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Shura?
Mary Francis
The search for Grissi $10.54
I
DATE QUI
Sh U
10-86
BORROWERS NAME
Shura,
Mary Francis The search for or 1 ss i
DATE DUE
DEMCO
38-297
Digitized by the Internet Archive in
2010
http://www.archive.org/details/searchforgrissiOOshur
The Search for Grissi
Books by Mary Francis Shura The Search for Grissi Happies and Cinnamunger The Barkley Street Six-pack Mister Wolf and Me The Gray Ghosts of Taylor Ridge The Riddle of Raven's Gulch and the companion books Chester
Eleanor Jefferson
The Search for
Grissi Mary Francis Shura Illustrated
by Ted Lewin
DODD, MEAD & COMPANY NEW YORK •
COLORADO SPRINGS PUBLIC SCHOOLS
COLOMSIA
?b1ED5A
CENTER
Copyright
©
1985 by Mary Francis Shura
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher Distributed in Canada by McClelland and Stewart Limited, Toronto Manufactured
in the
United States of America
123456789
10
Library of Congress Cataloging in Pubhcation Data
Shura, Mary Francis.
The search
for Grissi.
Summary: Eleven-year-old at
home and
Peter feels uncomfortable
school after his family
until his search for his sister's
a
new 1
2.
life for
,
Fiction]
to
Brooklyn,
him.
:-€hildren'» stories America n.
Brooklyn
moves
missing cat opens up
(New
York, N.Y.)
trilewrn, Ted,
PZ7.S55983Sb
1985
ISBN 0-396-08584-9
iH.
— Fiction.
Cats
[1.
—
Fiction.
II.
Title.
[Fie]
3.
Schools
84-28624
With love and gratitude
Rosemary who led me
there
to
Contents
1
DeeDee
2 Grissi
11
20 30
3 Hal Sanders 4 Butch
41
5 Captain Jinks
6 The Iron Yard
52 59
Cramar
69
8
The Message
81
9
The Coming Storm
10
The Breakthrough
11
The Storm
109
12
The Shadow
in the
7 Colin
88 99
Garden
1
16
The Search for
Grissi
1 DeeDee
The
next-to-the-worst thing that can happen to an
eleven-year-old boy in a strange school in a
have
The
to
walk his
little sister
absolutely worst thing
home from
is to
new
city is to
school every day.
have that
sister
be DeeDee
Gregory. I
speak from the pain of experience. I'm Peter Gregory,
and DeeDee
is
my
sister.
She's the kind of kid
disappear kid
all
spooky
who
is
skinny, seven, and spooky.
disappears
if
by herself, but since she
who draws
even learned
She
other kids as
make
to
little girls
if
a whole
you is
also the kind of
they were
bunch
She can
blink.
she has
flies,
of other skinny,
disappear with her.
In fact, the whole business with the gray cat called Grissi
the
began because
same
time.
I
blinked and turned the corner at
But that didn't happen
until the
second
day of school.
To
tell
the truth,
I
had
really
dreaded those
first
few II
days in our settle into
my
new
favorite things
Mom
And been
were
still
had enrolled us
very
my room
to public
first
my
school back in Peoria.
would be
worst predictions
my new
started off with
Monday
day, the
DeeDee
in a private school.
afraid that a private school
from the beginning,
The
to start. All
boxes in
sitting in
after
teacher having
front of the class to be introduced.
I
if I
were
extraterrestrial.
I'd
different and,
came
J
true.
Thanksgiving,"
me
stand up in
really felt self-con-
scious with that whole roomful of strangers staring at as
to
floor of that tall house.
had always gone
I
wished we'd had more time
I
brownstone Brooklyn before having
on the fourth
and
school.
me
Only when Mr. Lazarus an-
nounced that I was from Peoria did those sixth-graders show any life. Some of them looked at each other with their eyelids half closed, as
if
they were passing a joke
around under their lashes. "Peoria Pete,"
someone whispered,
shoulder-shaking, silent giggles I
A
long time before,
teasing back in Peoria. felt
that
Then all
had already planned not That
that
I
first
had trouble with
had been because some
to
real
guy
behind me, back home, and go through
it
again.
day whenever Mr. Lazarus asked a question
thought
everybody else
12
it
I'd
like that
drawing and painting were things a
didn't do. I'd gotten that I
around the room.
name-calling and having labels
really hate
stuck on me.
kids
all
wave of
starting a
I
could answer,
did.
Sometimes
I
my
put up
my hand
like
answers were right and
sometimes they weren't. Since
that's the
ways been
1
at school,
1
figured
way
have
I
might as well
start
al-
out
here the same way.
But
I
kept having the feeling that the other kids were
They never met my eyes at all when 1 glanced around at them, so maybe I imagined that they were watching me when I was looking the other way. Since nobody came to sit down by me at noon, I ate staring at me.
lunch by myself.
When
school was dismissed that afternoon,
1
walked
out by myself, while the rest of the class walked off in
was
all
right with me.
hot on anyone's seeing
me
take on
little
with
groups. That
DeeDee and
my
1
wasn't really
baby-sitting chore
the inevitable cluster of
little
squealers
she always acquires.
Then
I
realized that one of the guys hadn't
curly-headed kid
still
stood there, looking at
kind of serious expression on his face. ger than that,
I
am.
When
you have
to
me
He was
a
with a lot big-
show interest in you like Sometimes they are just
watch
out.
how much
bigger they are,
fighter.
"Peoria," the kid said, after a minute. "I don't
know
—
flat,
as
smiled
at
anything about Peoria." His voice was different if
This
bigger kids
looking for a chance to prove
and I'm not a
left.
he were keeping any expression out of
it.
Since that didn't sound very threatening, him.
"I
don't
know much about
I
Brooklyn, either,"
I
ad-
mitted.
13
"A bunch of the kids and
sometimes have a Coke
I
around the comer. Want
school, just
Then he added, "My name is Something kind of jumped have friends here
after
all. I
me, even though he was
at
Then
I
that
really so sober faced.
map Mom had drawn was a
I
Maybe 1 would way he looked
inside me.
remembered. In the
he hung around
if
Colin Cramar."
liked the level
anywhere but home because by the
after
come along?"
to
1
first
had
place,
I
couldn't go
DeeDee
to lead
for us. In the
second place,
he would discover
until she got out,
glorified baby-sitter.
He
lot,"
looked at
I
me
said.
nodded and turned
thoughtfully, then
away. "See you around," he said in a final kind of way. I I
watching him walk away, but what could
felt rotten,
do?
It
was bad enough
to
known
be
as Peoria Pete,
without having a nursemaid label stuck on top of
When
you are moving
making
a lot of things, like
trouble and not being
do
me
to
keep
were going
My
my
to tease
attempt
to
to a
place,
friends of.
A
me
and staying out of lot
about everything
keep Colin Cramar
DeeDee and her new
wasted
effort.
When had I
a block of our house,
I
that.
you worry about of good
would
it
painting and artwork a secret
sitting
14
new
made fun
-
I
"Maybe some other time." I might have sounded brusque without meaning to, because I wanted to go with him so bad and couldn't. "Thanks a
\
there-
if
they
else.
fi-om seeing
me
baby-
friends turned out to be a
herded those
litde girls to
saw Colin Cramar
again.
within
He was
down the street by the church near our brownstone. He was stiU wearing the loaded backpack he'd worn at school so I figured he hadn't been home yet, either. DeeDee and her new friends aren't exactly loud, but they are shrill. They were playing some skipping game that sent them into gales of giggles about every half a
walking
them, and then
block. Colin turned at the sound, looked at
me.
He
turned off
My one.
even nod
didn't say anything or
down
the
second day
little
street that ran
at school
By the time the
was
final bell
sounded, I
was
hadn't
made
figured out what I
told
my
myself
just a matter of our getting used to each other.
Maybe
I
pen when steps
just
like the first
I still
teacher, Mr. Lazarus, expected of me. But it
He
by the church.
much
pretty
a single friend there, nor had
me.
at
should have predicted what was going I
when
walked outside that door. I
I
was
still
to
hap-
on the
saw this bunch of four guys standing on
the sidewalk, looking back at
me
and laughing.
"Hey, Peoria Pete," one of them yelled. "Have a good time playing nursemaid, Peoria Pete." Naturally
Then
that
all
the other kids turned around and stared.
bunch
of guys practically killed themselves,
slapping their knees and guffawing. I
could feel myself getting red from embarrassment.
could feel myself getting mad,
too.
I
I
hadn't done any-
thing to any of those guys and here they were, going out of their
way
to
make fun
of
me
over things
I
couldn't help.
15
I
was
still
just standing there trying to figure out
what
with
when DeeDee came dancing down the steps two of her new friends. One of the girls was a blonde thick braids and a square, serene face. The other was
dark
like
mop
of curls that
The
contrast between
do about
to
with
it
DeeDee, except that her hair was a
short, springy
in her face every time she
fell
what a good time they were havmade me stamp off down the street.
way I felt DeeDee and friends didn't pay any attention we started toward home. I returned the favor.
ing and the
could hear those guys
I
still
calling after
shouting with laughter. The madder walk. Since
moved.
I
was
pretty
mad,
ahead of DeeDee and her
me
me
as
and
am, the faster
I
was probably half a block
I
little
I
to
clones
when
I
turned the
comer. If
the it
hadn't been so upset,
I
was,
I
wasn't sure.
my
map
out of
right
on course,
I
would have remembered
pocket I
yelled for
me, but
I
it
the day before. As
stopped just a second and took the to
check
it.
When
I
saw we were
stepped back around the comer
what was keeping the They were gone. I
I
way home from having walked
little girls
to see
from catching up.
DeeDee. Some people walking by glared
didn't hear her voice.
None
the street looked like anything that would interest kids.
I
ran back
down
at
of the shops along little
the block anyway, looking in aU
the windows. Men's clothing, insurance, a Middle East-
ern restaurant that smelled fantastic, then an
There they were, i6
all
alley.
three of them, standing with their
heads together
They
like a
miniature football team in a huddle.
were standing so close together that
didn't realize
I
DeeDee was holding something. "All right for you,
DeeDee,"
wobbling
said, relief
I
my
legs.
She looked up and ran toward me, carrying this gray cat in her arms. "Look what I got, Peter. Look what I got. Isn't
he beautiful?"
He was beautiful.
charcoal
beautiful.
One
thing about that cat, he was
He was darker than most gray cats, dark like when you smudge it with your finger to make
shadows in a drawing. His face was broad and friendly looking, I
and
his eyes
were the
had ever seen. In a flash
use from
my
I
clearest, brightest yellow
knew which
color
I
would
paint box to produce that tone just one shade
darker than lemon. I
nodded. "He's great but put him down."
"He's her very
"That I
man
own
gave him
cat now," one of the kids piped up. to
DeeDee
to keep."
looked around. There wasn't any
There was only a
line of
man
in the alley.
green trash cans, that cluster of
and a pair of pigeons with green and purple chests hobbling along on a ledge way up and complain-
Utde
girls,
ing in that hollow, throaty
way
that they do.
him down," I repeated. "You can't just take a cat because someone gives it to you." "But he's my cat," DeeDee explained. "The minute Captain saw me with him, he nodded and said this was "Put
my
cat."
17
J
"Captain,"
scoffed.
I
"Who
captain
is this
who
gets to
some old stray cat? That's something for Mom and Dad to decide." "He's not a really stray cat," DeeDee protested. "Captain said he wouldn't let me pick him up except he knew this cat lived with people some time." "Then let him go back to those other people," I told her.
say that you can have
"You can't have a cat without permission." I
could almost see
my
words flying right over the three
heads.
"His
name
the blonde
is Grissi,"
way. "Isn't Grissi a beautiful
"DeeDee's
"My
dreamy
mop
of dark
name?" one with the
really lucky," the
curls said wistfully.
a
girl said in
mom
won't
let
me
have an ani-
mal."
"Neither will DeeDee's,"
I
told
them.
1
reached over
to
take the cat from her. Instead,
DeeDee danced away from
me and
with her two litde friends
right
ran toward the
street,
behind her.
"At least
get to ask," she called back at me.
I
The sidewalk was crowded with people hurrying along both ways. this I
I
had
time with
I
me,
cat.
shrugged. Let
couldn't just
had
this instant vision of losing that kid again,
Mom
break the news
come home
to
her that she
with a cat this way. At least
I
tried.
had I
to
run a
didn't let
little to
them out
catch up with them but, believe of
my
sight again.
19
2 Grissi
Now
you have
to realize that this Grissi
ten but a fuU-grown cat. Later, at home,
on the bathroom scale and he came DeeDee's arms had
to
wasn't any
kit-
Dad weighed him
in at fifteen pounds.
be aching by the time
we made
it
aU the way home, but she didn't complain. The blonde girl
who had told me the cat's name had we reached our house. The other girl
with the braids
turn off before
to
walked on
past, turning to look
Mom
of times before
came
to
back and wave a couple
answer our
doorbell.
That house has two front entrances. The door ground
level is in
tiny front yard.
double door
behind a
little
With
she would
20
to
is
fancier.
It is
a
huge
the top of a high brownstone stoop and
at
Mom
calls the "parlor"
Mom
still
be.
ran up the stoop and took a chance on
I
the big front door.
enough
the
iron gate that encloses a
The second entrance
opens into the front hall of what floor.
to
come
I
unpacking,
I
hadn't any idea where
was lucky because
right away.
Mom
was
close
DeeDee will never see the day that she is as pretty as Mom. Mom is well rounded where DeeDee is straight up and down. Even with a scarf tied around her head and a smudge of dirt on her cheek, Mom looked great. The way her smile tightened into annoyance when she saw us was not that great.
"Look,
Mama," DeeDee
said quickly. "This
my
is
cat,
he beautiful?"
Grissi. Isn't
Mom's mouth opened and then shut again without any sound coming to
out. Before
1
could teU her that
I
had
tried
keep DeeDee from bringing the cat home, she said
quietly, "Congratulations, Peter." "I told
Mom
she has
me
for
Mom
my
lost
it," I
protested.
thoughtfully, then shrugged. In
enough rounds
to
DeeDee
herself
the benefit of the doubt.
"But he's
me
me
looked at
fairness, to give
her she couldn't have
my
cat,"
DeeDee
wailed.
"He was given
to
very own."
"Now listen to me, DeeDee," she know in your heart that Peter is right. Put the cat down and come inside." "But, Mama," DeeDee wailed. "I'm lonesome here. Can't we just wait and see what Daddy says? If I put him down and he goes away, I might never ever see him again." Don't think those words didn't come back to haunt me shook her head.
began. "You
later.
People say thing
I
am
I
am
talented just because
looking
at.
I
can draw any-
DeeDee's talents are a
lot
more 21
useful in just the day-to-day instance, she can
make
tears
management of a come and fill up
For
life.
only the
bottom half of her eyes and just hang there in pools until
Mom
she gets her way. That
little
and Dad's strings as
they were puppets and they don't
if
seven year old can pull
even know they're dancing.
The moment
Mom
was
hesitated, she
DeeDee
lost.
down right on the marble Mom, took two graceful steps
leaned over and set the cat doorstep. Grissi looked
into the front hall, leg.
up
at
and arched
Then, with a glance
at
his
DeeDee
following, Grissi walked into our
there
all
his
back as
to
if to
house as
rub against her ask if
if
she were
he had
lived
life.
When Mom
sighed and shut the door after us,
I
fig-
ured that DeeDee was rounding second base and was on her way home.
By the time
I
finished
my
cookies and milk,
DeeDee
plastic mat down on the floor for that cat. Grissi, hunched in front of a blue bowl, was lapping milk as I started up to my room.
had a
I
counted the steps as
I
climbed. Those stairs don't have
proper landings but just hug the wall most of the way
and then curve around were
and to I
fifteen steps going straight
five
more
my room
to
make
the bend.
each
flight.
up from the
From
There
parlor floor
that third floor
up
there are ten straight steps and four around.
was only counting
22
at the top of
steps to distract myself.
I
get really
when
disgusted there
other people feel sorry for themselves, yet
was, about to drown in
I
my own
self-pity.
seem fair. DeeDee already had two skinny But it friends and was more than halfway to a cat. All I had was a big room full of boxes to unpack and a didn't
whole sixth grade
is
kids laughing at me.
full of
One
of the worst things about feeling sorry for yourself
that
you keep thinking of
Dad hadn't accepted
//
have had
had put her
new
have taken the
we would never
his promotion,
our whole world apart
to tear
// Mom
"ifs."
foot
like this.
down. Dad would probably not
job. After
all,
Mom'd had
the most
successful interior decorating studio in Peoria. Instead, she
had
said, "If
I
can make
it
in Peoria,
I
can make
it
in
Brooklyn."
we had moved during
//
vember,
I
the
summer
instead of in No-
would have started with other new
kids-
and
wouldn't be so conspicuous. //•
//
//.
