Part 1
Will O’Connell had looked forward to this summer for years.
One of the perks of being a steelworker in a union plant was the 5-year vacation. Every five years, a steelworker at the Bethlehem Steel Mill got a 3-month vacation with pay. Technically, as a shop foreman, Will was management. But the 5-year vacation benefit that the union managed to squeeze out of the steel mill was granted to management as well as labor.
It was only fair, Will thought to himself as he drove to the lake. He had worked up through the ranks from a laborer on the floor through middle management. He had stood in solidarity with his union brothers through a very bitter strike. They all kidded him in a good-natured way when the company recognized his leadership talent and offered him an assistant foreman’s slot. He worked just as hard as a manager as he had on the floor, but he never forgot where he came from. His men respected him for that. Just because he had been promoted was no reason to give back any of his benefits.
This was going to be a great summer. Doris and the kids had left for the family’s lake house when school ended. Will had spent a couple of weeks as a virtual bachelor, stopping off for a beer with the guys and enjoying a few cigars without Doris rolling her eyes. But at heart, Will was a family man. He missed his wife and his kids, and he was looking forward to seeing them again after two weeks separation.
The lake house held some very special memories for Will. It had been in the family for years, originally bought by his father, “Big Bill” O’Connell. Now there was a steel man! Big Bill was one of the hardest-working steel men in the mill, and had become an assistant foreman before retiring. It was Big Bill’s influence that got Will his first job in the mill, but it was Will’s own ability that got him into the machine shop and ultimately the foreman’s job.
Will remembered many wonderful summers at the lake house. Summertime at the lake was an idyllic time, away from the pressure of school. Will was free to go swimming, to fish, or to explore the woods surrounding the lake. But his fondest memories were of the two weeks every summer when his dad was on vacation. Those were great times, when he and his father could fish together or just plain talk. For those two weeks it was as though his father accepted young Will as an equal. And now he had the opportunity to do the same with his own son, Trip.
To be honest, Will was a little worried about Trip. He spent an awful lot of time reading or listening to music. True, he was getting good grades in school, but Will was worried that Trip was too much of a bookworm. And Will was not really sure how he felt about Trip’s long hair. Will had shook his head in disbelief when the Beatles invaded the States a few years ago with their mop-tops. But at least those fellows were well-dressed and seemed polite enough. All of this psychedelic stuff with the wild clothes, the crazy long hair, and that God-awful noise they called music was just too much to take. Will hoped that Trip would never turn into one of those hippies. Maybe by spending this summer with him, Will could give him some of the guidance he needed.
Two-lane blacktop gave way to an oiled gravel road as Will turned onto the last leg of his journey. The winding road made its way through the woods, past the few remaining cottages surrounding the lake. Once a popular revival camp-meeting ground, Mason’s Lake had fallen into disrepair. A few hardy souls like Big Bill O’Connell had purchased the remaining cottages nestled next to the lake. Bit by bit they restored, repaired, and improved their cottages until each one was a reflection of the owner’s unique personality.
When Big Bill bought the cottage, it was definitely a handyman’s special. It was a shell, with no plumbing, a limited electric service, and broken windows. Big Bill and young Will spent several months repairing and refurbishing the structure. They replaced the broken glass, repaired the shutters, installed screens, hauled furniture, laid linoleum, and cleared overgrowth from the outside.
Their labors paid off. Big Bill’s Bungalow was a rugged but comfortable retreat from the excesses of civilization. It had neither telephone nor television, a five-tube clock radio being its only concession to the wide world beyond the woods. The propane-fired range was an antique. Recent additions included an electric pump, a propane-fired water heater that required lighting every morning, and an outdoor shower. There was no toilet; sanitary facilities were provided by an outhouse privy. And heat was provided by a Franklin stove that had been rescued from a chicken coop.
Will negotiated the final turn when he caught sight of the white cottage with the red shutters and trim. He parked his green Chevy next to Doris’ black-and-gray Dodge. As he got out, he was greeted by a tiny red-haired bundle of energy, his eight-year-old daughter, Maggie.
“Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” she shouted, bounding into his outstretched arms. He scooped her up and swung her around as she hugged him and covered his cheeks with kisses.
“Hi, Kitten!” he said, giving her an extra hug. She always giggled whenever he used his special nickname for her. “Where’s your mommy and Trip?”
“Mommy’s inside, Daddy! She has a surprise for you!”
“A surprise? Now what would that be?”
Maggie smiled. “I’m not tellin’,” she said. “You have to find out.”
Will was intrigued. Maggie was notoriously awful at keeping any kind of secret, so he knew that this had to be something special. He gently set his daughter down and made his was through the screen door in the back.
The screen door opened into the kitchen at the back of the cottage. As Will stepped in, he inhaled deeply. The very smell of the place brought years of fond memories rolling back. And mixed with the smells of childhood was the sweet perfume of his wife, Doris, who greeted him in the kitchen.
Not a word was spoken as they embraced. Will held his wife close, and she held him. Their lips met. In the back of his mind, Will reflected that life just didn’t get any better.
“I missed you,” he said.
“And I missed you,” she answered. “But I’ll bet you had a few cigars while you were gone.”
“Well,” he said, smiling sheepishly, “I didn’t have you to keep me occupied. By the way,” he said, in an attempt to change the subject, “where’s Trip? And Maggie said you have a surprise for me.”
“Yes, I do,“ she said, and she called out, “Honey, come on in and see your father!”
They walked into the common area that served as a living room and dining area. Three doors opened to this area from the side. The center door leading to Trip’s room opened, and Trip entered. Only he wasn’t exactly what Will was expecting.
Trip’s shoulder-length hair had been styled into a flip. He was wearing a pink top with a denim skirt and a pair of sandals. Bumps resembling a teenage girl’s budding breasts disrupted the otherwise flat front of his pink top. His toenails and fingernails were polished the same shade of pink, which matched his pink lip gloss. There was a hint of blush on his cheeks and a subtle line of turquoise on his eyelids. And he was wearing earrings!
As Will looked on, Trip spoke. “Hi, Daddy,” he said, his nervousness betrayed by the quiver in his voice.
“So how do you like your other daughter, Kimberly?” Doris asked.
Neither Trip nor Doris expected Will’s reaction. Stunned silence gave way to a smile, then a chuckle. And then, Will bent back his head and laughed. He laughed so hard his sides began to hurt. He laughed so hard his eyes watered. And as he wiped his eyes, he said, “That’s rich, Trip. That’s really rich. You had me going for a minute there. Now why don’t you get out of all that and we can head down to the lake?”
If Will’s reaction was unexpected, so was Trip’s. Will saw a nervous smile give way to a shocked look of dismay as tears filled his son’s eyes. “Oh, Daddy!” he sobbed as he ran back to the sanctuary of his room, shutting the door behind him.
Will looked over at Doris, who was scowling. “What was that all about?” he asked.
“You know, Will,” she said, “sometimes you can be a real horse’s ass!” She followed Trip into the center room, slamming the door.
He glanced around, finally seeing Maggie. “Kitten,” he said, “I…”
Maggie didn’t answer. She just went to her room, leaving Will all alone. Bewildered, he left by the front door and walked down to the lake.
* * * * *
Kimberly lay on her bed sobbing, her face buried in the pillow. Her mother sat down next to her, stroking her hair in consolation. “Honey,” said Doris, “I’m sorry. I didn’t think your father would react this way.”
Still crying, Kim hugged her mother. “Oh, Mommy, he laughed at me. He thinks I’m some kind of a freak. Maybe I am. I’m just a disgusting freak!”
Doris hugged Kim close to her, and then held her up to look at her. “Don’t talk like that. You know your father loves you.”
“He loves Trip!” she sobbed. “He thinks I’m a joke. He laughed at me! He hates me!”
“That’s not true, Kim! This is just a surprise for him. He’s never seen you before today, and I did warn you that he might react badly.”
“I know, Mommy,” she said between sobs. “I thought that he might be angry, or that he might be confused. But I thought that once he got to know me, I mean, as Kim, that he would like me. Maybe I better go back to being Trip.”
Doris looked at Kim. “You don’t mean that, do you? For the past three months this summer was all you would talk about. For the past year you pestered me to let you spend the summer as Kim. Do you really want to back out now?”
Kim hesitated. “I, I, I really want to be Kim this summer. But I really want Daddy to like me too. I wanted to spend some time with him. He’s always at work and hardly knows me, and he doesn’t know Kim at all. Why does he hate me, Mommy? Why does he hate Kim?”
“He doesn’t hate you, sweetie. It’s just that this was a surprise for him. I didn’t think he’d act like such a big jerk either.”
Kim started to laugh. “Daddy’s a big jerk!” she said.
“Now don’t you talk that way about your father! He might have a few rough edges, but you should have seen him when we first met. He needed a woman to straighten him out!”
Kim giggled at the thought of her mother correcting her father. “Do you think he won’t be mad at me?”
“Let me talk to him, honey. I think I can smooth out any misunderstanding.” She kissed Kim on the cheek.
“I love you, Mommy,” Kim said.
“And I love you too, Kim.”
* * * * *
Down by the lake, Big Bill was in his favorite spot, seated on the fishing pier he had built two decades ago. He sat with a fishing rod in his hand, contemplating the ripples of the lake surface as water-striders skittered about. The line extending to the motionless bobber hung limply as Big Bill chewed the end of his unlit stogie.
Will walked up to the pier. “Hey, Pop!’ he called to his father, “Catch anything?”
“Nope,” said Bill, pausing to take a sip from the can he had at his side. Somehow he managed to accomplish this feat without removing the cigar from his mouth. He reached into the cooler and pulled out a cold beer, which he handed to his son. “Hell, I ain’t even tryin’. This hook don’t even have any bait.”
“How do you expect to catch anything without bait?” Will asked as he opened his beer.
“You’re missin’ the whole point, Will. All my life I always had to do something. If I wasn’t at work I was doing something at home, fixing the pipes or the car, or even fixing up this old place. I’m done working, and I just don’t feel like always having to DO something. But people still won’t leave me the hell alone! ‘Watcha doin’ Bill? Whatcha wanna do?’ So I fish. I can do absolutely nothing, and nobody asks me what I’m doing.”
Just then the bobber jiggled. The limp monofilament line went taut and the drag on Bill’s reel started to ratchet. Big Bill stood up and bent the rod back gently, applying just enough pressure to set the hook. He reeled in the line, working his catch with years of experience to guide him. “Get me my net,” he told Will.
Will grabbed the fishing net and stood at the end of the pier as his father reeled the fish in. “I thought you weren’t using bait?” he asked.
“Even a blind squirrel stumbles over a few nuts. Now you gonna shut up and net that fish for me?”
It was a beauty, a four-pound bass. “Looks like a keeper, Pop,” said Will.
“Good. Let’s clean it and have it with dinner. It’ll be a nice surprise for Doris and the girls.”
Will stood up straight, a little bit stunned, and faced his father. “The girls. As in plural. As in my son wearing a goddamned dress.”
He walked up to the big man and stood face to face. “Just what the hell is going on here. How long have you known about this, this…”
“You know,” said Bill, “maybe if you would spend a little more time at home and not killin’ yourself for the company, you might know a few things about your own family for yourself.”
“Just what the hell do you mean by that? Are you telling me that my son is some kind of fairy because I have a good job?”
“Your son is not a fairy, Will. But he’s a stranger to you. You need to spend some time with him before the stranger grows up and moves out and has strangers of his own.”
“And I’m supposed to feel guilty about it? God damn it, I have an important job! It takes a lot of time! But it’s what puts a roof over his head and clothes on his back. No, sir, I am not going to feel guilty about being a success!”
Big Bill backed off, picked up his fish and tackle, and walked off. “Suit yourself, son. But take a little advice from your old man. Nobody ever died wishing they spent more time at the office.”
Big Bill turned and walked off the pier, leaving Will alone at the water’s edge.
* * * * *
Big Bill was sitting out in the screened-in porch blowing smoke rings when Will finally returned. “You get away with murder,” Will said to his father. “Every time I light up Doris gives me holy hell.”
Big Bill took a long puff on his stogie and expelled a slow, lazy stream of blue smoke. “That’s because you don’t know when to stop. I only have one or two of these things a day. Back when you were still smoking it seemed you always had one burning in your mouth.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“Of course I’m right! Will, you’re a good man, and I’m proud of you and the man you’ve become, but you never did learn moderation. It’s a damn good thing you don’t like getting drunk.”
“It’s not being drunk I don’t like, it’s the hangover.”
“Just what I’m saying. Moderation is the key. You have to know how to set limits for yourself.”
“Why do I have the feeling this is leading up to something?” Will asked.
Big Bill paused to savor another puff. “It is, son. You’ve been spending way too much time at work. It’s not like you still get time-and-a-half for overtime.”
“Pop, you know I have a lot of responsibility. There’s a lot I have to do.”
“There’s a lot you can let your assistants do, Will. How do you expect them to learn anything if you always handle it for them? Fact is, son, you already know this. Seems to me you’re hiding from something.”
“Hiding? That’s ridiculous! Why would I hide from my own family?”
“You tell me, son. But if I were you, I’d go talk with Doris. I think there’s a lot you two need to settle.”
Big Bill leaned back in his chair and let loose another lazy stream of smoke. Will got up and went inside.
Doris was at the stove, fussing over the pots. Will could smell potatoes and green beans cooking. Doris always cooked the green beans southern style with a little slab of bacon in the pot. She turned as the screen door shut behind him.
“Well, there you are,” she said. She paused to give him a kiss. If she was still angry with him, she was hiding it well. “Dinner’s going to take a little while. Pop cleaned the fish, but I still have to bread it and heat up the pan. I didn’t know how long you were going to be.”
“That’s good,” said Will. “I think we need to talk.”
“Well could you help me out while we talk? I’m getting hungry, and I’ll bet you are too.”
