everything.’
Then they ran back in, to tell Betty the guest of honour had arrived.
I said, ‘You sure do like to make the big exit, don't you. You afraid folks might forget you, if you just go nice and quiet? What happened? You ask him for one last roll in the hay?’
‘Peggy,’ she said, ‘I swear, I couldn't have rode in that car another minute, and I was just minding my own business, sitting out on the grass in the sunshine, when he come along and started in on me. He's some kinda crazy.’
I said, ‘Well, it's a pity you didn't work that out sooner. I mean, if me and Kath hadn't turned up when we did, I reckon you'd have been skewered, you and that poor child you're carrying. You ever think of that? You ever think of poor Herb? You ever consider Kath?’
She started getting outta the car. ‘Hell, Peggy,’ she said, ‘how's it feel to be so goddarned perfect?’
Betty was at the door in her sweetheart apron. She was carrying Sandie on her hip, smiling and waving. Little did she know what Lois was hissing at me under her breath.
‘You and the Pie-Crust Queen there, and Mrs Audrey “when we get to be Captains” Rudman. The whole lotta you just drive me nuts.’
She slammed her door. I slammed mine. Then we went into Betty's and sat around drinking coffee, like nothing had happened. I kept thinking of Kath, though, on her own out there with that madman. It was all right for Lois. She was gonna climb aboard that transport and leave all her troubles behind.
There were gifts for the baby. Cute little things Gayle had knitted and a kinda rag doll Betty had made for Sandie. Real neat. Betty was so clever with her hands.
Lo was fooling around. She sang ‘I'll Be Seeing You’, close harmony with Gayle, and we drank her good health in Canadian Club. Wished her a happy landing and a baby with a small head.
Everyone was sad to see her go. Even me. Darned if I could say why.
28
Four weeks passed by and I didn't see Kath. I wanted to go up there, straighten things out between us, but I was scared he'd be there, waiting to skewer any callers. The eels were finished for the year, so Vern had stopped going too — and I never dared tell him what had happened that day. He ever found out, Herb'd have heard about it. Hell, there could have been a lynching.
Month of September, Vern was flying night sorties so I hardly seen him. Suited me. We didn't talk much any more. He was doing things he couldn't tell me, top secret, he reckoned, and even when he wasn't, I hated all that jock stuff, talking like bad things could never happen to him up there, like he was untouchable, or if they did, that he had what it took to get himself outta trouble. I guess that's the kinda arrogance it took to climb into one of those death traps every day. Didn't make good pillow talk, though.
And me, I just didn't have anything much to say. Never went anywhere. Hardly did anything. Lorene Bass's cosmetics party. Bake Sale at the OWC. That was my action-packed life. With Lois gone, there weren't too many laughs neither.
Then one day I smelled that sickly old sugar-beet smell and I knew the harvest had started. Only time of the year John Pharaoh was in paid employment, far as I knew, so I figured there was a good chance I could see Kath without running into him.
There'd been a hard frost, first one of the fall. But I could see her, as I come along the drove, sitting outside the door in that red wind-breaker Lois gave her, working at something. Soon as she heard the car, she jumped to her feet.
‘I thought you'd gone,’ she said.
I said, ‘I wouldn't have gone without saying goodbye.’
‘No … well …’ she said, ‘I spoke very harsh to you last time … when we had the upset …’
I said, ‘Hey! It's forgotten.’
‘No, but I shouldn't have done it,’ she said, ‘after all your kindness. It was copper-knob I was mad at. Not you.’
I said, ‘Let's just forget it ever happened.’
‘I'll make a brew,’ she said.
Then they ran back in, to tell Betty the guest of honour had arrived.
I said, ‘You sure do like to make the big exit, don't you. You afraid folks might forget you, if you just go nice and quiet? What happened? You ask him for one last roll in the hay?’
‘Peggy,’ she said, ‘I swear, I couldn't have rode in that car another minute, and I was just minding my own business, sitting out on the grass in the sunshine, when he come along and started in on me. He's some kinda crazy.’
I said, ‘Well, it's a pity you didn't work that out sooner. I mean, if me and Kath hadn't turned up when we did, I reckon you'd have been skewered, you and that poor child you're carrying. You ever think of that? You ever think of poor Herb? You ever consider Kath?’
She started getting outta the car. ‘Hell, Peggy,’ she said, ‘how's it feel to be so goddarned perfect?’
Betty was at the door in her sweetheart apron. She was carrying Sandie on her hip, smiling and waving. Little did she know what Lois was hissing at me under her breath.
‘You and the Pie-Crust Queen there, and Mrs Audrey “when we get to be Captains” Rudman. The whole lotta you just drive me nuts.’
She slammed her door. I slammed mine. Then we went into Betty's and sat around drinking coffee, like nothing had happened. I kept thinking of Kath, though, on her own out there with that madman. It was all right for Lois. She was gonna climb aboard that transport and leave all her troubles behind.
There were gifts for the baby. Cute little things Gayle had knitted and a kinda rag doll Betty had made for Sandie. Real neat. Betty was so clever with her hands.
Lo was fooling around. She sang ‘I'll Be Seeing You’, close harmony with Gayle, and we drank her good health in Canadian Club. Wished her a happy landing and a baby with a small head.
Everyone was sad to see her go. Even me. Darned if I could say why.
28
Four weeks passed by and I didn't see Kath. I wanted to go up there, straighten things out between us, but I was scared he'd be there, waiting to skewer any callers. The eels were finished for the year, so Vern had stopped going too — and I never dared tell him what had happened that day. He ever found out, Herb'd have heard about it. Hell, there could have been a lynching.
Month of September, Vern was flying night sorties so I hardly seen him. Suited me. We didn't talk much any more. He was doing things he couldn't tell me, top secret, he reckoned, and even when he wasn't, I hated all that jock stuff, talking like bad things could never happen to him up there, like he was untouchable, or if they did, that he had what it took to get himself outta trouble. I guess that's the kinda arrogance it took to climb into one of those death traps every day. Didn't make good pillow talk, though.
And me, I just didn't have anything much to say. Never went anywhere. Hardly did anything. Lorene Bass's cosmetics party. Bake Sale at the OWC. That was my action-packed life. With Lois gone, there weren't too many laughs neither.
Then one day I smelled that sickly old sugar-beet smell and I knew the harvest had started. Only time of the year John Pharaoh was in paid employment, far as I knew, so I figured there was a good chance I could see Kath without running into him.
There'd been a hard frost, first one of the fall. But I could see her, as I come along the drove, sitting outside the door in that red wind-breaker Lois gave her, working at something. Soon as she heard the car, she jumped to her feet.
‘I thought you'd gone,’ she said.
I said, ‘I wouldn't have gone without saying goodbye.’
‘No … well …’ she said, ‘I spoke very harsh to you last time … when we had the upset …’
I said, ‘Hey! It's forgotten.’
‘No, but I shouldn't have done it,’ she said, ‘after all your kindness. It was copper-knob I was mad at. Not you.’
I said, ‘Let's just forget it ever happened.’
‘I'll make a brew,’ she said.
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