Cakewalk

by Rita Mae Brown

  Big Dimps vacated the office in a fury, picking up Dimps Jr., whom she mercilessly grilled on the way home.

  The daughter denied everything. Her mother remained suspicious.

  —

  Neither Cora nor Juts, Celeste nor Francis said a word on the ride home to Celeste’s.

  Once inside, Cora ordered, “Polish the silver. We’ll talk about this tonight.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Celeste walked Cora to the library. “Well?”

  “Expelled. She’s to do her lessons at home but she won’t.” She threw up her hands. “She’s wanted to quit school, and I think seeing Louise’s success, earning money, makes her want to do the same.”

  “Wheezie is nineteen and Juts is fifteen. They are different personalities.”

  “Celeste, it’s the old story. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.”

  “Let the dust settle. Perhaps things will be more clear. You can bring her to work, and if she works I will pay her until she finds something.”

  Later that day, after Cora and Juts left, Fannie Jump dropped by. Celeste told her what had happened.

  “If you can think of any work, tell Cora.”

  “She’d make a good rattlesnake trainer.” Fannie smiled. “Juts isn’t afraid of much.”

  Changing the subject, Celeste asked, “How was Sunday dinner?”

  “The usual charade.” Fannie leaned back in the chair. “I’ve almost grown fond of it. I can tell you what’s going to come out of the mouth of any member of the Creighton family. I’m becoming a prophet.” She rose to pour herself a drink. “The theory is that your spouse and your children and by extension everyone else related to you by blood will honor you, care for you, and see to your comforts as you totter toward the grave.”

  “And?” Celeste raised an eyebrow.

  “I don’t think I’ll totter. I think I’ll be pushed.” She laughed.

  “You’ll push back.” Celeste laughed with her. “Where’s Fairy?”

  “I don’t know. I expect she’ll show up sooner or later.” She held her glass up to the light to admire the golden amber of very good scotch. “I can never decide what I like better, the fuel from Scotland or from Ireland. So different but so uplifting.”

  “You never did drink bourbon.”

  “No one makes bourbon as good as Kentuckians but I love the taste of scotch. Also it works faster.”

  “Are you going to attend Orioles games once the season starts?”

  “Wouldn’t miss it. Shall I assume you will be attending also?”

  “Yes. You said you sit behind first base because that’s where the action is?”

  “I do. Most people want to sit behind home plate but I can’t see as well behind the backstop. Why?”

  “Might you consider sitting behind third?”

  Fannie finished her drink, poured another, and sat down. “I see. Well, why not?” She thought a moment. “What are you going to do?”

  “About what?”

  “About Ramelle, for one thing.”

  “She’s married to my brother.”

  “But she’ll be here half the year once the baby can travel.”

  “She has to have it first.” Celeste rose to fix herself a drink, a rarity. “Here’s hoping she is delivered safely of a healthy child.” She lifted her glass.

  Fannie lifted hers. “To the baby. To you.”

  “To you.” Taking a sip, Celeste then said, “How do I know until she’s here? I know the baby will come first. I know Curtis will travel back and forth as much as possible and they’ll stay in our parents’ big bedroom. The nursery is right down the hall.”

  “Balls to juggle,” Fannie remarked.

  “Quite.” Celeste laughed again, which provoked an uproarious burst from Fannie.

  “Well, whatever you need, I’ll help. You’re my best friend. Things will work out.”

  “It’s too early to know much of anything, but I know I am intrigued. Fannie, he has a good mind. He’s strong, honest, and thoughtful.”

  “And one of the best-looking things I’ve ever seen. Here’s to lust, love, and laughter in all their permutations.” She held up her glass this time.

  Celeste walked over to clink her glass, then sat on the hassock of Fannie’s club chair. “I will forever owe you for taking me to Baltimore to watch a practice game.”

  Fairy knocked on the door, opened it, and joined them in the library, where Celeste informed her of Juts’s expulsion. Once that subject was exhausted, a meow attracted their attention.

  “Who is this?” Celeste rose to pick up a calico kitten.

  “A new friend.” Fannie smiled.