“Sure, how about if I bread the fish?”
“Great! Thanks a lot, honey.”
Will found a bowl and started mixing an egg and some milk. “So,” he asked, “does this mean I’m no longer the northern end of a south-bound horse?”
“That depends on a lot of things. You know you really hurt Kim’s feelings.”
Will stopped for a minute, then continued dipping the fish in the egg mix. “That’s something we need to settle. What is with this outfit Trip was wearing? And what’s with this ‘Kim’ stuff?”
“That’s her name. It’s Trip’s name when he’s being Kim.”
“And just how long has he been pretending to be a girl?”
“I don’t know that he’s pretending, Will. Kim is pretty serious about this.”
“So are you telling me my son is some kind of she-male?” he asked. Remarkably, neither Will nor Doris had raised their voice.
“It’s not like that at all. Sometimes Trip likes to, well, sort of take a vacation from himself, and that’s when he becomes Kimberly.”
Doris turned to Will, no longer paying any attention to dinner. “Will, Trip is a lot more sensitive than you are. You know how much he loves his books and his music. Did you know he’s been learning to play the guitar? He taught himself how to play from a book and records.
“Trip’s gifts aren’t physical like yours. He’s intelligent and naturally curious. But he’s smaller than most of the other boys his age, and they give him a hard time. He doesn’t complain much, but I know it hurts him. Being Kim is like a safety valve. It lets him express his sensitive side.”
“You still haven’t answered my question,” Will said, “how long has this been going on?”
Doris thought for a minute. “I first discovered it about five years ago when I found him wearing some of Becky’s things.”
This startled Will. They had lost their oldest daughter to cancer almost seven years ago. “What? Why was he wearing Becky’s clothes?”
“I asked him that same question. I thought maybe he missed her and wanted to feel close to her. But he told me he was always curious about girls, especially their clothes, and he always wanted to know how they felt. He found some of Becky’s old things and, well, started experimenting.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about it?” Will asked.
“Will, you were so busy with your job that I didn’t want to stress you out. And I thought that Trip would eventually get it out of his system. But after a few months I knew that Kim was here to stay.”
“And you never told me?”
The tone of Doris’ voice was now tinged with irritation. “When was I supposed to tell you, Will? When was the last time you spent any time with us as a family?”
“Every weekend, Doris, I’m always home on Sunday.”
“That’s right, you’re always home on Sunday, and we always go to Mass together. But then you plop yourself in front of the tube and watch football, or golf, or some other sport.”
“And how often do I watch baseball with Trip?”
“I’m surprised you still know he’s watching with you. But did it ever occur to you that you just might go out and actually have a catch with him? Maybe you could try playing ball with your son instead of just watching the Phillies?”
“So it’s my fault that Trip is a, a, …” He faltered, not knowing what to say next.
“Your son is a healthy boy, and some day he’ll grow into a man we’ll both be proud of. Don’t go calling him any names you’ll regret.”
Will was silent, gathering his thoughts. “So how did he get all of that, that, that stuff.”
“What stuff?”
“The clothes, the makeup, the earrings. Jesus, did you get his ears pierced?”
“Kim got her ears pierced over a year ago, Will.”
“So he’s been wearing earrings for a year. I’m surprised he didn’t get into any fights over it.”
“Actually, his status went up a little. It’s cool for boys to have pierced ears these days.”
Will shook his head in disbelief. “I guess I’m just too old-fashioned. The idea of a boy with long hair and pierced ears is just plain strange. And you still haven’t answered my questions.”
“Which questions, Will?”
“How did he get all of this stuff, and why is he wearing it now? And just how the hell is it my son has boobs?”
“I bought them for him, Will. We went shopping together.”
“Together? You dragged Trip shopping and made him try on dresses?”
“I didn’t have to drag anybody. Kim and I have had some very nice shopping trips together. I take her and Maggie and we make an afternoon of it at Hess’s in Allentown. We try on clothes and shoes and we have lunch together on the patio.”
“And Trip just goes along with you?”
“Kim loves our shopping trips, Will. So does Maggie. It’s an afternoon with just us girls.”
Will was pensive. “I suppose you’re going to tell me none of this would have happened if I spent more time at home.”
“Not at all, it would have probably happened anyway. But it certainly wouldn’t have been such a surprise to you.”
“What about the, you know, the boobs?”
“It’s just a padded bra. Lot’s of girls Kim’s age wear them, you know.”
“A padded bra; my son is wearing a padded bra. Do you have any idea just how creepy this is making me feel? And why is Trip suddenly wearing this stuff all the time?”
“Honey, Trip was having a really hard time with Algebra this year. I told him that if he got an A that he could spend the summer as Kimberly. He really worked hard and applied himself.”
“I take it he got the A?”
“He got straight A’s, Will. He’s on the honor role.”
Will’s anger softened a little. “Honor roll, you say? Straight A’s?”
“Absolutely. He’s been put in section one for his sophomore year.”
“Section one? Isn’t that the college prep track?”
“Yes it is, and most of the kids in section one end up with a college scholarship.”
“And this dressing up is his reward?”
“Yes. I promised her that she could be Kim for the summer”
Will pondered these facts as he pulled a milk-soaked fish fillet through bread crumbs. “Well, I guess as long as this is a reward for good grades, and it only lasts for the summer, maybe we can let him play girl. Besides, maybe if he spends the summer in a dress he’ll get it out of his system. But he gets a haircut before school starts.”
“That sounds reasonable.”
“Good. That’s what I’ve decided.”
Doris rolled her eyes and smiled with a bit of amusement. “Good thinking. But why don’t you tell her yourself? And Will, call her Kim. Humor her.”
“All right, why don’t you fry up this fish while I go have a little talk with hi-, uh, with her,” he corrected himself. This was going to take some getting used to.
Will left the stove and walked over to Trip’s room, excuse me, Kim’s room, and knocked. “Who is it?” he heard.
“It’s just your dad. Can I come in and talk for a few minutes?”
The door opened. Kim’s eyes were still red from crying. “Are you mad at me?” she asked.
“No, Tr-, uh, Kim, I just want to talk with you for a few minutes.”
“Okay, Daddy,” she said. She opened the door to let Will in.
The room wasn’t really much different than it had been last year, other than the clothes hanging from the rod in the corner. Instead of blue jeans and Trip’s Sunday clothes it now held skirts, blouses, and a few dresses. Otherwise, it looked just like it did last year, down to the Phillies team poster Trip had tacked up in 1964. That was four years ago.
Kim sat down on the edge of the bed. Will spoke. “Your mother tells me you got straight A’s, and that you’re on the honor role.”
“That’s right, Daddy. I really worked hard to get those grades.”
“She also tells me that this,” he pointed to the clothes, “is a reward for doing so well.”
“Yes, sir,” she said.
“Well, since she made you a promise, I guess we have to keep it. You can be Kim this summer. But when school starts you have to go back to being Trip again.”
“Okay, Daddy.”
Will looked over at Kim’s bed and spotted a familiar object. It was a doll. “Is that Susie?” he asked.
Kim smiled. “How did you recognize her?” she asked.
“Are you kidding? When you were little we couldn’t get you to bed without her. Where did you get her? I thought you gave her up when you started first grade?”
“Mom kept her for me. I just found her last month and asked Mom if I could bring her with me, and she said I could. You don’t mind, do you Daddy?”
Something stirred in Will’s heart. He didn’t know exactly what it was, but it was there. Some connection to a childhood memory asserted itself. “No, I don’t mind. I’m glad you found her. Now how about some dinner? Mom cooked us that fish Pop-pop caught.”
Kim’s sobs turned to smiles. “Oh, yes! Oh, thank you, Daddy! I love you!” She got up and hugged him. Will hugged her back. Then she kissed him on the cheek and ran out of the room.
Will emerged to see Kim and Maggie sitting at the table with Big Bill. Doris was setting out the food. As she looked up at Will, she smiled.
Will walked over to the table. Doris asked, “How did it go?”
“It went good. I think this might work out fine.” He had a most unusual expression on his face, one which Doris noticed.
“So what’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing, nothing at all, it’s just that, when I told Tr-, uh, Kim that it was all right, she kissed me.”
“And that’s bad?” she asked.
“Bad? Oh, no, nothing bad. It’s all good. No, I was just remembering something that happened when Trip turned 10. I went to give him a kiss and he said, ‘Boys don’t kiss boys,’ and he insisted on shaking my hand. I kind of remember feeling a little proud of him, but also a little sad.”
Will and Doris sat down. “You know, I think this might not be so bad.”
(End of Part One)
© 2005 Valentina Michelle Smith
Notes:
Part 2
Summertime at St. Stephen’s meant longer hours for Father Mulroney. The town’s population swelled every summer as city folk fled the concrete paved urban heat for the welcome shade of the country. There were a number of vacation homes and lakefront communities nearby, and Father Mulroney’s small parish was the only Catholic Church in the area.
The situation had it s advantages. The collection was definitely larger in the summer months, and he was grateful for the extra funds. It meant that several families who otherwise couldn’t afford it could send their children to the parish school, and last summer it meant a new roof for the church and the rectory. But the extra money came at a price. He and the Pastor, Father Krasley, each had to say an additional Sunday mass, and Saturday Confessions were extended an extra hour, from 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM.
Father Mulroney really did not mind the extra work. This was, after all, why he had become a priest. He had no ambitions beyond a parish of his own some day and perhaps the red trim of a Monsignor for his cassock. But he was a humble man, accepting of God’s will, and content to do the Lord’s work in this small town.
He slid back the partition in the confessional, the screen obscuring any view of the penitent. A child’s voice said, “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been two weeks since my last confession.”
Father Mulroney smiled despite himself. There was something about hearing a child confess that brought a special joy to his heart. This little girl who probably had made her First Communion only a year ago was now baring her heart to God. He could not help but to be touched by the naiveté of a youngster who thought that sassing back her mother was probably the most evil thing she could do. Surely enough, the child confessed to being “…disobedient, three times, and I lied twice.”
“Were they really bad lies?” he asked.
“Well,” she said, “I used some of my big sister’s make-up and didn’t ask her permission. And when she asked me I told her I didn’t”
“So you also stole some of your sister’s make-up. Did you ever tell her the truth?”
“Yes, Father. She was kind of angry at me, but then she said that it was okay as long as I asked her first. And then she let me try some.”
“Well, it seems like you have a really nice sister. She must love you a lot.”
“Yes, Father, and I love her too.”
“That’s a very nice thing. You know Jesus loves you, too, and he loves it when sisters can work out their problems and forgive each other. Jesus wants to forgive you too, my child. Now for your penance, say three Hail Mary’s and I want you to make an Act of Contrition.”
“Oh, my God, I am heartily sorry…” she began to pray, repeating a prayer the nuns had made her memorize. Father Mulroney repeated the words of Absolution, a ritual he could probably perform in his sleep, but which never failed to inspire him. A child of God was now returning to the state of grace. What could be more wonderful?
“Now go in peace, my child,” said the priest.
“Thank you, Father,” she answered. The door slid closed. Father Mulroney turned to the other side and slid the door open.
“Bless me, Father,” said a somewhat older voice, “for I have sinned. It has been two weeks since my last confession.” She paused.
“Go on, my child. What’s on your mind?’
“Father, I got angry with my little sister and I yelled at her. She used some of my make-up and I got angry. I know I shouldn’t have gotten mad, I mean she’s only eight years old, but I just got angry and I yelled at her. I’m sorry.”
“Did you apologize to her?” the priest asked.
“Yes, Father. I told her I was sorry, and I said that if she really wanted to try my make-up she could, but she had to ask me first. Is that wrong, Father?”
“Well, anger is a natural feeling, and even Jesus felt angry sometimes. But anger is not something to hold on to, and you did the right thing by letting your anger go. You must love your little sister a lot.”
“Well, Father, sometimes she can be a real pain in the neck, but she’s really a nice sister and I do love her.”
“That’s very nice. Now do you have any other sins to confess?”
“Well, Father, I called my Daddy a big jerk.”
Father Mulroney had to pinch himself to keep from laughing. He went on in a somewhat stern voice, “You know that’s not a good thing. You don’t really think your father is a big jerk, do you?”
“No, Father. He’s a really good Dad, and he works real hard. I was just feeling really selfish, and it was wrong of me to say it.”
“Yes it was. Have you apologized to him?”
“I didn’t say it to him, Father. I said it to my mother when she called him a big jerk.”
Now Father Mulroney had to bite his tongue. “I do hope your mother corrected you.”
“She did, Father. She said I shouldn’t talk about Daddy that way.”
“And well you should not! Your mother was right, wasn’t she?”
“Yes, Father.”
“Are you sorry you said such a hateful thing?”
“Yes, Father.”
“This is good. Jesus will forgive you, my child. Now is there anything else on your mind?”
“Well, Father,…” Father Mulroney could hear the hesitation in her voice. Perhaps he had been too stern with her.
“My child, there is nothing to fear. Jesus wants to forgive your sins, and I want to forgive them too. All you need to do is confess, and the burden of your sin is lifted. It will be washed away, and there is no sin so evil that it cannot be forgiven. All you have to do is ask.”
“Father, sometimes when I’m alone at night, in bed, I have these, well, these impure thoughts. And when this happens, sometimes I touch myself.”
“Oh? Where do you touch? Don’t be afraid, my child, I’m not going to yell at you.”
“I touch my private parts, Father.”
“I see. Do you just touch them and pull your hand away?”
“No, Father, I keep touching them, and I touch them until, well, until things begin to happen.”
“Oh. And do you let these ‘things’ happen?”
“Yes, Father.”
“And how do you feel when you are finished?”
“It feels good, but I’m also ashamed of myself. I know I shouldn’t do these things, but I do them and it’s like I can’t stop myself.”
“All right, I think I understand.” Father Mulroney composed himself for the lecture.