// only a
Peoria.
few things were
Take
this
like they
house we had
Our house back
just
had been back
moved
in
into.
was big and old with noisy plumbing, but it had a wide front porch and was set back from the street with enough side yard to play baseball in. This brownstone was ridiculous. It was in a row of houses that
all
looked a
windows except I
in Peoria
for the
lot alike.
two
None
of
them had
side
at the ends.
told you about that front door going into the bottom
23
That
floor.
is
where the kitchen would be
house. Instead, there
down
a whole separate
is
Mom
in that basement.
said
it
her interior decorating business, but of the
Who
attic
ter
apartment
little
would be perfect it
made
all
for
the rest
house strange.
kitchen door.
normal
in a
ever heard of having the kitchen upstairs?
what you walk
is
into
when you come
in the
A
back
Bedrooms were supposed to be above that, with the up on top where you put old things that don't mat-
any more.
In this house, the kitchen and dining
the next floor
up
the
bedroom and another room where Dad has
his
desk and books. DeeDee's room and mine are top,
are on the is
parlor floor, at the back. big master
Then on
room
on the fourth
Looking down, the backyard seems
floor.
so far below that
if
I
at the very
I
would
^just
a path,
were bothered by heights
be having a nosebleed.
Not
that
it
was much
some bushes, a the back.
A
gardens.
Mom
of a backyard
anyway
pair of pale white trees,
little
alley
—
and a bench near
runs through our block behind the
says that
is
unusual. She thinks a farm-
lane ran along there a very long time ago before
er's
Brooklyn was a big city or even a town. Instead of unpacking
AU how
my
boxes,
the gardens were the
ing
different
had made a fancy
around a birdbath. the walks.
24
Mom
stared out the win-
same size but it was amazthey managed to be. The people on one
dow.
side
I
little
Lumpy
garden with a walk winding white ghostlike shapes lined
guessed those were rose bushes being
The yard on
protected from winter.
with huge white rocks half covered by ev-
really formal,
Maybe
ergreen plants.
me because is
was
the other side
that garden just looked oriental to
had seen Mrs. Joon, who
I
Mom
even shorter than
She
lived there.
and has a wonderful, glowing
The
face with shining dark eyes.
family beyond that, at
the end, has a big, dark dog that hurls himself furiously
and barks whenever anyone passes down
against the fence
the alley or the side street.
Now,
I
like to
What
world.
I
draw
like to
the shape that
is
better than almost anything in the
do
is to
look at something until
hidden inside
few shapes when you do
into a
it.
I
see
Almost everything
fits
One
that.
of the trees in
was a fir tree shaped like a cone upside down. That would be fun to draw. I was stiU leaning on the windowsill looking out when the rose garden
Mom
called
from downstairs.
DeeDee was waiting you
to
walk down
Mom
was
too
"Mama wants
at the kitchen door.
to the store
embarrassed
with me," she to look
back
at
said.
me. Instead
she fumbled in her purse while she talked.
"We need some Did still
I
cat food," she said. "Just a
say halfway
running.
It
home? That
was easy
to see
cat
was
how
few cans."
at third
Grissi
base and
had managed
He was
sitting hunched up beside paws tucked under his chest. patience would have made a statue of
to get this trip going.
that milk saucer with his
His expression of
Buddha look I
knew
restless.
that sooner or later
Mom
would
let
DeeDee 25
'
wander around
A
a long time coming.
away.
I
had been
came.
I
was hoping
back
home
street of
in every
I
my
bike.
It
.'
day we
'
one of them the
first
job like the one
had
I'd
swept out Mr. Foster's grocery store
was neat
arate btde world of
even wanted
to
my
to
have the money and that sep-
own. None of the shopkeepers here
how handy I could be. DeeDee said, "Just a minute,
consider
At the front door,
Then she ran up
minute," in an urgent way.
her room, which was just next
to
seem
shops was only a block
to get a little
in Peoria.
to
and unpacked boxes and sometimes delivered things
there,
on
was going
alone. At this rate, later
to
all
just a
those stairs
mine. She was back
quickly with her red wallet bulging out of the pocket of
her jeans.
"Mom
gave
me
money,"
I
told her.
She nodded and skipped down the steps ahead
of me.
The church on the corner takes up most of the Someday I am going to sit somewhere and draw it. practically every kind of it
is
shape on
block.
a lot of brick rectangles set together, but a
courtyard like an empty cube
is set
It
has
somewhere. Mostly
it
into
little
one end. Above
way up high, rises a spire like a skinny, squared-off cone. Even in winter, noisy little birds chattered in the ivy that clung to its sides. Someone was playing the organ when DeeDee and I walked by. I thought I caught a glimpse of Colin Cramar off down the round window,
that
little
had
to
sitting
26
street but
be a real
I
sure didn't stop
tatdetale.
DeeDee and her
Nobody
filends.
else
to look.
That Colin
had seen
He had
to
have
me
baby-
told those
!;
•
.j
\
who made
guys
needed was that
that big fuss in front of school. All
him
for
to see
—and report
I
to the other kids
apparently never stepped out on a street without a
I
skinny
hopping along beside me.
little girl
A book shop
called
The Corner Shelf
is
next
to
the
church, with a drugstore just beyond. In front of the gro-
rows of boxes were
cery,
ors of the fruit.
The
grocer,
now from
"I
have a
"A
cat,"
off the bright col-
DeeDee popped in there and I followed. whose name was Anthony Pucci, hadn't
been very friendly grinned
show
tilted to
cat,"
to
me when
ear to ear
asked
I
when DeeDee
she told him. "A gray cat
he repeated and winked
for a job.
He
ran up to him.
named
Grissi."
at his wife. Mrs.
Pucci
turned from the shelf she was stocking and smiled at
DeeDee.
"How
nice for you," she said.
for the cat.
DeeDee
Then
it's
cat food
Then she nodded. "And
you need."
followed her to the right shelf and brought back
the litde cans of cat food that she could hold with both
all
arms. "Look what tiny cans they are," she told ily.
"Grissi is a big healthy cat."
She
set
me
hast-
them on the
counter and raced off again. Mr. Pucci was giving the cans into a bag.
Pucci tion.
at the
I
me Mom's change
back of the store but
Just as
I
and putting
heard DeeDee chattering I
didn't pay
took the grocery bag,
to
Mrs.
any atten-
DeeDee came up
swinging a wicker basket with a yellow calico cushion in it.
"Where did
that
come from?" Mr. Pucci asked
his wife.
27
"She needed something Pucci told him.
The
other one.
DeeDee
"I
had
price
it
on
I
to sleep in,"
Mrs.
can always get an-
it."
on the counter and took out her
have enough," she
wallet. "1
her cat
out back.
is still
set the basket
for
me
told
defensively, spilling
out folded dollars and a heap of change.
"But DeeDee,"
and
all
I
money even know what Dad is
protested. "That's your birthday
your savings. You don't
going to say about keeping that cat
Those
tears
began swimming
and Mrs. Pucci was glaring
at
me
when he comes home." DeeDee's eyes again,
in
as
if I
were a half-grown
ogre. I
up I
just gave up. for lessons
from
her.
could see through her like a pane of glass.
not really
hardly
am
want a
Dad might
around the house. But he could
up Grissi after she had spent fortune on him. Dad was no more an ogre than give
the son of one.
The basket was DeeDee.
was
cat
make DeeDee
her entire I
should quit fighting that kid and sign
I
We
had a
so bulky that cat
named
I
Grissi
carried
and
that
it
home
was
all
for
there
to that.
29
3 Hal Sanders
was pretty stupid not to figure out I had coming at that new school. When you have made
guess
I
fight
I
a it
i
through eleven years without getting your knuckles
some people operate on a more basic level. My best friend back in Peoria was named Tim. He and I had had some shoving contests through the years. They usually ended up in an hour or so of frozen silence that warmed up by itself. There's a lot of differbloodied, you forget that
ence between shoving someone around and smashing your hard in somebody's face.
fist It
was the Friday
just finished
though day, I
I
I
my
fifth
didn't like
at least
of the
knew
it I
that Grissi came.
day in the
much
new
I
had the
around.
I
had watched
for
him
al-
first
to survive.
walked out the front door just as usual to join
had
I
school and,
better than
was going
DeeDee and Company
30
week
to
wait for
me. Colin wasn't anywhere since that
first
day.
I
didn't
n
want
him, but
to fight
to let
him know
that
I
my my
business. If
friends, all the name-calling
would never
didn't appreciate his
he hadn't gone and
DeeDee and her
want
did
I
poking his nose in everybody about
told
baby-sitting
have begun.
By Friday
I
learned
who
who had
those four guys were
waited out in front to jeer at me. Their ringleader was a
named Hal Sanders. He laughed first and loudest when someone gave a wrong answer in class. He did petty, mean things like following people down the hall, making boy
fun of them by mimicking their walks. Even though
silent
he was the smallest of those four boys, the rest foUowed
Maybe they were afraid of his laugh. The sound made my teeth tingle like biting down on aluminum
his lead.
of
it
foil. 1
saw the four
didn't bother
door
when
I
of
them gathered over by the curb but fact, I was watching the front
about them. In realized they
high-pitched, nasal way.
me
swing around
it
sweet.
What
to stare at
somewhere. They had pin
were singing
together in a
all
they were singing
them.
1
knew
the tune from
wrong enough that down. The words were plain enough:
Our
it
just
Peoria Pete, walking his
little
made
1
couldn't
"Ain't
baby
dolls
he
up
and down the street?"
Some
of the other kids
mince along with
their
had stopped
hands raised and
bouncing up and down against their looked at
to
them and then
at
watch them
their shoulders
The other kids them credit, no-
ears.
me. But give
body laughed or cheered them on. 31
I
was
just stunned
DeeDee appeared mous at our house to
enough not
to
have moved when
DeeDee
at
the top of the steps.
for
being a quick study. You never have
repeat anything to that kid. She's been
known
is fa-
to an-
swer questions before you finish them.
DeeDee's eyes went round, and her mouth tightened into a straight line just the
She
really angry.
way Mom's does when she
is
didn't give those guys time for a second
She threw her book satchel behind her and shot down the stairs on those skinny little legs. I could have told Hal about those legs. She showed him. In less than an instant she was all over him, beating him verse.
with her
fists
and kicking his shins so
he was too busy trying her.
to
fast
defend himself
But he kept screaming and
finally
and hard to get
that
hold of
caught her by the
arm. He's as big as I am and DeeDee weighs nothing. He caught her and threw her away from him like something worthless. Luckily she staggered backward against
who caught and
another guy, flailing, at
held her,
still
kicking and
arm's length.
had just never been mad enough to fight before. In that moment, I understood what it meant to see red. I charged blindly down those stairs and went for Hal.
Maybe
He was
I
still
hopping and yelling when
the shoulder. at the
I
I
32
felt
grabbed him by
pinned him against a car that was parked
curb and
balled-up right
I
let
him have
it
right in the face with
my
fist.
the hot stickiness of his bloodied nose even as
I
i
•;
was grabbed from behind and pulled away. I was trying to shake off whoever had me by the back when I realized
how
quiet
it
was
all
of a sudden.
The other guys were
sort of stiffened into frozen poses. I
looked around straight into Mr. Lazarus' face.
"That'll do, Gregory," "I
want
"He
He
all five
hit
he
said in a quiet,
voice.
of you inside."
me," Hal started
just hit
no contest
yelling.
"You saw him do
it.
me."
"Inside," Mr. Lazarus repeated, his voice only a shade louder.
"We
didn't
do anything," one of Hal's friends put
in.
"The next fellow that pipes up gets his punishment doubled," Mr. Lazarus said.
Then he turned
to
DeeDee.
"Are you waiting for your brother?" "Yes, sir."
Her face was
still
splotched with anger and
streaked from tears.
He
glanced at her two
Trudy and
Nell,"
he
told
little
friends.
"The
them. "You three
library is open, girls
wait there
for Peter."
DeeDee choking on what she wanted to say, but she and her friends marched back into the building I
could see
as quietly as the five of us boys did.
To my astonishment, Mr. Lazarus made me wait in the front of the classroom alone while he led Hal and his friends off to a little alcove at the back that he uses as an office.
in
my
I
have never lived through a longer
life.
There was no
telling
five
minutes
what those guys would 33
Who
say to him.
have gone
new
school for years for
to that
What
kid.
would he believe? After
what he was going
answer him
to
me
nally called
He spun
to
a pencil
he
sat
he
want
to
knew.
I
to say
I
a
sat there trying to
and how
was going: When he fi-
look good.
I
between
his it
thumb and index
finger,
confused me.
congratulate you on the aiming of your
"Two inches lower would have destroyed
said.
was
behind his desk, very relaxed.
his expression so jovial that "I
else.
make myself
in,
all I
know about me?
did Mr. Lazarus
I'm no different from anyone figure out
they could
all,
fist,"
several
thousand dollars worth of orthodontia. Expensive injuries like that get a lot of attention is
ritory of
growing up a boy."
He
didn't ask
what made though lecture
"An ages
me
me how
the fight started.
hit Hal. In fact, for a
didn't ask
minute,
I
felt
as
was back in class and he was giving a regular the way he did on history or science.
effective
to survive
human
being," he said, "is one
and function
in
social
environment.
which he
efficiently in
who man-
any environ-
finds himself. People are part of any
When
walk on other people's without even knowing
it.
you come as a stranger, you
territory
and batter
But violence has
resort of a thinking animal."
me
He
ter-
I
ment
at
from parents. A blood-
considered something that goes with the
ied nose
He
to
their egos
be the
last
stopped and looked up
quizzically.
"Any comment?" he asked.
What 34
I
was
really thinking
sounded so simple and
stu-
I
pid after
those big careful statements that
all
couldn't
I
answer him.
"Go on," he urged. "What are you thinking?"
"He
my
hit
kid sister,"
He nodded and
1
"And
blurted out.
lost it."
I
rose to walk back and forth with his
hands in his pockets. "But why?" he asked. "Aren't you going
made
that
like a
hawk
Then
self.
thing,"
1
second grader come flying
me what
off the steps
for the kill?"
my
shook
I
little
to tell
head, smiling at his simile in spite of myrealized.
1
"You must have seen the whole
told him.
He nodded.
was warned.
"1
I
got there for the
whole
show."
"Warned?"
He nodded. "You may be it
coming. That
tells
me
the only one
fighting isn't
who
didn't see
your usual game.
1
appreciated your friend's warning me." 1
stared at him. Friend?
read "1
my
He went on just
as
if
he could
mind.
won't give you his name, but you must have other
questions?"
My
head was working on about three
laxing inside. of school or 1
It
didn't
something
sound as
"What did
He
sat
level 1
do
1
1
was what to start
liked this 1
1
was
re-
would be kicked out
final like that.
was thinking how much
on the third
if
levels.
At the same time,
man. The question
asked.
aU this?"
down and leaned
back, smiling at me. "Any so-
35
has a delicate balance.
ciety, like this class for instance,
When
new member is introduced, everything shifts a little bit. The new person gets attention that used to go to someone else. Sometimes established members of the a
group resent really
this, particularly if
admirable
trait, like
the
newcomer shows some
volunteering answers in
class;'
right away." I
stared at him. "But a lot of
He chuckled
my
answers are wrong."
quietly. "That's not the point.
The othen
wrong answers, too. The point is that you took making a fool of yourself in a new, strange sit-
kids give
the risk of uation.
That takes daring. Very self-conscious people
re-
sent that kind of courage." 1
stared at
doing did
it
it.
It
bother
him
a long minute without realizing
didn't bother
me
so
I
much
me to
be wrong in
to
I
was
Why
class.
be kidded about other things?
"Something more?" he asked, prodding me.
'|
I
I
I
told
shook him.
my "I
head. "I'm really sorry about the fight,"
never thought
DeeDee ..." He rose, came around
my
I'd hit
his desk,
anyone
and put
like that.
his
shoulders. "Just be glad she struck the
Being beaten up by a second grader story that Hal, or
isn't
any other sixth grader,
But^
arm around blow.
first
going
is
Ilj
to
apt to
be a
tell at
home." I
grinned. "Being defended by one isn't going to be
anything
to
brag about either,"
I
reminded him.
"I'm glad that's your problem instead of mine. Just cut
36
a wide berth, Peter.
When
the
newness wears
off, you'll
find yourself."
DeeDee and her Mends had apparently talked the fight over and forgotten it. The minute 1 appeared at the library door, they were on their feet, putting on jackets to go.
Two I
things nagged at
me
all
have a friend and not know
Mr. Lazarus meant about 1
Should
how 1
wondered what
also
it
I
tell
the story
to
do
it?
way home. How could in the world had
What
finding myself? at
home
my own way
about that
or take a
fight.
chance on
would come from DeeDee?
expected DeeDee
we were Grissi
my
the
to
run straight
to
Mom
the minute
in the door, but she didn't. Instead, she called
and made a
little
clucking sound that he seemed
He came flying down the stairs, his tail stiff with welcome. He lay draped around her neck like a fur scarf while we had our snack after school. Mom fixed herself a cup of coffee and sat down with us. She made us both laugh at her description of how she'd played hideto
recognize.
and-seek with Grissi while she organized the coat
closet.
In just those few days, Grissi had taken over center stage
with aU of us. I
worked most of that afternoon on
my homework.
When
you like a teacher, you want to do better work. DeeDee interrupted me once to come down to see what Grissi was doing. It was pretty funny all right. He had
37
i
figured out
how
one of Mom's kitchen draw-
to get into
^
from the back. He was lying in there
ers
all flat
on the
placemats, with just his eyes peeking out.
"Now
||
watch," Dee Dee told me. She pushed the drawer
tight shut
and we waited a minute.