  “Did you bring this kitten in with you?” Celeste looked at Fairy.

  “She met me at the door. She’s a bit bedraggled.”

  The kitten meowed more.

  Celeste petted her. “She has many opinions, most of which involve food. All right, little one, come along.”

  The three trooped into the kitchen, where Celeste poured out water, set the bowl on the floor, and then put down another bowl with chicken bits, leftovers from Cora’s cooking. The kitten demolished this.

  “Poor little thing. How hungry.” Fairy knelt down to listen to the big purrs.

  Fannie sat at the kitchen table. “Celeste, our life is changing.”

  “Change is life, n’est-ce pas?”

  Fairy looked from the kitten to Celeste to Fannie. “You two are keeping something from me.”

  “No, we’re not.” Fannie loved her longtime friend, even if Fairy did everything just right. “I came by to toast Celeste, my ally against normality.”

  “Ah, but Fannie, what is normal but the average of deviance?” Celeste knelt down with Fairy to pick up the kitten, who promptly fell asleep in her lap.

  “She’s a harpy,” Louise said to Paul as the erect figure of Big Dimps walked in front of them, papers and books under her arm.

  South Runnymede High School was two blocks down Baltimore Street, convenient for Big Dimps, who lived a bit farther down the same street.

  “Some people are that way,” Paul noncommittally replied.

  Paul could sometimes take a brief lunch, so Louise, on her longer lunch hour, had walked to where he was working, painting the interior of Maude Ischatta’s house. She had brought sandwiches and a mug of coffee, for the day had turned cool, a light snow predicted for the night.

  Watching Big Dimps recede, Louise shivered a little.

  Paul opened the door to the Anson truck. “Let’s sit in here. Mr. Anson won’t mind, if you don’t mind the smell of paint.”

  “Don’t.”

  They snuggled together on the flat seat as she unwrapped the sandwiches and pulled out two linen napkins which she’d brought from the store.

  Devouring the food, Paul asked, “Juts change her mind?”

  “No. Momma’s upset. Celeste’s upset. Even General Pershing’s upset, I swear.”

  At the mention of the English setter, Paul smiled. “Dog’s smarter than we are.”

  “Oh, Celeste found a kitten or the kitten found her. A little calico. The cutest thing. Follows her everywhere. We named the kitten Glue because she sticks to Celeste like glue. She said that name wasn’t grand enough for such a pretty kitten but she’s given in. Calls her Glue, too. You know, Pearlie, I was surprised, but Celeste tried to talk Juts into doing her lessons.”

  “I expect Mrs. Rhodes will beat them into Dimps Jr.,” Paul drawled. “I’ve never met any woman so ambitious.”

  A hurt expression crossed Louise’s pretty face. “I’m ambitious. I don’t want to sit around.”

  He put his free arm around her; the other hand was holding the coffee. “I meant for her children. It’s good to want the best for your kids, but this is, I don’t know, something more. Suffocating, really.”

  “That doesn’t mean I feel sorry for Lottie or Dimps Jr.”

  “You know, Wheezie, you start out feeling sorry for people li
ke that but over time it wears off. Why can’t they stand up for themselves?”

  She shrugged, changed the subject. “Do you want children?”

  “Do you?” He wasn’t surprised at the question.

  Times were changing. Most young people assumed they would have children but others did not. The war had jangled many former assumptions about life. There were even people who said why bring children into such a cruel world.

  “I asked first.” Louise took the mug from him for a moment, sipped, then handed it back.

  Placing the mug on the floor of the truck, he smiled. “I don’t want them if you don’t.”

  Neither one had ever discussed a future. Louise thought a person should keep company with a fellow for a year and then make big decisions, but hearing this from him made her both happy and thoughtful.

  “Pearlie, really?”

  “I don’t want to spend time with anyone but you. Other girls seem silly to me. If you say you’re going to do something, you do it. You give your mother some of your salary. You try to keep Juts in line, and I’m telling you now, that will never work. She is going to do exactly what she wants.”