“My child, God has a wonderful plan for all of us, and He created us to fulfill this plan. He has created us with our special body parts for a special reason, and that reason is to bring new life to the world. And God made the function of these parts pleasurable that we, His children, would be happy in this task.
“When you give yourself the pleasure that God reserves for a husband and a wife, you are falling away from His divine plan. I know that this is difficult, but God calls us to remain chaste and to save our body for His special purpose.
“Right now your body is awakening to its new purpose, and it wants to take part in this beautiful act. But you must be strong. You must resist.”
“I’m sorry, Father.”
“I know you are, and God knows that you are, too. He knows that we are all weak, and that we will all sin. This is why He gave us this sacrament of Penance, so that we can overcome this weakness and be clean of our sins.
“Now God knows that you will slip. He wants you to try your best, but if you slip up, what you need to do is say an Act of Contrition. Just tell God that you’re sorry, and He’ll forgive you. And be sure to come to confession as soon as possible. Do you think you can do that?”
“Yes, Father. But if I don’t make it to confession, will I go to Hell?”
Father Mulroney could not help but chuckle. “My child, if God sent everybody to Hell for masturbation, Heaven would be a very lonely place.”
From behind the screen he could hear a giggle, and he knew he had reassured her. There was a fine line to be walked, and Father Mulroney had considerable experience in this regard. He needed to be stern, to show the Church’s disapproval of sinful activity. But he did not want to be so stern that he frightened potential penitents away. A little humor went a long way, and he knew that the Lord rejoiced with every lamb returned to the fold. “Now, my child, is there anything else on your mind?”
“Well, Father, I have this friend…”
A little warning light turned on in Father Mulroney’s sin detection system. Whenever anybody talked about a friend in confession, they were always talking about themselves.
“Tell me about your friend. Is he doing something that worries you?”
“Not exactly, Father. You see, he’s a boy, but he likes to dress up like a girl.”
“Like a girl? Do his parents know about this?”
“Yes, Father.”
“And do they approve?”
“Well, his mother approves. I’m not to sure about his father, but he’s not stopping him.”
“I see. How often is your friend dressing up like this?”
“He does it a couple of times every month, Father. And two weeks ago he started dressing up all the time.”
“All the time, you say?”
“Yes, Father. He’s been wearing girl’s clothes for the past three weeks.”
“And how long does your friend intend to keep doing this?”
“I think he wants to do this all summer.”
“What do his friends think about it?”
“His friends don’t know about it, Father.”
“But you do?”
“Yes, Father.”
“My child, are we talking about a friend, or are we talking about you? Tell the truth, now. I promise I won’t be angry.”
From the other side of the screen, Father Mulroney heard a little sob. He wished that he could reach out and give a little physical comfort to the child, but the protocols of the sacrament prevented this. “It’s all right, my child. You can tell me anything and I’m not allowed to tell anybody else. That’s the seal of confession. What you tell me is between you and God. I’m just standing in for Him. Don’t be afraid, He wants to forgive you.”
“Father,” said the girl who was, in fact, a boy, “it is me. I’ve been dressing up like a girl for years, and my mother said I could be a girl all summer. But I read something in the Bible, Father, and it said that a man who puts on a woman’s garment is an abomination. I don’t want to be an abomination, Father.”
“You are not an abomination, my child. You are a child of God, and He loves you. He will never turn His eyes away from you. Now tell me about this dressing up you do. When you dress up, do you get those feelings to touch yourself and your private parts the way you told me you were doing?”
“No, Father, I’ve been dressing up like a girl for a long time, long before I started getting these feelings.”
“All right, do you ever feel that perhaps you might want to do things that a girl does with a boy? I’m talking about those things that God has reserved for a husband and a wife.”
“You mean like kiss a boy? Ewww!”
“Okay, I think I have my answer. There’s nothing wrong with this little masquerade of yours as long as that’s all it is. In a small way, you are telling people a lie. You are telling them that you are a girl when you know that you’re really a boy. But as long as you don’t mean to do anything bad, then there’s no harm done. It’s like if somebody asks you how you’re feeling, and you really feel bad, but you don’t tell them you’re feeling bad because it would upset them. That’s a lie, but it’s not a malicious lie, and so it isn’t a sin.
“When you dress up in girl’s clothes, it isn’t a sin by itself, just as long as you aren’t doing it to hurt anybody. But I must warn you, if somebody would be hurt because of this, you have to tell them the truth. Do you think you can do this?”
“Yes, Father.”
“Very good. Now for your penance I want you to say six Our Father’s and six Hail Mary’s. And I want you to pray to the Blessed Mother for some special help, because women have a special place in God’s plan. I want you to understand how special this place is. Now let’s make a good Act of Contrition.”
“Oh, my God, I am heartily sorry…” Father heard the words repeated again, as he did from every penitent. And he recited the words of Absolution, as he did for all who came seeking forgiveness. He reflected that this was probably the most sincere and most difficult confession that the young lady had ever made. Then it struck him. Despite knowing the truth, he could not help but think of this penitent as a girl.
“Now go in peace, my child, and serve the Lord.”
“Thank you, Father.”
He slid the partition back into place. He reflected for a moment over the confession he had just heard, and could not help being touched. He made a silent prayer to the Blessed Mother to watch over her. Then he slid back the screen to hear his next penitent.
“Bless me, Father,” said the deep, very masculine voice from behind the screen, “for I have sinned. It’s been about three months since my last confession.”
“Welcome back to the fold, my son. Now what’s on your mind?”
“Well, I missed mass a few times.”
“How many times?”
“Three times, Father.”
“And were you unable to go to mass because of some circumstance beyond your control?”
“No, not exactly. One time I was up late with the guys at a bar, the other two times I just slept late. I’m not proud of it, Father, and I want to get right with God again.”
“Then you’ve come to the right place. Is there anything else on your mind?”
“Uh, well that bar I told you about, Father? It wasn’t just a bar. It had dancers in it.”
“Oh? What sort of dancers?”
“Uh, they were strippers, Father.”
“I see. Did you know that this kind of dancing went on in that bar?”
“Uh, yeah, I did.”
“And you went to see them anyway?”
“Uh, yes, it seemed like a good idea at the time.”
“And did the dancing arouse you?”
“Oh, yes, I mean, she was really, uh, I mean, sorry, Father.”
“It’s good that you’re sorry, my son. Now did this dancing lead you to other acts of impurity? Did you have carnal relations with a woman other than your wife?”
“Well, it DID get my motor running if you know what I mean, Father, but I didn’t cheat on my wife. Fact is, I’d never cheat on her. I’m kind of ashamed that I even went to the bar in the first place.”
“Good. You should be ashamed, but you didn’t stray, and that shows your commitment to the vows of marriage. Remember these vows when you are tempted, my son, and they will sustain you. Now do you have anything else to confess?”
“Well, I have a bad temper, Father, and I kind of flew off the handle a few times. I got mad at my wife, and then I got mad at my daughter, and I even got mad at my Pop. I really feel bad about it because I upset them.”
“Did you apologize to them?”
“Yes I did, Father.”
“Good, you seem to have the right attitude. Anger has its place, my son. Even our Lord became angry. But as our Lord taught us, forgiveness is more powerful. And if you can forgive your enemy, the Lord can certainly forgive you. Now before I absolve your sins, is there anything else you would like to tell me?”
The man hesitated for a minute. “Father,” he said, “I’ve got this friend, and he lets his son dress like a girl.”
* * * * *
Nine o’clock finally came, and the last of the confessions had been heard. Father Mulroney peeked out of the confessional to see if anybody was still in need of his services. Thankfully, they had all departed.
Back at the rectory, Father Krasley was making coffee. “Well, Chuck, how was your evening?” he asked.
”Oh, same old, same old. You know how it is. Two weeks of hearing confessions and you’ve heard it all.”
Father Krasley chuckled. “Isn’t that the truth? I don’t think there’s been an original sin since the time of Adam and Eve.”
They both laughed. Then, as they waited for the coffee to brew, they heard each other’s confession.
* * * * *
Will O’Connell wiped his brow as the family emerged from church. He liked Father Mulroney. His sermons were short and sweet and he didn’t take forever saying Mass. Will didn’t mind performing his weekly duty, and it made him feel good to take communion with his family. It was his lot to set the proper example for the family.
He smiled as Doris and the girls walked with him to the car. Kim removed the white veil she had worn to Church, maintaining the custom of showing respect by covering her head. Maggie wore the straw hat she got for Easter, while Doris wore a veil similar to Kim’s. He was a little upset at the thought of Kim covering her head because she was, in fact, really a boy, and boys were expected to show their respect by removing any headgear in God’s house. But the priest had assured him it was all right, so he wasn’t worried. Not too much, anyway.
Will looked at his watch. “You know,” he said, “I think this is a great day to go out for breakfast. Who wants pancakes?”
“Me. Me. Me!” said his daughters in unison. He piled them into the car with Doris and they drove off for the local diner.
As his flock departed, Father Mulroney looked out from the steps of the church. The crowd was beginning to gather for the next mass that Father Krasley would offer. The sun was warm in the blue sky, birds were singing cheerfully, and butterflies lit from flower to flower. Yes, it was a lovely day that the Lord had given us, and he was thankful to be a priest.
(End of Part 2)
© 2005 Valentina Michelle Smith
Notes:
Part 3
Evenings at Mason’s Lake were leisurely affairs. Campers would sit around fires, telling stories or just making idle conversation. Home owners would gather on their porches or in their living rooms to socialize, to converse, or just to read and perhaps listen to the radio. Those who had televisions could tune in to the local stations, barely visible since Mason’s Lake was in a fringe reception area.
Tonight, in Big Bill’s Bungalow, it was family game night, and the game this evening was Monopoly.
Five players began the game. After two hours of play, three players had dropped out, succumbing to the onslaught of the two tycoons of the Monopoly board; Big Bill O’Connell, and his granddaughter, Maggie.
Across the board they stared each other down.
Big Bill’s position was the weaker one. By shrewd dealing and plain good luck, young Maggie had acquired most of the properties on the board. Big Bill still had one monopoly, but he also owned the railroads and the utilities. It was his turn.
“Go ahead, Pop-pop,” Maggie said, “roll.”
“So I can land on something you own?” Big Bill answered.
“You might get lucky and land some place safe. And maybe I’ll land on something you own and you get to take my money.”
Big Bill picked up the dice, shook them in his hand, and rolled. He landed right on Boardwalk. Maggie owned Boardwalk, and she had a hotel on it.
Big Bill counted up his cash and handed it over to Maggie. “Here you go, Rockefeller,” he said. He then handed over his deeds and houses. “You cleaned me out.”
“I win! I win! I win!” Maggie could barely contain herself. She jumped out of her chair and started to dance. “I beat Pop-pop! I beat Pop-pop! I’m the winner!”
Then she ran over and kissed Big Bill on the cheek and gave him a big kitten hug. “You’re not mad about losin’ are you, Pop-pop?” she asked.
Big Bill just grinned and hugged his little granddaughter. “Mad? How could I be mad at my favorite little girl?” he said.
“Wait a minute!” Kim chimed in. She had been watching the game ever since she was wiped out by Maggie half an hour ago. “When did the squirt become your favorite?”
Big Bill looked up at Kim, hoping he hadn’t offended her. The twinkle in her eye and the smile on her face let him know that she was only kidding. “You telling me your little sister isn’t a cutie-pie?” he answered.
“I guess she’s cute when she isn’t being a pain in the neck,” Kim replied.
“I’m the cute one! I’m the cute one!” Maggie started singing.
“Yep, you’re as cute as a baby skunk,” Kim said, “and you smell like one, too!”
“Mommy! Kim called me a skunk!”
“No I didn’t! I just said you smell like one.”
“Mommy! Mommy! Kim said I stink!”
“Will you two stop fighting?” Doris said. “You sound like a tribe of wild Indians the way you carry on. Kim, did call your sister a skunk?”
“Oh, Mommy, I was only kidding her. Besides, she’s being a sore winner again.”
“She’s only eight years old. You’re fourteen and I expect you to act more mature. It’s not ladylike to tell your little sister she stinks.”
Maggie began to giggle. “Kim’s in trou-ble! Kim’s in trou-ble!”
Doris now turned her attention to Maggie. “And you, young lady, have to learn how to behave! Just because I criticize your sister is no reason for you to behave so poorly. Now both of you kiss and make up.”
Maggie looked a little annoyed, but then relented and hugged Kimberly. “I’m sorry, Kim.”
“I’m sorry too, Maggie,” said Kim as she leaned down and kissed her little sister. “I didn’t mean it when I said that you stink.”
Maggie began to giggle, and Kim joined in. They had a good laugh and hugged each other. “You’re a really cool big sister, Kim. I love you.”
“I love you too, squirt,” said Kim.
“That’s better,” said Doris. “NOW you are behaving like young ladies. I expect you to behave like this from now on. Now go on and get ready for bed.”
“Okay, Mommy,” said Maggie, scooting off to her room.
“Me too?” asked Kim.
“Yes, you too,” Doris replied. “I let the two of you stay up late to finish your game. It’s bed time, so go get ready. Daddy and I will tuck you in shortly.”
“Oh, all right,” said Kim. She went to her room with something less than enthusiasm.
Will stretched his arms out, and then draped one arm around Doris’ shoulder. “Well this has been a pleasant evening,” he said. “I forgot how nice it could be to just spend a little time with you and the kids.”
“The girls are enjoying it too, Will,” Doris said, snuggling into her husband’s arm. “They really loved playing Monopoly with you tonight. And it was nice of you to let them win.”
“Let them?” Will said, “How do you figure I let them win? I want to tell you, honey, those kids play to win. I’m just out of practice.”
“Well, it’s still nice of you to practice with them. They really love you.”
“Yeah, I really should have done this long ago.”
“So why didn’t you?” she asked.
