The Two-Family House(11)

Chapter 9





HELEN


Helen was sitting on the edge of her bed, looking at the two dresses she had set out. One was the blue dress she had worn to Harry’s bar mitzvah, and the other was a black three-quarter-sleeve dress she had last worn when she was pregnant with the twins. She loved the first dress, with its soft chiffon skirt and flowing sleeves. She picked it up off the bed, walked over to the full-length mirror that was tucked in the corner of the bedroom and held it up in front of her. Just thinking about squeezing into it made her tired. She would never be able to get it over her hips, let alone zip it up.

She put the blue dress back in the tiny closet and turned to the black one. Helen had given away her other maternity dresses years ago, but she had saved this one because it had been her favorite at the time. “Some favorite,” she murmured to herself. It was a dull, tentlike affair in simple black silk, but at least she’d be able to breathe in it. “Looks like it’s you and me tonight,” she said to the dress. She had run out of lipstick again and decided to walk over to the drugstore before she started to get the boys ready. She was sure she would have to send Abe to the park to round them up. They would never remember to come home in time to clean up.

“Abe!” She called into the living room, where Abe was lying half asleep on the couch, his face covered by the sports section of the newspaper.

“Humm?” He pretended to be awake.

“I’m running down to the corner for some lipstick. I’ll be back in half an hour, and then you’re going to have to get the boys from the park.”

“Mmmm,” he mumbled. The paper dropped to the floor and he snored. She would have to wake him later.

When Helen got to the bottom of the steps, she knocked on Rose’s door. She wanted to see whether Rose needed anything from the drugstore. Plus, she could use some company. Abe had been asleep for most of the afternoon, and the boys had been at the park all day. She was tired of talking to herself.

Mimi opened the door with her hair pinned up in curlers. She was already wearing her dress for the restaurant, a pink flowered print with smocking on the front.

“Mimi! Don’t you look beautiful!”

Mimi nodded as if the observation were a question. “I’ve been ready since this morning. Mommy made me take off my dress to eat lunch, but I put it back on after. I had to eat lunch in my bathrobe. See my ribbon?” She twirled around so Helen could see the back of her dress, tied in a perfect symmetrical bow.

“Very nice.” Helen took a seat on one of the kitchen chairs.

“I can’t sit down because I don’t want to ruin it. It took three tries to get it just right.” She pointed to the curlers in her hair “I’m keeping these in my hair until the very last minute so my curls will be nice and bouncy.”

“I’m sure they’ll be perfect.”

Mimi went to give her aunt a hug but stopped when she remembered her dress. Helen understood. “I’ll be careful not to wrinkle you.” She breathed in Mimi’s little-girl fragrance, all lilacs and peppermint instead of the dirt and sweat her boys always smelled of. The boys hardly ever let her hug them now, and if they did it was only if they were bleeding. Forget about trying to keep them clean. Helen tried to imagine what would happen if she had asked Sam, Joe or George to put on a suit and tie that morning. By now, the jackets would be lost, the shirts would be ripped and the ties would be hanging from a tree branch somewhere.

The boys tired her out more than usual these days. The younger three traveled as a pack, in constant and careless motion. They rarely spoke to her, and if they did, it was all at once and usually because they wanted to be fed. Harry barely looked at her. Most days she felt less like a mother and more like a lonely zookeeper working overtime.

She hugged Mimi a minute too long, letting her go only when Dinah teetered into the room in Rose’s heels. The five-year-old held out her wrists for inspection. “Smell!” she ordered.

“Did you use the big yellow perfume bottle or the small clear one?” Mimi asked.

“The little one.”

“What! She never lets me use that one! Mommy!” Mimi was already running out of the kitchen to find Rose. In the meantime, Helen rubbed noses with Dinah. “Are you excited for dinner tonight?” Dinah nodded, then rested her head against Helen’s shoulder. She let out a yawn. “If I’m good, I get to have dessert,” she whispered.

Helen leaned back against her chair, repositioning Dinah on her lap so they were both comfortable.

A few minutes later, Rose came into the room apologizing. “Mimi just told me you were here—she was so worked up about my perfume that she didn’t even mention you came in.” Helen scooted Dinah off of her lap and stood up.

“I’m out of lipstick again.” Helen frowned. “Everything is swelling. Even my lips! Anyway, I’m running to the drugstore. Need anything?”

“Would you mind taking Judith with you?” Rose lowered her voice. “I think she could use a little air.” Helen gave Rose a puzzled look, but it wasn’t the right time to say more. “Sure. I’d love some company.”

“Judith! Come here!” Rose called.

Judith answered from her bedroom, “I’m reading!”

“I need you to get me some aspirin!”