"I'll disturb more than that if you don't get in here and eat your supper. And give me my towel back."
Reluctantly, Nickel plodded toward the house. "She interrupted. I bet if Mom hadn't called us in, that barn door would have swung wide open."
"You really think so?" David's voice rose.
"Sure, I can do anything."
Once they were inside the house, Juts put the milk on the table.
Extra Billy and his older son, OdeRuss, were working down at Fannie's fixing the shutters. Billy took odd jobs. He was too abrasive to hold down a position at any of the Rife factories. Extra Billy got fired as easily as other people got colds. These days he picked up whatever work he could. Fannie employed him as often as she was able. She and Extra Billy shared a hatred for the Rifes in general and Napoleon Rife in general. Napoleon commanded workers while Julius took care of all national and international deals. Pole brought in outsiders, threw up shanties and tied the poor bastards into the company for life. To spite the south side of town he focused all his "improvements" on the Pennsylvania side. Fannie put on her war paint and daily wrote scathing columns for both the Clarion and the Trumpet. Sans Souci had been running large ads in both papers since the great crash of '29, so they gladly printed her columns. Of course, Napoleon put pressure on them, but the editors were flinty men themselves and stoutly defended freedom of the press. Fannie knew that though she could never run the Rifes out of town, at least she could try to clean up their slums. It was part of Napoleon's cunning to bring in disadvantaged groups who were unaccustomed to fighting for their rights, as Fannie advocated. He underpaid them as well. When Fannie discovered she couldn't rouse the workers, she turned to the remaining aristocrats and harped on their sense of noblesse oblige. Demands were being made about improving living conditions and Pole was fit to be tied.
The kitchen poured out smells of corn on the cob, mashed potatoes and chicken.
"Nickel, you haven't touched your mashed potatoes," Julia said in her mother voice.
Smash. Nickel slapped her hand right into the goo. Potatoes oozed between her fingers. David froze.
"You little shit." Juts collared her. "Now clean up this mess and do all the dishes before you go outside."
"All right, all right." Nickel agreed since Julia dangled her in the air.
"Damn you, showoff. David wasn't impressed." Julia glowered at David. "Were you?"
"No, Auntie Juts."
She cleared the table and did the dishes under the watchful eye of Juts. David sat at the table and did sums.
"I'm done."
"Not so fast, young lady. I want to inspect these dishes." Juts carefully searched each one for a speck. "Not bad. Go on—get out of here."
The two children raced for the door.
"Mother, we're going down to help Uncle Billy."
"All right."
As they skipped along the dirt road, Julia had to laugh.
David held Nickel's hand while they skipped. He was a solemn-faced little boy without much initiative, but he was as loyal as a dog. OdeRuss was four years older, so he wasn't very close to his brother. Nickel was his pal.
When Extra Billy and Mary would drop by Bumblebee Hill, Billy would teach Nickel judo and how to shoot a gun. Then he'd pit the kids against one another to see if they could think on their feet. It embarrassed him that Nickel had more grit than either of his boys, but the boys weren't cowards. He could at least be proud of that.
"Nickel?"
"Yeah?"
"Did you ever look under Blanche Bozana's desk?"
"No, she sits in the back of the room."
"You should look. She sticks all her boogers under her desk. Honest injun. Looks like a picture of the moon."
"Yuck." Nickel held her nose.
"Blanche is a real cootie."
"Yeah."
"A real boom-boom face." David enjoyed this.
"Yeah." Nickel put her hand above her eyes and observed Extra Billy and two large men gesticulating on Fannie's lawn. Napoleon Rife stood off to the side with a superior air. "David, look at that guy."
"Where?"
"Down there with your father. The bald one. He is the biggest thing I've seen that doesn't run on wheels."
David squinted. "Hey, let's get down there. Daddy looks mad."
They drew close enough to hear Billy snarl at the giant. "Man, you tear my ass with boredom."
The goon, hired by Napoleon to take care of the difficult types, socked Bill square in the middle. Napoleon had obviously decided to now intimidate anyone who helped Fannie Jump Creighton. Bill rolled over and felt a kick from the second goon. OdeRuss, barely fourteen, jumped the smaller man on the back.
David rushed in without a thought for himself and how small he was. He bit the huge man on the leg. The goon kicked him clear across Fannie's yard.
"You can't hurt my friend." Nickel went right for the monster, but Napoleon grabbed her by the shoulder with a viselike grip. "Julia Hunsenmeir's bastard brat, I see."
"Batshit," Nickel screamed. It was the worst thing she could think of. She squirmed but Pole held her tight.
David was crying over near Fannie's front door.
Extra Billy, smaller but quicker, remembered his marine training. The big man lunged for him and he threw him on the ground. As the heifer raised himself slowly, Bill kicked his teeth in. The smaller man still struggled with OdeRuss on his back. He moved for Bill but too slowly.