An awkward silence followed, interrupted by Big Bill clearing his throat. “If you love birds will excuse me, I think I’ll sit out on the porch a spell and chase away the mosquitoes.” That was his euphemistic way of saying he was going to smoke a cigar and didn’t want to disturb anybody.
“Okay, Pop,” said Will. “I think Doris and I want to talk a little.”
“Okay, then. If you decide to turn in, come check on me and make sure I didn’t fall asleep on the porch.”
“Sure thing, Pop., we’ll see you a little later.” Big Bill arose and walked out to the porch.
Doris snuggled a little closer. “Well this is nice,” she said. “It’s almost like we were dating again. Remember those days?”
Will smiled. “I don’t think I could ever forget. It seems like it was just yesterday, doesn’t it? But on the other hand, I don’t think I remember what being single was like.”
“Well I’m glad we have this time together, Will. I was really getting worried about you spending so much time at work.”
“Well that’s something I think I’m going to change, too. Maybe if I spent some more time at home, things would be different.”
“What things?”
“You know,” he said, feeling a bit uncomfortable, “the thing with Trip.”
Doris moved a little. “You mean Kim?”
“Yeah, with Kim. Maybe if I had spent some more time with Trip this whole Kim thing would never have happened.”
“This whole ‘Kim thing?’” Doris asked.
“You know, the dressing up. I have to blame myself. I needed to give the right example to him, show him what it means to be a man.”
“I don’t know about that. Will. Kim told me she’s always been curious about girls, and what it feels like to be a girl. I have this feeling she would have popped up sooner or later.”
“Maybe; maybe not. Maybe we would have seen it happening sooner and could have done something about it. But at least she’ll get it out of her system this summer. I only wish it happened sooner. I had a few plans for this summer.”
“What kind of plans?” Doris asked, growing a little more distant.
“I figured that Trip and I could pal around this summer, go fishing together or maybe have a catch after dinner. I bought us both new gloves. He’s probably outgrown his old one by now. But with this Kim thing, well, I guess I’ll have to wait until next year and try to fit it in to my normal two weeks.”
Doris pulled away a little. “Are you serious?” she asked. “What makes you think you can’t do any of those things with Kim?”
“Oh come on, Doris,” Will said, “Kim’s a girl. Look, I know I was kind of a jerk when I first found out about it, but I think I’ve adjusted pretty well. Kim can be a girl all summer, and it’s okay. I won’t try to force her to be a boy.”
“So catching a ball is just for boys?”
“Well, you know, girls just don’t go in for baseball.”
Doris just smiled. “Oh really? Do I have to remind you that I was the captain of the softball team when we met?”
“Of course not, and you were the best pitcher the team ever had, but this is different. I don’t want Kim to think I’m trying to force her to be a boy. She wants to be a girl this summer, and I’m doing my best to accommodate her.”
“I don’t think she’ll mind, Will. I think she might like to toss a ball around with you. Hey, I might just join you. Do you still have the gloves?”
“Well, yeah.”
“Then why don’t you give one to her? I think there’s nothing in the world she would like better than to have a catch with her father.”
“You think so?”
“Yes, I do. Go get the glove, Will.”
“Okay. Yes, you’re right, I’ll give her the glove tonight. That’s what I’ve decided.”
Will walked out to the trunk of his car where he had stashed the gloves. He could smell his Pop’s cigar burning away, but it really didn’t do much to chase the mosquitoes. He slapped himself a few times to interrupt a hungry mosquito that found him appetizing.
Will knocked on Kim’s door. “Hey, princess, are you decent?” he asked.
Kim giggled. “Come on in, Daddy,” she said. Will opened the door. Kim was in her pajamas and was sitting on her bed with her guitar propped up on one knee.
“Hey, you been practicing that thing?” he asked.
“Yeah, I like to play,” she said. “It makes me feel, I don’t know, happy.”
“Play something for me?” Will asked.
“Really? Sure! What do you want to hear?”
“You pick something. I’m sure I’ll enjoy it.”
“Okay, Daddy, how about a cowboy song?”
“A cowboy song? You mean like I used to sing to you when you were little?”
“Yep! How about this?” Kim started strumming an arpeggio on the guitar and played a few bars. Then she started to sing.
I ride an old paint, lead an old dam,
Goin' to Montana to throw the houlihan.
Feed 'em in the coulees, and water in the draw,
Tails are all matted and their backs are all raw.
Ride around, little dogies, ride around them slow,
They're fiery and snuffy and a-rarin' to go.
Old Bill Jones had two daughters and a song,
One went to college, and the other went wrong.
His wife got killed in a free-for-all fight,
Still he keeps singin' from mornin' till night.
Ride around, little dogies, ride around them slow,
They're fiery and snuffy and a-rarin' to go.
I've worked in your town, worked on your farm,
And all I got to show is the muscle in my arm,
Blisters on my feet, and the callous on my hand,
And I'm a-goin' to Montana to throw the houlihan.
Ride around, little dogies, ride around them slow,
They're fiery and snuffy and a-rarin' to go.
When I die, take my saddle from the wall,
Put it on my pony, lead him out of his stall.
Tie my bones to his back, turn our faces to the west,
We'll ride the prairie that we loved the best.
Ride around, little dogies, ride around them slow,
They're fiery and snuffy and a-rarin' to go. *
Will was stunned at Kim’s song. “Wow! Kim, that was great! I never knew you could play so well.”
Kim smiled. “Thanks, Daddy. I’ve been practicing.”
“Well I hope you keep practicing. I wish I could play like that.”
“Would you like to sing one with me?”
“Sure. Do you know “Way Out There’?”
Kim answered by strumming the song. “You start, Daddy.”
Will sang, accompanied by his daughter’s playing.
A lonely spot I know where no man will go
Where the shadows have all the room
I was riding free on the old S.P.
Humming a southern tune,
When a man came along, made me hush my song,
Kicked me off away out there,
Kim joined in on the chorus, yodeling with her father.
Ohh - yo -dl - ay - dee - ohh - ay
Ohh - ay - hoo ohh o - dl - ay - dee - ohh - way ohh - way hoo.
Kim sang the next verse.
Well I set down my load in the desert road,
Rested my weary legs,
As I watched the setting sun make the tall shadows run
Out across the barren plains.
Then I hummed a tune to the rising moon;
She gets lonesome way out there,
Ohh - yo -dl - ay - dee - ohh - ay
Ohh - ay - hoo ohh o - dl - ay - dee - ohh - way ohh - way hoo.
Will sang the third verse.
Well I closed my eyes to the starlit skies
Lost myself in dreams.
And I dreamed the desert sand was a milk and honey land
And then I awoke with a start.
There was a train coming back on the one way track,
Gonna carry me away from here,
Ohh - yo -dl - ay - dee - ohh - ay
Ohh - ay - hoo ohh o - dl - ay - dee - ohh - way ohh - way hoo.
Kim and Will sang the last verse together.
As she passed me by I caught her on the fly
Climbed in an open door.
I looked around and saw the desert ground,
To the spot I would see no more,
As I was riding away I heard that pale moon say,
"So long, pal, it sure gets lonesome here."
Ohh - yo -dl - ay - dee - ohh - ay
Ohh - ay - hoo ohh o - dl - ay - dee - ohh - way ohh - way hoo. **
“Wow, does that ever bring back memories,” Will said. “I remember singing that song with you and Becky. It must have been years ago.”
Will’s expression became pensive as his memories opened. “Becky loved those old cowboy songs. I remember singing the two of you to sleep to songs like “Hobo’s Lullabye” or “Get Along Little Dogies.”
“I remember, Daddy,” said Kim. “Becky always kidded you about the way you sang.”
Will smiled. “I remember. She said I ought to get a job singing on the radio so she could listen to another station.” Will and Kim laughed, recalling a familiar memory.
“It’s funny,” Will said, “Becky always teased me about my singing voice. But you know when she was sick she always wanted me to sing for her? I remember right at the end, just before she passed, she asked me to sing something.”
Will hesitated, as though he were uncovering something unpleasant. “She was in the hospital, and had tubes and things hooked up to her. All her hair had fallen out from the cancer medicine. Her eyes were kind of sunken and her cheeks were pale, but she still smiled and she asked me to sing for her. I remember the song she asked me to sing.”
Another hesitation, then Will sang.
I'm a roaming cowboy riding all day long,
Tumbleweeds around me sing their lonely song.
Nights underneath the prairie moon,
I ride along and sing this tune.
See them tumbling down
Pledging their love to the ground
Lonely but free I'll be found
Drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds. ***
As he sang the last verse, Will’s voice started to break. A tear trickled down his cheek. “I remember how she smiled as I sang to her. And then she sort of stopped. She closed her eyes and she just stopped breathing. I knew she had left us.”
Tears began to spring unbidden from Will. “She was only eleven,” he said. “She was only beginning to taste life, and she was taken away from us. And I couldn’t do anything. I’m her father, and I’m supposed to protect her, and I couldn’t do anything. She was my little girl, my little girl.” His voice trailed off, buried by the tears he had denied himself for so long.
Then, he grabbed Kim into his arms. He hugged her and kissed her and held her close as he cried. Kim began to cry too. “I’m sorry Daddy,” she said, “I didn’t mean to make you cry!”
Will held her even closer. “You didn’t make me cry, Kim. You make me happy. Don’t you ever think you make me cry! I love you!”
“I love you too, Daddy,” said Kim. “I really do love you.”
“I know, honey, I know, and it makes me so happy. I’m so happy that I have a daughter like you.”
The tears began to subside. Will let go of Kim and kissed her. She reached over to a box of tissues and wiped her eyes. Then she gave one to Will. “Here, Daddy, you can wipe your eyes.”
Will smiled as he accepted the tissue from Kim. He wiped his eyes, and then blew his nose loudly, making Kim giggle. “Now don’t you go teasing me about my nose!” he said. He smiled as Kim laughed.
“Listen, Kim,” said Will, “When I came in here I meant to give you something. Here.” He held out the glove.
Kim’s eyes opened in amazement. “Wow, a new glove! Is that for me?”
“It sure is, princess. You think you might be up for a catch with your old man tomorrow?”
“You bet!” she said. “Do you think Maggie might like to catch with us too? I’ll bet my old glove will fit her fine.”
“Why not? And maybe Mom can get in on the fun. Did you know she was the captain of her softball team?”
“Wow! Really? She never said anything about it.”
“Well, your Mother isn’t the kind to brag, but she was the best pitcher her team ever had, and she led the high school to the regional championship.”
“Gee, that’ll be great, Daddy. Thanks. You’re the greatest Daddy in the world!”
Will grinned. “I’m glad you think so. Remind me how great I am when I make you do your homework this fall.”
Kim just grinned and gave her father a hug. “Don’t worry, Daddy, I’ll never forget, not ever.”
“I know, honey. But it’s getting late, and it’s way past your bedtime. Did you say your prayers?”
“Yes, sir, I did.”
“Good. You have sweet dreams now, princess. Good night.” He gave her a little kiss on the cheek.
“Good night, Daddy,” Kim said. She crawled into bed. Will turned off the light and closed the door.
Doris was smiling as he emerged. “You were in there quite a while. How did Kim like her new glove?”
“She really likes it,” Will answered. “We’re having us a catch tomorrow. Would you like to join us?”
“Join you? Just you try and keep up with me, Will O’Connell!”
They laughed, hugged, and kissed, and then went in to tuck Maggie in for the night.
(End of Part 3)
© 2005 Valentina Michelle Smith
Notes:
* "I Ride an Old Paint" , traditional
** "Way Out There" , Words and Music by Bob Nolan © 1936
*** "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" , Words and Music by Bob Nolan © 1934
Part 4
Will slept late. The sun was already high in the sky as he opened his eyes. He stretched his arms and legs to tense his muscles. The bed was empty except for him. Doris had obviously gotten up earlier, judging by the coolness of the bed linens. One more stretch and he hopped out of bed.
He pulled on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt before opening the bedroom door. Doris was sitting at the kitchen table, reading a newspaper and sipping a cup of coffee. He greeted her with a kiss on her neck. “Morning, beautiful,” he said.
She smiled and turned to kiss him on the lips. “Hey, good morning yourself, big guy. Sleep well?”
“I don’t remember. I was asleep at the time. That coffee sure smells good.”
“Then pour yourself a cup. Breakfast is just cereal today, but we have fresh blueberries.”
“Mmmm,” said Will appreciatively, “I just love fresh blueberries with my Grape Nuts. Thanks, honey.”
“You can thank Maggie and Kim. They went and picked them this morning.”
“Did they? That was nice of them. By the way, where are the girls?”
“They already had their breakfast and went out to play catch. Kim gave Maggie her old glove.”
“Yeah, she said she was going to. Maybe I’ll join them after breakfast.”
“Mind if I come with you?”
“Sure, why not. Now where are those blueberries?”
* * * * *
Outside, Kim was showing young Maggie the finer points of catching and throwing a baseball.
“Remember to keep your eye on the ball, Maggie,” said Kim. “Now see if you can catch this one.” Kim threw the ball at Maggie. She ran toward it but missed.
“Oh, poopie!” said Maggie, using what she thought was a terrible curse word, “how do I get it to go in my glove?”
Kim laughed, remembering her own difficulty learning how to catch. “You don’t make it go in, silly, you catch it. Throw it to me and I’ll show you.”
Maggie had to run to pick up the ball, which she lobbed at Kim. It skidded on the ground. Kim fielded it as it bounced.
“How do you do that?” Maggie asked.
“It’s not that hard, squirt,” said Kim. “Look, here’s what you do. When I throw the ball, run to where it’s going to land, but keep watching it. Put yourself where it’s going to hit. Then, just about when it’s going to hit your head, bring up your glove between you and the ball and let it hit.”
“But what if it hits my head?” Maggie asked.
“You better not. We only have one ball and I don’t want it to split when it hits your head.”
