“That’s the problem,” Miss Jensen said. “You didn’t think. You never think. You probably haven’t had a lucid thought in your life!” And she dragged him out of the cafeteria. Maybe Mr. Royer had already called the police. Maybe Donny Kellen would be taken away to jail, or juvenile detention. Miri was sure at the very least he’d be expelled. Finally, Mr. Royer could expel someone who deserved it.
That afternoon kids walked out of school without going to class, without waiting for bells or for teachers to dismiss them. They took off alone, or in groups. Some of the girls flirted with the boys, who flirted back by knocking their books out of their hands or snapping jackets at them. Suzanne wanted to go to Pamel’s, the sweet shop on Broad Street, and celebrate with a banana split. But Miri wasn’t in the mood to celebrate. It still felt all too real to her. It could have been another plane, it could have been anything. Was this how it was going to be? Always waiting for the next disaster?
She walked home alone, forgetting that Irene had gone to New York for the day with Ben Sapphire. She would have welcomed Irene’s warm embrace. Instead, she headed upstairs to her room, where she would lie on her bed with the kaleidoscope, losing herself in its beautiful patterns and colors.
Upstairs, something felt wrong. Rusty’s bedroom door was closed and it sounded as if she was sick. Rusty had never missed a day of work in her life—but now she was mewling. “Mom…” Miri opened the door to Rusty’s room and wasn’t sure at first what she was seeing.
Rusty looked over the shoulder of whoever was on top of her. “Ohmygod, Miri!”
Miri couldn’t breathe, let alone speak. A man, naked, with a white backside, turned to look at her and Miri let out one cry, then covered her mouth with her hand and ran down the stairs, out of the house, up the street. That was Dr. O on top of her mother, and he wasn’t checking her teeth.
Then Rusty was running after her, a raincoat thrown over a black lace negligee. “Miri, wait!”
Miri turned for a minute, in time to see Rusty trip over the negligee, too long for her raincoat to cover, her bare feet in her weekend moccasins. Miri didn’t want anyone to see her mother this way. Didn’t want the neighbors to gossip and ask each other what Rusty Ammerman was doing home in the middle of the day, wearing a black lace negligee and chasing her daughter down Sayre Street toward Morris Avenue.
Miri stopped, letting Rusty catch up with her. “You look ridiculous!” Miri told her.
“I guess so,” Rusty said.
“Go home, Mom.”
“Not unless you come with me.”
Rusty tried to put her arm around Miri but Miri backed away, repelled. “Don’t touch me!”
—
DR. O WAS GONE when they got home.
“I’m sorry this is the way you found out,” Rusty said, wrapping the raincoat around her middle and tying the belt. “We were waiting until the divorce to tell you.”
“What divorce?”
“Arthur and Corinne’s.”
“They can’t get divorced. That will make Natalie sicker than she is now.”
“Natalie knows,” Rusty said.
“You told her but not me?”
“She doesn’t know about her father and me. She only knows they’re separating.”
“I’ll never forgive you for this. And I’ll never trust you again, either.”
“Honey—”
“Don’t honey me…and don’t act like everything’s going to be okay, because it’s not.”
“I know this is a shock. I wish I could have told you sooner. I don’t expect you to understand right away. But I hope—”
“What happened to honesty is the best policy? What happened to trust? All those things you told me when you accused me of betraying you? You probably lied about my father, too.”
“I never lied to you about your father. And I’m not lying to you now.”
“Did you tell him you were pregnant? Did he leave because of that?” How did this turn into a fight about Mike Monsky?
Rusty sat down. “He enlisted before I knew. Later, Irene wanted to tell his family but I wouldn’t let her.”
So that’s how it was.
“I didn’t want to marry him, Miri. It never would have worked, and by then he’d shipped out anyway.”
“Does Nana know about Dr. O? Does Uncle Henry?”
“No one knows. We’ve tried to be discreet to avoid hurting anyone we love.”
“Is this why Corinne and Dr. O have been fighting?”
“I can’t answer questions about their marriage.”
“He gave Corinne diamond earrings for Hanukkah. Did you know that?”
“No.”
“Well, he did.”
“I don’t need diamond earrings to prove he loves me.”
—
NATALIE PHONED Miri the following night. “I need to see you. Come to the house tomorrow right after school.”
“The house? You’re home?”
“No questions.”
“But what about—”
Natalie didn’t wait for her to finish. “Just don’t be late.”
Miri rode her bike to Natalie’s right after school. She was relieved Corinne’s car wasn’t in the driveway. She didn’t see how she could face Corinne.
Natalie was waiting at the door and rushed Miri up to her bedroom, closed the door behind them and blocked it with a chair.
Miri was surprised and uncomfortable. Should she be afraid? She didn’t know. “How long have you been home?” she asked.
“Since Lulu died.”