As Bright as Heaven(18)

I’ve been able to put off thinking about Jamie’s leaving for the army camp only until someone else brings it up. Usually it’s Dora Sutcliff, who nearly always starts to cry when she does, or Charlie, who I don’t think fully understands what it will be like for him when Jamie goes away. If Charlie isn’t over at our place or moving things around for Uncle Fred, he’s waiting for Jamie to be done with work so he can be with him.

“I don’t want to talk about that,” I say as sourly as I can, opening my book to the page I need help with.

“Hey, I’m the one who’s going to have to put up with terrible food, a cold cot, and getting up at dawn to march for miles on end.”

“Then don’t go.” I smooth out the page.

He finds this funny. He thinks I’m joking. I’m not. I don’t know much about this war, but I know it has nothing to do with me or Jamie or Philadelphia or even Pennsylvania. I’ve seen all the battleships that are being built on Hog Island. I’ve seen Uncle Fred’s magazines and files and his APL badge. I’ve seen the Pershing’s Crusaders posters all around the city. I’ve glanced at the newspaper headlines telling us how terrible the Kaiser is and how wonderful our brave soldiers are. I know there’s a war far away across the ocean. But it doesn’t mean anything to me.

Jamie stops laughing when he sees that I’m serious. “Don’t be glum, now. I’ll be back to help you with your math problems before you know it.”

My throat feels hot and thick with frustration, so I can’t ask him how he knows that.

He helps me with the first two problems, but he does all the talking, and I just sullenly nod as he explains things. I do the third problem on my own, solving it quickly.

“I think you’re getting it, Magpie,” he says.

A boy in Quakertown called me that once and I wanted to box his ears. But the nickname sounds sweet and precious when Jamie says it. I can’t help cracking a smile.

“So you’re not angry with me, then,” he says, smiling back at me.

I shake my head. I’ll have to leave now. I can do the other two problems on my own, no doubt.

“I wish you didn’t want to go away to the war,” I finally say as I close the book.

He doesn’t say anything for a second. “It’s not that I want to. Sometimes duty calls us to it. Most of my friends are already on the front or getting ready to go. It’s the right thing to do.”

I don’t see how it can be. “How do you know?”

“Because my country asks it of me. If people don’t do their part to stop the spread of evil when they’re asked to, it just gets stronger and then no one can stop it.”

I don’t know what he’s talking about. And I already know I can’t change anything by asking him to explain this to me.

“Will you do something for me while I’m away?” he asks when I say nothing.

“I guess.”

“Look out for Charlie, will you? You’re the first friend he’s had in a long time. A very long time. And I’m very glad he has a friend right now. I’m not sure how much he understands about where I’m going.”

I don’t understand much about where you’re going, I’m thinking.

“I know he’s not making much progress on what you’re trying to teach him, but that’s not how he sees it. He loves going over to your house. Charlie being happy makes my mother happy. It might be hard for her, too, when I go.”

I pull the book into my lap.

“So it would mean a lot to me if you just kept up with what you’re doing for Charlie. Don’t stop. Please?” he says.

Jamie is looking intently at me, and my face feels warm. His gaze is confusing me, making my heart pound. “I’m not doing anything special for Charlie. I’m just being me.”

His face relaxes into an easy smile. “Then don’t change while I’m gone. All right, Magpie? You just stay you.”

I can’t think of a thing to say. Someone who needs to speak with Jamie comes into the accounting office at that moment. Beatrice brings the man through. Jamie stands and says, “Good day, Miss Bright,” like I am one of his business patrons. Beatrice, Jamie, and even the client smile wide as I make my way out. They think I’m just a twelve-year-old girl who doesn’t know anything.

I’m nearly thirteen.





CHAPTER 11



Evelyn


We were moving the rest of Uncle Fred’s boxes and piles from the dining room into a smaller parlor that he uses for his office—it had been a smoking room during the banker’s day—when Mrs. Sutcliff from across the street called on us. We’d had to wait to do this until Uncle Fred moved all his APL documents, which were so secret, he’d said, we oughtn’t even glance at them. That finally done, we could move all the other things, including Uncle Fred’s stacks of old newspapers and back issues of The Sunnyside—a periodical for undertakers—all of which we’d promised to keep in order by date. All four of us were engaged in the task—Mama, me, Maggie, and Willa—when the door chimes rang.

Mama invited Mrs. Sutcliff inside even though we were dirty and bedraggled from pushing about items that hadn’t been disturbed in ages because Mrs. Landry had been told not to touch them.