November 22 1963 by Braver Adam

Author:Braver, Adam [Braver, Adam]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780982053997
Publisher: Tin House Books
Published: 2008-11-01T05:00:00+00:00

MRS. KENNEDY IS COMING BACK

WE PASS EACH OTHER IN WHISPERS. The White House halls are quiet. The kitchens are quiet. The lights are dimmed. We are all quiet, passing each other in whispers. Miss Shaw says she doesn’t think the children should have to see the casket in the East Room, once it finally arrives. “Well how you going to do that?” William asks. “Mrs. Kennedy won’t allow for that.” And Miss Shaw says, “I’m only saying what I think. It’s just my opinion.” She keeps walking. Miss Shaw has the children to attend to.

We don’t know if she’s even told them yet. We don’t even know how you tell children such a thing. And there isn’t one of us who doesn’t pity Miss Shaw the responsibility, but we all are thankful that it wasn’t us that got the call. It was Wade who’d said he might have quit if he’d been asked. “Charged,” Lucinda said. “Charged. You wouldn’t be asked. You’d be charged.”

“Well, I don’t know that I could follow through with it, is all I’m saying. Charged or asked.”

“Then you’d have to go. Insubordination.”

“I just don’t know how you tell that to a five-year-old girl and a two-year-old boy.”

“Three,” Lucinda said. “Three years old the boy is, for all practical purposes. He’s got a birthday just days away.”

Wade said, “Now don’t get mad at me now, Lucinda. I just can’t imagine it. Can’t imagine I could ever handle it. That’s all I’m saying.”

“Well, it’s a good thing you’re a butler, then.”

“Now don’t you get mad at me, Lucinda. Don’t get mad at me now.”

But we’re all a little bit mad now. Upset. Paralyzed. Double-checking things like the weather, the clocks, each other. Making sure that this is real. And, swear to God, if we weren’t seeing each other’s expressions, none of us would believe this was true. That’s when we start getting mad. As if the confirmation is the cause. Not some crazy man across the country. But we can’t get mad at Miss Shaw. She’s doing what none of us ever could. That poor woman must be sick with anticipation. Just waiting. Waiting. We’re all waiting. In a big old empty house. Just waiting. In whispers.

Someone asks when Mrs. Kennedy is coming back. None of us knows, but William says the ushers are decorating the East Room. He doesn’t say what for. He doesn’t need to. But the word is she’ll be coming home when that’s ready. Wilma says she’s nervous about seeing Mrs. Kennedy. That she’s afraid she’ll lose her composure in front of the first lady, and she’ll be so embarrassed because she knows she’ll have no right to grieve harder than the widow.

William says, “No offense, Wilma, but it’s not as if she’ll know you. I mean, no offense to all of you if you think she’ll be looking for you. Or even knowing who you are, for that matter.”

Most of us do take offense at that comment, and we say so. We may not know much about much right now, but we do know that Mrs.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.