In the Unlikely Event

Later, she remembered the way his hand had felt, warm and strong. My father, she thought. That asshole was my father. She reminded herself not to like him. Reminded herself he’d abandoned Rusty before she was even born. She didn’t know if it happened that way, but she assumed it had. He planted the seed, then he flew the coop. She vaguely remembered Rusty telling her that when she was small and asking about her daddy. She had no idea what it meant at the time. She’d imagined a chicken sitting on an egg. Now she heard Irene’s voice in her head. You can’t trust the Monskys. And it was true, wasn’t it? Frekki had tricked her. And who was this guy who called himself her “father,” really? He could be anybody. His stories could all be invented. No, she would not allow herself to like him.

—

RUSTY AND IRENE WANTED to hear about her day with Frekki. She told them about the restaurant, the show, ice cream at Gruning’s. But she didn’t mention Mike Monsky. Seeing him was her latest secret.

Elizabeth Daily Post

“PARK AND SPARK”

JAN. 31—In this so-called “modern age” of the hot rod and snazzy car, the problem of teenagers parking seems to be a big one for parents. But a smart girl will realize that if her popularity hinges on “park and spark” it will be short-lived. There’s a price to be paid for free and easy necking. Girls know what a horrible nightmare a girl with a bad reputation must live through.

18

Christina

Christina wasn’t thrilled about going on a double date with Mason and Miri. But Jack wanted to do this for his brother, so she would do her best to make sure a good time was had by all. It wasn’t that she didn’t like spending time with Mason and she had nothing against Miri, though she knew her only from Dr. O’s office and as Natalie’s friend. It was about not wanting to give up her time alone with Jack. She’d missed her chance last night because she’d had to go with her family to an engagement party for her least favorite of the cousins who worked at Three Brothers.

There would be no time to go to Jack’s room tonight, something she’d been doing lately. Jack wasn’t allowed to have overnight guests, wasn’t allowed to entertain women in his room, so he had to sneak her in, which wasn’t that hard. Mrs. O’Malley knew her now, and understood she wasn’t Jack’s sister. But she also knew Christina was a good girl from a good family and that Jack was not going to take advantage of her so she was willing to look the other way if she caught a glimpse of Christina going up the stairs. It wasn’t as easy with Christina’s mother. If Christina was unable to be home by 11:30 p.m., she had to call and explain why. And it had better be a good excuse, like a snowstorm, something Mama could see for herself. As far as Mama knew, she was going to the movies with a group of friends tonight, which was almost the truth. She didn’t add that the movie was playing in Newark or that it was The Thing, which they’d missed when it first came out last spring.

Miri

“What’s going on?” Rusty asked Miri. “Why are you dressing up?”

“Mom, I told you I’m going on a double date tonight.”

“On a Sunday?”

“Yes, because Mason had to work late last night. We’re going with Christina and Jack.”

“Who are they?”

“Mason’s brother, Jack. And Christina from Dr. O’s office.”

“Christina goes with Mason’s brother?”

“Yes, Jack McKittrick.” Why couldn’t Rusty keep any of this straight?

“How old is Jack?”

“I don’t know. Maybe twenty-one or twenty-two.”

“I don’t want you going out with someone that old!”

“Mom…Christina and Jack are the chaperones. You know Christina from Dr. O’s office.”

“She seems like a responsible girl,” Rusty said, more to herself than to Miri.

“Yes.”

“Daisy says good things about her.”

“See? And she’s going to work for Dr. O full-time next year.”

“Where are you going…that is, if I give you permission to go.”

“To see The Thing.” Here it comes, Miri thought, bracing herself.

“The Thing? I don’t want you to see that movie. It’s a horror movie. You won’t sleep for a week.”

She could have said, It can’t be anywhere near as scary as the real things I’ve seen, but she didn’t. Rusty had the power to send her to her room and keep her there. Instead, she argued, “Mom, please. It’s just a movie. It came out last year. It’s science fiction. Everyone at school has seen it, even the teachers.” This last part was a stretch.

“I’ll bet Christina would choose a different movie.”

“Yeah, some love story, probably. You want me to see that kind of movie with Mason?”

“No, I do not!”