Very slowly, Grissi pushed the drawer back open,
to look
What
a great
up
at
'I
us again with those clear yellow eyes.
I
cat.
Because Dad was home on time that night, we dinner together
had
'
all
the big round table in the kitchen.
at
originally put a
row of
little
had
Mom
herb plants on the shelf
along the windowsill, but they had ended up in the din-
i
'
ing room because Grissi claimed that shelf for his own.
He we
curled up and lay there, rumbling with pleasure, as ate.
Mom
was
bubbling with
really
how she would
get her
decorating studio ready to go right after Christmas.
had met another fice of his
firm.
the cake
over
at
Mom
Dad
from Illinois in the New York ofOver lunch together they had talked
man
about the Chicago Cubs.
was
I
slicing
was scooping ice cream for when Dad suddenly looked
me.
"Your
mom
and
I
have been hogging the conversation
through dinner. What happened in the
all
lives of the
Gregory kids today?"
DeeDee glanced
at
finished the book she
Monday," she
38
I
told
me and
then away. "Our teacher
was reading and we
him.
start a
new one
j
I
had
to laugh.
I
was
all
prepared
to listen to a kid's-
eye view of that fight and she didn't even mention
it.
had a long
Dad.
talk
with Mr. Lazarus after school,"
"He's really a great guy.
I
He knows
quizzically.
can't wait for
Dad
"That's good to hear,"
said,
you
to
I
told
"I
meet him."
me
looking at
a
little
I'm not a kid to hang around and
talk to teachers after class. "I
was
in there because
a guy's nose," his
With
I
got through
that
much
Dad was going get
and bloodied
to
was lucky not some nameless
in
one piece."
explained. "I
But thanks
teeth.
DeeDee,
I
got into a fight
I
out,
it it
was easy
mess up friend and to
to tell the rest.
when DeeDee
I
thought
her dessert
to
up and dance around, showing him how she had
lit
to split
left
into Hal.
Mom
clearly didn't think the story
She caught her cern. "I
lip
was
all
that funny.
between her teeth with a look of con-
hope you won't have any more trouble from
this,"
she worried aloud. "I
her,
plan to keep the kid around for protection,"
I
told
nodding toward DeeDee.
Getting to sleep that night was slow.
From my bed back
in Peoria,
I
heart of a big mulberry tree that
down
every year
everywhere our shoes
when
its
could see right into the
Dad threatened to cut came from
berries got ripe. Flies
for those mulberries and, for
left
blue stains on
Mom's
about two weeks,
carpets.
39
From my bed
here,
I
saw the glow
of the city only
gradually darkening into the night sky really high up. said
I
would be able
some
if
When
I
to see the
Statue of Liberty from there
hospital buildings weren't
put
my
Dad
pillow at the foot of
between
my
and me.
it
bed,
I
could see
the tops of the World Trade Center, with an aerial and a
red light sticking up from one of the big rectangles.
For the
time
first
I
noticed
how
the lights from the side
shadows of crossed wires on the blank wall of room. I had meant to hang some posters there, but
street cast
my
maybe
I
wouldn't.
I
liked the mysterious
way
that etched
design kept changing with passing cars, just I
had
it
But the
real
mystery was
thought
about the his
a
name
fight.
I
figured out.
I
who had warned
decided that whoever
it
Mr. Lazarus
was had wanted
kept secret for fear of being called a stoolie or
tattletale.
Nursemaid Peoria Pete could sympathize with
that, all right.
40
when
4 Butch
On
a calendar. Thanksgiving and Christmas look
crammed up
together.
When
all
you are plodding through
those four weeks, though, they stretch themselves out into
the longest All that
month of the entire year. weekend after my fight with
Monday when
I
would have
to
go back
hadn't been for that crazy cat, Grissi, it.
But
ing
all
this
was
of us at
Grissi's first
home
Hal,
I
weekend
I
dreaded
to school.
If
it
couldn't have stood at
our house. Hav-
clearly delighted him.
DeeDee, who loved Saturday morning cartoons, thought Grissi should nial,
sit
beside her to watch them. Always ge-
he stayed where she put him only
tion strayed.
Then
off
he went,
to
until her atten-
check up on the
rest
of his people.
some of the doors are hard to shut really tight. I heard Dad talking to someone when I passed the master bedroom and figured it was Mom. When Since our house
is old,
41
I
found her in the kitchen,
I
kidded her that
up talking
to himself.
She laughed and
well for
the good
was doing.
all
it
that Grissi," she told me.
"It's
Dad had
said
"When
taken
he might as
your father went
nudged the door open and followed. Dad put him out a few times and then gave up. He even cleared the shampoo off that shelf by the tub for Grissi to have a place to sit. I expect them both down into the
bathroom
to shave, the cat
i
any minute." I
thought Grissi would just follow Dad down.
underestimated that
cat.
Dad came
I
had
wearing his Sat-
in,
urday clothes, with Grissi riding on his shoulder. "That's in just
"Tell
him
my
you know," DeeDee
cat,
told
him, coming
behind them.
him that." Dad laughed. "And you might also unwinding an entire roll of toilet tissue is
that
tell
be-
neath his dignity."
Mom
turned
to stare at
Dad. "You are kidding?" she
said hopefully. "I
wadded
it
all
derful time doing can't
it.
We
said.
"He had
a won-
can have those doors fixed so he
open them."
Grissi sat
while
back up," Dad
we
all
on the window ledge, rumbling his pleasure,
had breakfast.
fair. He raced up and down the stairs DeeDee until she dropped with exhaustion. He spent a long time dreaming in my window while I made some
But Grissi was
with
sketches of him.
42
And when
I
looked for
Mom
about
five
I
!
o'clock,
she was making
up
Grissi taking
The Monday back
1
was dreading
if I
came and
finally
had become
invisible
went
I
nothing happened there.
to school. Strangely,
almost as
her desk downstairs with
lists at
half of her rolling chair.
It
was
through body contact
When they over me as if
with Hal. Even his friends quit seeing me.
glanced
my
way, their eyes would slide
I
were greased. That was fine with me, but self
I
caught my-
studying the faces of the other kids, wondering
who
had warned Mr. Lazarus. 1
thought about Colin Cramar a
he was the one
who had
my
acted as
he was an interesting kid and
I
Not
lot.
that
I
thought
friend but because
kept seeing
him around
our neighborhood.
He had I
that kind of square
head with a blocky jaw that
always put on knights in armor
when
I
draw them. He
never smiled the way most kids do, but his expression wasn't cross at smiling,
all,
he managed
or unhappy. In fact, even without to look genial
and
friendly.
He
didn't
seem to have any special friends. But although he didn't hang around with anyone, everyone seemed to like him. Pretty soon I learned the names of the other kids in my class. It was amazing how many had the same names as my old friends back home. There were two Matts, and both a Stephen and a Steve.
was
a Tim.
The
girls'
Janie and Dana.
I
was the only
names ran
One
girl
to
Peter, but there
things like
who reminded me
Mindy and a
little
of
43
DeeDee was named Siobhan, which I was afraid to pronounce after I saw it spelled. But knowing people's names isn't the same as being
j
friends with them.
really hurts to
It
be without a friend
j
when I've
you've had someone like
known Tim
Tim
for as long as
your
all
life.
I
can remember, and
I
we've been friends aU that time. As
to
our shoving
matches, neither of us ever thought they were for
i
real.
Leaving Tim had been the hardest part of the whole move. I
figured
find
I
could get used to a
my way
new
school and learn to
around a different town, but you just don't
replace friends like so
many
I
alkaline batteries.
i
What
with getting ready for Christmas and having the
stationery dio,
Mom
and cards and ads printed didn't
chatter. Since
have
much
DeeDee and
with a business of her own,
I
time
to start
to
her
new
stand around and
are both used to a
we
stu-
mother
are pretty good at
amus-
ing ourselves.
And
Grissi really helped
he was somewhere else him. Everybody talked
DeeDee most see
off in
in
to
amuse everybody. Even when the house, I was conscious of
him, not just Dad.
I
would hear
her room chattering away and could
Grissi, his
head cocked,
listening. It
al-
was a good
thing that cats don't talk or he could have told everyone
what DeeDee was giving them
DeeDee adores as
much
for Christmas.
She honesdy
as she likes receiving them.
mas shopping 44
presents.
before
we
likes to give
She
them
started Christ-
finished the last soup
Mom
had
made from the bones of the Thanksgiving turkey. By then DeeDee was allowed to go down to the store by herself, and she thought of some reason to go almost every day. She knew everyone in the whole neighborhood and chattered on about them all the time at home.
much homeof time up at my
Since sixth graders get about twice as
work as second graders
do,
I
spent a
lot
I was supposed to be studying, but I looked out the window a lot and drew pictures. The minute DeeDee left the house, Grissi would come to keep me company. I drew
desk.
a
lot
when
of pictures of that cat
should have been
I
my homework.
sticking to
Night comes early in December. Would you believe no stars? Well, that's not fair.
night,
I
saw one
Once
or two lonely
little
in
Maybe
Brooklyn than Instead, from
way they did back any more at home
the stars didn't feel I
clear
sparks out there, but
they sure didn't cluster in the sky the in Peoria.
on a very
in a while,
did.
my
window,
I
saw some
spotlights
from
people's backyards bathing the gardens below with an eerie green glow. Street
lamps marched along the part of
the block
one end of the
I
could see
at
instead of being prickled with stars,
alley,
was
lit
but the sky,
with a dull
red glow.
Although back home that glow would have gone with sunset,
Tim and
I
would have wheeled together through
the neighborhood for as long as lights go
it
lasted,
watching the
on in houses and seeing the neighbors' cats
let
45
out for the night. Just thinking about that I'd grab
something
During those weeks, ficult
Grissi
it
is to
draw
live
work on
to
discovered
I
Tim
hurt enough
really hard.
how much more
dif-
things than dead ones. Sometimes
would curl up on
my
bed and purr contentedly, his
eyes only half closed for fear he might miss something.
Other days he would pigeons or stare set that
down
my
windowsill and watch the
into the garden.
his eyes.
his spine like the
Mom
When
to barking, Grissi
A
something
would stand
ridge of hair would rise along
horns on the back of a lizard or dino-
and his eyes would narrow
to slits.
had a huge stack of sketches of choose which ones were good enough
Before long let
on
dark dog. Butch,
up and narrow saur,
sit
I
Grissi. to
I
do in
watercolor.
The people with the rose garden were named Larson. They looked alike, both small, round people who wore knitted hats and mittens when they were outside. One afternoon
I
watched them, wearing matching mufflers,
string lights in that
little
cone-shaped tree in their gar-
den. After that, every afternoon promptly at
five,
Larson came out
tree lights
all
wrapped up and turned the
Mrs.
on.
The Joons next to us hung a marvelous wreath on their door. The whole thing was made of pinecones tipped in white. When the wind was coming from the right direction, I could hear the muted clanging of bells from the direction of the church. People wearing Santa suits stood
46
I
there on the corner coUecting ter
how
cold
it
got. All
those red suits, but
how many
money
UPS
and
by
me
in
name and
it
gets nearer.
The
post
trucks began to deliver packages from
eagerly in the hall while silly to
all
children each one had.
family and friends back in
knew
no mat-
those people looked alike to
DeeDee knew them
Christmas picks up speed as office
for charity,
Illinois. Grissi
Mom
always waited
signed for deliveries.
It's
think you can read a cat's mind, but I'm sure he
that the
wrapping paper would be his
chase and pounce on after the
gifts
to roll in
were taken
laughed myself into hiccups a couple of times
and
out.
I
when he we
got so hopelessly tangled in the paper and rope that
had
to
help
him
get free again.
But aU that time
Dad
took
Mom
I
just
wanted
bunch
to a
to
go back home.
of parties in lower
Manhat-
tan across the East River that were given by his firm.
DeeDee's friends came by and they made Christmas cards together.
of Grissi If this
sat in
I
my room
and listening sounds dull
body's ever going to
a
to that
to you,
lot,
drawing more pictures
dark dog bark. it
was worse than
make up
dull.
No-
a song about a Black
Christmas, but that was what that one was for me.
can remember only three good things about that Christmas. Putting the tree up was more fun than I In fact,
I
can ever remember. Grissi was enchanted by the orna-
He would stare at one a while, then whap it with paw and send it flying. His chase around the room
ments. his
47
and through the wrapped packages under the knocking those
balls
around was
tree while
hilarious. Finally
Mom
gave up and bought special unbreakable ornaments
to
hang as far up as Grissi could reach. DeeDee bought a little red-and-green stocking for Grissi and put a catnip mouse in it. Grissi went wild, dragging that stocking
around in his
ing toward
on his
it
teeth, rolling
belly until
on
it
or crawl-
he was close enough
to
pounce.
DeeDee
didn't put
on that good a show, but she was
about the framed watercolor of Grissi that
really crazy
I
And Mom, who knows about art, offered to hang big front room on the parlor floor. When your art
gave her. it
in the
work graduates from being fastened with a magnet to being
hung
to the refrigerator
door
in the living room, you've
come up in the world at our house. The other exciting thing was a set of opaque water colors that Mom got me. This was a whole new medium for me. These watercolors were weren't any colors at
all,
really strange
just black
and white and three
shades of gray. You weren't supposed
run together
because there
to let
the shades
like regular watercolors. Instead
you stud-
By painting them the exact proper shades, whatever you were drawing
ied the different tones of the shadows.
leaped into
life.
The snow to fall
48
that should
have come a week
during the night of
New
earlier
began
Year's Eve. Fine flakes
were
still
spinning past
morning of the
first
coming through about streets
and
alleys.
my window when woke up
new
I
year.
The snowplows
ten, clanking
and
rattling along the
By noon, our garden looked
potatoes, with great lustrous
that
started
like
lumps of white
mashed
that totally
concealed the path and the bushes. The concrete bench looked overstuffed, and the birch trees were tufted with white. I
bundled up
to
go try to draw the
drifts in the
garden
new paints of mine. I passed by the kitchen on my way down to the basement floor where the back with those
door was. Grissi was crouching over his bowl in the
some dried food that DeeDee had given him for Christmas. The nuggets came in various shapes and flavors and he was particular about which ones he ate. He crunched away happily through kitchen as
I
his favorites
went
by, sorting out
but set the ones he didn't
around his dish.
He
like
looked so busy that
I
out on the floor
didn't
even think
he saw me.
That dog, Butch, began
to
bark wildly the way he did
every time anyone went out our back door.
one
yell at
I
heard some-
him, but that wasn't too unusual either.
I
had
and was drawing the bench when I heard our back door open. I didn't even look around. I just figured it was DeeDee following me out. I was concentrating on how to show the bench by brushed the snow
off a patio chair
painting only the shadows, leaving the paper white be-
hind
it
to
be the snow.
49
"He I
likes it,"
DeeDee
turned around
to
said in this
happy
see Grissi picking his
voice.
way
delicately
along the walk, lifting his feet up in an exaggerated fashion
and looking
down on
this
way and
new
a strange
that as
DeeDee, who hadn't stopped stood by
me
for extra
warmth.
I'll
zen
he had been put
for
her jacket, came and
anyway, wrapping her arms around herself
never forget that moment.
like a
if
planet.
TV
still,
It
stays in
my
mind,
fro-
the two of us watching Grissi in such
a relaxed way, just enjoying him.
The at
cat
made
the fence,
for the
crossbar before
DeeDee Grissi," 1
way along the snowy path, looked up and picked his way toward it. He had leaped his
I
she
cried.
what was
in his mind.
sudden panicky
voice, "No,
figured out
called out in a
"Come
back,
come
back."
scattered paints in aU directions, trying to get over to
him.
51
5 Captain Jinks
I
don't think Grissi
wanted ter.
to
meant
to
run away.
I
think he just
be on top of the fence where he could see bet-
I was conscious that beyond that fence lay the where there could be danger. Loving something
But
alley,
makes you very conscious
of danger.
There's no point in denying that being yelled at startled the gray cat. Just as
back
he
at us, lost his balance,
hit that fence,
he glanced
and plunged from view on
the alley side.
DeeDee was under my thing works against you First the latch wouldn't
feet when I hit the gate. Everywhen you are really in a hurry.
lift.
When
ward, the gate wouldn't budge.
weight against piled
it
up against
to
it
I
I
finally
had
to
scraped
throw
my
it
up-
whole
shove away the snow that had been
when
the
snowplow went through the
alley. I
52
was
so busy trying to get out to Grissi that
it
didn't
register
on
changed
me
its
that the eternal barking of that
the drift by the gate, that
who
DeeDee and
tone. Just as
ran for his life
I
dog shot past
down
Butch had
tumbled out into
us,
chasing
Grissi,
the alley.
Butch was gaining on him with DeeDee and me right behind when Grissi swerved, jumped for a garbage can, and then onto the roof of the potting shed behind the Larson house.
was shouting at the dog to heel. We should have saved our breath. Butch didn't pay any attention until Grissi got away. Then he skidded to a stop and stared from us to the spot on the roof of the
DeeDee was screaming and
shed where he had
last
seen the
down
cat.
we
"Catch him, catch Butch," ing as he ran hatless
I
could hear a
man
yell-
the alley after us. "Grab his
he shouted. "Catch him while you can." reached for Butch's collar, only to have him back
collar," I
growling and baring his teeth at me. there, explaining that the
Then
his
off,
owner was
dog had jumped the fence from
a snowbank. I
didn't care
how Butch had
had him back or anything. "Quick,"
knock
I
at the
told
I
got out or
whether the
man
only cared about Grissi.