“You’re mean, Kim! You take that back!”
“I’m only kidding, kitten. But that’s really how you catch a fly ball. You go to where it’s going to hit and put your glove between the ball and your face. Then, when it hits the glove, just squeeze it. Want to try?”
Maggie was a little hesitant, but she didn’t want to look like a ‘fraidy cat. “Okay, I guess. Throw it.”
“Here it comes, Maggie. Keep your eye on the ball.” Kim threw it right at Maggie.
Maggie watched the ball coming at her. It was like watching slow motion as the ball got closer and closer. She began to panic. It was going to hit her in the eye! It was going to bounce off her skull! She had visions of her brains spilling out all over the field. She put up her glove.
Thwack! The ball hit right in the webbing of her glove with a force that surprised her. Her hand was tingling from the force of the ball, but she remembered to squeeze. It stayed in the glove.
Maggie was elated. “I caught it! I caught it! I can catch a baseball!”
Kim smiled at her little sister. “I knew you could do it, squirt. Now how about throwing it to me?”
Maggie took the ball from the glove and tossed it. It fell short of Kim, rolling along the ground. Kim scooped it up and tossed it back at her. Maggie caught the ball with newly found confidence.
Kim ran over to her sister. “That’s great, Maggie. Now let me show you how to throw it a lot further.”
Kim held the ball and moved her arm to show Maggie how to throw. “What you do is use your whole body to throw,” she said, swinging the baseball in an arc over her shoulder. “When you are just about to release it, snap your wrist like this.” She showed the snapping motion at the end of the arc. “And aim it a little bit high, not in a straight line, because the ball will start falling right away.”
She tossed the ball to Maggie and ran back. “Okay, try it.”
Maggie cocked her arm back and threw. This time the ball arced higher and sailed closer to Kim, who moved in to catch it. She threw it back. “Nice throw, sis. Let’s see that again.”
Maggie and Kim threw the ball back and forth. With each throw Maggie’s accuracy improved until she was bridging the gap to Kim with no trouble. The girls threw the ball back and forth, snatching it in the webbing of their gloves. They were so absorbed in having a catch that they didn’t notice when their parents arrived.
Doris and Will watched as Maggie and Kim threw the ball back and forth. Maggie’s throws were not as strong as Kim’s, but she was showing an incredible accuracy. More impressive was Maggie’s enthusiasm for catching. She had discovered something brand new that she could do, and she was doing it well. Kim was not just lobbing it easily, but was gradually challenging Maggie with increasingly difficult tosses. Maggie managed to snare each throw.
“Hey, that’s some mighty fine catching,” Doris called out. “Do you mind if a couple of old people join in?”
Maggie and Kim turned, noticing their parents. “Sure, Mom,” said Kim, “but do you think Daddy can keep up with us?”
“Keep up with you?” said Will in an exaggerated mock indignation, “you just stay put while your old man opens up a can of butt kick!”
Kim tossed the ball to Will, who relayed it to Doris. She threw it to Maggie who sent it back to Will. The ball made the rounds between the four of them. Finally, Doris had it in her glove. “Maggie,“ she called out, “let’s see if you can field a grounder.”
Doris deliberately threw the ball into the grass. It bounced and rolled along. Maggie went after it, but she held her glove all wrong and it rolled right past her.
Doris ran out to Maggie. She grabbed the ball and threw it back to Will. “Let me show you, sweetie,” she said. “Will, toss me a ground ball.”
Will threw the ball into the ground. It bounced and rolled. Doris ran into its path and scooped it up. “You see how I did it?” she said to Maggie. “You hold your glove with the fingers down and put your bare hand above the palm. Then you let it roll into the trap and hold it in with your bare hand.”
She threw a grounder at Kim, who fielded it the way Doris demonstrated. “Throw Maggie another grounder,” Doris said. Kim obliged with a bouncing grounder right at Maggie.
Maggie turned the glove around just like her mother had shown her. She placed it right in the rolling ball’s path. The ball bounced up a bit, but Maggie managed to get it in her glove and hold on to it.
She held it up in triumph. “Look, Mommy, I caught it! I caught it!”
“Great catch, Kitten; now throw it to Daddy.”
Maggie threw the ball in a high arc. Will ran to it like an outfielder and snagged it. He tossed it to Kim, who threw it to Maggie. The ball passed back and forth from glove to glove, and with each catch she made Maggie became more elated. She could throw and she could catch!
After about an hour they called a halt and headed back to the cottage. They were all a little sweaty and in need of a shower. While walking back, Will came up with an idea.
“Why don’t we all go to a ball game tomorrow?” he asked.
“Say, that’s a great idea,” said Doris. “I haven’t been to Shibe Park in years.”
“Shibe Park?” asked Kim, a little confused,
“That’s what we used to call it,” Doris said. “They renamed it ‘Connie Mack Stadium’ in 1953.”
“Why did they rename it?” asked Maggie.
“It was to honor Connie Mack, the old manager of the Philadelphia Athletics,” she answered.
“You mean Philadelphia used to have two teams?” she asked.
“That’s right,” said Doris. “The A’s played for over 50 years in Philly. They moved to Kansas City in 1954.”
“Why did they move?” Maggie asked.
“Well, the owners sold the team and the new owner thought he could sell more tickets if he moved to another city. It was kind of a shame. The Athletics were a good team.”
“Are the Phillies a good team?” Maggie asked.
Will, Doris, and Kim all started to laugh. “Not this year, squirt,” said Kim. “They’re bums, but they’re OUR bums. Maybe someday they’ll get better.”
“Yeah,” said Will, “one of these days the Phillies will win the World Series, right after the Mets.”
The four laughed some more at Will’s joke as they arrived at the cottage. Maggie and Kim headed for their rooms. They were going to change into their bathing suits and head down to the lake. But before Kim could head to her room, Will stopped her.
“Uh, Kim, I need to show you something,” he said.
“What is it, Daddy?” she asked.
“I want you to take a look at yourself in the mirror.”
Kim walked to the mirror over the washbasin that was in the kitchen. She stared at herself. “Is something wrong?” she asked.
“Not exactly, honey. Take a look at your upper lip.”
Kim stared at her lip, and then noticed, for the first time, a telltale shadow made up of fine hairs. She was growing a moustache!
“Oh, no!” she said. “What’s happening?”
“What’s happening, honey, is you are growing up. Your body is maturing, and this is part of it. You’re starting to grow whiskers.”
“Oh. Does this mean I have to…?” Kim hesitated. Her lip trembled a little. “Do I have to stop being a girl?” she asked.
Will chuckled. If she had asked him that question a few weeks ago, his answer would have been a lot different. “No, princess, I promised you that you could be Kim all summer, and I meant it. But if you want to keep being Kim, you’ll have to start shaving.”
Will picked up a bag he had left on the washbasin. “I sort of figured you might need this, so I went ahead and bought it. Go ahead, open it.”
Kim opened the bag. Inside she found a safety razor, a package of blades, a can of shaving cream, and a styptic pencil. “These are yours. I wanted to give them to you, and this seems like a good time. But I never dreamed I’d be teaching my daughter how to shave.”
Kim started to giggle. “Okay, what do I have to do?”
“Well,” said Will, “first you need to wash your face and leave it wet. That softens your beard. Go ahead and wash up.”
Kim ran the water and wet a wash cloth. She lathered it up and scrubbed her face. Then she rinsed it off but, as her father had told her, left it wet. Will demonstrated how to apply the shaving cream. “Just your lip for now, honey,” he said. Then he showed Kim how to put a blade into the razor. Now was the moment of truth.
Kim was a little nervous as she held the razor against her lip. She gingerly stroked the blade against her skin. The sensation of the sharp blade scraping away the hairs was a bit unnerving, but she kept going. Eventually, she had her upper lip shaved smooth, and had done so without any cuts.
Will examined the results and approved. “Hey, not bad. How does it feel?”
“Really weird,” she replied. “My lip feels all tingly.”
“That’s because all of the hairs have been cut short,” Will said. “Now pat some cold water on it.”
Kim splashed some water on her lip. “Wow, that really feels a lot better,” she said. “Do I have to do this every day?”
“Not yet,” said Will. “Right now just keep an eye on it, but you probably don’t need to shave that often.”
“What happens if I cut myself?” she asked.
“If it isn’t too bad you can probably just splash a little water on it. Or you can wet the tip of the styptic pencil and dab it on the nick. That usually stops it.”
Kim stared at her shaven lip. “Daddy,” she asked, “Will my beard get real dark? And does that mean I won’t be able to be a girl again?”
“I don’t think so, honey. I’m sure your mom can show you how to hide it with makeup. Just don’t ask me to show you, I don’t know anything about that.”
Kim giggled. “Thanks, Daddy.” She gave him a little kiss on the cheek.
“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Now go get your bathing suit on. Your sister Maggie wants to go swimming.”
Kim ran to her room and changed. Will turned and saw his wife Doris grinning. “Well,” she said, “that was quite a touching father-daughter moment.”
“Was it?” he asked.
Doris grabbed him and gave him a big, wet kiss. “I am so proud of you, Will,” she said. “You have really changed a lot over these past few weeks.”
“Get used to it,” he replied, and he kissed her right back. They were still kissing when they were interrupted by a voice.
“Do you have to do that in front of everybody?” Maggie asked.
“Yes, I do,” said Will. “I really love your mother, and I don’t think I need to hide it from you kids.”
“Give them a break, squirt,” said Kim. Will looked at her in her yellow tank suit with black piping. She really looked pretty. Will found it a little hard to believe that he had just taught her the very male art of facial shaving. Maggie was wearing a pink bikini and she really looked cute.
“”Okay, girls,” said Doris, “remember not to get too far from shore, and only swim where Pop-pop can see you. He’s down at the fishing pier. And don’t make too much noise and scare away the fish.”
“Don’t worry,” said Kim. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t drown. Bye, Mommy. Bye Daddy!
The two sisters ran down to the lake. Will and Doris watched them. “You know, babe, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you,” said Will.
“What do you want to know?” she said.
“How does Kim manage to have the, you know, the boobies in her swim suit?”
Doris laughed a little. “The suit has a built-in bra. I just sewed some waterproof forms into the cups.”
“Oh. She really looks pretty in it. Sometimes I forget she’s really a boy.”
Doris smiled. “Like I said, you big lug, I am really proud of you. Now how about peeling some potatoes for dinner while I shower?”
* * * * *
“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us, Pop?” Will asked.
“No, I don’t really care for the city. I’ll just go pester the fish some more. You kids have a good time at the ball game.” Big Bill picked up his tackle and walked down to the pier.
“Okay, Pop. We’ll see you when we get back.” Will opened the door to the Dodge. They were taking Doris’ car because it was a little bigger and more comfortable. He called into the house. “Okay, who’s coming? The boat shoves off in five minutes.”
Kim and Maggie came out the kitchen door. Kim was wearing a pair of jade shorts with a teal top, pink keds and a Phillies cap. She had her glove with her, as did Maggie. Maggie was wearing a floral-print dress and sandals.
“Why are you bringing your gloves?” Will asked.
Doris answered as she emerged from the kitchen. “I told them to,” she said. Doris was wearing teal Capri slacks with sandals and a loose v-neck top. She was carrying a tote bag and a large thermos. “They might get lucky and catch a souvenir.”
“What’s in the thermos?” he asked.
“My own special ball park mixture of iced tea and orange juice. And we need to stop at the deli on the way to pick up some hoagies.”
“Okay, let’s get rolling,” said Will. Everybody got in and they drove off toward Philadelphia.
Kim and Maggie watched as the landscape changed from rural to urban to urban blight. Connie Mack Stadium was located at 21st Street and Lehigh Avenue, and the neighborhood was changing. Will parked the car in one of the nearby lots, but he was definitely nervous as they walked the streets of North Philadelphia to the park. There were many people headed to the park, and he felt a little safer being in the crowd, but the neighbors staring at the fans made him a little edgy. He felt a lot better when they finally reached the park.
Standing at the corner was Ike Parham, a street vendor, hawking his wares. “Get your scorecards here!” he shouted. “They cost twice as much inside! Can’t tell the players without a scorecard! Get your pretzels here! Nice soft pretzels, only a nickel!”
Maggie begged her father, “Daddy, can we have a scorecard? Can we have a pretzel? Please, Daddy?”
Doris rescued him. “You get the tickets, Will, I’ll take care of pretzels and scorecards.”
“You sure, Doris? Will you be all right?”
“Of course I will. Now get the tickets and I’ll meet you at the gate. Okay?”
“Okay,” he said, and made his way to the ticket window.
Doris turned to Ike, who continued making his sales pitch to all passers-by. “How much are the pretzels?” she asked.
“Nickel apiece, Ma’am,” he replied, ”and six for a quarter.”
“I’ll have six,” she said, “and two score cards.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Ike said, producing a paper bag with six soft pretzels and two of the score cards. “That’ll be fifty-five cents.”
Doris pilled a dollar from her purse and handed it Ike, who made change from a coin dispenser on his waist. Maggie was fascinated at the mechanism that shot coins into Ike’s hand as he pressed the appropriate levers. Then, unexpectedly, she reached over and touched his arm.
Maggie seemed lost in reverie. “It’s just skin!” she said in amazement. She stared at her own arm, and then at Ike. “It’s like all of my freckles sort of touched each other.”
Doris was embarrassed. “I’m sorry; she’s never seen a Negro before.”
“Mo-ther!” said Kim in the sort of exasperated tone of a teenager correcting an uncool parent. “Nobody says ‘Negro’ any more; it’s ‘Black.’”
“That’s all right, little lady,” Ike chimed in, “your mother meant it with respect, and that’s what’s important.”
Ike turned to Maggie. “Is this your first ball game, sweetie?”
“Yes it is!” she answered.
“Well, then, you need something special for this special day. Let me see here.” Ike reached into his cart and pulled out a pack of baseball cards. “Would you like some baseball cards?”
