highball glasses, saucers, wrappers, crumbs.
The Filleys’ house was unlike any other house in the neighborhood. The sunlight came in from all sides through the huge windows and shone across the wood floors. The walls were museum white, and every surface was clean and clear of clutter except the den, which seemed as if it was the only room the family ever used. It was here that beth led sadie, into the dim, wood-paneled space where the blinds were closed, and the only light came from the television—an episode of The Andy Griffith Show was on. beth sat down on the sectional couch and pulled a blanket up around her.
“when I have children I’m going to raise them like Andy Griffith does,” beth said, her voice sullen.
The episode was the one in which opie kills a mother bird with his slingshot. He apologizes to his father when he is caught. Sorry isn’t enough, Andy says. At this line beth began to laugh. Andy opens opie’s window and tells him to listen to the baby birds crying out for their mother. And she’s not coming back, he says. “I love this part,” beth said.
sadie sat down on the end of the couch. “It seems cruel,” she said warily.
beth stopped laughing and in the television glow sadie saw that she was crying. “It’s so sad,” she said. “Funny sad.”
sadie watched beth wipe her cheeks. They sat there until the show was over, then beth flung the blanket off of her and stood up. she went to the built-in cabinet, pulled out a backgammon set, and began setting it up.
“I suppose you’re here for this,” beth said moodily. “you think you can finally beat me just because you’ve grown some breasts?”
sadie wasn’t sure how to respond. “I’ll play if you want,” she said.
beth looked at her in the dim light. Then she closed the set and all the pieces fell into the case. “Forget it,” she said. “you don’t sound enthused.”
sadie heard someone shuffling past the doorway. “be nice to the little neighborhood kids,” ray said. He stopped and leaned on the door frame. sadie hadn’t seen him up close in a long time. He was much taller than she had been able to tell from the distance of Mrs. sidelman’s window. His voice held a new quality—a sly tone that she hadn’t recalled from the times he’d raise his hand in greeting passing by her house on his bike. she felt her face redden.
“why don’t you play with her?” beth said, disgruntled. “she seems perfect for you and your new interests.”
“what’s perfect for me?”
“oh, please,” beth said. “Don’t think I didn’t notice your new love interest.”
“you don’t need to worry about any interests of mine,” ray said, his voice suddenly harsh.
“Don’t I?” beth said. “who else will worry about them? I’m all you have, you know.”
ray stared at beth, annoyed. “what are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about covering for you the other day when the car mysteriously disappeared, or pretending I know where you are when I don’t. It’s exhausting.” beth crossed her arms and blew her hair off of her forehead. “It’s practically unfair.”
“what do you want, beth? Money?”
beth’s eyes were still red from crying, but she looked ready to start again. “really, ray? That’s all I get?”
“well tell me what you want! I can’t read minds.”
beth sighed, a small quavering sound that made her seem as pathetic as the nest of orphaned birds on the television show. she looked away, and sadie saw her wipe at her tears.
“I just want my brother to myself,” she said softly. “like it used to be.”
ray rolled his eyes. “I’m going swimming.”
beth turned to him, her face a mask of unhappiness. “exactly,” she said. she threw her hands up.
As usual, sadie listened to their banter, confused by all that was going unsaid. It was as if she had disappeared from the room. “I’d like to swim,” she said.
both beth and ray looked at her. “of course you would,” beth said. “Go see what our
The Filleys’ house was unlike any other house in the neighborhood. The sunlight came in from all sides through the huge windows and shone across the wood floors. The walls were museum white, and every surface was clean and clear of clutter except the den, which seemed as if it was the only room the family ever used. It was here that beth led sadie, into the dim, wood-paneled space where the blinds were closed, and the only light came from the television—an episode of The Andy Griffith Show was on. beth sat down on the sectional couch and pulled a blanket up around her.
“when I have children I’m going to raise them like Andy Griffith does,” beth said, her voice sullen.
The episode was the one in which opie kills a mother bird with his slingshot. He apologizes to his father when he is caught. Sorry isn’t enough, Andy says. At this line beth began to laugh. Andy opens opie’s window and tells him to listen to the baby birds crying out for their mother. And she’s not coming back, he says. “I love this part,” beth said.
sadie sat down on the end of the couch. “It seems cruel,” she said warily.
beth stopped laughing and in the television glow sadie saw that she was crying. “It’s so sad,” she said. “Funny sad.”
sadie watched beth wipe her cheeks. They sat there until the show was over, then beth flung the blanket off of her and stood up. she went to the built-in cabinet, pulled out a backgammon set, and began setting it up.
“I suppose you’re here for this,” beth said moodily. “you think you can finally beat me just because you’ve grown some breasts?”
sadie wasn’t sure how to respond. “I’ll play if you want,” she said.
beth looked at her in the dim light. Then she closed the set and all the pieces fell into the case. “Forget it,” she said. “you don’t sound enthused.”
sadie heard someone shuffling past the doorway. “be nice to the little neighborhood kids,” ray said. He stopped and leaned on the door frame. sadie hadn’t seen him up close in a long time. He was much taller than she had been able to tell from the distance of Mrs. sidelman’s window. His voice held a new quality—a sly tone that she hadn’t recalled from the times he’d raise his hand in greeting passing by her house on his bike. she felt her face redden.
“why don’t you play with her?” beth said, disgruntled. “she seems perfect for you and your new interests.”
“what’s perfect for me?”
“oh, please,” beth said. “Don’t think I didn’t notice your new love interest.”
“you don’t need to worry about any interests of mine,” ray said, his voice suddenly harsh.
“Don’t I?” beth said. “who else will worry about them? I’m all you have, you know.”
ray stared at beth, annoyed. “what are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about covering for you the other day when the car mysteriously disappeared, or pretending I know where you are when I don’t. It’s exhausting.” beth crossed her arms and blew her hair off of her forehead. “It’s practically unfair.”
“what do you want, beth? Money?”
beth’s eyes were still red from crying, but she looked ready to start again. “really, ray? That’s all I get?”
“well tell me what you want! I can’t read minds.”
beth sighed, a small quavering sound that made her seem as pathetic as the nest of orphaned birds on the television show. she looked away, and sadie saw her wipe at her tears.
“I just want my brother to myself,” she said softly. “like it used to be.”
ray rolled his eyes. “I’m going swimming.”
beth turned to him, her face a mask of unhappiness. “exactly,” she said. she threw her hands up.
As usual, sadie listened to their banter, confused by all that was going unsaid. It was as if she had disappeared from the room. “I’d like to swim,” she said.
both beth and ray looked at her. “of course you would,” beth said. “Go see what our
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