Pewter Angels (7 page)

“Needs your help?” Timmy spluttered. “Who are you trying to kid? What can you do that’s so important and helpful?”

“Well, I think it’s wonderful, Henry,” Jenny interjected.

“So, I see you two met,” Henry said to Timmy, trying to change the subject.

“Yeah, I saw this beautiful blond sitting on the steps and I just knew she’d want to meet me.” Henry knew Timmy was trying to be funny, but knew his friend well enough to realize that Timmy probably meant it, too. “So, I took it upon myself to come over and introduce her to the man of her dreams.”

“Yes, it was very nice of Tim to come over and introduce himself like every good neighbour should. And I do appreciate—”

“Timmy! Tim!” came Timmy’s mother’s voice. “Time for dinner, and don’t forget you have to study tonight and pack for the cottage.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming. Well, don’t you two do anything I wouldn’t do,” he said with an exaggerated wink. Then, giving Henry a sharp poke on the shoulder, he said, “Don’t work too hard, Mr. Businessman.”

Henry was relieved to see Timmy go. As much as he liked Timmy, there were times, like now, when he wanted to haul off and give him a smack. Henry turned to Jenny. She was smiling at him. “So, what are you doing after supper?” she asked.

Henry thought for a second. “I was hoping we could go for a walk. I want to tell you what happened today.”

“I was hoping we could go for a walk, too. I’ll wait for you on my front step after we’ve finished eating.”

Henry smiled, feeling good again, free to concentrate on Jenny and on how much he liked her. “See you soon.” Henry turned his bike around and headed home.

As he opened the door, he saw his dad duck into the kitchen. It looked like one of those rare nights when his dad didn’t have to work overtime at the plant and they could have a family supper together.

Without waiting for his mom to ask him how his day had gone, he said, “Boy, did I have a good day at the grocery store!”

His mom and dad stopped eating and looked up at him. “Oh?” said his dad.

“Well, what happened?” his mom probed.

Henry told them about the storage room and the basement, his efforts to clean the downstairs and reorganize the shelves, and what Mr. Engelmann had said about never having seen the storage room look so neat and organized. Henry beamed at his parents, who beamed back at him.

“Well, you do have a knack for organizing and making things look nice,” his mom said.

“You did a good thing today, son,” his dad added.

Henry told his dad about the basement, how poorly lit it was and how he had tripped once or twice on the uneven floor. “I don’t know how on earth Mrs. Engelmann can even find her way down there to wash clothes. They should have at least two more lights. And, Dad, the doors to the backyard where they sometimes bring down boxes are open and loose. The air just pours through all the cracks, and in the wintertime it must be freezing cold. Do you think you might have time to have a look at it?” Before his dad could answer, Henry excitedly continued, “I also noticed a couple of mice down there when I was moving boxes. Can I take the two mousetraps in the garage?”

His mom and dad exchanged glances before his dad turned to him. “Sure, and maybe mention to Mr. Engelmann that I have a door in the garage and some insulation that I don’t need anymore. If he’s interested, I can bring them over Saturday morning when I’m off work.”

“That’s nice, Bill,” Henry’s mom said, putting her hand on his dad’s shoulder.

“He’s a proud man, Henry, and may consider this to be charity. He may not accept our offering, so be careful how you put it to him. Make it sound as if he is doing us a favour taking these things off our hands.”

Henry nodded. “I think you’re right, Dad, and thanks for doing this.” His dad smiled back, then turned to his mom. “By the way, Mary, Jim told me … “

His father’s words drifted away as Henry visualized where the door could go in Mr. Engelmann’s basement and where the insulation would be best put to use. Still engrossed in his fix-it-up thoughts, Henry blurted out, “Where can I get some paint?”

His mom and dad glanced at him, somewhat startled and a little annoyed.

“What are you talking about, Henry?” his mom asked. “What paint?”

“Mr. Engelmann’s basement needs to be painted and so does his storeroom. In fact, the whole store could use a coat. Everything’s so old and dirty.”

