"Oh, here's my Sleeping Beauty clock," I said, showing it to her. Now I can set my alarm myself."
I continued to take things out of the carton. There was more of my clothing, blouses, skirts, socks and a pair of sandals, too, but the most surprising thing of all was the book Ian had bought me. I Was a Girl and Now I Am a Woman. How had it gotten back to the mansion? I had left it in the cabin in the Poconos when Grandmother Emma had taken Ian and me home so my parents could meet there alone and discuss their problems. I was sure Grandmother Emma would be very angry if she found out that Nancy had sent my book along with the other things.
"Let me see that," Alanis said and plucked it out of my hands. "This the book you said your brother gave you?"
"Yes."
She started to flip through it and then stopped and smiled.
"This could be fun to read. Look at this chapter," she said, turning it to me. 'Female Pleasure Zones, Knowing Your Own Body.' I like the idea of that. You read this chapter?'
"Not yet."
"Well, we'll read it together," she said, sitting with her back to the bed. However, she began by reading to herself. While she did. I began to put away my clothing and set my pictures up on the dresser and on the desk.
"Damn." she said, looking up at me. "I never knew reading could be this much fun. There's lots of stuff here I never knew and can't wait to try," she added. "I'll have to thank your brother when we see him."
"See Ian? Do you think we ever will?"
"You just find out where he is." she said, her eyes narrow with determination. We can do anything. You saw that already. No one's gonna stop us."
She returned quickly to the book.
Maybe she was right. Maybe we could visit Ian. After all. Ian had gotten him and me in to see our mother all by ourselves. Alanis wasn't anywhere as smart as Ian, but she seemed to know how to get things done.
"Here's a word I heard but never knew what it meant: erogenous. We have erogenous zones." She looked up at me, her eyes wide as she smiled, "It says here there's nothing wrong with experimenting with your own body to learn about yourself, I didn't need a book to tell me that, but the school nurse never mentioned any of this in that health class I had to take. You know what?" sh
e said.
"What?"
"We'll form our own health class, a secret club, and call it the Erogenous Club. Just us. After I read all this. I'll be like the teacher. too,"
She thought a moment, looked at the page she was reading, which had an illustration on it I didn't understand, and then nodded at my bedroom door.
"Close the door." she said in a hoarse whisper. "We can't take the chance of even your great-aunt overhearing us. We don't tell anyone else about your book. okay?"
"Okay." I said and closed the door.
"This is the biggest secret we'll have. Jordan. You swear you won't tell anyone.."
"About what?"
"The book, the club!"
"Okay." I said, although in my heart of hearts, I wasn't sure Ian would approve. Then I had an idea why Ian would approve. "I won't tell if we call it the Erogenous Project instead of the Erogenous Club."
"Good idea," she said. "Makes it sound scientific and makes me sound more like a teacher. too. Good." She waved me off. "Don't bother me for a while." she added. 'I've got a lot to read, and usually I hate to read."
Like someone starving, she attacked the words and the pages while I sat looking at my pictures of my mother, father and Ian and wondering where and when we would find ourselves doing the simplest things together again, like sharing a dinner or riding in a car. At the moment. as I watched Alanis reading excitedly. I thought going back to the way things once were was as hard as being reborn.
11 Tadpoles
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"I just got another great idea." Alanis said, sitting there on the floor by my bed and looking around my room. She nodded. "A really great one.'
"What?"