DeeDee. "Run through our house and
Larson's front door.
I'll
try to get in
by the
alley gate."
She was sobbing as she ran "I'm really sorry," the
man
kept lunging toward me,
off into the house.
said,
holding his dog, which
jerking his
arm
as
he gripped
the animal's collar.
53
wanted
I
scream
to
him,
at
to teU
him
and
to get lost
take his big, noisy, stupid dog with him. But that wouldn't
have done any good.
I
away and ran
just turned
to the
Larsons' back gate.
|
Naturally the gate
was
locked.
I
scrambled up on a
snowy garbage can and hung onto the roof of the shed try to
see into the garden.
Grissi
of a
to
had
trail
hit the
yard not far from the shed. His streak
went between those
had turned
tied
white bushes, which
mounds under
to ghostly
the snow.
see where he had skidded, changing direction. tracks stopped,
all at
once, as
if
Grissi
I
could
Then
the
had been swal-
lowed up by something.
My
heart
fell.
Grissi hadn't stopped there
could just see
and been swallowed
him gathering himself up
for
those great leaps. That one would have taken top of the fence
and over
it
up.
1
another of
him
into the next yard,
to the
still
run-
ning.
Deedee was wasting her time bothering the Larsons. Grissi was off somethere and there was no telling what direction
I
he had taken.
have always been envious of the way that DeeDee can
make
friends.
That day
I
was
grateful for
Larson looked genuinely heartbroken with
DeeDee
to
54
Mr. and Mrs. they
came
out
search the yard.
Seen close up, the Larsons alike.
it.
when
didn't look nearly that
much
Mrs. Larson was a litde pudding of a lady with a
li
white-hooded jacket thrown over a
puffy,
was so upset her glasses. dear,
my
She
silk dress.
was aU squinched in around She kept patting DeeDee and saying, "My that her face
poor dear.
Mom
Everybody got into the search that afternoon.
and
Dad went from door to door along the block in the direction Grissi had taken. DeeDee and 1 covered the houses across the street and then went along the block where
A
the shops are.
merchant whose
Year's Day, but every
seemed
know DeeDee and
to
watch
ised to
Then
it
we
"But
are cars
She
was open
knew we had
I
and Dad came
can't go
home without
dark and
to get
Mom
back before
store
about Grissi and prom-
all
him.
for
began
New
of the stores were closed for
lot
home," DeeDee wailed.
Grissi.
better go
looking for us.
won't go
"I
He's out here and he's cold. There
..."
left that
sentence unfinished and burst into
tears.
Of course she did go home. We all did. Dad tried to cheer everyone up by talking about running ads and trying again in the morning. to
us and
it
Mom
sounded as
if
cooked dinner with her back
she had caught a
reminding Dee Dee that Grissi had been a
and would know how
was
kept
street cat
once
take care of himself.
I
hoped
I
right.
We
were just
bell rang.
know
DeeDee and
that
down
sitting
bled for the hall, with I
to
I
cold.
I
for
dinner
both shot
Mom
to
when
the door-
our feet and scram-
calling after us to be careful.
DeeDee was thinking
the
same thing
I
was,
55
somebody had found
that
there at the door,
and would be standing bringing him home. Grissi
The man at our door probably looked shorter than he was because we were at the top of the big stoop and he had stepped back down onto the sidewalk. But even making allowance for that, he looked broader than he looked tall. And he looked terribly old. I don't mean very old, I mean terribly old. His face was a strange, putty color that made him look sick as well as worn out. His really
wide gray pants ballooned around his ankles without the sign of a crease.
The pockets on
crammed with something heavy
his loose jacket
were so
that they dragged
down
on the
sides, below the hem. That jacket looked as if it had begun the same color as the pants, but now it was dark and stained around the cuffs.
He was
Long strands
hatless.
of white hair
pulled over his bald head from the
The
scalp
left side to
had been the right.
under those strands of hair was the same
color as his face.
The
hair that
had gone from
his
sickly
head
seemed to have gathered in a great bush on his chin. DeeDee shoved around me and cried out to him in recognition. "Captain," she said. "This awful thing! Grissi ran
away."
He really
nodded. "They told me. I'm so
sorry. But he didn't run away, you know. He was chased away. That's
different." His eyes
were
gentle.
"But he's gone," she wailed. "We've looked everywhere."
56
He nodded smiling. "I
He
again, in a reassuring way,
wanted you
to
know
I'll
still
withouti
search for him,
paused. "But you might watch the iron yard.
where they
He
asked.
I
me
looked at
where the
That's',
you know, when they have no place
go,
"The iron yard?"
"Where
too."i
else."
is it?"
with amazement. "Everyone knows
iron yard is,"
he
"The iron yard," he
said.
1
re-i
peated, nodding.
"Thank you. Captain," DeeDee said. "Thank you soi; much." By the time the man was a few doors away, his pockets swaying back and forth as he walked.
Mom
and Dad were
d
there behind us.
j
"Who was
that?
What
did he want?"
Dad
asked, star-
ing after him. "That's Captain Jinks,"
DeeDee
said in a matter-of-fact
way. "Is this
some kind
of a joke?"
Dad
asked.
She shpok her head. "Everybody knows Captain. He gave
me
Grissi,
you know. He asked us
if
we had
looked
in the iron yard."
"Where's that?" Dad asked. "It's
supposed
street,"
Mom
DeeDee lifted
hungry?" she boots,
58
to
be over behind the church on that side
said.
"Can we go
right
now?"
her eyebrows the way she does. "Who's said. "Boots,
no exceptions."
though. Everybody has to wear
6 The Iron Yard
That was a black-and-white night with hardly any [The sky
was dark and
starless.
The
light
from the
1
can never predict how DeeDee
usually
face
all
up
walked
own white
breath.
going
to act.
She
is
over everybody, banging against us, putting her
for kisses, sliding in
under Dad's
That night she walked apart from of Grissi
is
street
We
lamps glistened on mounds of fresh snow. along with our heads wreathed in our
grays.
all
or
Mom's arm.
of us, as
if
the loss
were something she couldn't even share.
Shovels scraped everywhere, including along the walk
Dad stopped in indecision. The man pushing the shovel around was almost buried in a giant scarf that hung down his back almost to his waist. He stopped his shovel to look up as we approached. Then, at by the church, where
the sight of his shovel.
DeeDee, he smiled and rested
his weight
on
"Good evening. Miss Double Dee," he said very
formally. "It's a chill night for a stroll."
59
"Hi, Mr. Farley," she said, tightening her
"We're looking for
tears.
my
mouth
against^
cat."
|
"Not the
new
cat with
the yellow eyes?" he said,!
Dad with a distressed expression. "The same," Dad said, extending his hand. "I see youi; know my daughter. I'm Chris Gregory, Mr. Farley. A mam, named Jinks suggested we look in the iron yard. Could glancing at
,
you
tell
us where that is?"
j
"Pleasure, I'm sure," Mr. Farley said, shaking Dad's!
hand. "You're smart
And
to try the iron yard.
the Captain
should know." I
saw
Mom
and Dad trade glances
his shovel against the stone wall
corner.
"Down
street that ran
there,"
he
and
as Mr. Farley set started toward the
said, pointing
along the quiet
behind the church. "Past the church and
those buildings, there's an empty
was an iron yard some time ago." His smile was quick and radiant. "Beau-
came out of somest homes in this city tiful
things
lot. It
Some of the handwork that came from that
that place.
boast
very iron yard." Then, remembering, he touched Dee-
Dee's shoulder. "Good hunting. Miss Double Dee."
She nodded and shot thanks out before
The
off so fast that
we had
to
Dad
barely got his
race after her.
buildings Mr. Farley mentioned
seemed
to
be the
backs of things. They had only high, dark windows with grills
over
them and
solid, single
doors opening along the
street.
The houses across the street could not have been more different. They were only two stories tall, and aU across 60
t
hek
fronts
were wide, big windows almost
jlowed with light through drawn curtains. vvork of the front fences
we
[Degan to bark as
doors that
like
The curved
iron
were frosted with snow. A dog
passed, a dog with a deep, rich bark
saw a curtain twitch as if Someone were peering out to see what had startled the 'ike a
German shepherd.
I
dog.
When we
caught up with DeeDee, she was standing
n the sidewalk staring rose around it on three square, poorly
lit
into a big, untidy
by two hooded lights with cages over
^he bulbs. Metal fire escapes staggered
up the
the buildings, and here and there around the hiysterious
mounds
underneath.
I
Buildings
lot.
sides, leaving a dark, cluttered
of
snow
that gave
no clue
realized that one pile of
one of those dumpsters
full
sides of
lot
to
what was
snow was covering
of refuse that are brought
The cab
all
were dark
and
of a truck with two flat
away on was parked along one waU. The pile across from it looked like abandoned shelves. Against the other wall were piled what little there was left to show that this had been an iron works. Broken pieces of grill work, some iron bars to cover basement windows, and an archway from a Victorian garden were jumbled all together under the snow. Only a garden carried
trucks.
tires
bench, lacking one leg and frosted with snow, relieved the bleakness of this dark
mass against the white-painted
bricks of the building.
Although nobody had shoveled there, footprints in the snow revealed that someone had come, walked to the 6i
middle of the open area, and then
left,
almost retracing (
his steps.
DeeDee ran down.
I
to
where the
footsteps stopped
and knelt
followed her and saw her looking at the pattern
of trampled
snow around
the footsteps.
how spooky it was there in the dark and Even by the weak hght of those two high lamps, we could see marks on the snow in a design like a spider web, with DeeDee and me in the center. But the threads spinning out from where we stood were not lines at all but I
can't explain
cold.
the traces of tiny animal feet. Yet, as
DeeDee and
stood there staring around us,
I
there wasn't a single sign or sound of
she called
"Grissi,"
softly,
life
anywhere.
staring at the snow-buried
things around the yard. "Grissi?"
The Wanting
in her voice hurt.
As
I
watched, she tugged ,
off
one mitten with her teeth and fished a
plastic
bag out
of the front of her jacket. Cat food. "Grissi," I
think
she coaxed. "Come. Eat."
Mom
breaths like
I
and Dad must have been holding
was.
small answering
Grissi's mur-r-rr,
of a Siamese. afraid to
I
It
mew
was
that quiet.
Then we heard
from somewhere up high.
it,
a
wasn't
but a higher, querulous sound like that looked up and grabbed DeeDee's arm,
speak for fear
I
would frighten the animal away.
Coming down a fire escape, one and mewing with every move, was
careful step at a time,
a cat as thin as a book
without pictures. Reaching the ground, the
62
It
their
little
Sia-
!
mese princess paused, studied DeeDee a minute, then came swiftly toward her, tail waving straight up. DeeDee glanced at me, then offered the cat some of the food on her open palm. The cat took it delicately, as Grissi always did, turning her
between side
teeth.
head
to
||
catch the nugget
Then she hunched on
the
snow
to
eat. "I
we can
guess
go,"
DeeDee
said. "Grissi isn't here." |
"Wait,"
whispered. "Wait."
I
i
Suddenly
around
All
ting I
up
I
understood the weblike pattern of tiny
us,
some
sitting
and studying
their nerve to join the
have never seen that many
of cats. belly
A
little
cats,
some
us,
princess,
were
nor that
many
get-
cats.
colors
beautiful short-legged cat with a wide, heavy
and off-white fur came next. In
she flowed across the
lot like
spite of her weight,
running water. She stopped
DeeDee's side and looked up
at
feet.
silently
with startlingly
blue eyes. I
didn't
even count them that night, but one calico
with golden eyes rubbed against powerfully that
I
cats,
all
cat
and purred
One
of
when he walked
still
the food
had emptied the
I
so
them was
like
a sailor
Although DeeDee stood in a moving sea
more eyes
"That's
legs
could feel her vibrate.
so jowly and fat that he rolled in a cartoon.
my
of
glinted at us from the darkness.
brought,"
DeeDee
wailed,
when
she
plastic bag.
Dad and Mom had stayed huddled together on the sidewalk. "We know what the Captain meant now, honey," 64
Dad called :ats
come
jrissi will
DeeDee
to
to
DeeDee. "This must be the place where be
You and Peter can watch
fed.
Maybe
here.
come." left
The
reluctantly, looking back.
who had been
le princess
her
kvalked along with gally.
stray
the
first to
talkative
She
eat followed us.
high and her head
tail
tilted re-
mew, she turned
At the corner, after a final
lit-
to
go
3ack with the others. Mr. Farley had finished shoveling
church walk and gone back inside his
;he
;aker's
little
care-
apartment. The four of us walked home in
si-
ence.
Mom
had been right about nobody's being hungry.
That night we did the same things as usual but more :juietly.
ind
DeeDee
filled
milk glasses while
made gravy js
set out place mats,
to
go with
had withdrawn
to
Mom
and
got
down
dishes
tossed the salad and
the pot roast. It
some
I
was
as
if
each of
private place apart.
"There's something almost magical about that place,"
Dad
said
when we were
all
sitting quietly over
our
plates.
'Maybe we just went there the right night." "Magic,"
DeeDee
repeated. "I always used to have
three wishes picked out in case fers
them.
Now
they are
Her words jarred me.
I
all
the
somebody with magic
same wish." I was the only
thought
kid
my of-
who
listened to those fairy tales about people ruining their three
wishes and promptly got "All
of
us have
the
my own same
ready, just in case.
three
wishes
tonight,"
65
Mom
told her.
we
"But
still
tied
down and Butch,
didn't
I
thought
on what
I
I
to lie
awake
was doing
of the last period,
"You
sir,"
I
some
sleep.''!
ledge had
set-^
as long as
I
I
did.
my mind When Mr.i
did a pretty good job of keeping that next day in school.
Lazarus closed his book and caUed
"Yes,
to get
wonder, had quit barking.
for a
have any excuse
have
my window
Upstairs the pigeons along
I
jumped
in
my
my name
near the end
seat.
said, feeling guilty for
i
no reason.
been yourself today, Peter," he
clearly haven't
said.
"Now, it has come to my attention that your family had some misfortune yesterday. Want to tell your classmates about it? They might be able to help." I was almost too startled to answer. How did he know? Who had told him? To this day I can't remember what I said as I stumbled to my feet. I know I told them what a great cat Grissi was and how long and hard we had looked for him. Whatever I said made the room very quiet for a long minute. That wasn't the first time those kids had stared at me. It was only the first time they had stared at me while was looking. Funny thing, only Hal and his buddies kept 1
their eyes I
on
their desks, fiddling with things.
watched the other kids and could almost
think.
Then
the red-haired
Tracy or Lacy Casey, hand.
66
I
girl
whose name
never quite caught
it,
feel
is
them
Stacy or
held up her
"That's awful," she said. "I couldn't stand Jog.
I
wish
Ooking i
I
had seen your
it if I
lost
know what
cat so I'd
I
my was
for."
The whole class broke out with stories of their own anrnals, of how they had been lost and then found, of places
jo
look, of
newspapers that would carry
fhen Tim, who iooped his
'!
of his chair and turned to
me.
"You must have some snapshots," he
)ook all that
for a long time,
two seats over and one up from me,
sits
arm over the back
ijpeak directly to
free "lost" ads.
on
Mr. Lazarus listened, letting this just go
much
alike. If
we
said.
"Cats don't
could see his picture, we'd
pe able to recognize him."
"Good thinking, Tim," Mr. Lazarus
said.
"Could you
I
oring photos of your cat, Peter?" I
:
was a good idea. Unfortunately, I also knew the box with the camera equipment in it was one we
knew
ihat
it
lad decided could wait a while to get unpacked.
it
was, because
I
had moved
^ames out during the holidays. wish
we
I
it
I
to get
even
some
hesitated, then said, "I
had pictures of Grissi, but
we
don't."
"Well!" Mr. Lazarus paused. "That's too bad, because I
was a good idea." Then he pushed back his cuff and checked his watch against the clock on the wall. "Now
it
let's
see
how many
of you can hold your breath until the
final bell rings."
Every time he plays that game with the body explodes before the
bell
sounds.
None
class,
some-
my
teach-
of
67
ers
back in
Illinois
way everybody
When
I
ever did that.
great because
It's
thati:
leaves in a good mood.
got outside
I
realized the
j
wind had
the south and the snow was melting
fast.
I
shifted into
had
figuredii
DeeDee would want to run all the way home. In-i stead, she looked all the way home. We even had to go* down that alley where she had first found Grissi and call and call for him a long time. Mrs. Joon was passing our house on her way home fromil her office. When she saw us coming, she slowed downi to let us catch up with her. that
"DeeDee," she called in that wonderful accent. "Have you found your beautiful Grissi?" "Not
yet,"
DeeDee
told her.
Then she paused.
Mrs. Joon, you should see the lost cat
She looks just
like you.
I
we found
mean, she makes
"But, oh, last night.
me
think of
you."
Mrs. Joon's astonishment turned into laughter.
"She
is
Eastern and carries a briefcase,
this cat?" she
asked.
DeeDee shook her head. She walks
like a princess
Mrs. Joon giggled.
