Minding Ben by Victoria Brown

Author:Victoria Brown
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Hyperion
Published: 2011-06-22T09:14:10+00:00

Chapter 22

This year Easter would coincide with Passover, with the first night of the Jewish holiday falling on Good Friday. It was the Tuesday before the holidays, and spring rains had been forecast for most of the week. Except for our daily dose of fresh air, Ben and I spent most of the time indoors, watching Pooh videos and building castles.

“Grace, can you get the phone? I’m trying to rest,” Miriam called out to me.

I hadn’t even heard it ring.

“Hello, Grace. How are you, my darling? How’s Ben? Big Ben misses him terribly.”

“Hello, Ettie. I’m fine, thank you. Ben’s good.” I looked over to Ben. “Hey, buddy, Nana’s on the phone. Come say hi.”

“No, Grace.” He wouldn’t take his eyes off Pooh and Tigger. “Tell Nana I’m watching Winnie the Pooh.”

“Hi, Ettie. I don’t think he wants to stop watching his movie right now.”

“That’s okay, darling. Is Miriam home yet?”

“She’s resting.”

“Oh, she won’t mind talking to me.”

Miriam lay propped up in her darkened room reading the same romance novel I had started the other day.

“Ettie.”

Miriam dog-eared her page and lifted the phone next to her bed. I turned to leave.

“Just a second, Ettie,” Miriam said. “Grace, give me the other phone too. And close my door all the way.”

I did as she said and went back into Ben’s room.

“Grace, you missed the best part.”

“I did? Tell me about it.” I sat on the floor next to his little furry chair.

Ben shook his head. “Uh-uh. Shhh, Grace.”

I shhhed and, restless, got up to stand by the window. The rain was steady and gray, but I could still see the bright new leaves on the trees in Union Square. Those vendors who had bothered to come to the market had already packed up, and the tops of umbrellas wove in and out. At home I loved the unexpected showers that came in the blazing dry season, sizzling the hot pitch and drumming the galvanized roofs. When we were younger, Helen and I had fled outside at the first few drops, shedding clothes and inhaling the burnt tar smell. We got soaked quickly, before our mother could start on number sixteen of her hundred and one ways to catch cold.

Miriam came in. “Grace, can I talk to you for a minute in my room?”

“Shhh, Mommy.” Ben put his finger to his lips.

Miriam put up her hands. “Sorry, mister.”

She sat on the bed. “I need you to work through Saturday night and take next Monday off instead.”

I was about to agree but then remembered Sylvia. “I have to talk to my cousin first. She might need me.”

“Can you call her now? I need to know as soon as possible.”

I left the room, not wanting to talk in front of Miriam. When I made the call, Micky answered. “Ma! Grace on the phone.”

“What?” Sylvia picked up in the middle of a coughing fit.

“You need to stop smoking them cigarettes, Sylvia. Them things going to kill you dead.”

“Grace, shut your ass before you put goat mouth on me please.

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