Maggie’s eyes opened wide. “For me? Can I, Mommy, please?”
Doris started to object when Ike said, “It’s on the house, compliments of Ike Parham. Now you go enjoy the game.”
“Do you have more cards?” asked Kim. She pulled two quarters out of her purse.
“Sure do, little lady, five cents a pack. That is, if your mother says you can.”
“Go ahead, Kim,” said Doris, “but just five. I don’t want you spending all of your allowance on baseball cards.”
“Thanks, Mommy!” said Kim. She handed Ike a quarter and Ike handed her five packs of cards.
“Thank you kindly, Ma’am,” said Ike. “Now y’all go in and have a good time at the ball park.”
As they left, Ike began his sing-song pitch. “Pretzels! Nice, soft, pretzels; only a nickel! Get your scorecards here! You can’t tell the players without a scorecard!”
Doris and the girls caught up with Will as he was leaving the ticket booth. “Looks like a big crowd today,” he said. “The best I could do was outfield seats.”
“They’ll be fine,” said Doris. “Besides, we’ll have a better chance of catching something there.”
“I don’t know about that,” said Will. “The Phillies haven’t exactly set the world on fire with their hitting this season.”
The family made their way into the park and up to their seats. They passed several souvenir stands along the way, and Will could not resist buying Maggie a baseball cap.
The seats turned out to be pretty decent for the outfield, only two rows from the field. Doris and Will set Kim and Maggie down between them, with Maggie sitting next to Doris. Doris held one of the score cards and passed the other one to Kim, who shared it with Will.
“Hey, Kitten,” said Kim, “Do you see that fence in right field?” She pointed to a tall fence running just past the outfield.
“Yep, I see it,” Maggie said.
“That was built to keep people from watching the game without paying for it.”
“Really?” said Maggie.
“Sure was. The people who live on 20th Street had put seats on their rooftops and charged people a quarter to sit there and watch the game. The owners didn’t like that, so they built the fence.”
“Wow! That’s mean!”
“That’s what the neighbors said, but the fence is still there.”
Their conversation was interrupted by the announcer, welcoming the fans to Connie Mack Stadium for today’s game between the Phillies and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Following protocol, the Pirates’ Lineup was announced to a chorus of boos and catcalls from the stands. This was the behavior that earned Philadelphia fans their nickname, the “Boo Birds.”
The Phillies lineup was announced, and each player was greeted with a mixture of cheers and boos. Phillies fans were hard on their players. The National Anthem played over the speaker system, followed by the umpire’s cry of “Play ball!”
Ironically, the Pirate’s pitcher was a former Phillie, Jim Bunning. Jim had tossed a no-hitter in this very park back in 1964. The fans hoped he would not repeat this stellar performance today.
The game quickly developed into a pitcher’s duel. It was the third inning before anybody actually got to base, and that was from a walk. He never made it to second. There were a few hits in the fourth, but both the Phillies and the Pirates managed to leave players stranded.
By the fifth inning everybody was hungry. Doris passed out the hoagies she had bought at the deli in South Philadelphia. Will originally groused about going there, so far away from the park, just to get sandwiches, but Doris assured him that these were worth the trip. She was, of course, correct. These were the real thing, made on an Amoroso roll and stacked high with salami, capicolla, provolone, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, and moistened with a bit of olive oil. The stands smelled like the inside of an Italian deli to anybody nearby, and more than a few mouths watered as the O’Connell’s enjoyed lunch.
By the time they finished the fifth inning was over, and the game was tied with no score on either side. At the bottom of the sixth the Phillies started showing some grit. Cookie Rojas hit a fly into the outfield and was out. Then, Tony Taylor hit a line drive and scored a base hit. Roberto Pena lined in the opposite direction, putting men on first and second with one out. Now the crowd was getting on their feet. They felt something in the air, and with good reason. Richie Allen stepped into the batter’s box.
Allen’s batting average was only .263, but he was currently the only hitter on the Phillies’ roster producing home runs in double digits. The fans knew he could hit one out of the park. But he was just as likely to strike out. It looked like this was going to happen when, after two pitches, Allen was behind 0-2.
Bunning wound up and threw a slider. Allen reached and got a piece of it. He hit a line drive to the shortstop Gene Alley, who threw it to second for a forced out. The second baseman, Bill Mazeroski, threw to first where Donn Clendenon snagged it and tagged Allen out. It was a beautiful double play; unfortunately, it was played by Pittsburgh against the Phillies. The sixth inning ended with no score for either side.
The people sitting in the row in front of the O’Connell’s decided they had enough and got up to leave. Several folks had the same idea and made their way out, hoping to beat the inevitable traffic jam. But the O’Connell’s were true baseball fans and would stay to the last out.
During the seventh inning stretch Doris passed out the pretzels. The bottom of the seventh ended with no score. The eight was short for both sides, three up and three down each.
It was the bottom of the ninth. All of the food was gone, and there was still no score. Jim Bunning was still pitching, but would probably be relieved if the game went into extra innings. The faithful fans who remained were hoping for a rally.
Tony Taylor stepped up to the plate. He took the first two pitches and was ahead 2-0. He got a fast ball right down the center, connected, and made it to first. The fans cheered. Could their Phillies actually pull a win out of this?
Pena batted next. Bunning concentrated, then threw to first where Taylor had been taking a long lead. This happened three more times, and each time Taylor made it back to first ahead of the ball. Finally, Bunning pitched. Taylor took off for second. The catcher, Jerry May, threw to second, but it was too late. Taylor was safe.
The crowd was on their feet. Pena swung at the next ball and hit a deep fly to the outfield. The Phillies had runners at first and third, no outs, and Richie Allen stepped up to the plate.
Bunning wasted no time trying to hold Pena on first, which was just as well because Pena was not especially good at stealing bases. All of Bunning’s concentration was on the stocky black man at home plate.
The first pitch was low and outside. Allen did not swing, and the umpire dutifully called Ball 1. The next pitch was just inside for a called strike. With a 1-1 count, Bunning pitched a fastball. Allen swung and connected.
There is a unique sound made by a wooden bat smacking into a horsehide covered baseball that is music to the ears of any true baseball fan. This is the sound that says “Home Run!” It was that sound that reverberated in Connie Mack Stadium, and every fan was on his feet. The ball arched high! Little Maggie watched it every second of its flight and quickly realized it was coming straight for her.
It seemed that everything was in slow motion. Maggie saw the ball coming right for her head. It would smack her in the eye if she didn’t move. And just as it was about to hit, she remembered the previous day and brought her glove up between her head and the approaching baseball.
The ball smacked into her glove with a force so strong it stung her hand. She almost cried. But she remembered what her sister had shown her yesterday and squeezed the ball. It stayed in her glove.
The crowd went wild! Byrum Saam was ecstatically reporting the scene to his radio audience; a small girl with long red hair had caught the winning run. Dick Allen rounded the bases, greeted with high fives at home plate by Taylor and Pena. The crowd cheered and the Pirates walked off dejectedly. Their season was only slightly better than the Phillies’ this year, and every loss hurt.
Maggie was jumping for joy. “Mommy, look! I caught it! Daddy, look, I caught the ball! I caught the ball!”
“Good for you, Kitten!” said Doris. “That was one fantastic catch!”
“I think I broke my hand!” she said.
“I don’t think so, squirt,” said Kim, “or you wouldn’t be able to hold it. Hey, let me see it.”
“You can’t have it! It’s mine!”
“Hey, I’m not going to take it from you! You caught it fair and square. I just want to see the ball my little sister caught.”
“You’ll give it right back?” she asked.
“Sure will. Maybe Daddy would like to see it.”
Maggie released the ball from her glove reluctantly. Kim held it and rotated it in her hend. It was marked by the bat and was coated with a thin layer of rubbing mud, but it looked beautiful.
Kim handed it to her father, who admired it. “That was some catch, Maggie. I’m proud of you.”
Maggie giggled. “Thanks’ Daddy. Wow, did you hear it when I caught it? It hit so hard my hand was seeing stars!”
Will passed the ball to Doris, who passed it back to Maggie. “Well you hang on to that ball, Maggie. That’s a game-winning ball.”
“I will, Mommy. Could you put it in your bag until we get home?”
“Sure, Kitten,” she replied, and stuck the ball into her tote bag.
“Well this was quite a day,” said Will. “Let’s head for home and tell Pop-pop about out adventures today.”
The family made their way out of the stands and back to the parking lot. Maggie and Kim could hardly keep quiet talking about the game. They found the car and drove back to the lake.
As they made their way back to Big Bill’s Bungalow, Will and Doris talked. “You know,” Doris said, “that was one fabulous catch Maggie made today.”
“It certainly was,” said Will. “I think she’s inherited her mother’s talent.”
“I think she has. I think Maggie’s a natural. Maybe she ought to think about going out for softball.”
“If she wants to, why not? But I don’t think the school has a team right now.”
“That’s because they don’t have a coach,” said Doris. “I can fix that.”
“How?” said Will. “Are you planning on being coach?”
“Why not?” said Doris. “The school needs a coach, and I have the time. I think I can handle it.”
“Well, they couldn’t do better, honey. You were one terrific player back in the day.”
“You say that like I’m ready to be put out to pasture.”
“That’s not what I meant,” said Will. “It’s just that you don’t exactly meet the age requirements to play grade-school softball. But I’ll tell you what, those girls will be mighty lucky to have you coach them.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Not a doubt in the world.”
The conversation went on until they pulled in at the cottage. As they went in they could smell the aroma of fish being fried. Big Bill was cooking.
“Looks like you were lucky today, Pop,” said Will, eying up the fish and potatoes Bill was fixing.
"Well, I managed to catch a couple. And from what I heard on the radio, somebody else made a lucky catch. By Saam said that a little red-haired girl caught the winning run. That wouldn’t be out little kitten Maggie now, would it?”
Maggie grinned ear to ear. “It was me, Pop-pop! I caught it! I caught it!’
“Good for you, Maggie. Maybe the Phillies ought to sign you up.”
“Actually,” said Doris, “Will and I think she might be able to go out for softball next Spring.”
“Not a bad idea,” said Bill. “I wonder how well she bats? Anyway, I fried up my catch and some potatoes as well, and I have a pot of string beans cooking. Who’s hungry?”
"I am!” said Maggie and Kim in unison.
“Okay then. Kim, set the table for us.”
“I will, Pop-pop,” said Kim, who started setting plates on the table.
“And Maggie, I want to see that home run ball you caught after dinner.”
“Okay, Pop-pop. Mommy has it in her bag.”
“Good. Now everybody sit down and we’ll say grace.”
The family sat at the table. They bowed their heads and gave thanks for their meal, and then tore in to Big Bill’s fish.
(End of Part 4)
© 2005 Valentina Michelle Smith
Notes:
Historical Note: The game described in this story was completely fictitious, but the players were all real, and played for the Phillies and the Pirates in 1968.
Connie Mack Stadium (formerly Shibe Park) was home to the Philadelphia Athletics (1909 to 1953) and the Philadelphia Phillies (1938 to 1970). The park closed when the Phillies moved to their new home, Veteran’s Stadium. In June 1976, while the All Star game was being played at Veteran’s Stadium, this venerable piece of baseball history that had hosted nine World Series, and had seen the play of such luminaries as Shoeless Joe Jackson, Ted Williams, and Ty Cobb, was demolished. The site is now home for the Deliverance Evangelistic Church.
Part 5
Kim and Maggie were enjoying a day at the beach.
The beach was not an actual beach by the sea, but was a sandy area that Big Bill O’Connell and Will had put together at the side of Mason’s Lake, not far from the fishing pier. Big Bill had bought a large portion of lakeside property when he bought the cottage. His first improvement was the fishing pier. Then he bought several truckloads of gravel and sand to create a safe place to swim, free of the normal debris found at the bottom of a lake. Every year it was raked and sifted to keep the sand smooth and safe. And every few years they added another truckload of sand.
Maggie and Kim had set a blanket on the sand and were taking turns jumping from the raft. The raft was a marvel of jury-rigging, consisting of several 55-gallon drums welded shut to form airtight pontoons. A platform contained the drums and provided a surface to climb up and jump from. Every year at springtime, Will and Big Bill inspected it for leaks, rust, or deterioration, made repairs, and re-painted the raft. It had endured many summers of fun with minimal maintenance. In a child’s imagination, it was everything from a pirate ship to the lost City of Atlantis.
Right now it was a platform for jumping into the lake. With that unbounded energy only children seem to have, Maggie and Kim were taking turns making cannonball dives at each other.
Doris O’Connell watched her two girls from the comfort of her beach chair. She was sipping some iced tea and enjoying her latest paperback, a collection of Nero Wolfe short stories. She knew that as long as her girls were making noise there was nothing to worry about.
Will was back at the bungalow, preparing a barbecue. It was nothing fancy, just hot dogs and hamburgers with some of Pop’s famous potato salad, but somehow hot dogs tasted a lot better when cooked over charcoal. Doris was definitely looking forward to dinner.
“Excuse me,” a voice said. Doris looked up and saw a girl about Kim’s age. “Can I go swimming here?”
“Well,” said Doris, “I don’t mind, but your parents have to give permission.”
“My Dad is back in the city working,” the girl replied, “But I could ask my Mom. Is that all right?”
“Yes, of course,” said Doris, “but I have to hear it from her.”
“Could I bring a note?” the girl asked.
“Of course you may. What’s your name, sweetie?”
The girl smiled. “It’s Roxy. That’s short for Roxanne. I’ll go get the note and I’ll be right back!” She ran up a path toward one of the other cottages.
Kim and Maggie came up onto the beach to run in the sand. “Who was that, Mommy?” asked Maggie.
“Her name is Roxy. I think she might be coming back to swim.” Sure enough, Roxy appeared in a swim suit, accompanied by a woman.
