Maine: A Novel Part 14

aCan I get you a drink?a the scarecrow asked. Alice requested a gin and tonic with lime.

He made his way up to the bar and she grabbed Timmyas sleeve.

aHow could you?a she hissed.

aWhat are you talking about?a he said.

aHeas a dud!a aQuit being such a sn.o.b. Give him a chance, will ya?a Daniel returned a few minutes later with a gla.s.s of clear liquid on ice.

aThey were fresh out of limes,a he said. aOr should that be aout of fresh limesa?a Alice hated him at once. She took the gla.s.s from his hand and turned toward the others to let all of thema"especially Daniela"know that she wasnat interested.

aThese boys of ours are a bunch of real sore losers, Alice,a Daniel said with a laugh. She narrowed her eyes. He meant his own brother, too, but she certainly didnat appreciate his referring to her brothers that way.

aNever underestimate the power of the Crusaders,a he went on, beaming. aFifty-five to twelve, how does that feel, fellas? I bet it smarts, huh?a aThereas such a thing as an ungraceful winner, too, you know,a Alice said. She gulped down the gin.

aUh-oh,a Timmy said. aPay her no attention, Daniel. Sheas just sore with us.a aNo, no, sheas right,a Daniel said with a grin. aVery ungentlemanly of me.a aWell, I owe you a drink, I guess,a Timmy said.

aYou owe me more than that, but we can discuss it when your sisteras not around,a Daniel chuckled.

Alice emptied her gla.s.s. aTimothy, another G and T,a she said. aYou certainly owe me a drink too.a Timmy went to the bar and the other boys started talking about football.

Daniel turned to her. aSo, your brothers tell me you work in a law firm. That must be exciting.a aNot really.a aAww, come on. I think if it were my job Iad want to read all the files for the juicy scandals. Whoas suing who and all that.a She c.o.c.ked her head. She had never thought of that. It wasnat a half-bad idea.

aIam saving up to go to Paris when the war is over,a she said, which was almost the truth. aIam going to be a painter someday. Well, at least I want to.a aItas good to have a daydream,a he said. aThatas what my mother always told us.a She wanted to tell him this wasnat a stupid daydream, that someone had paid her for her work, but he kept talking: aIave been working as a trainer in the gun mount on my s.h.i.+p for six months. It gets dull sometimes, you know? Before that, I worked as a junior executive at an insurance company, and yes, it was as boring as it sounds. Iall have to go back to it someday. But I want to hit like Ted Williams. Thatas what I fantasize about to get me through. Iam always getting in trouble on the s.h.i.+p for my ghost batting.a He a.s.sumed the batteras position and swung an imaginary bat, right there in the middle of the club. aSay, did you hear about Ted Williamsas brother? Heas a drifter type, I guess, no good. Anyway, poor Ted buys a big brand-new house, fills it up with nice furnis.h.i.+ngs. And this brother of his comes to the house one day, backs a truck up to the front door, and steals all the furniture. He even took the was.h.i.+ng machine! He sold every last thing.a Alice stared blankly. She wanted to go home.

aGosh, Iam sorry,a he said. aI talk a lot when Iam nervous. May I say, you look beautiful.a He twisted his fingers around the cuffs of his sleeves. aYour brother said you were a looker, but, wow. How he ever saw fit to set a guy like me up with a girl like you, Iall never know.a My sentiments exactly, she thought, though she smiled back.

When Timmy returned, she drank the second gla.s.s of gin down quickly, and then another. She began to feel warm and light, swaying in place to the music. She hadnat had much to eat that daya"she never did before a datea"and she thought a bit tipsily that this Daniel wasnat really the sort of guy you needed to starve yourself for, but maybe he wasnat so bad.

He asked her to dance. It was a fast one, aDonat Sit Under the Apple Tree,a even better than the Glenn Miller version on the radio. She was pleasantly surprised to find that Daniel wasnat as clumsy as she might have imagined. He dipped her back and his big palm felt hot against her spine. He spun her and spun her until she began to feel dizzy. After a while, Alice grabbed his arm and said, aI need to sit down.a He took her hand and led her off the floor. Her brothers were gone by then, off to the movies to forget the pain of what they had seen at Fenway Park. Alice couldnat believe they would just up and leave her like that, but leave they had.

There were no empty seats at the bar. Daniel approached a bunch of men in air force uniforms cl.u.s.tered around the taps. He put a hand on one manas arm.

aHey, pal, do you mind giving up your seat to the lady?a The young man jumped to his feeta"he was tall, with jet-black hair and broad shoulders. She wished for a minute that Daniel Kelleher could somehow figure out a way to look like him.

aMy pleasure,a he said as he stood up, and Alice wanted to grab him and say that she wasnat with this guy, not really. She imagined how years later, theyad tell their friends the story of how theyad met while she was on some dreadful fix-up courtesy of her stupid brother, and then her real true love came along and offered up his chair.

But a moment later, the man was pulled off into the crowd. aCan I get you anything?a Daniel asked. aAnother drink? A gla.s.s of water?a She knew she ought to go for the water, or see if head like to sit down to dinner so she could get some food in her stomach, but Alice just said, aAnother gin sounds swell.a It was then, as he leaned forward to get the bartenderas attention, that Alice spotted her sister chatting with a beautifully dressed older woman. Maryas cheeks were flushed, and she wore an emerald green gown that Alice had never seen before. Had she been wearing it under her coat when she left the house that morning? Or had Henry given it to her today?

