Alice you’re here?”
“No, I’m having lunch with her tomorrow. I’ll talk to her then.” Adeline wore a pair of
Alice snorted and turned back to her letter. “I wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that one,” she said.
After supper, Stella finished washing up and had just settled down for more reading in the sunroom when Alice rang the bell. When she appeared in the bedroom doorway, Alice looked up at her and said, “Do you know how to put me to bed?”
“Yes, ma’am. I did it last night.”
“You did? Oh, all right then.” The old woman seemed bewildered, frail, her white hair standing up around her head like whipped egg whites. Alice’s frailty affected Stella, made her feel oddly tender. It must be terrible for an intelligent woman, a reader, to lose her memory the way Alice seemed to have lost hers. Although it wasn’t a permanent loss. Memory seemed to come and go, flowing and ebbing like waves on a beach. Sometimes she was sharp and quick and lucid; her stories of the past, down to the minutest detail, were proof of that.
Stella brought the walker and Alice went into the bathroom to brush her teeth.
Wheel of Fortune
blared on the television.
And her stories weren’t lies, like some old people told, they weren’t made up, because she told the same ones over and over again, and the details were always the same. So she was remembering events as they actually happened; she wasn’t making stuff up.
As she came hobbling out of the bathroom, Alice said, “I’ll wear something else tomorrow.” She sat down on the edge of the bed. “Turn on that light. No, that one on the wall. Okay, now open the closet door.”
Stella did as she instructed, sliding the door open. A long line of neatly-ironed pastel knit dresses hung on hangers.
“Okay, now grab that blue one. No, not that one, the blue one.”
“This one?”
“No. The blue one! The blue one!”
“I’m not sure where you’re pointing.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sakes,” Alice said.
Stella pulled out a pale lavender dress with large buttons down the front. “This one?”
“Yes. That one. Now, put it over the chair. And take this one and put it in the hamper to be cleaned. Elaine will be so happy because now I won’t be wearing a dress with germs on it. That girl drives me crazy with her phobia about germs.”
Alice stood unsteadily and pulled her dress up around her hips and Stella hurried over to help her. After Alice was dressed in her cotton knit nightgown (My K-Mart special, she called it) and settled in bed, Stella rubbed oil on her arms and legs. Alice was quiet through most of this, staring at the TV. When she had finished, Stella went into the bathroom to wash her hands, and when she came back out, Alice was staring at the silver framed photograph on the nightstand.
“What’s that doing in here?” she said.
“You told me to put it there. This afternoon when we were walking.”
“I did?”
“Yes. Do you know who is in the picture?”
Alice gave her a scornful look. “Of course I do,” she said. “That’s my sister, Adeline. My sister Adeline and two of her daughters.”
Stella put the cap back on the baby oil. “I thought it might be.”
“Put it out in the living room,” Alice said. “It doesn’t belong in here.”
After she’d gotten Alice settled in bed watching
Jeopardy
, Stella walked out into the sunroom to find Adeline sitting in a chair, flipping through a magazine. Stella was so startled she jumped, putting a hand to her throat.
Adeline glanced at her and then back at the magazine. “Sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“I didn’t hear you come in,” Stella said, slowly advancing into the room.
“You might want to lock that front door,” Adeline said.
“I thought it was locked.”
“Apparently not.”
Stella was quiet a moment, staring at the older woman who continued to flip casually through
The New Yorker
. “Do you want me to tell Alice you’re here?”
“No, I’m having lunch with her tomorrow. I’ll talk to her then.” Adeline wore a pair of
Similar Books