Miri decided to change the subject. “And then we’ll probably stop for burgers.”

“Not at the White Castle. They serve horse meat.”

“That’s just something Nana said to scare you when you were young.”

“No, it’s the truth. During the war they used horse meat.”

“Well, the war is over.” What happened to happy-go-lucky Rusty from last weekend?

“Korea isn’t over.”

“That doesn’t mean they still serve horse meat.” An image of Natalie at summer camp, astride a sleek black horse, popped into her head.

“No burgers at the White Castle,” Rusty said. “Do you understand?”

“Okay. No burgers at the White Castle.”

“How are you getting there?”

“Jack has a truck. He’s a very safe driver.”

“How do you know?”

“Because he uses it to get to work. He’s an electrician. Christina says he’s the best.”

“Ha—she’s no judge if she’s in love. You tell him you’re my only child.”

“He knows.”

“How does he know?”

What was this, the Spanish Inquisition? “Okay, I’ll tell him.”

“And I want you home by ten. It’s a school night, after all. And get all your homework done first.”

“I’m almost done with my homework.”

Something was making Rusty act crazy tonight. Maybe she was getting her period. Maybe she had a spirit living inside her, too, like Natalie. Maybe it was only a matter of time before the dead moved into all their bodies.

Rusty came in for a hug. Surrounded by her familiar Mom scent, Miri thought, There’s so much I wish I could tell you, Mom, but I can’t.

—

THE MOVIE WASN’T as bad or as scary as she’d thought. After, at the White Castle, Miri ordered only fries and a Coke, while the others ate hamburgers. She didn’t warn them about eating horse meat. They’d laugh at her, she knew, so she explained that she wasn’t that hungry, probably because of the roast chicken Irene had served for Sunday dinner. Jack picked up the check for all of them.

Jack was proud of his ’48 Dodge panel truck, keeping it clean and in good shape, his equipment stored in fitted wooden boxes. Miri and Mason sat on a little rug on the floor in the back and necked on the way home, sometimes falling over when the truck took a turn, making them laugh. Once, Christina slid open the little window between the front and back to look in on them. “What’s going on? Are you two okay?”

“We’re fine,” they said at the same time.

“You’re sitting up?” Christina asked.

“Like soldiers in a row,” Mason said, tightening his fingers around Miri’s.

—

JACK AND CHRISTINA DROPPED Mason and Miri off at her house. It was too cold to sit outside on the steps so they crept down to the basement, something they’d done a couple of times before. It was dark and dank even though Henry had painted the walls and the floor in a pale blue color and the oil burner kept it warm. A single bulb on a pull string gave them light. Piles of cartons were neatly stacked, along with summer furniture for the porch. They sat together on a beach chair until it collapsed, sending them both to the concrete floor, laughing. After that, they unwound a summer rug and lay down on it. The sisal was itchy but it would have been a lot itchier if they weren’t fully dressed. They had to be very quiet. Had to whisper. Miri wasn’t sure what would happen if they were discovered. Henry would probably be okay with it, and Irene never came to the basement. But Rusty—she never knew with Rusty.

“Let’s play Trust,” Mason said.

“How do you play?”

“You’ve never played Trust?”

“No. I’ve never even heard of it. Is it a board game?”

He took her hand and smiled. “You tell me something you’ve never told anyone else. Then I tell you.”

“You tell me first,” Miri said.

He turned toward her, propping himself up on an elbow. “My mom…” he began.

He’d never told her anything about his parents. He’d never mentioned either one of them except to say the kaleidoscope had been his mother’s. She figured they were dead or he wouldn’t be living at Janet Memorial Home.

“My mom,” he began again, “she took off after my dad slugged her so hard he knocked out her front teeth and broke her nose and cheekbone. She said next time he’d kill her. ‘I’ll come back for you, Mason,’ she promised the night she came to my room holding a small suitcase. ‘I’ll come back for you and we’ll go away together.’ I was eleven and I believed her. Instead they found her on the railroad tracks the next day. She either fell or jumped and the train rolled over her. At the time, nobody bothered to tell me. Easier if I didn’t know, they thought. Jack finally told me. He said it was an accident but I think she jumped.”