all in, Ivy was excused and I wasn’t. I sat there for five minutes trying to work out what I had done wrong since punching Carly the week before.
“Josie, Josie, Josie.”
I looked up at her and then it clicked.
“Sister, I only got on that bike because I needed to get home. I also think that my private life is my own.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Certainly not a motorcycle.”
“Oh.”
“And for your information, young lady, I used to own a motorbike myself when I was your age.”
I almost laughed aloud.
“Then what was the ‘Josie, Josie, Josie’ about?”
“I heard your father is defending a very prominent businessman.”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head.
I don’t know what it is with that woman. She finds out every single thing about us. She knows who we go out with, what we did over the weekend, if we’re on diets. Probably even who sleeps with their boyfriends.
“It’s not a rumor. It’s the truth.”
“I’m sure it is.”
“Does that mean I’m off my scholarship because my father holds such a high position?”
“No, it only means that I’d like to know how you’re coping with the situation.”
She made me feel ashamed that she cared after I was being so catty.
“I’m coping pretty well.”
“I hope there are no hostilities between your parents that affect you, Josephine. I know that you hadn’t been in contact with your father when he lived in Adelaide. Your mother told me.”
I sighed, looking out the window.
“I found it very necessary to lie last week, Sister. I gambled and I won.”
“I’m sure of it.”
“I don’t know him well, but he seems like a nice person.”
“Good.” She nodded. “And this job at McDonald’s?”
“Sister,” I said, exasperated. “Is there anything we do that you don’t know about?”
“Of course there is, Josephine,” she said, annoyed. “I only know minor details about you girls.”
“Well, the job is going fine and I’m going fine.”
“Any sign of your marks going down and I’ll speak to your mother.”
“Sister, I’m getting As.”
“Well, after six years of promise it’s about time, isn’t it, young lady?”
I looked sheepish and nodded.
“You can go. I just wanted to check up on you, that’s all.”
“Thank you for the concern,” I said, picking up my bag and walking to the door.
“And I hope that if you decide to go out with the captain of Cook High, you’ll behave in a Christian way.”
I gritted my teeth and walked out. Forget what I said earlier about nuns changing. They’re the same old tyrants who terrorized children in the sixties.
Christian way?
That means when the Romans feed us to the lions we sit around with passive looks on our faces and smile. Like hell I will.
“Don’t hover by the doorway, Mother. It makes me nervous,” I said, helping Nonna Katia set the table in the living room that afternoon.
“You, nervous?”
“And check out the oven, Queen Christina. I actually made dinner. Meat loaf, which I might add is your favorite,” I went on in a smug tone.
Nonna Katia was beaming proudly. She thinks it reflects on her how well I cook.
“I showed her, Christina. Jozzie said she wanted to cook for you, so I came over.”
Mama seemed to look from Nonna to me with dread and I began to wonder what we had done wrong.
“Mama, could you look after Josie tonight?”
Nonna Katia looked up in surprise and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand.
“You are going to one of Jozzie’s parent-teacher nights?”
“No. I’m just going out.”
“I do not understand, Christina,” Nonna said, shaking her head. “Where are you going?”
I shut the oven door and waited for her answer.
“Just out, Mama,” she snapped, both nervously and angrily. “I’m just going out with a man at work.”
“Do not yell at me, Christina. Jozzie yells at me enough.”
Mama was holding a shaking hand to her forehead. She always does that when
“Josie, Josie, Josie.”
I looked up at her and then it clicked.
“Sister, I only got on that bike because I needed to get home. I also think that my private life is my own.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Certainly not a motorcycle.”
“Oh.”
“And for your information, young lady, I used to own a motorbike myself when I was your age.”
I almost laughed aloud.
“Then what was the ‘Josie, Josie, Josie’ about?”
“I heard your father is defending a very prominent businessman.”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head.
I don’t know what it is with that woman. She finds out every single thing about us. She knows who we go out with, what we did over the weekend, if we’re on diets. Probably even who sleeps with their boyfriends.
“It’s not a rumor. It’s the truth.”
“I’m sure it is.”
“Does that mean I’m off my scholarship because my father holds such a high position?”
“No, it only means that I’d like to know how you’re coping with the situation.”
She made me feel ashamed that she cared after I was being so catty.
“I’m coping pretty well.”
“I hope there are no hostilities between your parents that affect you, Josephine. I know that you hadn’t been in contact with your father when he lived in Adelaide. Your mother told me.”
I sighed, looking out the window.
“I found it very necessary to lie last week, Sister. I gambled and I won.”
“I’m sure of it.”
“I don’t know him well, but he seems like a nice person.”
“Good.” She nodded. “And this job at McDonald’s?”
“Sister,” I said, exasperated. “Is there anything we do that you don’t know about?”
“Of course there is, Josephine,” she said, annoyed. “I only know minor details about you girls.”
“Well, the job is going fine and I’m going fine.”
“Any sign of your marks going down and I’ll speak to your mother.”
“Sister, I’m getting As.”
“Well, after six years of promise it’s about time, isn’t it, young lady?”
I looked sheepish and nodded.
“You can go. I just wanted to check up on you, that’s all.”
“Thank you for the concern,” I said, picking up my bag and walking to the door.
“And I hope that if you decide to go out with the captain of Cook High, you’ll behave in a Christian way.”
I gritted my teeth and walked out. Forget what I said earlier about nuns changing. They’re the same old tyrants who terrorized children in the sixties.
Christian way?
That means when the Romans feed us to the lions we sit around with passive looks on our faces and smile. Like hell I will.
“Don’t hover by the doorway, Mother. It makes me nervous,” I said, helping Nonna Katia set the table in the living room that afternoon.
“You, nervous?”
“And check out the oven, Queen Christina. I actually made dinner. Meat loaf, which I might add is your favorite,” I went on in a smug tone.
Nonna Katia was beaming proudly. She thinks it reflects on her how well I cook.
“I showed her, Christina. Jozzie said she wanted to cook for you, so I came over.”
Mama seemed to look from Nonna to me with dread and I began to wonder what we had done wrong.
“Mama, could you look after Josie tonight?”
Nonna Katia looked up in surprise and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand.
“You are going to one of Jozzie’s parent-teacher nights?”
“No. I’m just going out.”
“I do not understand, Christina,” Nonna said, shaking her head. “Where are you going?”
I shut the oven door and waited for her answer.
“Just out, Mama,” she snapped, both nervously and angrily. “I’m just going out with a man at work.”
“Do not yell at me, Christina. Jozzie yells at me enough.”
Mama was holding a shaking hand to her forehead. She always does that when
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