For the Duration: The War Years (8 page)

Because I've been thinking about next school year a lot, I've begun to think about which third-grade teacher I hope I get. Of course, they never tell us whose room we will be in until we come back to school in September, but that doesn't stop me from thinking—and hoping. I hope I get Miss Bailey. She's very pretty, with blond hair and blue eyes, and she looks young like Miss Kiniry. And I noticed that she wears the color blue a lot, maybe to match her eyes. I'm sure she'll be a nice teacher. I smile at her every time I see her in the hallway.

Chapter Nine

The dress rehearsal for the dance recital was even better than I thought it would be. We got to see all the dance numbers and all the costumes for the whole recital. The show started with the “baby class.” They went first every year because they were really little and Miss Leah didn't want to make them wait and wait for their turn. Everyone loved the baby class because they were so cute and so funny. They didn't do all their steps together, and last year during the recital one of the little girls turned around and saw her shadow from the spotlight on the backdrop. She never turned back around. She just looked at her shadow and bobbed up and down and swayed back and forth and waved at it. The audience laughed and laughed and clapped and clapped.

This year the baby class was going to be little fishes, and they sang the song about the “little fishies” in the brook who “swam and swam all over the dam.” Their dance had a lot of wiggling in it. The audience would really love that.

“Under the Sea” was next. The music began and the curtain opened. I was sitting on my throne, wearing the crown and holding the trident. The other kids were sitting around the throne.

I wasn't wearing my costume, though, because Mom still had to finish it. But it would be ready for tonight. I stood up and came forward. Then, I began, “I am King Neptune, the king of the sea . . .”

One by one, I announced each act with a short poem that Miss Leah had written, until I got to the last one, which was “The Pearl in the Oyster Shell.” That was the acrobatic number and the girl was very good. She did backflips and headstands—all sorts of tricks. Then it was time for me to sing “What Kind of a Noise Annoys an Oyster.” The moms and the kids sitting out front laughed and laughed. And this was only the dress rehearsal! The first act was over.

During the intermission Mom helped me change into a plaid shirt and blue dungarees for the “Uncle Sam Gets Around” number. Almost everyone was in it. It opened the second act.

Then Billy and I got into our “A Couple of Couples” costumes. We boys had on short white jackets with sparkly lapels, black pants, a silver sash called a cummerbund, and black bow ties.

Carol and Patty had on sparkly long dresses made out of this material that swirled when they turned around. Miss Leah, who was standing in front of the stage during the rehearsal, smiled and blew us a kiss when we finished.

The dress rehearsal went smoothly. It was going to be a wonderful show.

When we got home, Mom made me take a nap so I'd be “rested.” After all, there was going to be a lot of excitement. Of course, I just lay there, wide-awake on my bed. Mom had pulled the window shades down, but I was too excited already.

When I went downstairs to have something to eat, Mom told me that Buddy wasn't coming to the recital because he was going to “Saturday Night Movies” with his friends at the YMCA. But Tom was coming! That was even better.

Then I tried my King Neptune costume on. It was wonderful, especially the green China-silk cape.

Suddenly the doorbell rang. “I'll get it,” I yelled.

I ran to the door. I wanted to show off my great costume.

“Wait,” Mom cried. “Tomie, wait.”

As I was running by the coffee table, making my cape flutter behind me, I felt a tug at my shoulder and heard the sound of ripping. My cape had caught the edge of the coffee table and ripped along the silver border. I had ruined my costume! I started to cry.

Mom got the door. It was a neighbor wanting to know if we had any extra tickets for the recital.

Mom sent me into the kitchen while she talked to the neighbor. Then she came in to inspect the damage. “Well, it could have been worse,” she said. “It only ripped along the edge. I'll sew it together by hand.”

I stood there while Mom put the cape up on the ironing board to sew it.

When she finished, she said, “No one will see it from a distance.” She helped me out of the costume. I put on some shorts and a shirt. Mom had my other costumes and my best clothes for after the recital on hangers. And off we went.

Chapter Ten

On the way to the recital, Mom gave me a pep talk in the car. “Don't think about anything but your lines and your song for King Neptune,” she said. “The costume looks fine.”

While the baby class was performing and the audience was laughing, we all got into our places for “Under the Sea.” When the baby class left the stage, the curtain opened. The spotlight hit me and I stood up and walked straight down to the front of the stage. “I am King Neptune, the king of the sea. Tonight is my night for a bit of revelry!” I finished my poem, turned, and twirled my cape. I walked back to the throne and sat. Then, one by one, I introduced each number until we got to “The Pearl in the Oyster Shell.”

Now, my big moment. “What kind of a noise annoys an oyster,” I sang, “when an oyster's in a stew?”