“Well, there’s some paint downstairs that we won’t be needing anymore,” Bill replied. “And one of the fellows at work told me he’d bought brand new paint that had been mixed wrong for next to nothing at the paint store. You might want to phone Northern Paint and bike up there next week. It’s only a few blocks down on Winnipeg Street. Just watch out for the traffic and don’t haul any more than a gallon at a time. If there’s a lot, tell me and I’ll pick it up after work.”

Henry’s face lit up. “That’s a great idea, Dad! I’ll find the time to get over there tomorrow. He stood up, hardly able to contain his excitement. “Excuse me, I gotta go.” He could hardly wait to share all this with Jenny.

His mother and father chuckled as he dashed from the table. Henry rushed into the bathroom and washed his hands and face. He also splashed a little water on his hair and rubbed in just a little dab of Brylcreem. He combed his hair back instead of parting it to see if he looked more grown up that way. He thought he did, but it was too much change for one day. He quickly parted his hair the way he usually did and raced for the front door. As he passed the living room, his mom and dad looked up.

“Nice hair, son,” his dad said before turning back to the paper. “Off to see Jenny?” his mom dared ask.

“Yeah,” Henry blurted as he bounded out of the house, letting the storm door slam shut behind him.

Jenny was sitting on her front steps. His pounding heart nearly burst from his chest at the sight of her; he was already anticipating her hand in his. Her face brightened when she saw him.

“Hi, Jenny,” he called out when he arrived at the gate. “Have you had supper yet? I hope I’m not too early for our walk?”

“Oh, no, I was waiting for you. Dad had to work late again tonight so Mom and I ate early.” She stood and walked towards him. “Which way should we go?”

“Doesn’t matter to me. Anywhere, I guess. I have a lot I want to tell you.”

“Okay, well then, let’s just walk down to College Avenue. It’s only a few blocks away and then we can circle back.”

“Sounds good to me.”

The sky for the most part was clear, except for a towering buildup of cumulonimbus clouds in the distant west. Some reached so high they hid the bright sun as it crept towards the horizon. Although it was already after seven, one of the best things about summer in the prairies was the long days; it would be at least another couple of hours before the sun finally set and darkness settled. There was just enough of a breeze to move Jenny’s hair off to the side, exposing her ear and the tiny stud glistening on her earlobe. As they walked, Henry moved to the half of the sidewalk nearest the traffic.

“Why do you walk on the outside? I noticed you did that yesterday too.”

“My dad always does that when he’s walking with my mom. I asked him about it once and he said that it was to protect his girl from any harm that might come her way. It has do to with chivalry or something like that. I always thought it was kind of neat.”

“Well, that’s very thoughtful,” Jenny said. “I must say that it does make me feel protected.”

“Boy, did I have a good day at the grocery store.”

“Yes, so you said when Timmy was over. What happened?” The words bubbled out of him. He explained how he had organized the basement and the shelves upstairs, and how pleased Mr. Engelmann was, adding a few more embellishments to the story than he’d told his parents.

“That sounds great, Henry, and you seem so excited about what you accomplished. I’m thrilled for you!” Jenny’s eyes were bright and happy. To know she understood how he felt—he thought he would burst any second. He moved closer to Jenny, wanting to touch her hand.

Their arms swung side by side and at times their hands brushed slightly. Henry began to purposely stick his little finger out a little bit more with each pass. Jenny responded by letting her little finger protrude a little more each time too, until finally their little fingers locked. Then without hesitation or changing the rhythm, they started swinging their arms. After several swings and steps forward in silence, Jenny, sensing that their little fingers couldn’t hold on much longer like that, released her finger and purposely slid her warm hand into his, sending Henry instantly to cloud nine. Neither of them said a word for the longest time.

“What do you have planned tomorrow at the store?”

Henry explained his dad had offered to help and was willing to donate an old door and insulation, and that he himself planned to get some paint to spruce up the store.