“I’m sorry to bother you,” the woman said. “We’re up for the summer and Roxy has nobody to play with. Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Of course not; you’re welcome to come in too if you like, and so are your other children.”
“It’s just Roxy and myself, I’m afraid,” she answered. “My name is Wanda Nelson and I really hate to impose. My husband Jeff is working, but he’ll be up for the weekend.”
“You aren’t imposing, Wanda. I’m Doris O’Connell, and my girls are Kimberly and Maggie. Kim is my oldest girl, and Maggie is the little redhead.”
“Thanks, Doris. I really appreciate it. Maybe I’ll bring my chair down and sit a while.”
“Well bring a glass; I have plenty of iced tea here.”
While the grown-ups were exchanging pleasantries, the girls all jumped back in the lake. Roxy paused a few seconds to get used to the cold water, but she didn’t wait for long. She made her way out to the raft and joined in the cannonball contest.
Wanda and Doris talked to each other while the girls splashed and played in the water. Maggie managed to catch a frog and was showing it to Roxy and Kim for approval when Roxy managed to catch a turtle. They took the turtle up to the beach and then let it go. They watched as it scurried down to the water and swam away.
“Wow, this is really neat,” said Roxy. “I’m glad you let me go swimming here.”
“Well if it’s okay with your mom and mine you can come here any time,” said Kim.
“Wow, do you mean it? That would be great!”
Doris called to the girls. They all came in and dried off. “I invited Mrs. Nelson to join us for dinner. Kim, would you please go tell Daddy to get a few more burgers ready?”
“Okay, Mommy. I’ll stay and help him.”
“Thanks, Kim. We’ll be there in about an hour.”
“May I go with Kim, Mommy?” Roxy asked her mother.
“I think maybe you had better change clothes, first. Don’t worry, sweetie, there’s plenty of time.”
“Look at it this way, Roxy,” said Kim, “this way you get some more time at the beach. Besides, I need a break. You can torture the squirt for me.”
Maggie stuck her tongue out at Kim and gave her the raspberries. “Don’t listen to her, Roxy. She’s just stuck up ‘cause she’s gonna help cook dinner.”
“Hey, you two,” said Doris, “that’s not very ladylike! Now make up!”
Kim just messed Maggie’s hair and gave her a big hug. They had only been kidding. Maggie and Roxy headed back for the water while Kim put on her flip-flops and made her way to the bungalow.
Big Bill was busy in the kitchen slicing up the potatoes he had boiled. Will was forming ground meat into patties. “Hi Daddy, hi Pop-pop!” said Kim as she entered. Mommy wants me to tell you we’re having company for dinner.”
“Looks like we need to put some water into the soup pot,” said Big Bill. He leaned down to give Kim a little kiss on the cheek.
Will asked, “So how many more hungry mouths do we have to feed?”
“Just two, Roxy and Mrs. Nelson. We met them down at the beach.”
“Well that won’t be too difficult. We have plenty of lettuce and lots of meat to make burgers. Hey, princess, why don’t you get changed and finish making the hamburgers so I can start the fire?”
“Okay, Daddy,” Kim replied. She went into her room to change. She was only inside for a few minutes when she emerged wearing a denim skirt with a Monkees T-shirt. She went outside to hang up her swim suit and towel, then came back inside and grabbed an apron.
“Wash your hands first, Kim,” said Will. Kim washed her hands at the sink and then grabbed a handful of hamburger to form patties. Will smiled and went outside to set up the grill.
The barbecue grill was a cinder block and concrete affair that he had built before Maggie was born. The lower grate was just the right size to lay a bed of charcoal briquettes. Will started with some newspaper sheets. He had never been fond of starter fluid. He laid the charcoal on top of the paper and lit one of the edges with his trusty Zippo lighter. Flames licked up around the coals. Soon, a layer of white ash covered the coals. The fire was ready for cooking.
Will returned to the kitchen to find that his family had returned with their new friends, Wanda and Roxy. “Hello there,” he said, extending a hand to Wanda, “I’m Will O’Connell.”
Wanda took his hand and shook it. “Glad to meet you, Will. I’m Wanda and this is my girl Roxy.”
“Hello, Mr. O’Connell,” Roxy said.
“Hello, Roxy. Say, that’s a pretty name.”
“Thank you,” Roxy said with a smile and a little blush.
“Look, Daddy,” said Maggie, “Roxy brought a game we can play. It’s the Barbie game.”
“Well you’re in the right place, Roxy; Maggie has a whole bunch of Barbie stuff. Do you have any?”
“I sort of outgrew Barbie dolls, Mr. O’Connell, but the game is still fun.”
“Well maybe you girls can play after dinner. Speaking of dinner, how are those burgers coming?”
“All ready for the fire, Daddy,” said Kim. She produced a plate stacked with raw patties.
“Good work, princess. Let’s get cooking. Take them outside and I’ll bring the hot dogs.”
Kim took her plate of hamburgers outside. Will retrieved the hot dogs from the refrigerator. “Sorry it isn’t something fancy, Wanda,” he said.
“Don’t be sorry, Will,” she answered, “I just love a good barbecue, especially hot dogs. And your Pop’s potato salad looks mighty good too.”
Will smiled and took the hot dogs out to the grill. Kim had already arranged the hamburgers over the fire.
“Thanks, princess,” said Will, “You do good work.”
Kim smiled. She loved helping out with a barbecue. But she had a question for Will. “Daddy,” she asked, “why do you call me ‘princess’?”
Will stopped for a moment. “I don’t know, I just started saying it. It just feels sort of right.”
“Isn’t that what you used to call Becky?” she asked.
Another pause. “Yeah, I guess I did.”
“So do you think I’m Becky?”
Now Will laughed. “No, sweetie, I know you’re not Becky. I guess I just miss having her around. In a way, you’ve become my princess.”
Will’s face assumed a very distant _expression, the kind that comes from a very profound thought. “When Becky died, I think a piece of me died with her. I had to be strong for the family, so I never really let myself cry, but there’s been a hole in my life for years. I tried to imagine that it wasn’t really there, but it wouldn’t go away. Somehow, Kim, you managed to fill that hole for me.”
“Does that mean you want me to keep on being Kim? I mean, when summer’s over?”
Will looked at his daughter. She was growing tall. In fact, she had grown at least an inch or two since summer started. He was used to thinking of her as his daughter now, and felt a little uncomfortable at the thought of her going back to being Trip again.
“Well, honey,” he said, “that’s a pretty serious question. Do you want to keep on being Kim?”
“Not all the time,” she said. “Everybody at home knows Trip. I guess I might like to be Kim every now and then, but not all the time. But what I want to know is, what do you want me to do?”
Will looked at Kim and suddenly realized how grown up she was becoming. “Princess, what I want is for you to be happy, whatever you want. It took me a long time with a lot of thinking to understand this, but I can’t live your life for you. I can guide you and maybe make suggestions, but you have to make a lot of choices for yourself, like what you’re going to do when it comes time for you to make a living in this world.”
“But Daddy, how can I do this? How can I choose?”
“You already started, Kim. You made the choice to spend this summer as my daughter, and you managed to convince me that it was a good idea. That sounds awfully grown up to me.”
“So I’m grown up now?”
Will laughed. “No, not completely, honey, but you’ve started. You’re becoming an adult, and I couldn’t be more proud of you. But I’m also a little bit sad. When my little girl grows up, she’s no longer my little girl.”
“I thought Maggie was your little girl.”
“Until this summer I thought so too.”
Kim laughed, and so did Will.
While Will and Kim presided over the grill, Doris and Maggie spread a tablecloth over the picnic table and set out the paper plates and plastic cutlery. Wanda and Roxy helped set out the picnic goodies, and Big Bill brought out a giant bowl filled with potato salad. “I know you’ll like this, Wanda, I made it from my Peg’s recipe.”
“Is Peg your wife?” Wanda asked.
“She was for nearly forty years. She passed away a few years ago.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Yeah, I still miss her, but I have a lot of fond memories of her, especially our last few years together. She was one hell of a lady.”
“Do you get lonely, Mr. O’Connell?” asked Roxy.
“Sometimes; sometimes I really miss Peg, especially in the evenings. We would sit out on the porch and just talk to each other. I guess I still talk to her, just now I have to listen a lot harder to hear her answer.”
“You can still hear her answer?”
“Of course I can. I hear her when the gentle wind blows, when the crickets chirp, when the frogs croak, or when the birds sing. Oh, yes, Peg still answers me; I just have to listen for her.
“But hey, that’s enough of this melancholy talk. I’m hungry.
“Hey Will,” he called out, “we got some mighty hungry people to feed here. Are you going to finish, or do we have to send out for pizza?”
"The burgers are coming off the fire now, Pop, so hold your horses,” Will shouted back. Quietly he said to Kim, “You’d think we never feed him the way he bellyaches!”
Kim giggled and almost dropped a burger, but each one made it onto the plate along with the hot dogs. Will took the plate and together they made their way to the picnic table. As he set the plate down he said, “The fire still has some life in it. Maybe you kids might want to toast some marshmallows after we eat.”
“Oh boy,” Maggie exclaimed, “I love toasted marshmallows.”
“Me too,” said Roxy, “may I toast some, Mommy?”
“I don’t see why not, but first eat your dinner. Mr. O’Connell has made some very nice hamburgers and his father has made potato salad. No dessert until you finish dinner, Roxy.”
“Wow,” said Kim, “I guess mothers all have the same speechwriters. Don’t worry, Mrs. Nelson, the starving kids in Europe won’t get mad at us.”
Everybody laughed as they sat down. Big Bill asked, “Wanda, we normally say grace. Would you like to join us?”
Wanda answered, “Not at all, we can join in.”
“Great. Maggie, it’s your turn to lead us.”
Maggie recited the prayer while everyone bowed their heads. “Bless us, oh Lord, and these Thy gifts that we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen”
Everybody repeated “Amen,” and crossed themselves. “Well,” said Wanda, “that answers one question, everybody here is Catholic.”
“And everyone here is hungry,” Big Bill said, “So let’s dig in.”
The table was set so that everybody could assemble their own hamburger. Lettuce, onions, and sliced tomatoes were on one platter, buns on another, and the hamburgers right next to them with condiments nearby. Everybody had a very strong opinion on just what went into a perfect hamburger, and everyone enjoyed the potato salad. Hot dogs were also available, leading to another discussion about how a hot dog should be topped.
“Personally,” said Big Bill, “I like the onions and hot sauce they have at Yocco’s.”*
“What’s ‘Yocco’s’?” asked Roxy.
“It’s a hot dog stand in Bethlehem,” said Big Bill. “Yocco’s King of Hot Dogs. I had many a lunch at the Yocco’s next to the mill.”
“This is the first time I ever heard of them,” Wanda said. “I guess they don’t have them in Philadelphia.”
“That’s right,” said Doris, “we Philly gals had to make do with cheese steaks and hoagies.”
“Now that’s what I call culturally deprived,” said Will.
“That’s a neat top, Kim,” said Roxy. “Do you like the Monkees?”
“Oh, yes,” said Kim, “I think they sound great. They’re not as good as the Beatles but I like their songs.”
“My favorite is Davy because he’s so cute. Who’s your favorite?”
“I like Mike because he’s the guitarist, but Peter is pretty good on the bass. Do you like the Beatles?”
“Yes, especially Paul; he’s just so cute. Don’t you think he’s really cute?”
“I guess I never really thought about it,” said Kim. “I kind of like George because he plays guitar.”
“You seem to have a thing for guitar players,” said Roxy.
“Kim plays guitar,” Doris said.
“Wow, that’s really groovy,” said Roxy. “Can you play something for us?”
Kim blushed a little. “I guess I can,” she said, “but I don’t know if you’ll like what I play. I like to play folk songs and cowboy songs.”
“That’s OK, Kim,” said Roxy, “Did you know that Ringo likes country songs? He even recorded a couple with the Beatles.”
“Yeah, I heard them. I didn’t think anybody else liked them.”
“Well, I do. Ringo is kinda cute, for a drummer.”
Will looked at Doris and Wanda and rolled his eyes. “These kids sure get caught up in their music,” he said.
“So did we,” said Doris. “As I recall, you enjoyed rock and roll yourself.”
“Yeah, but that was different. We had Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, and Elvis. This stuff the kids are listening to can’t hold a candle to the classics.”
Big Bill started to laugh. “Classics, indeed,” he said. “Son, I grew up listening to Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey, and Benny Goodman. Swing was the thing. I felt pretty much about your music as you think about Kim’s.”
“Maybe so,” said Will, “but I still think that the music of the 50’s will never die. You mark my words, in five years nobody will remember the Beatles ever existed.”
“I said the same thing about Buddy Holly,” Big Bill replied. “It’s a good thing I never tried to make a living as a fortune teller.”
Everybody laughed. Doris then started the conversation in another direction. “Wanda, did you say your husband would be coming here for the weekend?”
“Oh, yes, he loves it here. When he gets done work on Friday he’ll head down here and go back on Monday morning.”
“Does he get any vacation?”
“He gets two weeks in August when the plant shuts down. Then he stays here all the time. The rest of the time it’s just me and Roxy.”
“I like it when Daddy comes here,” said Roxy. “Would it be okay for him to go swimming at the beach?”
“He’s welcome any time,” said Big Bill. “Say, maybe we can all get together for a cook out.”
“That sounds like a great idea,” said Wanda. “I’m sure he’ll enjoy it.”
“Say, what does he do for a living, Wanda?” Will asked.
“He operates an automatic screw machine for a textile plant in Kensington.”
“That wouldn’t be Steel Heddle, would it?” asked Will.
“Why yes, it is. How did you know?”
“I guessed. I’m the machine shop foreman at Bethlehem Steel, so I know most of the machine shops in the Northeast. Sometimes we send out extra work to them.”
