floor."
"They're not strangers, honey," Mom said. "They're family. No one but Cousin Howie ever called Dad Tubby." She put an arm around my shoulder. "You should get to sleep."
"I'd just like to know just one thing, Mom."
"What's that?"
"Why you and Dad had to invite them to stay here. We don't have room for two extra people, let alone five."
"They more or less invited themselves." We were quiet for a minute, then Mom said, "This is really important to Dad, so let's make the best of it, okay?"
"Important how?"
140
Mom said, "When Dad was a boy his mother got very sick."
"She did?"
Mom nodded. "Cousin Howie's parents were wonderful. Dad spent the whole summer with them. And for a while he and Cousin Howie were as close as ... well, you and Jimmy."
"How come I never heard this story before?"
"I guess Dad doesn't like to talk about that time in his life. It was hard on him."
"Did his mother get better?"
"She did... for a while."
"I wish Dad would tell me these things."
"He doesn't like to upset you."
"Yeah, but how am I supposed to understand anything if he won't talk about it?"
"Maybe someday he will," Mom said.
"By then it'll be too late."
"I hope not." She reached out and ruffled my hair. "I understand that having five almost strangers sleeping on the living-room floor doesn't give you, or any of us, much privacy. But it's just for a night. Two nights at the most. We'll get through it." Then she leaned over and kissed me. Sometimes I don't let her but this time I did.
141
I kept hearing Mom's voice saying, It's just for a night. Two nights at the most. When I woke up the next morning, the Howies were already in the kitchen, making themselves right at home--Eudora at the stove, scrambling eggs, Howie tending the toaster. Mini was seated on the counter next to the sink, breaking eggshells and sticking them to his nose and forehead. This kid is as weird as Fudge, I thought. The Natural Beauties were at the table, gobbling Dad's cereal. Fudge sat at his usual place, counting out his Cheerios.
Mom stood by, dressed in her whites, ready to go to work. She didn't look happy. I happen to know Mom doesn't like other people taking over her kitchen. She's okay with Grandma cooking here, but that's her limit. Our kitchen isn't exactly roomy. We have a small table shoved up against the wall. You can reach the stove right from the table, which is sometimes convenient. But we eat most of our meals in the dining alcove.
I poured myself a glass of orange juice and took the last chair at the table.
"Good morning, Peter," Eudora said. "We've been talking about you."
Me? What were they saying about me?
"We were just saying that maybe you could take Flora and Fauna to school with you today."
142
What? I can't have heard right. I must have water in my ears from my shower.
"They'd like to see a New York City school,"
Eudora continued.
This required quick thinking. "My school doesn't allow visitors," I said, hoping Mom would help me out of this one.
"That's right," Mom told Eudora. "They won't allow anyone in who hasn't previously registered. Schools have very strict policies in New York."
"And tight security." I threw that in just to make sure they got it. "Besides," I said to the Natural Beauties, who were filling their bowls with a second helping of Dad's cereal, "I thought you're home-schooled."
"We are," Flora began. "But that doesn't mean ..."
"We don't visit schools," Fauna said. "Besides, we've been studying ..."
"Foreign cultures," Flora said.
"This is New York," I told them. "It's not a foreign culture."
"It is to us." Fauna hiccuped. "Sorry, it's the orange juice."
"She's used to fresh-squeezed," Flora said.
Mom rolled her eyes and poured herself a second cup of coffee.
I was trying to figure out if there's a pattern to the way the Natural Beauties speak. Does Flora start every time
143
or only sometimes? Is Fauna the one who always finishes? So far I haven't been able to come up with anything
"They're not strangers, honey," Mom said. "They're family. No one but Cousin Howie ever called Dad Tubby." She put an arm around my shoulder. "You should get to sleep."
"I'd just like to know just one thing, Mom."
"What's that?"
"Why you and Dad had to invite them to stay here. We don't have room for two extra people, let alone five."
"They more or less invited themselves." We were quiet for a minute, then Mom said, "This is really important to Dad, so let's make the best of it, okay?"
"Important how?"
140
Mom said, "When Dad was a boy his mother got very sick."
"She did?"
Mom nodded. "Cousin Howie's parents were wonderful. Dad spent the whole summer with them. And for a while he and Cousin Howie were as close as ... well, you and Jimmy."
"How come I never heard this story before?"
"I guess Dad doesn't like to talk about that time in his life. It was hard on him."
"Did his mother get better?"
"She did... for a while."
"I wish Dad would tell me these things."
"He doesn't like to upset you."
"Yeah, but how am I supposed to understand anything if he won't talk about it?"
"Maybe someday he will," Mom said.
"By then it'll be too late."
"I hope not." She reached out and ruffled my hair. "I understand that having five almost strangers sleeping on the living-room floor doesn't give you, or any of us, much privacy. But it's just for a night. Two nights at the most. We'll get through it." Then she leaned over and kissed me. Sometimes I don't let her but this time I did.
141
I kept hearing Mom's voice saying, It's just for a night. Two nights at the most. When I woke up the next morning, the Howies were already in the kitchen, making themselves right at home--Eudora at the stove, scrambling eggs, Howie tending the toaster. Mini was seated on the counter next to the sink, breaking eggshells and sticking them to his nose and forehead. This kid is as weird as Fudge, I thought. The Natural Beauties were at the table, gobbling Dad's cereal. Fudge sat at his usual place, counting out his Cheerios.
Mom stood by, dressed in her whites, ready to go to work. She didn't look happy. I happen to know Mom doesn't like other people taking over her kitchen. She's okay with Grandma cooking here, but that's her limit. Our kitchen isn't exactly roomy. We have a small table shoved up against the wall. You can reach the stove right from the table, which is sometimes convenient. But we eat most of our meals in the dining alcove.
I poured myself a glass of orange juice and took the last chair at the table.
"Good morning, Peter," Eudora said. "We've been talking about you."
Me? What were they saying about me?
"We were just saying that maybe you could take Flora and Fauna to school with you today."
142
What? I can't have heard right. I must have water in my ears from my shower.
"They'd like to see a New York City school,"
Eudora continued.
This required quick thinking. "My school doesn't allow visitors," I said, hoping Mom would help me out of this one.
"That's right," Mom told Eudora. "They won't allow anyone in who hasn't previously registered. Schools have very strict policies in New York."
"And tight security." I threw that in just to make sure they got it. "Besides," I said to the Natural Beauties, who were filling their bowls with a second helping of Dad's cereal, "I thought you're home-schooled."
"We are," Flora began. "But that doesn't mean ..."
"We don't visit schools," Fauna said. "Besides, we've been studying ..."
"Foreign cultures," Flora said.
"This is New York," I told them. "It's not a foreign culture."
"It is to us." Fauna hiccuped. "Sorry, it's the orange juice."
"She's used to fresh-squeezed," Flora said.
Mom rolled her eyes and poured herself a second cup of coffee.
I was trying to figure out if there's a pattern to the way the Natural Beauties speak. Does Flora start every time
143
or only sometimes? Is Fauna the one who always finishes? So far I haven't been able to come up with anything
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