They walked for about an hour and a half, stopping every now and then to comment on the colour and architecture of the houses. Jenny definitely liked blue; Henry liked it best of all, too. Their favourites were the houses with steep roofs and dormers.

“And I just love those lilacs,” Jenny said, pointing out one house in particular with large green bushes in front of it. “It’s too bad they’re not blooming anymore—they must be gorgeous in the spring. Lilac is my favourite perfume,” she added, by way of explanation.

Henry began to imagine he and Jenny married and owning a house like that someday, and what it would be like to give her a bouquet of lilacs from their own yard. A rush of excitement spread through him like wildfire at the very thought of it. So he wasn’t too surprised that Jenny’s thoughts seemed to echo his.

“I can just picture my daughter in one of those bedrooms with the dormers,” she said, “That would be Camilla’s room.”

“What do you mean? Camilla who?”

“Oh, last winter my parents and I went to Jamaica, and the maid who did up our room was called Camilla. It’s so different. I just love that name. Don’t you?”

“Sure. I’ve never heard it before, but yeah, I like it, too.”

“Well, I told the maid right then and there that when I had my first daughter I was going to call her Camilla.”

He squeezed Jenny’s hand and she leaned into him. He could walk with her forever, they didn’t even need words.

Cooler air swept in with the evening and the light dimmed under the shade of the huge elm trees. But even in the evening chill Henry felt warm inside. He wanted to kiss Jenny. Maybe just on the cheek. His hand tightened on hers. As they neared home, Jenny broke a long silence.

“I’m so glad you’re here in this neighbourhood and that I met you. I just feel so comfortable and relaxed around you.”

Henry wasn’t sure how to respond. He was quiet for a moment, then mustered the courage to say, “I feel real good when I’m around you, too, Jenny.”

As they reached their homes, Henry’s heartbeat grew to a roar in his ears. Could he kiss her? Would she let him? But the roaring faded abruptly when they got to Jenny’s gate and Timmy hollered out his window across the street, “Hey lovers, what’s with the holding hands already!”

Henry was glad it was getting dark so Jenny couldn’t see how bright his face had become. They let go of each other’s hand and turned to face Timmy.

“Thought you were studying,” Henry called back.

“Well, you can study and spy too, you know. Someone has to keep the neighbourhood informed.”

“Timmy, get in here,” his dad bellowed. “You should be studying. If you fail that test tomorrow you’re not going to the cottage.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming,” he said, and the window slammed shut with a bang.

“Well, Jenny, this has been a long day,” Henry tried for casual but came off sounding more like his dad.

“Yeah, you had a very busy day … and it sounds like you’re going to have another one tomorrow. But we forgot to pick up bread today while Mom and I were shopping, so I’ll probably see you at Mr. Engelmann’s store in the morning.”

“Oh, good!”

The porch light came on above Jenny’s front door.

“Hi, Henry,” Mrs. Sarsky called out from behind the screen door. “Jenny said you’re working at the grocery store over the summer.”

“Yes, that’s right,” he raised his voice a bit so she could hear him.

“It’s nice to see a hardworking young person. Well, Jenny, you better come in and get ready for bed. I think Dad will be along anytime now.”

“I better go, too,” Henry said, disappointed and a little relieved that the kiss wasn’t about to happen now. “Good night, Jenny. Good night, Mrs. Sarsky.”

“Good night, Henry,” both said, almost in unison.

Henry turned and headed home. The evening was losing its last light and the sun had handed the sky over to a bright full moon. As the first star appeared, Henry made a wish.

This was the second night in a row he had noticed the moon. He hadn’t really paid much attention to it up until now. As he gazed upward, he wondered what it would be like to watch the moonrise with Jenny, just the two of them holding hands all through the night.

His mom and dad were in the living room when he got in. His dad was reading and his mom knitted while listening to the radio. Henry could hardly wait until they could afford a television.