Some day you
will
"You'll love her,"
68
"I
"She's very dainty and small.
and has a high, clear
must
practice
my
show me this princess DeeDee predicted.
voice."
princess walk. cat."
i
7 Cramar
lolin
DeeDee rushed ahead of me to the kitchen. I knew what he was hoping, but there was no gray cat curled on the vindowsiU
Mom
we
insisted that
ron yard. )ring
shelf.
eat
Then she had
a
something before going
list
of things she
back from the drugstore. By
to the
wanted us
this time,
to
DeeDee was
lancing with impatience. It
looked to
me
as
if
DeeDee from going. hinking, because
I
I
Mom
were
thought
I
keep
stalling, trying to
knew what
Mom
was
had worried about the same thing
all
he way home from school.
DeeDee had
lived
on the hope of finding
ron yard for a whole night and a day now.
Grissi in the
Her
face looked
hinner and her eyes bigger already. Every hour ind Grissi, didn't ler
I
could feel
my own
we
didn't
confidence melting away,
know how DeeDee was going
to deal
with having
hopes dashed again.
69
"Mama!" DeeDee
we even
before
Mom
finally squealed. "It'll
be dark
againi;
get there."
sighed. "All right.
aren't that important.
?
The
things from the drugstore
But don't wait until dark
to
come
home." Mr. Farley saw us passing the church and stepped
"Any luck
last
out.i,
night?" he asked DeeDee.
\
She shook her head. "We're going to look again." Them, she added, "There are some wonderful cats there, but none^ of
them
is
mine."
"Wonderful cats?" he asked, smiling people always do at DeeDee.
at
her the way
"How can you
tell
a won-
derful cat?" "Personality," she told him. "Just like people."
He
laughed. "Maybe you should find us a church cat
go with our church mouse."
to
He winked
at
me
as he said
it,
sure that
I
had heard
the phrase "as poor as a church mouse."
That small
we
as
street
had been empty the night before. Now, I saw a boy walking ahead of
passed the church,
us in the direction of the iron yard. that his
was Colin Cramar. being there. He had to it
somewhere.
I
kept seeing
he never seemed I
he 70
to see
expected Colin lived.
to
I
I
realized right
away
didn't think anything about
live
around the neighborhood all
the time, even though
down
the street to wherever
him
me.
go on
Instead, before he even reached the iron yard.
came running out to him as if he had given some pvisible signal. They came from every direction to mill 'bout him, mewing and rubbing against his legs. I put my hand on DeeDee's arm to stop her. I guess I ust wanted to see what he was going to do. I had never seen CoHn Cramar smile and I certainly lad not heard him talk the way he did to those cats. This jats
'
nothing
|vas
always used
^e I
at school.
couldn't hear his words, but his tone sounded as
Vere talking to a
bunch
of old friends
You could hear
back.
;ay
)thers
and
laid
cat food
it
and poured
slid
it
did he glance our
stopped and stood very
in a
lot to
legs.
on his
huge
circle with
himself in
joining the ends of that cir-
still,
something bad. His smile
just stayed
he
the knapsack off his shoul-
was way and
middle. Not until he
:le
I
if
on the ground. He pulled out a big bag
;he
surly look
a
them, even though the
were singing up a chorus around Colin's
As we watched, Colin iers
who had
that slender cat with the Sia-
Tiese voice over all the rest of
)f
kind of voice
like that flat, all-on-one-level
as
if
see us watching him.
He
he had been caught doing
left swiftly,
leaving an angry,
face.
where
I
was, but
DeeDee
started toward
lim, walking carefuUy so as not to scare the cats. "I
guess you're looking for your
She nodded, glancing ;ats.
all
lost one,"
My
to her.
around that crouching ring of
"He's not here," she told him.
light, either.
he said
"He wasn't here
last
name's DeeDee Gregory." 71
He nodded
me
at
as
if
embarrassed way, glancing over
in a jerky,
he were angry
me. "I'm Colin Cramar."
at
"Do you always feed these cats?" she asked, kneeling' down to watch them. They stayed in their places at that
if
an eye on
circular ring of food, eating warily, keeping
"Not always," he nodded. "A
When
said.
of the time."
lot
she looked up
Then
after a
at
her.
him, he
minute, "Every
school day."
She watched him thoughtfully. "Somebody had
beeni'
here yesterday feeding them."
He
nodded. "Captain Jinks does
She nodded
soberly.
He
hadn't looked at
decided
I
was
all
me
invisible.
on the weekends."
Then, looking down
"They
again, she asked,
it
know
again. Like Hal,
"Some
of
at the cats
you, don't they?"
he must havC'
them have been here
a.
long time," he told her.
Then he pointed before. "That's
at a big cat
Bumble," he
comes from a long
I
hadn't noticed the night
told her. "I
line of losers. He's
and doesn't do anything
right,
understand he
awkward and funny
but he's a neat guy, any-
way."
DeeDee was
staring at the cat curiously.
"What does
thought Colin was going
smile again.
he do wrong?" For a minute
I
to
"Everything," he told her. "The other cats creep on their
stomachs when they hunt. Not old Bumble. He'U run a bird
mewing
like crazy.
I
even a pigeon in his whole 72
at
don't think he's ever caught life.
And
fences," Colin went
"Bumble has fallen off every fence in this neighborhood. He never seems to get hurt. He just sits and blinks, shakes his head, and climbs up to fall again. His dad was called Bonkers and was supposed to be the same exact way." DeeDee giggled softly. "I like him," she decided out loud. "Do they all have names?" on, his voice rising a
He
nodded. "That
on her chest
is
little.
tall,
silvery
one with the golden spot
Moonshine."
You would have thought Colin didn't know I was there, as he went on talking to DeeDee. Sometimes a cat looked up when he spoke. Mostly they just went on eating, as if cleaning away that circle of food was a contest with a big prize at the end.
There was Rowdy, a his
tiger-striped gray cat
straight in the air like a flag
tail
on a
who ate The
pole.
with only
one who had run away when DeeDee came up was a cat
named Sweet
Pete.
He had come back
watched her with scared green eyes
The
fat
was the like a
right away, but he
all
the time he ate.
one was Guinness. "Because he
old
is
stout."
Unk
one with patches of fur gone and one ear bent
wonton.
"And the
talky
one?" DeeDee asked.
"That's Miss O," Colin said, without explaining the
name. "And
this
one
is
Cream." He pointed
to the pale,
broad one that moved so flowingly. "She's about
to
have
kittens."
"Out here?" Deedee asked, looking out any
74
home?"
distressed. "With-
Cohn shrugged and picked up what you've the right
"Like
got,"
he
told her.
owner comes
"Home
his backpack.
"This
along. //,"
is all
is
they have, until
he corrected himself.
did for Grissi," she said.
I
He nodded and almost smiled. "How did the Captain know I was
right?" she asked.
This time he did smile. "You know," he
"You just
said.
know."
She looked down
at
that contented circle of cats.
Moonshine had finished and was licking the golden spot on her chest as if she had spilled something on her bib and had as
to
clean
Cream was
it.
still
munching
hungrily,
she had to eat for her coming kittens as well as her-
if
self "It
would be nice
to find
people for
all
of these," she
said.
"Nice."
He
nodded. "Very nice."
Ever since that second day of school,
when Hal and
his
had blamed Colin Cramer for my trouble. He was the only person who had ever seen me doing the baby-sitter operation. He had to have
henchmen
told
started teasing
everybody right
one else even knew
me,
I
off, to start I
had a
that teasing before any-
little sister.
That didn't seem important any more.
Now
there were
I wanted to ask him, about Captain Jinks, and how Colin himself had gotten into feeding the ironyard cats. Something about his manner made me even
other things
shyer than usual.
I
He
slid his
backpack onto his shoul75
ders and started on
DeeDee.
at
"I
down
the street.
hope you find your
He was halfway up. "Wait here for
to the
Then he
cat,"
corner before
me, DeeDee,"
I
told
he I
looked back
said.
got
my
her and ran
courage catch
to
up with him.
He him.
stopped as
When
to say.
He
if
he looked
didn't wait
"You think
walking along with
me like that, didn't know what for me to make up my mind. at
I
started
I
me
he didn't want
that teasing business with
all
Sanders and his goons, don't you?" he challenged.
come to my face for no reason. Maybe I don't like having my mind read. "Somebody had to tell them that I was baby-sitting that bunch of little girls. Nobody saw me with them but you." "Are you ashamed of your sister or something?" he I
felt
color
asked. "It's
doing.
not that,"
He had
I
began.
gotten
me
Then into
I
teasing and the fight, and here
about blaming him. it
my
How
what
I
was
was, being defensive
I
had he turned
it
around
to
make
fault?
"Listen,"
I
said.
"Don't
He shook come when
me
like that. It
and
tell
everybody."
asked you
to join us.
all
was
them why you hadn't They had decided you
his head. "I just told I
were stuck-up, eating like that
at
come
rotten of you to run back there
by yourself, and then going off
without explaining
why
to
his head again, in an irritated way.
You must be putting on some kind 76
realized
that trouble with the
all
anyone."
He shook
"I don't get you at
of an act."
all.
I
honestly think there must be something in the air in
Brooklyn that brings out the fighter in me.
why he was
understand
guess you would really
like
it
went around babying a bunch of
He
made me want
if
told
I
everybody you
stray cats."
Then he laughed, a short have any humor in it. "I don't do things
turned and stared at me.
laugh that didn't I'm
it
even
him. Put on an act?
to hit "I
saying that but
didn't
I
ashamed
of,"
he
told
me. "I'm not out
prove any-
to
thing."
That time he
really
ashamed than angry. plain myself
to
wanted
I
make him
him,
to call
see
own head was fuzzy about what wasn't
ashamed
those things to
DeeDee,
of
somehow
be understood.
catch up with him.
enough less
to
be able
I
to
didn't
it
fit
DeeDee and
But
differently.
my
could possibly say.
I
from Peoria, but
in with the
way
wanted
I
It
into
words
much
for myself,
to get
dark and
I
I
left
the iron yard,
the cats ex-
was
let
though she wasn't ready.
I
finally set off
with her dragging behind the
When we
all
starting DeeDee pet them. It made her come home with me, even
cept Sweet Pete had
walking ahead,
way she almost always
were a good part of the way home,
around and realized that Miss
I
felt
him.
Before
I
I
I
was just as well I didn't know what I meant clearly
didn't
put
me
or of being
shrugged.
I
more him back and ex-
Staring after him,
left.
was about
to yell at
O
was
still
DeeDee when
it
I
does.
looked
following us.
occurred
to
me 77
maybe she had already given up on finding Grissi. If was the case, maybe she was bringing Miss O home
that this
Mom
hopes that
in
could
I
bing the for
her
let
her
stay.
another cat right away.
to get
Instead, "I'll
would
remember that painful rhythm of her sobnight before. Maybe it would even be healthy still
when we reached our
door, she called to me,
be there in a minute, Peter."
As
I
turned
she knelt, picked up Miss O, and
to argue,
marched on up the street. Before I could get a word out, DeeDee had rung the bell at the Joon house. The light from the big double parlor-floor door spread a fan shape of brilliance onto the stoop. Mrs. Joon was
wearing an amazing shade of
red,
somewhere between
pure carmine and orange.
When
she bent
seemed
as skinny as a piece of red paper herself. After
only a minute,
hear a thing, movie.
the cat in DeeDee's arms, she
to look at
DeeDee
it
saw the
I
then Miss
O
was cat
set
like
Miss
O down.
Since
I
couldn't
watching a scene from a
and Mrs. Joon looking
at
silent
each other,
leaning her slenderness against the skirt of
that red dress,
head
tilted
came when Mrs. Joon
The happy ending and picked up Miss O in her
up, talking.
knelt
arms.
As DeeDee skipped back toward our house, Mrs. Joon
was Miss
still
O
standing there in that fan of
78
with
against her shoulder.
"Well, that
"What
light, smiling,
if
was quite
a performance,"
Mrs. Joon hadn't wanted a cat?"
I
told
DeeDee.
"Oh, she didn't," DeeDee did until she
saw the
She grinned up
"Or she didn't think she
right one."
me
at
said.
and ducked under
held the door to the basement where
my arm
as
I
Mom
was
getting
Mom
and
I
her studio aU set up.
DeeDee
clattered
up the
stairs after
could
hear her voice in the kitchen.
"We
didn't find Grissi yet," she
the most wonderful I
new
friend.
was His
saying. "But
name
is
Colin."
wished she hadn't mentioned Colin's name.
back
all
those confused feelings
away. Even with the light
and DeeDee talking in the
basement
still
upstairs,
hall
I
I'd
It
brought
had when he walked
on and the sound of felt
have
I
Mom
bleak and lonely there
by myself.
80
I
47
I
8 The Message
DeeDee has never been an
who has
that kind of kid like a
to
zombie through the
early riser. She's always
been
be hauled out of bed and led first
couple of hours of every
day.
After Grissi disappeared, get
downstairs
that changed.
all
When
I'd
she'd be already there,
for breakfast,
dressed for school. She looked even smaller and skinnier
than usual the next morning. She didn't even glance up
when
I
came
in.
Instead, she sat staring at nothing over
a half-filled cereal bowl.
Mom
caught
my
eye and shook her head, warning
not to say anything. Not until
DeeDee dragged
stairs for her school satchel did
Mom
I "That
poor
little
kid,"
Mom
said.
me
off up-
explain.
"She
really is taking
She says she wakes up hearing Then she goes to the window, but no
the loss of her cat hard.
him crying cat
is
outside.
out there."
"Do you think she dreams
it?"
I
asked.
8i
Mom
"Maybe so. She doesn't seem about much else. Yet what can we do?" sighed.
When
I
Mom
told
about the kids
to think
school wanting
at
to
see snapshots of Grissi so they could help look, she turned
me
to
And
with sudden brightness. "What a good idea.
that's awfully nice of
"Only
we
them.
It's
certainly worth a try."
haven't any snapshots,"
I
reminded
her.
"But you have those sketches you made," she pro-
"They are
tested. "I
lots better
thought of them,"
initials at
than any photo could be."
admitted. "But they
I
the bottom in ink.
all
have
You know the way
I
my
mark
them." "So?" she asked.
"So I'm not going in there with an armful of pictures
my name
with
She looked "I
on them."
me
at
a long minute, then shook her head.
guess you don't have
she
said.
work.
Why
"And
let
DeeDee out lief in
artist
not take
start a
"You'd
to
understand a kid
to love
a
to
it
school?"
whole new storm of teasing?" little
I
asked her.
teasing keep you from trying
to
help
of this hole she's in?" she asked, with disbe-
her voice. "And anyway, you do draw, you are an
—why
try to
hide
it?"
"You don't understand," "That's
what
I
I
protested.
already told you," she said, a litde snap-
pishly this time. "I really don't understand you at
Mom 82
him,"
Then, "You can't possibly be ashamed of that
has a
way
of
making you
feel that
all."
anything she
!
By the time DeeDee school, I had given in
doesn't understand, she doesn't like.
and
were ready
I
to start off for
j
I
I
and packed a bunch of my drawings
DeeDee eyed
the package
curiously,
to take along.
told
I
When
her what
Tim
had suggested. "Oh," she cried. "Could
I
have some
to take to
my
class,
'
too?" "If
you promise just
to
show
the pictures and not
tell
I
where you
got them,"
"Why?" she "Because
I
said.
asked.
that's the
way
I
want
it," I
the top two sketches off and handing
body wants
to
told her, taking
them
to her.
"No-
be a show-and-tell exhibit for the whole
second grade." "Oh, I
I'd like that,"
she
said.
groaned, realizing that she probably would.
Her two little friends caught up with us a block from school, and the three girls went on ahead. I saw DeeDee stop on the front steps and talk to Colin a minute, but that didn't register until I took the drawings up to Mr. Lazarus' desk.
The
kids
whose
seats
were nearby stood up
in their
places to stare as Mr. Lazarus spread the pages out. "Nice," he said. "These are really nice, Peter. Who's the artist in
your family?"
He had asked the question "My mother is an artist," I
exactly as told
I
hoped he would.
him. "She's an interior
decorator."
83
"And she did these?" he asked, looking up from them to meet my eyes.
He was
not the only person watching and listening.
Colin was sitting two seats back, taking
had
head cocked a
his
little,
as
if
thoughts had unbalanced his head.
He
all this in.
the weight of his
He was
waiting
—
him waiting for me to lie about those pictures. After all, DeeDee had stopped him out in front. I could almost hear her telling him that she had brought piccould see
tures of Grissi that
ashamed
of,"
he had
and knew that "No,"
I
told
I
I
had drawn. said.
I
felt
"I
don't do things
a rush of heat to
I
my
am face
was blushing.
him.
"I
did these."
Mr. Lazarus' expression changed as he looked
at
me
moment. Then he nodded. "They are remarkable, Peter," he said. "They are really remarkable. It must be hard to draw like this from life." "It is," I told him. A whole bunch of the kids had gathered around the desk and were really admiring the pictures. Instead of being proud, I was embarrassed. "But I'm not an artist. I can only draw things that I see." Snicker. Naturally it was Hal Sanders, back in his seat, pulling the sides of his mouth down and jiggling his shoulders as he repeated, "Can only draw things that steadily for a
1
see."
