"It's about time," Jennifer said. "I'm starving. I got the table set for you."
I put down the bowl and looked at the plates and silverware.
"Forks are on the wrong side," I said, and winked at William, who gave me a small smile. Then I returned to the kitchen before Jennifer could offer a smart reply.
It was another dinner with Uncle Reuben pronouncing his opinions about women and young people. The world was out of control. Values were being destroyed, and the fabric of the country was being torn apart. It was all the fault of women who wanted too much and children who weren't
disciplined properly. No one contradicted him. I tried to drown him out with my own thoughts, but he bellowed and knocked on the table when he wanted to force home his conclusions.
All Aunt Clara could say was, "Don't excite yourself when you're eating, Reuben."
I hurried to clean up afterward. As usual, Jennifer just rose and went upstairs, not even bringing her own plate to the sink. I saw that William wanted to help, but he was afraid of angering his father, who had just finished d
eclaring that women were getting men to do their work and that was one of the things wrong with this country.
After my chores, I went to my room to start my homework. I could hear Jennifer in the living room watching television with Uncle Reuben and Aunt Clara. Her laughter sounded loud and obnoxious to me. Why didn't they ask her about her schoolwork? I wondered. I heard the phone ring, and a few minutes later, my door was thrust open.
Uncle Reuben stood there gaping in at me. "What?" I asked, turning from my small table.
"Where'd you go before?" he asked, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him "Huh?"
"I told you. I went for a walk," I said.
"That's a lie. You went to the Dunsen house, didn't you?"
"I saw Clarence, and he wanted to show me his room in the basement," I said.
Uncle Reuben smiled coldly and shook his head. "You know that boy's retarded."
"He's not retarded. He just has a speech problem," I said.
"It's easier to take advantage of someone like that. What were you trying to do, seduce him9"
"No!" I cried. "Leave me alone."
"I got to get a call from one of the men who works under me gloating that he caught you with his stepson? I got to get that call? What are you doing to our reputation in the neighborhood?"
I turned away, the tears coming so fast and hard I couldn't stop them this time. I wasn't the one who was fooling around with boys, and yet I was getting accused!
"Looks like you need more than one lesson, and more than one lesson you're going to get," he said, and pulled off his belt. "Get on that bed."
"No. Leave me alone!" I cried.
"If you get on it yourself, I'll only give you six whacks. If you make me do it, it's ten," he said. He hovered between me and the door. I could never get around him "Well? Which will it be?"
"I didn't do anything wrong," I moaned. "Please."
"Looks like ten," he said, moving toward me.
"No," I cried, holding up my hands. I got up and backed toward the bed.
"Reuben, what's going on in there?" I heard Aunt Clara ask.
"Just keep out of this, Clara, or it will go down harder for everyone," he shouted. He turned to me. I couldn't stop sobbing. I didn't want to be hit once, much less ten times. What could I do?
I went to the bed.
"Lower 'em," he ordered.