and start rattling around in his mouth. I touched his cheek gently and his face relaxed, ever so slightly. Chris was generally a very calm man, but sometimes his mother brought out the worst in him. I’d learned this over time when I heard him on the phone with her.
“Mother, do you realize you broke the law? You entered someone’s house without permission. They call that breaking and entering . And you involved our son.”
“No, son, I didn’t break into anything. The window was unlocked. Besides, the house is for sale. Of course they want people to look through it. Oh, and I want to go back in the daylight. The house was full of old furniture and stuff. It was fascinating. There was enough light coming through the window from a street light to get a feel for the place. And just like in a spooky old movie, there was a painting of a mean looking old man hanging on the wall. The light from the window hit it just right so it looked mysterious and exciting. And I could swear I wasn’t alone. Well, I couldn’t have been. Someone had to be carrying the candle I saw. I can’t wait to see what’s upstairs. There were lots of antiques in this place.”
“Did you mention antiques to Mikey?” I was thinking of his den of antiquities comment.
“I said old houses usually had at least some antiques in them.”
“If you went through a window, Mother, you were trespassing. Even if you’d gone through the door it would have been wrong.” Chris couldn’t seem to see he was fighting a losing battle, and he certainly didn’t care about antiques.
Judith turned to face me, tuning Chris out.
“I…” That’s as far as I got. I wasn’t sure what to say to her. She knew how much I loved antiques because we’d talked about them on the phone, and I knew how much I loved exploring.
“Yes, Pamela? Do you want to go with me?”
“No, she doesn’t,” Chris said.
“I, uh…” I glanced at Chris but I couldn’t meet his eyes. “Yeah, I kinda do.”
Chapter Three
“ What? ” Chris was surprised to find out I wanted to see the old house and the volume of his voice spoke of a possible spirited discussion in our immediate future. “You can’t be serious. You wouldn’t go back there with my mother. Would you?”
“People are looking, Bogey Man. You might want to lower your voice.” I knew he wouldn’t want to upset the customers.
“You wouldn’t go with her, would you?” His voice was softer, but the irritation and surprise were still there.
“She’s your mother. I can’t tell her no, and I can’t let her go by herself. Would you let her go back by herself?”
He rocked back on his heels and pulled on his earlobe, but he didn’t answer me.
“I thought not.”
“Let’s move this discussion to the office,” he said stiffly.
“Mikey’s waiting in the office.” I knew he wouldn’t want to talk in front of Mikey. I was cookin’ with gas. I had an answer for everything.
Chris stood up and mumbled something about dizzy broads , and walked over to the bar. His father shrugged his shoulders and followed him. I knew Chris had finally asked for nerve tonic when I saw Daniel, the bartender, slide two beers across the bar to Chris and his father.
“I’ve told him not to use words like broad ,” I said apologetically, “but he argues it’s a term they used back in the forties. Well, I know they did, but times and slang have changed. It doesn’t really bother me, but he should show you some respect, Mom.”
“Oh, I know how he likes to use old slang. Don’t worry about it. In my own way, I probably am a dizzy broad. But as long as Chris Sr. puts up with me, I’m not going to worry about it.” She seemed to think things over for a moment. “Actually, it might be my fault, at least in part. When Junior realized he looked like Humphrey Bogart, I encouraged him to talk like Bogey. His father and I thought it was kind of cute.”
“Uh huh.
“Mother, do you realize you broke the law? You entered someone’s house without permission. They call that breaking and entering . And you involved our son.”
“No, son, I didn’t break into anything. The window was unlocked. Besides, the house is for sale. Of course they want people to look through it. Oh, and I want to go back in the daylight. The house was full of old furniture and stuff. It was fascinating. There was enough light coming through the window from a street light to get a feel for the place. And just like in a spooky old movie, there was a painting of a mean looking old man hanging on the wall. The light from the window hit it just right so it looked mysterious and exciting. And I could swear I wasn’t alone. Well, I couldn’t have been. Someone had to be carrying the candle I saw. I can’t wait to see what’s upstairs. There were lots of antiques in this place.”
“Did you mention antiques to Mikey?” I was thinking of his den of antiquities comment.
“I said old houses usually had at least some antiques in them.”
“If you went through a window, Mother, you were trespassing. Even if you’d gone through the door it would have been wrong.” Chris couldn’t seem to see he was fighting a losing battle, and he certainly didn’t care about antiques.
Judith turned to face me, tuning Chris out.
“I…” That’s as far as I got. I wasn’t sure what to say to her. She knew how much I loved antiques because we’d talked about them on the phone, and I knew how much I loved exploring.
“Yes, Pamela? Do you want to go with me?”
“No, she doesn’t,” Chris said.
“I, uh…” I glanced at Chris but I couldn’t meet his eyes. “Yeah, I kinda do.”
Chapter Three
“ What? ” Chris was surprised to find out I wanted to see the old house and the volume of his voice spoke of a possible spirited discussion in our immediate future. “You can’t be serious. You wouldn’t go back there with my mother. Would you?”
“People are looking, Bogey Man. You might want to lower your voice.” I knew he wouldn’t want to upset the customers.
“You wouldn’t go with her, would you?” His voice was softer, but the irritation and surprise were still there.
“She’s your mother. I can’t tell her no, and I can’t let her go by herself. Would you let her go back by herself?”
He rocked back on his heels and pulled on his earlobe, but he didn’t answer me.
“I thought not.”
“Let’s move this discussion to the office,” he said stiffly.
“Mikey’s waiting in the office.” I knew he wouldn’t want to talk in front of Mikey. I was cookin’ with gas. I had an answer for everything.
Chris stood up and mumbled something about dizzy broads , and walked over to the bar. His father shrugged his shoulders and followed him. I knew Chris had finally asked for nerve tonic when I saw Daniel, the bartender, slide two beers across the bar to Chris and his father.
“I’ve told him not to use words like broad ,” I said apologetically, “but he argues it’s a term they used back in the forties. Well, I know they did, but times and slang have changed. It doesn’t really bother me, but he should show you some respect, Mom.”
“Oh, I know how he likes to use old slang. Don’t worry about it. In my own way, I probably am a dizzy broad. But as long as Chris Sr. puts up with me, I’m not going to worry about it.” She seemed to think things over for a moment. “Actually, it might be my fault, at least in part. When Junior realized he looked like Humphrey Bogart, I encouraged him to talk like Bogey. His father and I thought it was kind of cute.”
“Uh huh.
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