"I'm going to have to think about that remark," Mr.
Lazarus
said.
Then, looking sternly
"Most of us would can see half
84
settle for
this well."
at Hal,
being able
to
he added,
draw what we
"Can you I
them up and not say who
just put
did them?"
asked quietly.
He want
looked at
me
way you
again steadily. "If that's the
it."
We
was too late for that. When the kids stared at the pictures and then at me, I slumped down in my seat as far as I could go. I was absolutely positive I was
both
knew
it
in for a fresh epidemic of teasing because of those
drawings.
That was the strangest day. Kids who had never said a
word before came up and talked Stacy's father
bring
me
was
to
commercial
a
me.
turned out that
It
artist.
She promised
a children's book he had illustrated.
close to her like that,
I
to
Standing
realized that her hair wasn't really
red but coppery colored, like the bottom of a freshly pol-
ished pan.
Stephen
me
told
he had a computer
at
home
that
he
could draw designs on in color. "It's
easy,"
see your I
to
he
little
said.
sister
"And
really fun.
Some day
home, come over and
watched his face when he
said that.
after
you
try it."
He
didn't
seem
think there was anything so bad about seeing a kid
him
home,
either.
much
of anything until
I
told
"Have you talked says he
to
knows every
I'd like to
we found
but wouldn't be doing Grissi.
Captain Jinks?" he asked. cat in
"My dad
downtown Brooklyn." When
he grinned, his face changed shape from a triangle
round wad with
teeth. "In fact,
Dad
says that
if
to a
Captain
85
had
his way,
he would find homes
for every stray cat in
the world." I
told
how Captain had
given Grissi
to
DeeDee
in the
first place.
"That's a real compliment."
particular
who he
He
nodded. "Captain
is
very
gives cats to."
DeeDee what Stephen had said right away, but she and her little people came flying out of the building after school faster than they had ever made it before. DeeDee looked like her old self, eyes sparkling, I
meant
her cheeks
to tell
all
pink with excitement.
"Somebody's found Grissi!" she
said.
"Look
at this.
I
got a note."
"Who
sent it?"
asked, unfolding the piece of grubby
I
notebook paper she handed me. "I
don't know," she said. "It
was
just
on
my
desk
lunch. Look, there's an address and everything.
after
Can we
go right now?" I
was in a kid's handwriting, the and cramped and bent to the left. All it said
stared at the note.
letters little
It
was, "You can find your cat at "I
—
"
and then the address.
haven't any idea where this place
anyway, we have
The
check
to
in with
Mom
tears began then, real tears.
she wailed. "Maybe
he'll
is," I told her.
"And
first."
"Maybe
go away again and
he'll leave,"
I'U
never find
him." Colin was coming anyone. Seeing him,
hand and ran over 86
down
the
stairs,
not looking at us or
DeeDee snatched
to
him.
the note out of
my
He
listened to her
ilooked direcdy at
"On my desk
and examined the
note, but then
he
me. "Where did she get this?" he asked. she told him. "Oh, Colin,
after lunch,"
I
could you
He was
[,
tell
me how
Peter and
frowning, staring
down
to get there?" at the
paper in his hand.
ri have an even better idea," he said. "Let icaptain go. Wait," ing.
"Think about
him
to
back
you in the
me
have the
he added, as DeeDee began protest-
it.
Captain knows
first
Grissi. Didn't
he give
place? Captain can get there and
faster. If Grissi is there,
he can bring him
to you."
I
"But
and
I
I've waited,"
she wailed. "I've looked and waited
any more."
can't stand waiting
He nodded
again, then slipped his
shoulders. "Here," he said, handing
the iron-yard cats for
back by your house
She
me
for
while later.
it
I
it
backpack to her.
off his
"You feed
go find Captain.
I'll
be
Okay?"
hesitated, then sighed. "Okay, Colin, but hurry."
who had stood nearby whispering through all this, parted to make room for her. I glanced back, expecting to see Colin heading off down the street Her two
to find to
little
friends,
Captain. Instead,
I
saw him running up the
steps
go back into the school building.
I >
I
87
9 The Coining Storm
The wind was blowing things around the streets by the time we got home. We had winds in Peoria but they just blew. This was the kind of damp, gusty wind that went right through a down jacket like a laser beam. When we stopped off at home, DeeDee and 1 both put on an extra sweater before going
to the iron yard.
Mr. Farley was pushing a shopping cart of groceries up the path toward the courtyard of the church as by. "I
thought you were going
to find
me
we went
a church cat,"
he teased DeeDee. "Mrs. Joon almost missed her bus
morning
telling
me
what a wonderful
cat you
found
this
for
her."
DeeDee
studied
him
thoughtfully. "Your cat will be just
as wonderful," she told him.
When we had into a big
middle
88
to
round
emptied the food from Colin's knapsack circle,
DeeDee and
watch the cats
eat.
I
squatted in the
Suddenly she caught
my
arm. "Where's Cream?" she asked. "Cream
isn't
Unk
him
where." She patted
as she stepped over
anyto
go
look.
She was
calling softly, searching in
and around every-
thing in that big messy yard, especially where the old things from the iron works were stacked. to
I
yelled at her
be careful. The stuff was propped every which way and
could
fall
on
her.
She held up her hand and waved
at
me. Then she went
over to where the cab of the old truck squatted.
I
saw her
kneel and peer into the darkness underneath.
When
she came running toward me, her eyes were
round with wonder. "Three," she whispered. "Colin said it
was almost
bies. It's
Cream has
time.
warm under
nice and
three beautiful blind ba-
there and
it
smells really
good, too."
That didn't make the world's best sense
showed
me where
to
were glowing orbs
until
DeeDee
kneel to see the kittens. Cream's eyes
in that darkness.
uncurling her paws as she licked the babies against her stomach.
The
She was curling and tiny,
sausage-shaped
protected spot she had
chosen amidst the debris under the truck was almost a cave
one of those downstairs restaurants of jp.
like
and only a few inches from the kitchen vent of
on the main
I
had seen so many
streets,
In any case, the
rant's rear grating
warm
air
flowing from the restau-
was heavy with the
delicious, spicy
scent of Middle Eastern food.
89
"Peter," ful
DeeDee
said after a minute.
could happen to them there.
"Something aw-
A dog maybe,
or a bad
cat." I
nodded, wishing for her sake she had never met Cap-
tain,
had never seen
had never taken
Grissi,
whole
this
world of worry onto herself. I
"Home
quoted Colin's words:
She came
keep them
at
me
owner comes
"Until the right ten, Peter,"
back
right
is
what you've
got."
with the rest of his words. along."
She paused.
"Lis-
she said urgently. "Stay here with them and safe.
"DeeDee!"
I
I'll
be right back."
shouted after her.
It
was no
use.
She was
pelting toward the corner on those stick-skinny legs.
She was gone a long
how you
tried to figure out
eating in a circle, and
from each other.
time.
I
I
watched the other cats and
could draw them like that,
took a handful of food and set
where Cream could reach
it.
move toward
didn't
it.
Maybe she
all
keep them looking different
still
She looked
want
at
it
it
back
but didn't
to disturb the kit-
tens tugging at her for milk. I
didn't recognize the
woman
with
had never seen Huldy Zimmer except
She was bundled
in a
DeeDee
at first.
I
in the bookstore.
hooded coat and leaning against
the wind.
to
She barely nodded at me as she followed DeeDee over where the kittens were hidden. I could hear both Mrs.
Zimmer and DeeDee talking softly to Cream. At last. Cream rose and came out to flow against DeeDee's hand. DeeDee herself lifted the kittens into the nest that Huldy 90
Zimmer made of her scarf. Cream began mewing pitifully when Huldy stood up with her babies. "Maybe I could carry Cream back to the bookstore for Mrs. Zimmer?" DeeDee asked me. "It won't take a minute." I
nodded and
back
settled
to wait,
my
slapping
arms
DeeDee was parceling out home for Captain to come with
against the cold. As long as
she wasn't waiting
cats,
news
at
of Grissi.
"How
manage
did you
that?"
I
asked DeeDee
when she
finally got back.
"They were just right
for
each other," she
kneeling, she called to Unk.
"Come
said.
on, fellow,
Then,
want
to
be a church cat?"
"DeeDee,"
I
"What
wailed.
"Wait and see," she I
waited and
alone.
"Unk
I
saw.
Mr. Farley was kidding?"
said.
DeeDee came
jumped up on Mr.
and went
right to sleep," she
Farley's highest bookcase,
was wonderful.
me.
tain
has come."
Now
Captain hadn't come. Instead,
room with I
out from the church
looked around in there,
told
"It
if
a visitor.
realized that the
I
don't
man
let's
Mom
know why
Maybe Cap-
hurry.
it
was
in the living
scared
me when
standing before our black marble
was Mr. Lazarus. He greeted me with a nod and then spoke
fireplace
"I
to
DeeDee.
hate to disappoint you, DeeDee, but Grissi has not been
found."
92
"Did Captain go to that place?" she asked, standing very in the doorway.
stiff
'The note was a hoax," he
I
said.
"A mean, ugly
trick
want
him.
someone played on you."
that
could
tell
how much she
didn't
She took a couple of steps and inside the door. "Did in a stubborn
little
down
sat
to believe
in the chair just
anybody go there?" she asked again
voice.
"Colin did," he told her. "The Captain hasn't been feeling well.
turned so bitter out that Colin went instead."
It
"And there wasn't any gray cat?" "Not
A
Grissi,"
he
swift light of
said.
hope came
in her eyes. "But there
was
a gray cat."
"With blue eyes," he
She stood up very
told her.
stiffly
and
said,
"Thank you very
up the stairs, Mom flew leaving Mr. Lazarus and me there alone. much." As she "What's
this
started
about a hoax?"
"Colin brought
me
the note.
after her,
asked.
I
He
recognized the hand-
writing." I
was
as bad as
DeeDee. "Then there wasn't any gray
cat."
Mr. Lazarus sighed and turned back to the
was a gray
cat,
but he was dead.
He was
fire.
"There
blue eyed, so
it
DeeDee was a filthy go. This was a mean,
wasn't Grissi. But where the note sent
and dangerous place
for a child to
heartless hoax."
I
"Hal,"
I
said.
93
When He
he
me,
didn't contradict
my
answer
didn't
I
"Why?"
asked,
question directly. Instead, he
sighed and said, "Peter, a school like ours can simply expel a student for bad behavior.
We
Expelling a student
do only
yourself what will 1
didn't
mean
to
if
of the kid after
to interrupt
ture. "I don't care to
easy
is
become
have that
him but
I
legal right.
you don't ask
he leaves you."
wasn't up to a
about Hal and the school.
know why he tried to hurt a little kid like He turned and looked at me. "Nothing in
only want
I
that."
the world
as important to Hal as appearing the big shot to that
gang of kids he runs with. DeeDee
"I
beat
him
is
up,
guess they were waiting
cat,"
He
I
said,
kind
of sick at
my
nodded, holding
at that place
what he was eyes.
I
is
little
the second grader
remember? He had to get back some way, and this is the way he chose."
who
lec-
didn't
her
at
with the dead
saying.
want
to
ask
how
was bad enough to think that maybe they had looked for a gray cat and killed it, just to get back at a little kid like DeeDee. Worse than that, if it had been Grissi they found, would they have killed him that gray cat
just the
had
died.
It
same?
"Maybe
I
do want
to
know what
the school
is
going
to
do about Hal." "Hal's only
chance
is
with us.
He has used up
all
the
others."
"He's got a home, a family,"
with him."
94
I
protested. "Let
them
deal
"How do you irus
think he got into this shape?" Mr. Laza-
asked me.
"Then nothing
going to be done?"
is
I
was suddenly
angry. "If
you
mean
about Hal, that kind of doing comes slowly.
But as long as he
our school, someone
is at
The important thing was
it.
to
is
working on
keep DeeDee from the
shock they prepared for her. Colin saw
to that,
when he
recognized Hal's handwriting and brought the note to me." "Colin
let
us think he was taking
it
to
Captain."
Mr. Lazarus shook his head. "The captain has been in really
poor health this winter, and Colin has plainly been
worried about him.
dozen times us
haven't seen that boy smile a half a
I
this term. In
any case,
it
did
more good
for
to go."
"Us?"
I
asked, surprised by
this.
He nodded. "You might say that Hal was a mite surprised when Colin and I came, instead of you and DeeDee. And not pleased. When I stopped off at home, I had a call from Colin. He asked if you and DeeDee would mind feeding the iron-yard cats for a few days until he can
do
it
again."
"Will
he be
at
school?"
knapsack down in the
He
hesitated, then
decided. "But I
come
hesitated.
I
will
What
I
asked, thinking about his
hall.
shook his head. "Probably not," he
be in touch with him for sure." did
I
want
to
say to Colin that could
be carried in a message by a teacher?
Then
it
came
to
95
me. "Tell him Cream had three kittens but DeeDee found
homes
He
for all four of
me
looked at
them, plus Unk."
a
"You are either going
moment and to
have
then laughed
down
to write that
softly.
,|
or trans-
late it."
When me.
Dad
had
know
I
DeeDee
still
explained, he nodded and crossed to the table
Mom
where for
I
set his hat. "Tell
your mother good-bye
Colin will appreciate
all
that you
and
wind
was
are doing."
is
big on weather fronts.
He
said the
that
blowing the next day would get worse before
"When
better.
a bad front like this one gets stalled,
take a long time to Tell
me
move on
it
got
it
can
out."
about weather fronts.
DeeDee and
I
fed the iron-yard cats the rest of that
week, because Colin didn't come back
to school.
classroom had this big hole where he usually
thank him
sat. I
Our
wanted
what he had done DeeDee. Instead the wind blew and DeeDee and I fed to talk to Colin, to
bag of food that had been
cats the big
went away.
for
All this time,
DeeDee kept
left
when
for
the
Grissi
parceling those cats
out through the neighborhood without ever getting one
was almost spooky how she did it. The druggist and his wife took Moonshine. They
turned down.
in a little flat
up
down
lived
You could see Moonshine sunny window almost any time of day,
above their
in their usually
staring
96
It
store.
at the street
through the red blooms on a
;
gigantic
geranium plant that half
filled
the casement.
Mr. and Mrs. Pucci fought over whether Guinness was
I
his cat or hers,
and they offered a
free
bag of cat food
to
anyone whose cat weighed more then Guinness' twentytwo pounds.
Bumble was promised Rick.
He had
to
postman, whose
to the
name was
wait until Saturday afternoon to take
him
home. Rick said that carrying a cat in his mail pouch past the loose dogs of Brooklyn
wanted
Then
was higher adventure than he
to take on. it
was
Friday,
and a new storm system coming
up the coast was so bad that
it
made
the front pages of
the papers and pushed the political
all
news
to
second
place in the newscasts.
Colin
still
hadn't been back to school, and nobody had
seen Grissi anywhere. DeeDee and
home when we saw the
were on our way
1
Mr. Farley sweeping away the trash
wind kept blowing
into that
little
courtyard by the
church. 1
to
waved
at
him, but DeeDee flew
down
the path to speak
him. I
cording to tire
was sending a greeting to Unk, who, acMr. Farley, had become the darling of the en-
figured she
Parish.
"Those of our members who are antiquity of this fine old
much
taken by the
church revere his great age," he
had explained. "The young and
liberal
members
are proud
of his battle scars, while the conservative parishioners
97
approve of his haughtiness toward the young male cats
wander
that
have no
near."
He had winked
but God's relish the
politics
who way Unk manages
us then. "Those
at
always to perch on the highest point in any room."
my gait, member how much I
slowed
Our search
her.
waiting for her. I
used
for Grissi
to
It
was funny
to re-
hate having to walk with
had ended
that.
all
We
had
walked that neighborhood too many times together even think about
to
have given
it.
me
I
knew
I
i
who wouldn't without DeeDee chattering
people in Brooklyn
a second look
along beside me. I
had crossed the
street before
she started after me. She
was stumbling along bhndly as if she couldn't see. Her book satchel was trailing on the sidewalk behind her. My first instinct was to yeU at her about the books. Never trust your
first
instinct with a
went back
little sister.
Instead,
I
turned and
for her.
"DeeDee?"
I
helpless, silent
asked, then stopped. She
way she had
was crying
the
that first night after Grissi
was gone. There wasn't any make-believe about these tears. These were real tears, streaming from anguished eyes. I
knelt to be her height. "Kiddo,"
the matter?"
Then
I
I
said softly, "what's
thought: "Nothing has happened
to
Unk?" She shook her head and threw her arms around my neck, hanging on hard. tain Jinks is dead."
98
i,
"It's
Captain," she sobbed. "Cap-
i]
10 The Breakthrough
Death
is
almost a media event
IYou see people die on different program.
TV and
You see
real
when you
are eleven.
appear the next week in a death covered in the news,
sudden distorted views of bundles on stretchers or glimpses of crumpled figures like
dummies
in blasted
Even newspaper pictures of dead people make them look as if they had always been dead. Nobody I ever really knew had died. All the deaths in lour family had been of ancient relatives whose faces I streets.
could not bring to mind.
Captain Jinks was as alive
down the in my mind
hot tears flashed to see,
side of
to
my
me
as
face.
DeeDee,
spilling
Thoughts of him
like pictures in a videotape, too fast
but fast enough to register like a slap.
