The Two-Family House(31)

Helen made a face at him. “I don’t believe you.”

“I’ll make you a bet. Tomorrow morning, come with us and see. If she doesn’t count to ten, I’ll do the dishes tomorrow night. By myself.”

“What if she does count to ten? What do I have to give you?” Abe took the frying pan Helen was drying out of her hands and placed it on the counter. Then he wrapped his arms around her and leaned in for a kiss. “I’ll figure something out,” he said.

The next day, after the boys left for school, Abe sat Natalie down on the couch and tied the laces on her white leather booties. “Daddy has something important to tell you, sweet pea.”

Natalie stared at him, her hazel eyes focusing in on his blue ones. “Daddy,” she said.

“Yes. Every morning Daddy and Natalie walk up and down the steps, right?”

“Uppy!” Natalie screeched. She slid off the couch and ran for the door. Abe made her sit back down.

“Every morning we play our special game. But when Daddy has to leave, that means the time for Uppy is all done. No more crying when Daddy leaves. Do you understand?”

Natalie nodded and whispered, “Uppy.”

“I mean it,” Abe said, trying to sound serious, even a little angry, to make his point. In response, Natalie kissed his hand and hugged it to her cheek. Abe sighed. This one’s smarter than the other four put together.

After a few moments, he pulled his hand away. “Let’s go,” he said.

Out in the hall, Abe carried Natalie to the bottom of the steps while Helen stayed up at the top. Natalie was bouncing up and down with excitement. “Ready to show Mommy how you can count?” Abe asked.

“Who can count?” Mort was coming out of his apartment, briefcase in hand.

“Say hi to Uncle Mort, Natalie. Natalie’s gonna count the steps for Helen.”

Natalie waved and yelled her name for her uncle. “Mo!”

Mort put down his briefcase and crossed his arms. “Show me,” he said, in a tone Abe didn’t appreciate.

“You wanna see her go up the steps?”

“I want to hear her count the steps,” Mort corrected.

Abe wanted to smack him, but Natalie kept smiling, repeating his name over and over. “Mo! Mo! Mo!” After she calmed down, she pointed to the steps in front of her. She took the first step slowly, keeping one hand on the wall and the other hand wrapped around Abe’s fingers. Once she had balanced herself on the first step, she shouted, “Un!”

“Un?” Mort sniffed. “What does that mean?”

“It’s how she says ‘one,’ Morty.” Abe tried to keep his voice light. “Give her a break, will ya? She’s a baby, for Chrissakes.”

“You said she could count. That means she has to be able to say the numbers.”

“Shut up and listen.”

“Toooo!” Natalie called out on the second step. Mort raised an eyebrow.

“Free, foah, fie, six, sen, ate, nine, ten!” Natalie announced. After she got to ten, she started counting from one again until she reached the top of the staircase. When she was finished, she held up her arms to be carried and buried her face in Abe’s shoulder. The climbing had exhausted her, and her breathing became heavy and sleepy. Warm brown curls tickled his cheek and Abe lost himself entirely in the sweetness of the moment. His reverie was broken by a loud sound from the bottom of the stairs. Mort had slammed the door shut, exiting without saying goodbye. By the time Abe looked up, his brother was already gone.





Chapter 25





ROSE


(June 1950)

Rose didn’t want to admit it, but she was enjoying herself. She needed a change of scenery, even if the scenery happened to belong to Sol and Arlene. They were showing off their new house on Long Island with a weekend barbecue. Helen and her family were already there, and Rose’s family were on their way. Rose rolled down the car window and let the breeze wash over her. It felt good to be out of the house and away from Brooklyn.

When the invitation was first extended, Rose wasn’t sure she wanted to attend (she couldn’t stand the thought of spending another day with Helen), but as the details of Sol’s home were revealed to her (the house was on five acres; there was a swimming pool, a rose garden, woods and a pond), the idea of escaping the confines of her home started to look more and more appealing.

Their bottom-floor apartment, once so spacious, felt cramped and crowded to her these days. And the noise! Even at night, there was never any silence. The late spring days had become unusually hot, and open windows let in the honks and screeches from every passing car and truck. The bedrooms were so close together that the tiniest cough or whimper from one of her children would keep her awake at night. And while Rose felt like she was constantly cleaning and neatening their home, clutter and children seemed to congregate in every corner of every room. She was suffocating. So after a few days of mulling it over, Rose called back to tell Arlene they were coming.

When they turned off the main road onto an unmarked dirt lane, Mort thought they were lost. Rose insisted she had read the directions properly, and in a few minutes the lane gave way to a clearing from which the house was visible. It was an enormous white house with four large pillars in the front. They parked on the semi-circular gravel driveway that wound around a perfect green lawn and emerged from the car, anxious to stretch their legs and have a look around. Teddy woke up as soon as the motor was off, and Judith held his hand as they walked to the front door.