"Beat 'em, Uncle Billy. Beat 'em," Nickel shouted.
"Shut up, kid. I hear tell your father was a nigger." Napoleon smiled a slimy smile. He was a low-rent type who enjoyed calling Jews "kikes," Italians "Wops," along with the usual garden variety round of other racial slurs.
"Yeah. I'd rather be all nigger than part stupid like you." Nickel twisted and kicked him square in the balls. Pole bent over double and she crashed both fists on the back of his neck as Billy had taught her. She was too small to put him out of commission. Pole, enraged, dashed his fist into her face and broke her nose. Blood poured over her orange-striped T-shirt. Tears welled up in her eyes. Nickel was smart enough to know she couldn't take him, but she wasn't going to leave the fight. She picked up a rock out of the street and sliced it over his left eye. He bellowed like a bull.
Billy was holding his own with the big man, but every time that giant connected Bill thought his guts would fly out of his mouth.
Fannie, hearing the rumpus, burst through her front door and fired a volley in the air. This put an end to it.
"Napoleon Rife, get the hell off my lawn or I'll make Swiss cheese out of you."
The gunfire scared the combatants. Bill ran over and checked David. Pole called his men and sullenly left, holding his left eye. "Goddamned blueblood. I'll stop her one way or the other."
"Davy, you O.K.?" Nickel knelt down, oblivious to the blood gushing from her nose.
David smiled. His front teeth were forever gone.
Fannie leaned her rifle against the front door. "Come on, Bill, get in here. I'll take care of this. OdeRuss, how are you?"
"I'm O.K. He knocked the wind out of me."
"Good work, son." Bill clapped him on the back. Then he took a good look at Nickel. "Jesus H. Christ on a raft, girl."
Fannie patched them up and called Julia.
"Julia, you'd better come down here and tend to Nickel. I think her nose is broken."
"Is that damn kid scrapping again? Fannie, she has to fight her own battles and pay the penalty. She can just walk home by herself."
"Just a minute, Julia. This time she tangled with Napoleon Rife."
"What?"
"You heard me."
"God in heaven, Fannie. I'll be right down."
Europe until things cooled down. He cleverly tried to repair what fences he could, such as encouraging his middle management men to frequent Sans Souci with their wives. Fannie wouldn't let a Rife pass through the door, but she couldn't stop people whose only sin was working for him.
Bill and his sons were st
randed. Fannie took them in. She couldn't heal their sorrow, but she cared for their bodies.
Louise was hysterical. The doctors had to sedate her. Cora, Julia, Ramelle, Orrie, Ev and Maizie took turns sitting with her around the clock. They feared she'd take her own life. Chessy, Noe and Lionel watched over Pearlie as best they could. He was gruff about it, but during the day he'd find himself on the ladder, painting away, and he'd suddenly burst into sobs.
Bill Bitters vowed he'd kill Napoleon in good time, in good time.
October 31, 1955
All the kids were Halloweening. Mary stayed at home in the small rickety wooden house on the north side of the line. Bill hurried to finish up another piece of work, since Mary had been feeling poorly. She complained of pains deep down in her chest. The doctor prescribed medicine which made her drowsy. He hoped she'd be asleep but he was afraid children might play pranks on this night.
As he drove home he noticed a glow in the direction of his house. Then he heard the fire engine roaring behind him. A cold sweat bathed his thighs. He let the engine pass, then followed it. He arrived in time to see what was left of his house. Mary had burned to death in her sleep.
A routine inquiry was held. Bill knew Napoleon was behind it, although three witnesses proved he was in York at the time. The two goons never showed then-faces in Runnymede again.
Julius Rife was livid. He sent his brother away to Europe until things cooled down. He cleverly tried to repair what fences he could, such as encouraging his middle management men to frequent Sans Souci with their wives. Fannie wouldn't let a Rife pass through the door, but she couldn't stop people whose only sin was working for him.
Bill and his sons were stranded. Fannie took them in. She couldn't heal their sorrow, but she cared for their bodies.
Louise was hysterical. The doctors had to sedate her. Cora, Julia, Ramelle, Orrie, Ev and Maizie took turns sitting with her around the clock. They feared she'd take her own life. Chessy, Noe and Lionel watched over Pearlie as best they could. He was gruff about it, but during the day he'd find himself on the ladder, painting away, and he'd suddenly burst into sobs.
Bill Bitters vowed he'd kill Napoleon in good time, in good time.
April 12, 1956
"Come on, wake up." Cora gently rocked Nickel awake.
"Hmm."
"Come on. You said you wanted to see the sunrise with me."
"O.K." The child crawled out of bed, put on her clothes, brushed her teeth and bounded downstairs.
"Shh. Mom and Dad are still asleep." Cora put her finger to her lips.