Captain at the bottom of our stoop. Captain's footprints in the center of that spider
web
of cat tracks. Captain.
Captain. Captain.
99
"Where? What happened?" DeeDee loosened her grip on my neck and snuffled mightily. Then she slid her hand inside my mitten and "But how?"
I
asked.
sighed.
"Mr. Farley said his heart hadn't been working right
long time.
for a
He was
getting ready to go out feeding
somewhere and fell down sick. His grandson found' him. Oh, Peter." She began to wail again. I walked her the rest of the way home in under my arm. I rang the doorbell about eight times before I remembered that Mom; cats
had
said she
might be
the key in our
late getting
same hiding place I went on in.
home that day. I found we had used in Peoria,
and DeeDee and
I'm not the greatest shakes in the kitchen but
measure cocoa mix and get the and
error.
Mom
had
I
right burner
I
on by
cam trial
peeled the cellophane wrap off the cookies
left
out for us and put them in front of Dee-
Dee.
She cupped both hands around her let it
said after a while.
That was the
"Who's going
first
been the captain's
time
I
to feed all
of cocoa and
captain fed
those cats?"
thought of Colin. Colin had
friend. Colin
quoted the captain
time. Colin fed the iron-yard cats
I
mug
breathe hot in her face, just staring. "Peter," she
them on weekends.
had never heard Colin mention
his family at
But he and Captain were good friends.
GO
the
on weekdays, and the
never seen him pal around with anyone special
I
all
all. I
had
at school.
Who was
sitting
with in '
it,
him over cocoa with too much marshmallow cream as I was sitting with DeeDee?
"Finish up,"
I
told
DeeDee. "Let's go feed the
Maybe we would see Colin. Maybe I could sorry I was to hear he had lost his friend. "But
we used
tell
cats."
him how
the last of the cat food last night," she
said.
"Then we buy some more," It
'
hadn't occurred to
borhood was going
Cream was bookshop. At
me
to stop
I
told her. "I
that everyone in the neigh-
us
to talk
about the captain.
lying on a pillow in the
first
have money."
window
of the
glance you would have thought she was
watching her kittens as they roUed and tumbled over each other. Actually
up
she was sound asleep, with her head held
like that to fool the kittens into
and would keep them in Mr.
thinking she was awake
line.
Zimmer was busy with
a customer at the cash reg-
ister.
His wife, flicking a feathery duster over the card
rack,
saw DeeDee and
me
through the window and shot
out the door.
"You heard about Captain, then?" she asked, seeing DeeDee's face aU puffy from crying. She shook her head.
"We
should
all
just
puU up
stakes.
It will
never be the
same, never the same." Then, with a wail, she went back in, letting
the door bang behind her.
Cream opened her eyes dreamily and
stared a
moment
before drifting back to sleep.
I
lOI
Mrs. Pucci didn't say anything into the store.
When DeeDee
and
when we I
first
went back
walked;'
to the pet
food shelf, she followed us.
"You found your Grissi?" she asked. She spoke "Not
yet,"
care-
her question wasn't the right one.
fully as if afraid
DeeDee
said.
"Peter and
need food
I
for thei
cats that are left in the iron yard.
Mrs. Pucci's face darkened as
"His cats," she
She
and
said.
"And
them
piling this
in
and bags of cat food
an empty
cart.
"Have
off the
this,"
she
this. All
yours.
On
called,
coming from the back
in swift, short steps.
"How you
You think they
that?
she hurt somewhere.
husband
and
"Wait, wait," her
if
"Captain's cats."
said.
started pulling boxes
shelf
]
the house."
think these kids carry
all
got a truck or something?
"Here, DeeDee," he said, handing her the large-sized
box of cat food. "That "But you, I
sir,"
me
balance. Yours,
"But "I
I
for
one all
to carry.
to
for the other arm.
"And another
too,"
I
he
protested. said curtly. "I
have more money
from cat food by two, three times than ever before. is this true,
you ask?
Why
do
I
sell cat
Why
food like buck-
wheat cakes under syrup? That one." He answered
own
for
yours."
have money,"
have money
you
me— "you take this." When bag under my arm, he stared at me
—he turned
had the ten-pound
and handed
is
his
question, pointing at DeeDee. "Such customers you
have sent me. Miss DeeDee. Mrs. Joon, and Mr. Farley
down 102
there.
The Zimmers,
the druggist.
Even the
post-
ilTian.
And
myself,
I
He
have Guinness."
grinned, "Such
a good eater, that Guinness."
"We have Guinness," "And,
listen,"
need more you
all
Mrs. Pucci corrected him.
he went on, ignoring
for the captain's cats,
"When you
his wife.
you come see me.
I
give
you can carry."
The three cats the way they had
that
were
for Colin.
left didn't
run out
Bumble saw us
meet us
to
first.
He
up on top of that huge trash box, stretched, and balance.
By the time he had picked himself
Rowdy had come running from under as stiff as the
mast on a
lost his
up, blinking,
the truck, his
Sweet Pete was
ship.
stood
tail
of
last,
course, peering at us nervously from behind a fire escape before finally creeping toward us, low to the ground, with his I
back knees bent.
watched DeeDee make a careful
the ground.
The
cats
circle of the food
crouched down
to eat
it,
on
rumbling
with pleasure.
"Do you think you can
find
homes
for these, too?"
I
asked her.
She nodded without taking her eyes from the cats. "Rick the postman is coming after Bumble tomorrow," she reminded me. "And the lady with the herd in the carriage house across the street
German
The dog and Rowdy are friends already," she "What about Sweet Pete?" I asked.
I
shep-
wants Rowdy. explained.
"I'm working on that," she told me.
When
it
started getting dark,
DeeDee looked
at
me, 103
puzzled.
home
I
was always the one who was
Mom
before
I
kept hoping Colin might be able
"I
in a hurry to get
started fretting. to
make
it
today,"
1
told her.
She stared
at
me
a
moment.
"Colin," she repeated in a
stricken tone.
picked up the two ten-pound bags of cat food. "He'll
I
be
all
right,"
knew
I
"Your friend Colin
told her.
will
be
all right."
Mom
was home from the gleam of light from her bedroom window upstairs. Since I figured she was I
changing out of her the key again to
Mom
let
city clothes to start dinner,
us
called out the
moment we
"About time, you bandits," she be feeding those
cats,
leave
all
need
thought you must 1
stood in the hall wrinkling her forehead. "Let's
the cat food
I
said. "I
for you."
down
ing at the coat closet where
When
got inside the door.
but another five minutes and
would have come looking
DeeDee
used
I
in.
glanced
to tell
Mom
at her,
here," she whispered, pointI
was hanging my
jacket.
she went on. "Maybe
we
don't
about Captain yet?" She paused.
"I'm trying real hard not to cry," she added almost crossly, as if I
I
should have understood without being
stuck the cat food in behind
all
told.
our boots and went
Whenever
Mom
heard about Captain was soon enough. She hadn't
really
upstairs with
DeeDee. She was
right.
known him anyway, and she might 104
not understand.
Mom
was in wonderful spirits. She had convinced her more than three patterns in her drawing room would look "busy." And she had found the most beautiful head of cauliflower she had seen since coming to Brookclient that
lyn.
She was even
in a good
enough mood
the dirty cocoa dishes instead of giving
you forgotten what a He-who
is,
to tease
me
me
about
a lecture. "Have
Peter Gregory?" she
asked, tearing the leaves off the cauliflower head and
washing
it
under the
"He-who,"
who makes
I
spray.
repeated.
Then
dirty dishes cleans
grinned. "You
I
mean He-
them up? Something
like
that?"
"Exactly like that." smiled faded.
"No
"No
she turned toward me, her
sign of Grissi
sign of Grissi,"
Grissi alone that
When I
still?"
told her, letting
made my
her think
face look strange.
I
it
was
was glad
DeeDee had gone straight upstairs to her room. Maybe that puffy look she had from crying would go away before Mom saw her. that
Mom
had steamed the cauliflower so
fect circle in
she had sprinkled paprika
was
that
pretty ordinary, but she
chicken breasts that are
plate.
was
a per-
had fixed those breaded
like big flattened eggs.
cut into them, butter and something green
your
it
The sauce was golden, and on top to make it rosy. The salad
her blue bowl.
When
spifls
you
out on
They're delicious.
105
By the time called
DeeDee down
"This I
I'd set
is
said as
Dad had come home
the table.
and;^
for dinner.
a pretty fancy dinner for just a Friday night,"
Dad
took his seat.
Dad
"She's spoiling me,"
explained.
"I
have a seminar
weekend. I'm flying out tonight and
in the Catskills this
won't be back until late Sunday."
Mom
and Dad talked about
storm that was battering
DeeDee was
way up
its
when Dad
"The mystery "Here,
is
the eastern seaboard.
I'll
let
you read
Mostly their news
isn't
late paper,"
He bundled
solved."
thei
I
wasn't even
looked up suddenly.
guess you didn't see the
plate.
meeting and about
only poking at her chicken and
halfway through "I
his
it
he
his
,
said to Mom.i|
napkin by
hiSi
for yourself."
our news.
I
went on
slicing the
chicken breast and letting the butter run out while
Mom
looked at the folded newspaper. "Oh," she said in a sad
Then, "My goodness. Distinguished service in the Marines? What a story. We should have known."
tone.
"Should have known what?"
I
asked, finally
coming
to
life.
"You remember the
man who came
old
to look for Grissi in the iron
DeeDee
sat perfecdy
"Captain Jinks." ing up.
"It
still,
Mom
An
her eyes round and waiting.
went on reading without old,
look-
wealthy
eccentric, they call him."
Then she began reading 06
DeeDee
yard?" she began.
seems he was a member of a very
family here.
1
to tell
out loud.
"From
his early days
at
Groton, he
nickname
was commonly called 'Captain Jinks,' a him even after he was recog-
that stayed with
nized for heroic service in the United States Marine Corps, in
which he rose
to
the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. After
the war, Colonel Jinks returned to private
business.
He
life
but not
to
spent his remaining years and a significant
fortune in charitable pursuits.
He was
particularly inter-
ested in the plight of homeless animals and dedicated
much
time and
effort, as
well as money, to their welfare.
His only daughter died following the birth of his grandson, Colin
"Colin,"
Cramar, also a resident of Brooklyn." I
breathed. "If he
everybody in the world
Mom
and Dad looked
army marching song plained. "It's I
was a
to
call
kid,
at
was really a colonel, why him Captain?"
each other. "There's an old
called
'Captain Jinks,'
"
he ex-
been around a hundred years or more.
we
all
sang
it.
did
When
This Captain Jinks belonged
the horse marines and fed his horse on corn and beans
and swung the ladies in "It's
easy to see
his last
name was
mar," she repeated, friend Colin,
their teens.
how he came by really Jinks," still
It's
a great song."
the nickname, since
Mom
said. "Colin
Cra-
looking at the paper. "Is that your
DeeDee?"
DeeDee nodded. Then she bundled her napkin into a wad by her plate and asked in a tiny, strained voice, "May I
please be excused?
Dad nodded startled,
as
I
need
DeeDee
to cry." slid
out of her chair.
would have followed her but Dad
laid his
Mom, hand 107
on her arm. "Later," he didn't
I
rude
fully
be
to eat
to leave
difficult for that
boy
to
man wandering around
old
"Give her some time alone."
any more either, but it seemed awthem there with Dad's special dinner. strange story," Dad said after a while. "It had
want
"That's a to
said.
have his only
relative a strange
feeding
dressed the way
cats,
he was." "Not
on
for Colin,"
1
him. "Colin
told
not into putting
is
acts."
Mom sat frowning as if she had forgotten all about dinner.
"You certainly have
don't you, Peter?
all
That horrid boy that
ugly trick on DeeDee, and
"We
sure do,"
I
kinds in that school of yours, tried to play the
then this Colin."
knowing where
agreed,
1
fitted into that
range.
Mom
At a signal from Dad,
DeeDee. Dad
down by me. too, "I
own
went upstairs to comfort coffee cup and sat back
"This Colin Cramar,
is
he a friend of yours,
Peter?"
am
ference.
io8
refilled his
a friend of his,"
1
told
him, conscious of the
dif-
11 The Storm
He never liked weekend meetings, even back in Peoria where we were in a familiar place with our friends all around. He would have been concerned about leaving us for the first time in this new Dad hated
place even
to leave that night.
the weather had been good instead of
if
threatening.
He and
Mom
visited at the
cab that would take him to
what he was saying
tone with me, then
DeeDee
settled in
I
door while he waited for the
to the airport.
to
know
Mom I
am
but,
amazing
and
all
to
her room with paper
watch. She puts
stands each one up in a
I
all
dolls.
She hardly
when she
does, she
the outfits on one side
the dolls on the other. She dresses every
on the other side and I
uses that
getting a pep talk.
ever plays paper dolls by herself but, is
wasn't listening
I
when he
line,
then
dumps
all
doll,
their clothes
starts again.
think she plays papers dolls the
way
I
draw alpha109
bets.
decide what the subject
I
with A. Sometimes
I
is
going
to
be and
start
pick food and draw an apple, then
a banana, a celery stalk, a doughnut, and so forth until
i
I
when I crumple up the panew category. I draw alphabets
get to the really hard letters,
per and start over with a to
keep
my
head from thinking about things that
DeeDee went to bed longer. The house got
early
Mom
and
hurt.
didn't last
much
so quiet that you could hear the
wind outside. I had done an alphabet that was all toys. I stopped that one at xylophone and started one of things
was only kidding myself that drawing kept my mind from Colin and Captain Jinks. Mostly I had questions. I wondered if Colin, since he to
wear.
didn't
I
have a mother, lived with the captain.
If
he had,
now? He had been out of school week, but what had he been doing? Tim had gone to
who would he all
live
with
his aunt's funeral but
noon. Mostly
body
I
he had only been gone one
wondered what you could say
like Colin so
to
after-
some-
he would understand how sorry you
were. I
had gotten
then looked at
would be
if
I
my
to
J in
it
again.
filled
hung way down.
It
alphabet.
was
the pockets
After
I
I
drew a jacket and
like Captain's jacket, or
full
did that,
of cat food so that they it still
looked wrong.
I
was drawing it straight on instead of looking down at it the way I had looked at Captain standing there at the bottom of our stoop that night.
Once
no
I
^
got the jacket drawn,
I
put
him
into
it.
There
i|
;:
is
no way that
can possibly explain how excited
I
I
got.
my life I have been able to draw anything I could see. Now I had this picture of Captain Jinks that anyone would recognize and 1 had drawn it from my mind instead of my eyes. All
That was a new world opened
for
me.
I
went down
all
those dark stairs and got milk and a piece of leftover cake
and
tried again.
This time
I
took
away the
steps
and put
Captain's figure in the middle of an open space, like the iron yard.
the
Then
way they
drew the
I
cats
all
did at that ring of food.
around him, eating I
got
Unk crouched
with his battered ear showing, and Cream, deep bellied
been before the
as she'd
kittens.
Miss O, Rowdy, Pete
Bumble, Moonshine, and Guinness did the same thing that Captain had done. They appeared so fully in I
could get them on the paper just the
When
I
finished
1
my mind
that
way they were. wrong with it.
couldn't see a thing
There was Captain, looking up in that unsmiling way, ringed
all
know how look at
close
I
came
to
Mom
cats.
will
never
waking her up and making her
it.
Instead so that
around by those feeding
I
I
left
the night-light on while
could see
woke in the night. to show it to Mom and he would see
We did
went
to sleep
my
picture the first moment in case I knew then that I wasn't even going or DeeDee. The picture was for Colin, 1
it first.
There was no word from Colin Sunday.
I
all
the usual
all
day Saturday or
weekend things
like
watchIII
ing cartoons and buying groceries, but
were just waiting
storm
for the
home, whichever happened noon,
was
it
casters predicted
would
it
By late Sunday afterwas winning the race.
bad as the weather
bit as
be. It
in Illinois. This didn't look
to hit or
knew we Dad to come all
first.
clear that the storm
That storm was every
we
never rained
hke rain
at
all,
fore-
like that
back
but more as
whip through the
if
air past
our
windows. The guttering along the back of the house
rat-
a river had been
tled wildly as if
From
lifted to
were going
it
the bottom
of the drain,
to
break free any minute.
an arched fountain spurted
out onto the garden walk.
wondered where the pigeons were. I hoped they had sheltered somewhere so the wind howling around the I
house couldn't get After
we
ate,
I
to
them.
brought up wood and
in the parlor hearth. At first the
the
room
intend to
down
to
as
if
let it
come
burning,
I
I
draw because
as a sort of thick fan.
round
ball,
into
didn't
the logs finally settled
on the rug
in front of the fireplace
could see from that position. The
chair by the library table to
chimney
When
out.
lay
started a fire
smoke billowed back
the wind whipping past the
drawing everything hard
Mom
had legs
first
like a lion.
you had
Then each
to see the
of the toes
joined by a flowing cone
They were whole
was a
foot
single
to the foot as a whole.
The claws were wonderful. They were like the single hard line drawn halfway around a circle. My picture of Captain was still up there in my room, unseen by anyone. 112
I
was there felt warm in my mind. kept getting up and walking around and then
knowing
Just
Mom
coming back
it
to
her book again.
thought about
1
telling
her that the cabs would be off the street and the buses stopped and that was
why Dad
hadn't gotten
LaGuardia where his plane was scheduled I
decided not
to
home from
to land.
knew all that anymake her worry any
say anything. She
way, and talking about
it
couldn't
less.
