Bitter Sweet (10 page)
“We filled out.’
‘Hooray. And were there sails?’
‘Sails...’ he teased, perpetuating the long-standing raillery between power- and sail-boaters they’d inherited when they’d been born in
‘I do.’
‘Yeah, I seem to remember you always were a ragman.’
‘And you always were a sinkpotter.’
Maggie smiled and imagined him smiling, too. After seconds, her smile became whimsical. ‘I haven’t been on the water for so long.’
‘Living in
Seattle
, I thought you’d have a Imat.’ .
“We do. A sailboat, naturally. But I haven’t taken it out since Phillip died. I haven’t fished either.’
‘You should come home and let me take you out with your dad. We’ll hook you a big twenty-four pounder or so, and you’ll get your share of fishing in one catch.’
‘Mmm, sounds heavenly.’
‘Do it.’
‘I can’t.’
‘Why not?’
‘I’m a teacher and school begins in less than two weeks.’
‘Oh, that’s right. What do you teach again?’
‘Home economics - food, clothing, family life, career planning. It’s a mixed bag these days. We even have a unit where we turn the departments into a nursery school and bring in preschoolers so the kids can study child development.’
‘Sounds noisy.’
She shrugged. ‘Sometimes.’
‘So... are you good at it?’
“I suppose. I get along well with the kids, I think I make class interesting for them. But...’ She paused.
‘But what?’
‘Oh, I don’t know.’ She turned again and bent over the cabinet as before. ‘I’ve been doing the same thing for so many years it gets rather stagnant. And since Phillip’s death...’ Maggie put a hand to her forehead. ‘Oh, heavens, I get so dred of that phrase. Since Phillip’s death. I’ve said it so often you’d think the calendar began that day.’
‘Sounds like you need a change.’
‘Maybe.’
‘I made a change six years ago. It was the healthiest thing I ever did for myself.’
‘What did you do?’
‘Moved back to Door after living in
Chicago
since right after college. When I left here after high school I thought it was the last place on earth I’d come back to, but after sitting at a desk all those years, I was feeling claustrophobic. Then
Dad died and Mike kept badgering me to come back and run the boat with him. He had these ideas about expanding our services, buying a second boat. So finally I said yes, and I haven’t regretted it a day.’
‘You sound very happy.’
‘I am.’
‘In your marriage, too?’
‘In my marriage, too.’
‘That’s wonderful, Eric.’
Another silence fell. It seemed they had said all that needed saying. Maggie straightened and checked the kitchen clock. ‘Listen, I’d better let you go. Gosh, we’ve been talking a long time.’
‘Yeah, I guess so...’ An indistinguishable sound followed, the kind accompanied by a stretch. It ended abruptly. ‘I’m still up at Ma’s house and
Nancy
’s probably holding supper.’
‘Eric, thank you so much for calling. It’s been wonderful talking to you.’
‘Same here.’
‘And please don’t worry about me anymore. I’m happier than I’ve been in weeks.’
‘That’s great to hear, and listen.., call anytime, if I’m not around call out here and talk to Ma. She’d love to hear from you.’
‘Maybe I will, and tell her hello again. Tell her nobody in the world ever made bread as good as hers. I remember going to your house after school and polishing off about half a loaf at a time.’
He laughed. “She still bakes, still claims store-bought bread will kill you. She’ll get smug, but I’ll give her your message anyway.’
‘Eric, thanks again.’
“No thanks necessary. I enjoyed it. Now you take it easy, all right?’
‘l will.’
They both paused, uneasy for the first time in over thirty minutes.
‘Well... good-bye,’ he said.
‘Goodbye.’
When Maggie hung up, her hand lingered on the phone, then fell away slowly. Studying the receiver, she stood motionless for a long time. The late afternoon sun slanted across the kitchen floor and from outside came the muffled sound of a neighbour mowing his lawn. From long ago came images of the same sun shining on other lawns, other trees, other water- not
Puget Sound
but
Green Bay
. In time Maggie slowly turned away from the telephone and wandered to the patio door. She rolled it open, leaned a shoulder against the casing and stood staring out, remembering.
Him. Them. Door. That last year of high school.
First love.
Ah, nostalgia.
But he was a happily married man. And if she saw him again he’d probably be twenty-five pounds overweight and balding and she’d be happy he was married to someone else. Nevertheless, talking to him brought back thoughts of home, and as she stood staring at the evening yard she saw not a redwood deck surrounded by evergreens, but a sunbaked carpet of azure chicory. Nothing was as intense a blue as a field of blooming chicory stretched out beneath the August sun. And at evening it turned violet, sometimes creating the illusion that sky and earth were one. The Queer Anne’s lace would be in full bloom, too, rioting in the high country fields and roadsides, sharing the rocky earth with black-eyed Susans and clumps of white yarrow. Was there another place on earth where wildflowers bloomed so profusely as in the Door?
She saw, too, gambrel-roofed red barns and rows of green corn and century-old log cabins with white-painted caulking; split rail fences and stone walls bordered by thick spills of orange lilies. White sails on blue water and unspoiled beaches that stretched for miles. She tasted home-baked bread and heard the growl of inboard motors coming home at dusk and caught the aroma of fishboils lifting over the villages on a Saturday night such as this one, coming from the backyards of restaurants where guitars played and red-and-white checked tablecloths flitted in the evening breeze.
From two thousand miles away Maggie remembered it all and felt a surge of homesickness she had not known in years.
