Later the Same Day by Grace Paley

Author:Grace Paley
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781466884090
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Ruthy and Edie

One day in the Bronx two small girls named Edie and Ruthy were sitting on the stoop steps. They were talking about the real world of boys. Because of this, they kept their skirts pulled tight around their knees. A gang of boys who lived across the street spent at least one hour of every Saturday afternoon pulling up girls’ dresses. They needed to see the color of a girl’s underpants in order to scream outside the candy store, Edie wears pink panties.

Ruthy said, anyway, she liked to play with those boys. They did more things. Edie said she hated to play with them. They hit and picked up her skirt. Ruthy agreed. It was wrong of them to do this. But, she said, they ran around the block a lot, had races, and played war on the corner. Edie said it wasn’t that good.

Ruthy said, Another thing, Edie, you could be a soldier if you’re a boy.

So? What’s so good about that?

Well, you could fight for your country.

Edie said, I don’t want to.

What? Edie! Ruthy was a big reader and most interesting reading was about bravery—for instance Roland’s Horn at Roncevaux. Her father had been brave and there was often a lot of discussion about this at suppertime. In fact, he sometimes modestly said, Yes, I suppose I was brave in those days. And so was your mother, he added. Then Ruthy’s mother put his boiled egg in front of him where he could see it. Reading about Roland, Ruthy learned that if a country wanted to last, it would require a great deal of bravery. She nearly cried with pity when she thought of Edie and the United States of America.

You don’t want to? she asked.

No.

Why, Edie, why?

I don’t feel like.

Why, Edie? How come?

You always start hollering if I don’t do what you tell me. I don’t always have to say what you tell me. I can say whatever I like.

Yeah, but if you love your country you have to go fight for it. How come you don’t want to? Even if you get killed, it’s worth it.

Edie said, I don’t want to leave my mother.

Your mother? You must be a baby. Your mother?

Edie pulled her skirt very tight over her knees. I don’t like it when I don’t see her a long time. Like when she went to Springfield to my uncle. I don’t like it.

Oh boy! said Ruthy. Oh boy! What a baby! She stood up. She wanted to go away. She just wanted to jump from the top step, run down to the corner, and wrestle with someone. She said, You know, Edie, this is my stoop.

Edie didn’t budge. She leaned her chin on her knees and felt sad. She was a big reader too, but she liked The Bobbsey Twins or Honey Bunch at the Seashore. She loved that nice family life. She tried to live it in the three rooms on the fourth floor. Sometimes she called her father Dad, or even Father, which surprised him.

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