along the property line. I walked back and forth, searching for a missing bar or a gate, something, but the fence appeared solid. Then I looked up.
Ginny stood on the other side, watching me. She wore only a
thin windbreaker. She was soaked to the skin and looked confused.
“Mackenzie? That’s your name, right? I was looking for my
brother Fred, but he’s gone. Have you seen him?” She peered at me through the bars.
“No, Ginny, I haven’t seen anybody. And I thought his name
was Harrison.”
“No, Fred. Fred. He was here, but he disappeared.” Her fingers
twined and twisted in agitation.
“Ginny, show me how to get to the other side of this fence, and
I’ll help you look,” I said. We both needed to get inside.
She giggled at me. “It’s a secret. Only Cora, Harrison, and I
know.” She spread her arms widely. “Go ahead. Try and find it. I
dare you.” Under her windbreaker, Ginny wore nothing but a thin
cotton housedress. She had sneakers on her feet. Big sneakers.
“Okay, I’ll show you because you know Nick. Nick never told, so I guess I can trust you.”
I was intrigued, watching her slip through the trees following
the fence line on her side. She came to a halt several yards away.
“Go around the dogwood and come here.”
94
ELLEN J. GREEN
In the section of fence behind the bush, the iron bars had been
cut away and soldered back into a makeshift gate. Imperceptible.
Thin strips of iron had been joined across the top and bottom of
the metal. The bars had been attached to a strip, welded into place.
Releasing several catches opened that segment of the bars wide
enough to allow a person to duck through.
“Harry did it one summer when he was about ten. Took him
almost two whole months.” She chuckled. “Come.”
Her house was small in comparison to the one I had just left.
A solid wood frame with a wraparound porch, painted white with
black shutters. I left my wet things on the porch and joined her in the kitchen.
“Have a seat. I’ll be right back.”
The table was covered in a checked cloth. The smell of coffee
filled the room. The house was bright and open, cheerful even.
Such contrast to the one next door. Ginny returned in dry clothing and began to assemble ingredients from her cabinets.
“Would you like breakfast?” she asked. The confusion I had
seen earlier had lifted. “I woke up this morning with a taste for pancakes. Do you want some?” Her back was to me as she busied
herself.
“Okay.” I was motivated by hunger; I hadn’t eaten much before
Cora threw out the stew last night. But I also wanted the opportunity to talk to Ginny when she was lucid. She placed a mug of coffee in front of me. “Ginny, what were you doing out there?” I asked.
She sat down next to me at the table. “I was looking for my
brother, like I told you. My older brother, Fred. I saw him from my bedroom window, so I went out to talk to him.”
“Did you think he went to Cora’s? Is that why you were over
there?”
She looked confused. “No. I was only right outside here, then
I saw you near the fence.”
THE BOOK of JAMES
95
“But you were in the woods on Cora’s property. I saw you up
ahead of me on the path.”
She shook her head. “Maybe it was Fred after al . It wasn’t me.
I’ve been behaving myself. Cora doesn’t like me wandering over
there like I used to.” She got up and continued mixing her ingredients. “So you’re a friend of Nick’s?” she asked.
I wasn’t sure what to say. Cora had asked me not to tell Ginny
of his death. She hadn’t even told her I was his wife.
“I am. I met him in our apartment building. He became an
architect. You would have been very proud,” I said.
“Wel , where is he? Why didn’t he come too? I miss him so
much.”
I chose my words careful y. “He’s not with me.”
Ginny stopped mixing and sat down next to me. Her brow fur-
rowed a bit. “Because of Cora.” It was said matter-of-factly.
Ginny stood on the other side, watching me. She wore only a
thin windbreaker. She was soaked to the skin and looked confused.
“Mackenzie? That’s your name, right? I was looking for my
brother Fred, but he’s gone. Have you seen him?” She peered at me through the bars.
“No, Ginny, I haven’t seen anybody. And I thought his name
was Harrison.”
“No, Fred. Fred. He was here, but he disappeared.” Her fingers
twined and twisted in agitation.
“Ginny, show me how to get to the other side of this fence, and
I’ll help you look,” I said. We both needed to get inside.
She giggled at me. “It’s a secret. Only Cora, Harrison, and I
know.” She spread her arms widely. “Go ahead. Try and find it. I
dare you.” Under her windbreaker, Ginny wore nothing but a thin
cotton housedress. She had sneakers on her feet. Big sneakers.
“Okay, I’ll show you because you know Nick. Nick never told, so I guess I can trust you.”
I was intrigued, watching her slip through the trees following
the fence line on her side. She came to a halt several yards away.
“Go around the dogwood and come here.”
94
ELLEN J. GREEN
In the section of fence behind the bush, the iron bars had been
cut away and soldered back into a makeshift gate. Imperceptible.
Thin strips of iron had been joined across the top and bottom of
the metal. The bars had been attached to a strip, welded into place.
Releasing several catches opened that segment of the bars wide
enough to allow a person to duck through.
“Harry did it one summer when he was about ten. Took him
almost two whole months.” She chuckled. “Come.”
Her house was small in comparison to the one I had just left.
A solid wood frame with a wraparound porch, painted white with
black shutters. I left my wet things on the porch and joined her in the kitchen.
“Have a seat. I’ll be right back.”
The table was covered in a checked cloth. The smell of coffee
filled the room. The house was bright and open, cheerful even.
Such contrast to the one next door. Ginny returned in dry clothing and began to assemble ingredients from her cabinets.
“Would you like breakfast?” she asked. The confusion I had
seen earlier had lifted. “I woke up this morning with a taste for pancakes. Do you want some?” Her back was to me as she busied
herself.
“Okay.” I was motivated by hunger; I hadn’t eaten much before
Cora threw out the stew last night. But I also wanted the opportunity to talk to Ginny when she was lucid. She placed a mug of coffee in front of me. “Ginny, what were you doing out there?” I asked.
She sat down next to me at the table. “I was looking for my
brother, like I told you. My older brother, Fred. I saw him from my bedroom window, so I went out to talk to him.”
“Did you think he went to Cora’s? Is that why you were over
there?”
She looked confused. “No. I was only right outside here, then
I saw you near the fence.”
THE BOOK of JAMES
95
“But you were in the woods on Cora’s property. I saw you up
ahead of me on the path.”
She shook her head. “Maybe it was Fred after al . It wasn’t me.
I’ve been behaving myself. Cora doesn’t like me wandering over
there like I used to.” She got up and continued mixing her ingredients. “So you’re a friend of Nick’s?” she asked.
I wasn’t sure what to say. Cora had asked me not to tell Ginny
of his death. She hadn’t even told her I was his wife.
“I am. I met him in our apartment building. He became an
architect. You would have been very proud,” I said.
“Wel , where is he? Why didn’t he come too? I miss him so
much.”
I chose my words careful y. “He’s not with me.”
Ginny stopped mixing and sat down next to me. Her brow fur-
rowed a bit. “Because of Cora.” It was said matter-of-factly.
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