“Language.”
“Morgie’s mom got drunk,” Benny said in way that suggested having his language corrected was as difficult as having his teeth pulled. “Morgie’s uncle sat in the corner singing Irish songs and crying with the guys from the farm.”
“That was a year, year and a half ago, right? First spring planting?”
“Yeah. They were building a corn silo, and Mr. Mitchell was using the rope hoist to send some tools up to the crew working on the silo roof. One of the scaffolding pipes broke, and a whole bunch of stuff came crashing down on him.”
“It was an accident.”
“Well, yeah, sure.”
“How’d Morgie take it?”
“How do you think he took it? He was fu—I mean, he was screwed up.” Benny handed back the glasses. “He’s still a little screwed up.”
“How’s he screwed up?”
“I don’t know. He misses his dad. They used to hang out a lot. Mr. Mitchell was pretty cool, I guess.”
“Do you miss Aunt Cathy?”
“Sure, but I was little. I don’t remember that much. I remember she smiled a lot. She was pretty. I remember she used to sneak me extra ice cream from the store where she worked. Half an extra ration.”
Tom nodded. “Do you remember what she looked like?”
“Like Mom,” said Benny. “She looked a lot like Mom.”
“You were too little to remember Mom.”
“I remember her,” Benny said with an edge in his voice. He took out his wallet and showed Tom the image behind the glassine cover. “Maybe I don’t remember her really well, but I think about her. All the time. Dad, too. I can even remember what she wore on First Night. A white dress with red sleeves. I remember the sleeves.”
Tom closed his eyes and sighed, and his lips moved. Benny thought he echoed the words “red sleeves.” Tom opened his eyes. “I didn’t know you carried this.” His smile was small and sad. “I remember Mom. She’s was more of a mother to me than my mom ever was. I was so happy when Dad married her. I can remember every line on her face. The color of her hair. Her smile. Cathy was a year younger, but they could have been twins.”
Benny sat up and wrapped his arms around his knees. His brain felt twisted around. There were so many emotions wired into memories, old and new. He glanced at his brother. “You were older than I am now when, y’know, it happened.”
“I turned twenty a few days before First Night. I was in the police academy. Dad married your mom when I was sixteen.”
“You got to know them. I never did. I wish I …” He left the rest unsaid.
Tom nodded. “Me too, kiddo.”
They sat in the shade of their private memories.
“Tell me something, Benny,” said Tom. “What would you have done if one of your friends—say, Chong or Morgie—had come to Aunt Cathy’s funeral and took a leak in her coffin?”
Benny was so startled by the question that his answer was unguarded. “I’d have jacked them up. I mean, jacked them up.”
Tom nodded.
Benny stared at him. “What kind of question is that, though?”
“Indulge me. Why would you have freaked out on your friends?”
“Because they dissed Aunt Cathy, why do you think?”
“But she’s dead.”
“What the hell does that matter? Pissing in her coffin? I would so kick their asses.”
“But why? Aunt Cathy was beyond caring.”
“This is her funeral! Maybe she’s still, I don’t know, there in some way. Like Pastor Kellogg always says.”
“What does he say?”
“That the spirits of those we love are always with us.”
“Okay. What if you didn’t believe that? What if you believed that Aunt Cathy was only a body in a box? And your friends peed on her?”
“What do you think?” Benny snapped. “I’d still kick their asses.”
“I believe you. But why?”