  Louise giggled. “She is the worst little sister in the world except when she’s being the best.” Then she thought a time. “Of course, I want children. I think every woman dreams of it, but you have to be ready. I’ve watched Momma. How hard she works and all for Juts and me. She was left with nothing, Pearlie, nothing. Pfttt.”

  He adored Cora. “Your mother has a big heart.”

  “I’ve seen my mother, tired to death, on her hands and knees scrubbing floors. She worked at the hardware store cleaning up until someone told Celeste what was going on. No one knew. Momma didn’t tell. She was so hurt and so ashamed. She thought people would think she was a bad wife and that’s why Poppa left.”

  His eyebrows shot upward. “She did?”

  “Pearlie, a lot of women think that. And a lot of women drink in secret, too, to get them through the day. Momma didn’t. Anyway, Celeste tore into the hardware store and cussed old Ted Hendricks for working Momma so hard. Well, the place was full of people and Celeste picked up a brand-new broom, passed it over the floor, then took a match to it and threw it at him. She yelled, ‘I’ve swept out Hell and burnt up the broom.’ Then she grabbed Momma by the wrist and took her to her house. Well, that was all over town in two minutes.”

  “How is it that they are close?”

  “Played together as children. Then Celeste’s parents sent her to that rich boarding school. I think Momma is one of the few people Celeste trusts. Momma, on the other hand, trusts everybody no matter what.” Louise smiled, then leaned on his shoulder. “Down deep I have that fear. I don’t want to be left and I don’t want to be poor.”

  “You aren’t going to be left and you aren’t going to be poor. You will own a nice house and you’ll be safe because you’ll be with me.”

  Her mouth dropped open.

  With conviction, Paul said, “There, I’ve said it.”

  “You mean married?”

  “Louise, will you marry me?”

  “We haven’t known one another very long.”

  He opened the door of the truck, got down on one knee, reached up to take her hand. “Will you marry me?”

  Tears filled her eyes. “Say you love me first.”

  “Of course I love you. Would I ask you to marry me if I didn’t?” Then he realized this was too logical for a woman. “I love you more than springtime. I love you bigger than the ocean. I love you more than good eggshell-white paint. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

  Summoning her courage, Louise replied, “Yes.”

  He rose, leaned over the seat to kiss her.

  “Aren’t you worried? That we haven’t known one another that long?”

  “Louise, I have been talking to a man and one second later he’s hit by a bullet, dead. I don’t need a thousand answers to a thousand questions. I’m alive. I’m here. I’ve met the most beautiful, wonderful woman any man can imagine and I want you for my wife. I’ll do my best. I’ll make mistakes, but no matter how stupid I may be, Louise, I will always love you. Together, we can do anything.”

  She drew back her shoulders, stared into his eyes. “We can. I need to tell Momma.”

  “We’ll both tell Momma. I’ll walk you to Celeste’s after work. We’re a team now.”

  —

  After both finished up work for the day and Louise was bundled up, they hurried around the square and nearly sprinted down Emmitsburg Pike. Opening the side door, they stepped into the warmth, glad to be there.

  Glue walked into the kitchen. Celeste followed.

  “Good evening, Miss Chalfonte,” said Paul.

  “Good evening, Paul. You look flushed. Cold again.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Is Momma here?” Louise stooped to pick up Glue.

  “Upstairs. She decided she doesn’t like the way the linen closet is organized. I might add, this is the third reorganization in as many months.” Celeste took Glue from Louise while she observed the two hurry out of the kitchen.

  “Momma!” Louise took the stairs two at a time.

  “Linen closet.” Cora stepped outside the voluminous closet. “You don’t happen to have Juts with you, do you?”

  “I think she’s at Ev’s. But I do have Pearlie.”

  “Mrs. Hunsenmeir.” He took a deep breath.

  Cora looked from one to the other. Louise was holding her breath.

  “Mrs. Hunsenmeir,” he began again, “I am here to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage.” As Paul spoke, Louise slowly exhaled.

  A big smile played over Cora’s worn face. She knew love when she saw it and she was not a woman hag-ridden by rules.

  “You have my blessing.”