“I guess you boys will be talking a lot of shop talk,” said Doris. “And here I thought I got away from all that for the summer.”
“Well if everybody’s finished,” said Big Bill, “I think we have some ladies who would like to burn a few marshmallows.”
“I see clean plates all around,” said Will. “OK, break out the marshmallows.”
The girls all found long sticks and speared marshmallows onto the end. They patiently held them over the still-burning coals, watching their marshmallows turn a toasty brown. Then they were joined by Doris and Wanda, who brought Hershey bars and Graham crackers. “Come on, girls,” said Wanda, “we’re going to show you how to make S’mores.”
Wanda demonstrated the ancient and venerable art of squeezing a toasted marshmallow between pieces of a Hershey bar and graham crackers. The girls were delighted with the new-found delight and proceeded to make several more.
Eventually the table was cleared, the paper plates were disposed of, and the leftovers were put away. The sun was getting lower and shadows were getting taller. Everybody went inside.
Maggie, Roxy, and Kim immediately took over the kitchen table to play the Barbie game. “Have you ever played this game before?” Roxy asked. Both Maggie and Kim shook their heads. “Okay, here’s how you play. You roll the dice, move around the board, and follow the instructions. You have to get a date, prom tickets, and a dress to go to the prom. The winner is whoever gets to be queen of the prom.”
They each rolled one die. Kim rolled highest and started. While the girls played, The grown-ups sat down and talked.
“You said you were Catholic,” Doris said to Wanda. “Do you go to St. Stephan’s?”
“Yes, we usually go to the early Mass,” Wanda answered. “I like Father Mulroney, he keeps the sermons short.”
“Well, I think both he and Father Krasley keep them shorter in the summer. They say twice as many Masses to take care of the summer people,” Big Bill said.
“Well for whatever reason, I’m glad. I don’t think I could stand being in the church for a long sermon during the summer. It’s just too hot.”
“Yes, even with the fans going it can get stuffy,” said Big Bill. “Sometimes I think I ought to just forget my tie, but I don’t think the priests would like it.”
“Father Mulroney said he would refuse communion to any woman who didn’t have at least a half-sleeve, or if her neckline was too low. I think he wants to keep a sense of modesty and propriety in church.”
“Well, it’s only for an hour,” said Will. “I think I can put up with a little discomfort for an hour on the Lord’s Day.”
“An hour isn’t much time for you or I,” said Doris, “but for the kids it seems like forever.”
“Oh, yeah, I think they would rather be outside playing,” said Will.
“But it’s nice to see them dressed like little ladies just once a week,” said Wanda. “If I left it up to Roxy I think she would be in shorts and T-shirts all the time.”
At the table, Maggie shouted, “I got my dress! I can go to the prom!”
The grown-ups smiled at each other. “Well, I guess that’s the next big hurdle,” said Wanda, “boys. Roxy isn’t boy-crazy yet, but she has a crush on just about every cute boy in a rock and roll band. Sometimes I wish they never printed Tiger Beat.”
“Kim isn’t really boy-crazy,” said Doris, “she mostly follows musicians she admires. I think it’s because she plays the guitar.”
“I sure wish Roxy would get interested in a musical instrument. I tried sending her to piano lessons but her heart just wasn’t in it. She never practiced and never really learned much. Oh, well, kids!”
Maggie now ran into the small parlor. “Mommy, Daddy, I won! I’m the queen of the prom! I won!”
“Good for you, little kitten,” said Doris, “and I bet it was because you are so pretty.”
Maggie just beamed as Roxy and Kim entered. “The squirt cheated,” Kim said.
“Did not! Did not! You’re just jealous!” Maggie said.
“Of course I’m jealous,” Kim said, “you always win!”
Doris looked up at Kim, who gave her a conspiratorial wink. She knew then that Kim and Roxy had somehow managed to arrange things so Maggie would be the winner. Doris returned the wink and smiled. It was so wonderful to have a daughter like Kim.
Wanda then said, “Kim, your mother said you play the guitar. Would you mind playing something for us?”
Kim started to blush. “Gee, I don’t know, Mrs. Nelson. I’m not really that good.”
“Nonsense,” Will said, “I’ve heard you play and you’re great. Come on, princess, play us something.”
Roxy said, “I think I’d like to hear you play, Kim.”
Kim hesitated just a second, and then said, “OK, I guess so, but no jokes about torturing cats!” She aimed that last remark at her grandfather, who suddenly took on a look of surprise coupled with sheepish innocence. This made Kim laugh. She retriever her guitar from her room and tuned it up.
She strummed a few chords and, satisfied with the sound, started playing. “This is for Daddy,” she said, and launched into an acoustic rendition of Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade away.”
There was something in the way Kim played that seemed to capture Buddy Holly’s spirit. Whether it was her use of the same tempo and simple progression, or the way she sort of caught Holly’s West Texas twang, her audience was enthralled. Will joined in, and so did Doris. When Kim finished, everybody applauded. “More! More!” they shouted.
“Let’s slow it down a little,” Kim said. “Here’s something for Mommy and Daddy.” She strummed, and started singing another Buddy Holly song, “True Love Ways.” It wasn’t quite as powerful as her previous song; it had been written for a full orchestra, after all. But Kim managed to capture the essence of Buddy Holly’s singing.
Nobody joined in this time, they simply listened. But as she was singing, Will grasped Doris’ hand. They looked into each other’s eyes, remembering a time not long ago when they first fell in love. When Kim finished, Doris leaned over and gave Will a kiss.
“That was lovely, Kim,” said Wanda. A little tear trickled down her cheek. It was obvious she missed Jeff.
Big Bill decided it was time for a request. “Well, I know you can’t play jazz, so how about some country?”
“Would you like a cowboy song, Pop-pop?” Kim asked.
“Sure think, sweetie. Let’s hear what you got.”
Kim smiled and started strumming a strong progression of chords. She accented this strum with individual notes. Big Bill grinned as he recognized the melody, and Kim started singing “Ghost Riders in the Sky.” Big Bill and Will both joined in on the “Yippie-yi-ay!” chorus. Again there was more applause as she finished.
Kim’s initial embarrassment was now gone. She rose from her chair and bowed to her audience. Sitting again, she started playing a softer, simpler melody. “This one’s for Maggie,” she said, and started singing “Puff, the Magic Dragon.”
Kim’s voice was not as powerful or as expressive as Peter Yarrow’s, but it didn’t matter to her sister Maggie. She was just thrilled that her big sister was playing one of her favorite songs. Again, Kim’s audience was enthralled and joined in on the chorus, singing the praises of a famous dragon in a land called Hanah Lee, and a little boy who loved him.
After the applause settled down, Kim said, “Here’s something a little more recent.” She started strumming, and singing. Roxy recognized it right away. It was the Monkees’ bit of social satire, “Pleasant Valley Sunday.” The grown-ups were a little confused and perhaps a bit surprised at the references to “charcoal burning everywhere” and “rows of houses that are all the same,” but if they were offended they didn’t show it. And when Kim finished, Big Bill said, “Well, at least we don’t have a TV in every room here.”
Everybody laughed, the tension broken. Kim said, “It’s not really about us, it’s more like a criticism of how shallow some people are becoming. They lose sight of the really important things in life, like family and love, and stopping to smell the roses. It’s like the lady whose roses are all in bloom. You might think she would stop to smell them and enjoy them once in a while, but she doesn’t. All she wants to do is show off.”
“Wow, that’s some mighty deep thoughts, princess,” said Will. “You’ve become a regular philosopher.”
“I think it’s a neat song,” said Roxy. “Do you know any others?”
“Sure,” said Kim, and she started singing “Yesterday.” Again, the simple rhythm and melody of the guitar was a perfect accompaniment to the song, and while her voice was no match for Paul McCartney, she still delivered it with panache. In the end, everybody was hanging on her voice, especially Roxy.
“That was so beautiful!” she said, “It’s like Paul was singing it just for me!”
“Play another one, honey,” said Doris.
“Okay, Mommy. I think I’ll play a folk song.” She played several arpeggios in ¾ time, and then she started singing.
Are you goin’ to Scarborough Faire?
Every rose grows merry and fine!
Remember me to one who lives there,
She was once a true lover of mine.
Tell her to make me a Cambric shirt.
Every rose grows merry and fine!
Without any seam or fine needlework,
Who wanted to be a true lover of mine.
Tell her to find me an acre of land.
Every rose grows merry and fine!
Between the salt water and the sea stand,
Who wanted to be a true lover of mine.
Tell her to plough it all with a sheep’s horn.
Every rose grows merry and fine!
And to sow it all in with just one peppercorn,
Who wanted to be a true lover of mine.
Tell her to reap it with a sickle of leather.
Every rose grows merry and fine!
And gather it all in a cord made of heather,
Who wanted to be a true lover of mine.
And when she has done with and finished her work,
Every rose grows merry and fine!
Come to me with the Cambric shirt,
And then she will be a true lover of mine.**
Kim finished with a little flourish of her strings. Everybody applauded.
Roxy said, “That’s from Simon and Garfunkel, but that isn’t the way they sing it.”
“It’s an old ballad,” Kim answered. “It has a lot of versions. That one is my favorite.”
“I kind of miss the parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. But the rose is nice.”
“Well,” said Wanda, “this has been fun, but I think it’s getting late. Roxy, let’s say goodnight and head for home.”
“Okay, Mom. Thanks for dinner, Mrs. O’Connell. And Mr. O’Connell, thank you too. And thanks for the potato salad, Mr. O’Connell,” she said to Big Bill.
Well thanks for coming over, Roxy,” said Big Bill. You feel free to drop in any time, now, and that goes for your Mom and Dad too. I had a good time tonight.”
“I did too,” said Roxy. “Hey, I have an idea. Maybe Kim can come with me to the dance next Saturday.”
“A dance?” Kim said, “Where is there a dance?”
“St. Stephen’s has a teen dance every other Saturday,” Wanda replied. “Roxy has been there a few times, but she doesn’t really have any friends to go with. It’s chaperoned, so there won’t be any monkey business.”
“Gee, I don’t know,” Kim said.
“Oh please, Kim? It’ll be so great to have a friend come with me.”
“Well, I really don’t know how!”
“That’s OK, I can show you. It really isn’t that hard.”
“But, I mean, are there boys there?”
“Of course there are, silly,” Roxy said. “Don’t worry about them, they aren’t too gross. There’s a dress code at St. Stephen’s.”
“Go ahead, honey,” said Doris, “I’m sure you’ll have fun, and you seem to get along well with Roxy.”
Kim stammered for a few minutes, but then reluctantly gave in to pressure. “Well, OK, I guess I can go.”
“That’s great, Kim!” said Roxy. “Wow, I can’t wait. It’s next Saturday. I’ll show you a few steps and we can fake the rest.”
“All right,” said Wanda, “save some of that energy for Saturday. I’m sure you two will want to get together about your outfits and makeup and everything.”
“Yep!” said Roxy. “It’s gonna be great. Well, good night, Kim. And good night, Maggie. Maybe we can go swimming tomorrow.”
The O’Connell’s wished Roxy and Wanda a pleasant evening and saw them to the door of the bungalow. Will lent Wanda a flashlight so she wouldn’t trip over anything in the dark. They watched as Wanda and Roxy made their way down the trail to their own cottage.
“Mommy, I think I need to talk with you,” Kim said.
* * * * *
Kim was dressed in her pajamas and had said her prayers when Doris came in to talk with her.
“Mommy, I’m nervous about the dance,” Kim said.
“Well, it is your first dance, so I’m not surprised. Are you worried about how you’ll look on the floor?”
“No it isn’t that,” Kim said. “It’s just that, what if a boy wants to dance with me?”
“What if he does? Most girls would worry that no boy would want to dance with her.”
“I know, but, I’m really a boy. You know that. What am I supposed to do?”
Doris sighed. “Kim, sweetie, this is all part of being a girl. Now I know you never went to a dance as Trip, and to tell you the truth I’m a little worried about it. Maybe if you go as Kim, you might not be so nervous to go to a dance when you go back to being Trip. And maybe you’ll learn a little something about being a gentleman and treating a lady with respect.”
“Did Daddy treat you with respect, Mommy?”
Doris smiled. “Yes, and he still does.”
Kim furrowed her brow. “I’m still confused about this, Mommy, but I’ll go.”
“That’s my girl!” said Doris. Now get to sleep.” Doris kissed her daughter good night.
Outside, Will was waiting for her. “Do you think this is a good idea, Hon?” he asked his wife.
“Trip needs a little socializing, Will. I think maybe if he sees this part of the world from Kim’s point of view, he’ll have some more confidence in himself.”
“Did I ever have any trouble that way?” Will asked.
“Let’s just say I had to whack you between the eyes with a pretty big two-by-four to get your attention.”
Will laughed. “Okay, I’m just a little nervous. What if some boy tries to get fresh with her?”
“Somehow, I think Kim can take care of herself that way.”
“Yeah, but I’m still nervous. I guess I still want to protect her.”
“Our little bird has to leave the nest some day. Before she flies on her own she has to try her wings. This will be good for her.”
“I guess so, but I still feel protective.”
“And if this were Trip going to a dance and not Kim, what would you do?”
Will grinned. “Yeah, I see what you mean. Now that I’m used to thinking of her as a girl, I guess I forget that she’s really our son. You’re right, Doris, Kim will be fine.”
“Of course she will. She’s her father’s son, isn’t she?”
Will laughed, and so did Doris. They went in to check Maggie, and then sat out on the porch, holding hands and listening to the crickets.
(End of Part 5)
*Yocco's King of Hot Dogs is a chain of hot dog shops in the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania. It is owned by the Iacocca family and is still in business today. You may know of one of the most notorious member of the Iacocca family, Lee Iacocca, former CEO of Chrysler Motor Co. and the principal designer of the Ford Mustang.
** Scarborough Faire, trad., arr by Kim O'Connell
Notes:
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