She thought of calling home. But Mother might answer, and if anyone could wreck a mellow mood, it was Mother.
Instead, she drew away from the door and went into the den where she took down a book called Journeys to
finally pick up the phone. Dialling her parents’ phone number she hoped her father would answer.
Instead, she heard her mother’s voice answer, ‘Hello?’
Hiding her disappointment Maggie said, ‘Hello, Mother.’
‘Margaret?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, it’s about time you called. It’s been over two weeks since we’ve heard from you, and you said you’d let us know when we could expect Katy. I’ve been waiting and waiting for you to call!’
Not, Hello, dear, it’s good to hear from you, but It’s about time you called! forcing Maggie to begin the conversation with an apology.
‘I’m sorry, Mother, I know I should have called, but I’ve been busy. And I’m afraid Katy won’t be stopping there on the way. It’s out of her way, and she had her roommate with her and the car was loaded to the roof so they decided they’d better go straight to school and check into their dorm.’
Maggie closed her eyes and waited for the list of grievances she was certain would follow. True to form, Vera came through with them.
‘Well, I won’t say I’m not disappointed. After all, I’ve been cooking and baking here all week. I put two apple pies in the freezer and bought a big beef roast. I don’t know what I’ll do with a piece of meat that big with only your dad and I to eat it up, and I cleaned your old room from top to bottom and did up the bedding and the curtains, and they’re real devils to iron!’
‘I know, Mother.’
‘I guess young people don’t have time for their grandparents like they did when I was a girl,’ Vera remarked petulantly.
Maggie rested her forehead on four fingertips and felt herself getting a headache.
‘She said she’ll drive up from
Chicago
in a couple weeks, after she gets settled in school. She mentioned maybe coming up in October when the leaves are turning.’
‘What is she driving? You didn’t buy her that convertible, did you?’
‘Yes, I did.’
‘Margaret, that child is too young to own an extravagant car like that! You should have bought her something sensible or better yet made her wait until she’s out of college. How is she ever going to learn to appreciate things if you give her everything on a silver platter?’
‘I think Phillip would have wanted her to have it, and heaven knows I can afford it.’
‘That’s no reason to overdo it with her, Margaret. And speaking of money, you be careful about who you see. These divorced men are out there just looking for a rich, lonely widow. They’ll take you for everything you’ve got and use your money to pay child support, mark my words!’
I’ll be careful, Mother,’ Maggie promised tiredly, feeling the headache intensify.
‘Why, I remember a few years back when that young
Gearhart fellow was stepping out on his wife and who was he seeing but some summer tourist who came up here from down in
They say the two of them were seen on the deck kissing on a
Saturday night, and then Sunday morning he showed up at church all pious and pure with his wife and kids. Why, if Betty Gearhart knew what ‘
‘Mother, I said I’ll be careful. I’m not even dating anyone, so you don’t have to worry.’
‘Well, you can’t be too careful, you know.’
‘I know.’
‘And speaking of divorces, Gary Eidelbach is getting remarried next Saturday.’
‘I know, I talked to Lisa.’
‘You did? When?’
‘Today. I’ve been in touch with all the girls lately.’
‘You didn’t tell me that.’ Vera’s voice held a trace of coolness, as if she expected to be told everything before it transpired.
‘Lisa wants me to come home for the wedding. Well, not exactly for the wedding, but she’s coming up from
Atlanta
so she thought all us girls could get together out at Brookie’s.’
‘Are you coming?’
Then you could use up your beef roast and your apple pie, couldn’t you, Mother?
‘No, I can’t.’
‘Why not? What else are you going to do with all that money? You know your father and I can’t afford to travel out there on a plane and, after all, you haven’t been home for three years.’
Maggie sighed, wishing she could hang up the. Phone without a further word. ‘It isn’t a question of money, Mother, it’s a question of time. School will be starting soon and -‘
‘Well, we’re not getting any younger, you know. Your dad and I would appreciate a visit from you every now and then. ‘
‘I know. Is Daddy there?’
“He’s here someplace. Just a minute.’ The phone clunked down and Vera went off, shouting, ‘
Roy
, where are you? Margaret is on the phone!’ Her voice crescendoed as she returned and picked up the receiver. ‘Just a minute. He’s outside pottering in the garage, sharpening the mower again. It’s a wonder the thing has any blades left, as much time as he spends out there. Here he is now.’ As the phone exchanged hands Maggie heard Vera order, ‘Keep your hands off the counter, Roy, they’re filthy!’
‘Maggie, honey?’
Roy
’s voice held all the warmth Vera’s didn’t. Hearing him, Maggie felt her homesickness return.
‘Hi, Daddy.’
‘Well, this is a nice surprise. You know, I was just thinking about you today, about when you were a little girl and you’d come around asking for a nickel to buy a Dixie Cup.’
‘And you always gave me one, didn’t you?’
He laughed and Maggie pictured his round face and balding head, his slightly stooped shoulders and the hands that never stopped working.
‘Well, my head is turned by a pretty girl, same as the next man’s. It’s sure good to hear your voice, Maggie.’
‘I thought I’d better call and let you know Katy’s not coming. She’s going straight to school.’
‘Well, she’ll be in our neck of the woods for four years. We’ll see her when she’s got time.’ It had always been this way - all the petty concerns Vera blew out of proportion,
Roy
put back into perspective. ‘And how about you?’ he asked. ‘I suppose it’s a little lonely around there with her gone. ‘