DeeDee, bundled in her down robe, was tangled up a roundness at the very
end of the love
seat as
if
into
some-
someone were sitting there beside her. I remembered when she was really little and had imaginary playmates. She always left more room for them in the chair thing or
than she kept for herself.
If
her eyes had not been so sober
as she stared into the flames
1
would have thought
that
she was imagining Grissi was there beside her on that
padded ivory seat with the woven dered
all
over
silvery vines embroi-
it.
"Do you want to play a game?" 1 asked her. She looked over at me, her eyes entirely too big for the size of her face. She tightened her lips a minute while she thought, then shook her head.
"Thank you very much anyway," she a stranger she needed to be polite "1
could
make
cocoa,"
mind from somewhere
Mom
far
said, as if
I
were
to.
said, obviously pulling
away. "Or popcorn,
if
her
you would
like it."
113
DeeDee was
looking at
still
"We're fine,"
her.
told
I
me
and
Mom. Then,
I
smiled a
like
little at
DeeDee,
said,
I
"Thank you very much anyway."
me
struck
It
even though we three were
that
of a
all
same room, we each had
family and right there in the
our separate worlds that only overlapped in our concern about each other.
mine was the
drew those three
I
best of
In spite of
all.
losing Grissi, the search for
new
life
for
the street.
I
me
circles, realizing that
my
unhappiness about
him had managed
there in Brooklyn.
had friends
I
to start a all
along
even liked the house now, with the bubbling
pigeon voices outside
my
window, that
vigilant red light
gleaming from the top of the World Trade Center, and the pattern of shadows on
was out. Most of
my
wall
when my own
light
had quit envying and resenting DeeDee. For gosh sakes, the kid was only seven, and she was alall I
ready what Mr. Lazarus called an "effective I
might not always
human
being."
her methods, but she managed
like
her environment in a responsible way. She might not have solved her
own problem during
she had pulled
lems
for a lot of
The
those people together and solved prob-
them, including,
thing that impressed
known when
my
all
raincoat
114
me
was probably to let
me
still
I
might add, me.
the most
to give up. In the
during a late afternoon
Sweet Pete
that search for Grissi but
was
bathroom
that she
had
off the kitchen,
dripping from standing there
trip to
the iron yard, trying to get
catch him.
"Everybody has a cat but you,"
when
I
finally
had him bundled
I
reminded DeeDee
know
in the towel. "I
Mr. and Mrs. Larson would understand
if
that
you wanted
to
keep him."
had a
"I I
she reminded me.
cat,"
tried to
make
a joke of
it
as
"I
we
had
Grissi."
sloshed through the
hem
puddles toward home. She was hanging onto the
my "Mom
of
jacket, her head bent against the rising wind.
you,"
I
me
and Dad had
reminded
She looked up
her. at
and they went ahead and had
"That wasn't a bad deal
me
to
see
if I
really
meant
at all." it.
When
I
grinned back, she smiled and shrugged.
The phone rang a little after nine. I have never seen legs unwind as fast as Mom's did. You could tell right away that she
was
talking to Dad, that his plane
he was in some way, rising a
"Dad ing.
said
"When
safe place.
little
on her
we should aU
She came back
was down, and in that
bouncy
toes.
go
to bed,"
she reported, smil-
the cabs start running again,
he'll
be home,
too."
115
12 The Shadow in the Garden
I
don't
know how long
came conscious dog, Butch.
I
I
had been asleep when
my
The
elbow and sighed. What a pest
rain
was
still
sweeping against the
window, but the wind only slapped a
Then
it
be-
of the steady, frantic barking of that dark
rose on
that animal was.
ing.
I
little
dawned on me. Butch had
to
without howlbe outside or
wouldn't have been waked up by his barking.
wonder he was such a
cross, unpleasant
body cared enough about him even
What good was
of a storm like this.
to
a
It
animal
bring
him
silly little
I
was no if
no-
in out
doghouse
tonight? I
might have gone back
my
peared silendy by
but hadn't buttoned
her middle. she caught "No," she
The ii6
it,
bed.
"Come and
floor felt icy
under
ap-
She had pulled on her robe
had only
When I reached my hand. said.
DeeDee hadn't
to sleep if
tied the belt tight
for the
chain on
around
my
lamp,
see."
my feet, and
I
dragged
my
robe
on
to follow
her
to the
she hadn't wanted a
window.
light.
It
I
realized at once
was hard enough
through the rain without being blinded by a
why
to see
reflection.
The whole world out there looked freshly lacquered. Everything that was touched by one of the security lights gleam from the
or caught the
had been polished. A
streetlights
shone as
if it
was running through our garden from the house toward the aUey beyond. The birdbath in the Larson backyard was overflowing, and the wind caught the water as it fell and sent it flying. I couldn't see the dog from the window, but I knew he was hurling himself against the fence again and again, river
way he did when anything disturbed him. His bark had even begun to sound harsh, as if he were giving the
himself a sore throat.
DeeDee said. "Look, on the bench." know why I had not seen it right off. Some-
"There," I
don't
thing
was crouching,
concrete bench.
more
as
if
knew was That's
a
It
all
round and self-contained, on the
didn't look like anything, really.
shadow had
fallen there,
It
was
making what you
a straight line look curved.
what
I
told her. "It's only a
shadow from some-
thing."
She shook her head.
"I
saw
it
go there.
It
came along
the fence and crossed the yard to get there." I
to
whistled
softly.
"No wonder Butch
is
barking.
It's
got
be a cat."
She shook her head.
Do you
think
it's
"It can't
be more than a
kitten.
safe out there?"
117
turned and looked
I
out there.
AE
at
her in the dark. "Nothing
Do you want me
to
go bring
is
safe
in?"
it
time that she had been getting people and cats
this
together like a marriage broker, she had never once sug-
gested that a cat
come
she was suggesting
She
down the
and
up
couldn't believe
now.
it
answer
I
in
words but nodded,
still
staring
at the glistening garden.
put
I
all
didn't
into our house.
my
raincoat on over
way down to the back them there. I could
left
my
pajamas.
door,
I
took
When we got my slippers off
just imagine
them curling
the toes like the ones in the Arabian Nights
at
waded
outside in them.
I
couldn't find
my
hat so
I
if I
grabbed
wadded it on my head. DeeDee grinned that way she does when she isn't sure you want her to
a towel and tight
laugh
at you.
was loud out there. Everything gurgled and chimed and splatted, and all the time Butch kept up that painful alarm of his. The water was icy around my ankles. The dead leaves and sticks carried along in that tide grabbed at my feet like drowning things. I was halfway down the garden path when the kitten turned to look at me. It was hideous. Its fur was pasted to its body like water and the pattern of its bones shone through, making it look like a mole. But its eyes, staring at me, were that same shade of yellow that Grissi's had It
been.
When
I
got close, the kitten took a flying leap off the
bench and landed on the flooded path. ii8
"Here, kitty,"
move but
didn't
groaned
to
my
called softly, holding out
I
only stared at me.
myself
to feel the tail of
knelt
I
my
hand.
It
down and
raincoat floating
on the puddle behind me. What was done was done. "Here, kitty,"
I
repeated, trying to coax
it
with
my
open
palm.
That kitten moved so It
was
off"
like
dles toward the
back door.
If
I
who was
race past DeeDee, light
fast that
I
almost didn't see
a shot, skittering by
me
it
go.
through the pud-
turned just in time
to see
it
standing in the rectangle of
from the doorway. the
little
have had a the rainy
we might we followed
creature hadn't been dripping wet,
time finding
terrible
trail
it.
As
it
was,
right straight through the
closet in the front hall.
It
was peering out
basement
to the
at us with those
almond-shaped yeUow eyes from behind one of the boots I
should have worn
to
the garden.
DeeDee didn't so much speak to the kitten as croon. Then she knelt down and took that dripping, boney, gray mass in the crook of her arm and carried it upstairs to the kitchen.
warmed the milk that we gave it in Grissi's DeeDee acted as if she had been in the cat-drying I
ness aU her Ufe. First she blotted the kitten
rubbed still
it
gently with the towel.
wet and spiky when
alized that
males
it
was a
— and not a
little
it
The
solid gray at
all.
over, then
tips of its fur
started purring.
calico female
all
dish.
busi-
By then,
were I
re-
—aU calicos are
fe-
She had splotches
of
lighter gray, almost a bluish color, in with the charcoal. 1
20
Around her nose she was
Mom, who
yellow, with a touch of white.
waked up from
hadn't
all
our commotion
with the kitten, heard Dad's key in the lock from clear
Tying her satin robe as she went, she stuck her head into the kitchen on the way down to meet Dad. "Good upstairs.
heavens!" she
i
,
said.
Then we heard
slippers
on the steps going
to the
Mom
and Dad were arm
in
to
only the slap of her
basement.
arm when they
finally got
the kitchen door. "Well, what's
DeeDee
all
Dad
this?"
asked, looking
down
at
there on the floor beside the wicker basket with
the calico lining. "Don't
tell
me
that the search finally
succeeded." I
1
DeeDee but j
we found
"Then
!
'
rose and
went over
to offer
"Yes and no. Daddy," she told him. a
is this
lot of
her face for a
"We
kiss.
didn't find Grissi,
other people's cats."
another Grissi?" he asked, peering into
the basket.
She shook her head and smiled that tight little smile. "This is Smudge. I decided that Grissi needed a little sister; like I
Peter needed me."
Smudge. so fast? I
How had
And
I
she come up with the perfect
really liked
it
meant about having her
that she
name
had understood what
for a sister.
Nobody knew what to say to him. At least they didn't stare. Even Hal Sanders behaved himself that day, which is probably the highest tribute he can pay anyone. Colin was back in school the next day.
121
came up to me when DeeDee and her friends. Colin
"Okay
if I
I
was waiting outside
for
walk along home with you and the kids?" he
my
asked. "I think you've got "Great,"
I
backpack
at
your place."
said.
i
Our awkward silence was broken by DeeDee's flying down the stairs. That kid is spooky. I've said so aU my life and
mean
1
it.
It is
almost as
if
she puts herself inside
the other guy's head and finds what he wants the most to hear.
him
She grabbed Colin around the waist and hugged
hard. "Oh, Colin," she said, her head "1
jacket.
miss Captain,
too.
j!
still
i
I
against his
The whole world misses
Captain."
He
laid his
looked at it
struck
hand on her head the way Dad does and
i
me with only his eyes smiling. In that moment me that he was like Captain. The captain
hadn't smiled either, except with his eyes. Colin had been a fellow
who
And even
naturally smiled a
lot,
if
he
probably would have been pretty sober faced these past
months. After
all,
he had known what we'had just learned,
was a very sick old man. On the way home, Colin heard all about the cats and where they had gone and how everyone thought he had
that Captain
the best of the iron-yard cats.
"And
wait,"
DeeDee
Grissi's fittle sister.
Colin gave looks,
122
me
told
'
him. "Just wait until you see
Smudge."
another one of those warm, amused
and we were home.
:
1
When Mom
i
asked him
to stay for a while,
he hesi-
tated. "I
need
When ble. i
to
make
a phone call
he finished, he
"That was
ever since
first,"
told
Mom.
settled with us at the kitchen ta-
Nellie. She's
been with Captain and
was bom. The three
I
he
me
of us really got along
well."
DeeDee frowned up at him. "Where will you live now?" I saw Mom's appalled look, but Colin didn't take of-
I
f
fense at
all.
Instead,
and nodded "Nellie i
I
I
at
and
he took another cookie from the
plate
DeeDee. I
plan to stay where
we
are, just like be-
When Captain found out how sick he was, he me what I wanted to do if anything happened to
fore.
asked him."
Colin hesitated just the length of a breath, before going on. "I
thought about
it
a long time.
I
have cousins
off in
I
!
j
'
!
I hardly know. What I saw of them, I didn't They snickered at Captain's nickname, and were ashamed of the way he dressed and went around feeding
Delaware that
like.
animals.
Since they didn't understood Captain,
probably wouldn't understand me, either.
I
they
decided to stay
same school and live at home with Nellie until I am old enough to go off to college. Captain fixed it legally so we could do that. By then, Nellie will want to retire, too, so we'll come out even." "Is Nellie a a part of your family?" DeeDee asked, clearly here and go
a
I
little
to
the
confused.
CoHn gave me
that
amused
look. "In the beginning,
she
123
DeeDee," he
said.
both think that's the
way
wasn't,
"Now it
she
ought
is
my
to be.
family and
Right
now
a bttle nervous about having the responsibility for
by herself. That's
why
needed
I
to
Mom
me
all
caD."
"She'll get over that after a while,"
"Like
we
she's
DeeDee assured
him.
did with me."
made friends with Smudge, I asked him if he would like to come up to my room. "The backpack is down in the hall," DeeDee told me. I nodded. "Can't I ask him up to my room?" .
After Colin
She shrugged, took another for
Smudge
cookie,
and broke
off a piece
to nibble.
The minute
I
started to
open
my
door, panic hit me.
was doing? What had seemed so right that rainy night might really upset him. Maybe he wouldn't see it the way I did.
What
did
think
I
"Listen, Colin,"
might want
it.
I
I
said. "I did this
Now am I
onto that doorknob as
if
thing and thought you
sure you won't."
I
was hanging
someone were going
to force
me
away. "Can't
I
just look
and see?" he asked.
His eyes had that measuring look again. "This
isn't
any
act,"
I
told him. "I just don't
want
to
hurt you."
know that," he said, waiting for me to open the door. He stood and looked at that picture of Captain and the
"I
cats for a long time while
inside
124
me
shriveling
I
quiedy died.
up from my
I
could feel places
stupidity at ever paint-
ing [
and, having painted
it,
When
he
turned
finally
to
showing
at
it,
me, even
ing. "Peter, that's great, just great."
his lips
it
to
him.
were smil-
Then he frowned and
looked back at the picture. "1
thought you said you could only draw things that you
could see." "I j
I
:
,
j
j
'
found a new way of looking,"
When "It's
as
he just waited
if
I
for
told him.
go on,
to
I
tried to explain.
draw what I see there. added, remembering how ex-
look inside myself and
It's like
a breakthrough,"
citing
had been
it
me
I
to find
I
Captain there inside that circle
of his cats.
"A breakthrough," he repeated, nodding. "Peter, do you think your mother could help
anything messed
it
me
get
it
framed?
I'd die if
up."
I
,
,
That's
leaped
to
all
he
said. It
was
all I
needed
to hear.
Mom
the project with her usual gusto and told Colin
she had found the most wonderful framer in Brooklyn only a few blocks away.
Most of the mess made by the storm was cleaned up home a week
by the time Colin took his picture of Captain later.
He had
fallen into the habit of stopping by after
school. After a couple of nights,
Mom
talked to Nellie on
the phone and asked permission for Colin to stay for dinner.
Dad
liked Colin as
that first time, Colin
much
as the rest of us did. After
had dinner with us
lots of nights.
125
Sometimes he beat I
me
at
chess before he went on home.
had always beaten Tim, but friends are
different like that.
Within a month. Smudge was as plump as Grissi had ever been and pen.
Her face
when
I
was growing is
so fast you could see
shaped very differently from
paint her picture
I
have
to
hap-
it
Grissi's,
and
use three separate
shades of blue and gray. All the
people
who had
adopted the iron-yard cats gave
them new names, except Rick the Postman. "People are always asking
Bonkers,
is
Colin and
I
or
of
Bum-
names
didn't
who you are, And sometimes
nick-
decided that changing the
matter that much. You are live,
Bumble, the son
he needs."
ble the class
you
me how
getting along," he explained. "It gives
what you're
names even sound
cats'
no matter where
called.
affectionate. Like "Captain" had, like
now when one of my friends yells it yard. And I must say that Joons' Moon
"Peoria Pete" does across the school is
one of the better cat names Colin and
DeeDee and
I
I
have ever heard.
all still
look for Grissi
down
the alleys and on the garden fences wherever we go. Sometimes at night I even think I see him for a minute
from the dark of
my
shadows.
But
126
who knows?
window. So
far,
I
have only seen
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mary Francis Shura people.
Bom
has lived in fornia
has written over twenty books for young
in Kansas, not far from
many
Dodge
City, the author
parts of the United States, including Cali-
and Massachusetts. Both of her parents came from
early
settler families of Missouri.
Aside from writing fiction for young readers and adults, Mary
—
Francis Shura enjoys tennis, chess, reading, and cooking
es-
making The mother of four grown children, makes her home in the western suburbs
vil-
bread.
pecially
the author currently of Chicago, in the
lage of Willowbrook.
Two
of her recent
titles,
Chester and Eleanor, were selected
for Children's Choices by the International
tion/Children's
Reading Associa-
Book Council Joint Committee.
ABOUT THE ARTIST Ted Lewin, an author books for children and lives in a
128
It
is
well
own right, has illustrated many known for his fine arts work. He
brownstone in Brooklyn with his
author and dee.
in his
artist,
and two rescued
was Dundee that posed for
wife, Betsy, also an
stray cats. Grissi.
Bones and Dun-
i
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