"Sorry."
"Here, carry the blankets. I'll carry our breakfast."
"Where are we going?"
"To the top of the hill behind the house. Best view of the sunrise for miles." Cora trotted lightly toward the back door.
Birds called to one another as the two figures climbed the little hill. A silver band appeared in the east. Creatures could be heard running and a lone owl swooped overhead, gliding toward rest.
"Here. Now ain't this something?"
"Yeah, Gran. You know all the best places."
"See you put on red and yellow. You know what that means?"
"What?" Nickel's eyes gleamed with anticipation. She loved Cora, who was full of stories and fun.
"Red and yellow, catch a fellow."
Nickel looked down at her jacket and pants, half expecting forty boys to suddenly appear on the hill.
"Did you ever have a fellow?"
"I was married once. That's how I got your mother and Louise. He ran off and I then had a fellow named Aimes Rankin."
"Was he nice?" Nickel asked.
"He was a good man. Why, he was like a blade of grass busting up through the sidewalk. Special." Cora emphasized "special."
"Like Daddy?"
Cora stopped for a moment, then slowly replied, "In a way. Chessy is a fine man, too."
"Gran, how old are you?"
"Ill be seventy-three in the fall. I like to look ahead." Cora laughed.
"That's a lot, huh?"
"Yes, but Fannie Jump is ahead of me by six years. She was born in 1877 and I was born in 1883."
"I was born in 1944."
"I know. Years are your wealth, darlin'. I'm a rich woman." Cora reached in the basket for rolls and butter. "Here."
"Thanks. Gran, I try to think ahead, too. I am thinking about going to college when I'm grown up."
"That's wonderful. Put your money in your head. No one can ever take it from you then."
"That's what Mom says, too." Nickel gobbled a roll.
"That's my daughter."
"Me and Mom fight a lot." Nickel paused. "We're bullheaded. That's what Daddy says. I never fight with Daddy."
"She's a good mother. You listen to her."
Nickel's mouth twitched at the corner. "Yes, m'am. When she's right I'll listen."
"See, there you go again."
"Not me, Gran." Nickel hung her head and giggled.
"You'll go far, child. I can see that. If you put that bullheadedness in the right direction, nothing will stop you."
"I am going to go far. Just watch." Nickel's eyes blazed.
"I hope I'm here to see it, sweetheart."
"Gran, you'll live forever."
"Wouldn't mind that a bit. I sure hate to think of missing anything." Cora popped a roll in her mouth and put jam on another one.
Nickel peered intently at Cora. "Why did Aunt Mary have to die?"
"Only the good Lord knows that."
"How can he be good if he lets Aunt Mary die and Napoleon Rife live?"
"He knows things we don't, I guess."
"I don't believe that."
"What?" Cora held Nickel's hand for a minute.
"I don't believe in God."
"Child, don't say such things."
"You never see him. You can talk to him but he doesn't talk back and he lets Aunt Mary burn to a crisp and me get a bloody nose. There's no God."
"Nickel, someday you'll be in big trouble and then you'll discover the Lord or whatever is up there."
"I hope I live to see it." She mocked her grandmother.
"Here, smartypants, have a little peach."
"Aunt Louise goes to church every day now, you know?"
"Yes, I do know that. She was always inclined that way. Gives her comfort."
"Yeah, I don't mind if it gives her comfort, but she tries to drag me along with her."
"I can tell you she didn't appreciate you putting a goldfish in the holy-water font."
"Fish need baptism, too."
"You're a bag of beans, kid." Cora opened a thermos of hot tea. "Try to remember that Aunt Louise lost one of her daughters. That's a terrible thing, outliving your children. Parents expect their own to put them in the ground."
Nickel grew quiet. "I don't want to outlive Mom and Dad."
"You must, honey. That's life. You go on."
"Gran?"
"What?"
"You don't go to church."
"This here's my church." Cora pointed to the land. "You can't buy a sunrise. It's a gift."
"Yeah." Nickel, too, had caught her grandmother's deep love of nature.
"What'd you and David do yesterday?"
"We sat by the side of the road and counted Pontiacs."
"I declare."
"I won," Nickel proudly bragged.
"You watch over David. He's missing a few lights."
"You mean he's dumb?"
"No, I wouldn't say that. The boy's a little slow and now with his Momma gone he's sorrowful. You help him out."
"Yes, m'am." Nickel agreed. "Davy's good in a fight, though."
Cora swallowed some hot tea. "That hits the spot. Celeste Chalfonte used to get the best tea."
"I wish I could have met Celeste. Everyone talks about her."
"You got her birthday, you know."
"I know. What was she like?"
"First, she took your breath away when you looked at her. C
eleste and Ramelle were the two most beautiful women I ever laid eyes on."
"Tell me more about Celeste," Nickel pressed.
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