  Louise screamed, “You’re the best mother in the world!”

  Cora hugged her and kissed her, then hugged Paul. “Welcome to the family. She’s my treasure.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I will take care of her.”

  Celeste, hearing a scream, called up from the foot of the stairs. “Cora, is everything all right?”

  Cora reached the landing to stand in front of the John Singer Sargent painting as the two young people stood on the step behind her, both a bit apprehensive.

  “Celeste, Paul had proposed to our Louise and he has properly asked me for her hand. I’ve given them my blessing.”

  Celeste, surprised and moved, replied, “Paul, you are a lucky man.”

  “I am.” He grinned, relieved.

  “Well, come on. This calls for champagne.”

  Once nestled in the library, Glue on Celeste’s lap, they toasted, listened as the fire crackled.

  Louise, back to herself, mentioned, “Momma, we want to wait a bit, we want to put aside money so we can rent an apartment.”

  “You do what you think best. You can stay with me if needs be,” Cora offered.

  “You’re crowded as it is. Juts in the house is like having two people; well, anyway, we talked about this on the way here. We think, subtracting our expenses, we might squeak by in six months.”

  “I can work weekends.” Paul really wanted to make money. “I need to buy a proper engagement ring.”

  “I don’t need a ring.” Louise wanted one but she wasn’t going to spend his money.

  “I have an idea.” Celeste rose, opened the rosewood humidor, pulled out a cigar, motioned to Paul to remove the band. He did, then knelt before Louise, slipping the cigar band on her left third finger. “Until I have money.”

  “I love the colors!” Louise giggled.

  The side door opened and closed. Footsteps rattled through the kitchen, then Juts appeared in the library doorway.

  “I’m here!” She noticed the champagne. “You-all are having a party. Ben showed me how to take a sip.”

  Celeste rose, putting Glue on her chair, poured Juts a sip, then returned to the chair and the cat.

  �
��Why is everyone quiet?”

  Louise, loving every minute of telling her sister her big news, said, “Paul has asked me for my hand.”

  “What about your foot?” Juts drained her little bit of champagne.

  Light snow created the illusion of a see-through veil. Juts met Ev a block away from school as it let out for the day.

  “Spring can’t make up its mind.” Ev burrowed her gloved hands into her coat pockets.

  “Where’re your books?” Juts asked.

  “Left them at home. Didn’t really need them. We finished Julius Caesar.” She wrinkled her nose. “Imagine being stabbed by people you thought were your friends? So today we took a test and then in art class we had to draw little vases with daffodils or pussy willows. I fell asleep in history so I don’t know much. Mr. Lundquist didn’t wake me up. Hey, want to go to Cadwalder’s? Dimps Jr. isn’t going to be there. Bill picked her up and they went off somewhere.”

  “Sure. Let’s go to Cadwalder’s.”

  Once inside, many of her friends there, Juts chatted with everyone. The Polish countess bringing messages from the dead was in the paper again. This time she was in Baltimore announcing that influenza would not appear again for seventy-five years but when it did, there would be more mass death.

  “She doesn’t believe in good news.” Ev leaned over Rick’s shoulder as he read the paper.

  Dick Yost squeezed next to Juts at the full table, and declared, “Juts, school’s no fun without you. You’re the one with ideas.”

  “True,” Betty Wilcox chimed in. “However, it is more fun without Dimps.”

  “Ev said Bill Whittier picked her up, so she’s back in school.” Juts’s eyebrows furrowed. “Not that I care. If her mother got her back in, fine with me.”

  “No, she’s not back. She met him outside of school,” Betty informed her.

  “So her mother won’t know,” said Richard. “Big Dimps doesn’t want him calling at the house.” He thought the whole thing silly.

  “And, you’ll love this, Lottie is seeing Yashew Gregorivitch,” Betty added with glee.

  “What!” Both Juts and Ev responded.

  “He bought a used truck from Mr. Van Dusen, is making money hauling stuff for Mr. Van Dusen and others. Who would have thought Yashew would get ahead?” Ev said what others were thinking. “He’s not but so smart.”