Mary was laughing at something the woman had said. Alice thought her sister looked like a member of high society, no different from her companion. The sight made her feel uneasy. A moment later, Mary looked up and their eyes met. She kissed the woman on the cheek, gesturing toward Alice. They parted ways, and Mary began moving through the crowd as the band switched gears and started to play a soft, slow song, one of Aliceas favorites, aMoonlight Serenade.a Halfway to where she stood, Mary pulled someone up from a table full of elegant men and women in fine attire: Henry. She whispered in his ear and he rose to his feet. They walked slowly toward the bar.

aThere you are!a Mary said when she reached her side. She embraced Alice, and Daniel looked up in surprise. aIave been looking all over for you. Where are the boys?a aThey went to the movies,a Alice said. aWhat are you doing here?a aYou told me to come. And it turned out some of Henryas friends were here already. With a table, as luck would have it.a She looked toward Daniel expectantly.

aThis is Timmyas friend,a Alice said.

aDaniel Kelleher,a Daniel said, extending his arm and shaking Henryas hand vigorously, like he was hammering a nail. aPleased to meet you, uha"a aHenry,a Henry said. aAnd this is Mary, of course.a aMy sister,a Alice said quickly.

aIave heard of you,a Mary said, without a hint of her old shyness.

aAll good, I hope,a Daniel replied.

aOh yes.a She turned to Alice and smiled. aNice dress.a aI know itas yours, Ia"a aNo, really, it looks lovely on you,a Mary said. aHave it.a The plain statement made Aliceas blood run hard and fast. How dare her sister speak to her that way, as if she were above her now? She tried to remember the Philippiansa"humility before all else.

Henry and Daniel leaned into a swarm of men trying to place their orders at the bar.

aIam having a heck of a time of it,a Daniel said, and Henry simply signaled to a bartender in a tuxedo and said, aCharles, can you help us out?a aAbsolutely, Mr. Winslow,a he said.

Daniel turned pink.

aHowas it going?a Mary asked Alice when they were alone.

Alice took a deep breath, trying to move past her bitter feelings.

aThe date is clearly a flop,a she said with a conciliatory smile. aThanks, boys.a Mary lowered her voice and looked over her shoulder, making sure Daniel couldnat hear. aHe doesnat seem so bad. Youare too hung up on looks.a aSo you admit heas ugly.a Mary smiled. aShh! No! A bit dishwatery, maybe.a aIam not exactly in the market for dishwater.a aFair enough.a Mary smiled. aItas true you two make a bit of an odd couple.a aI told him I wanted to be an artist and he laughed.a aWhat!a aMore or less. Heas probably right. It probably wonat ever happen.a Mary shook her head. aDid you tell him youave sold a painting?a aOh, donat be silly,a Alice said, though she was grateful to her sister for thinking that just then.

aYou look dynamite in that dress, by the way,a Mary said. aBetter than I ever did.a aHush,a Alice said.

The men returned with the drinks, and Mary and Daniel started a conversation about the navy, specifically about Timmyas lifelong obsession with playing pranks. According to Daniel, their brother had gotten socked in the face for shaving off a s.h.i.+pmateas left eyebrow when the fella was pa.s.sed out drunk.

aWhy not both eyebrows?a Mary asked.

As Daniel began to respond, Henry gently grabbed Aliceas wrist to get her attention.

aCan I tell you a secret, kiddo?a he whispered into her ear.

aSure,a she said.

aIam a bit intoxicated,a he said.

aMe too,a she said. aGreat secret.a aNo, no, thatas not it. The secret is that Iam going to ask your sister to marry me tomorrow at the beach. Iave got the ring right here.a He tapped his breast pocket and gave her a wink. aPicked it up this afternoon before I met her at the theater. Youare the only person who knows other than my sister. My father wants me to head up a branch of the company down in New York for a year or two, so weall likely be moving there after the wedding.a Alice forced out a smile and said that it was wonderful news. This was what she had wanted. But she felt herself filling up with angera"why should Mary have a love, a real love, and not her? Why should Mary be the one to go free and be a wealthy woman, living as she pleased, meeting all sorts of fascinating people? Alice had thought Henry would bring good fortune to them both, but perhaps that had been nave. Here she was with the dud to end all duds, and there was Mary, living like Isabella Stewart Gardner herself, off to New York for a new adventure.

Alice knew her rage and her stubbornness often burst from nowhere, but knowing didnat change it. A daydream, thatas what Daniel had said about her life. Maybe he was right. Alice felt like a fool.

aIam going to ask your dad for his permission in the morning while you and Mary are at church, which Iam not terribly excited about,a Henry went on. aIf you could try to keep her out a half hour longer than usual or so. Maybe go for breakfast.a aAbsolutely,a she said briskly. Then she turned to the others and said, aI have to go home now.a aWhat? No! You two should come downstairs and have a round with us,a Mary said. aItas not that late.a aSure!a Daniel said.

aNo thank you,a Alice said.

aOh, come on,a Mary said. aLet us buy you a drink.a aYouare acting a bit big for your britches,a Alice hissed at her sister, echoing their fatheras words of a few weeks earlier.

Mary frowned. aAm I?a With that, Alice felt guilty. What had her sister done to her, really?

aLetas go downstairs,a Mary said.

Down below was the Melody Lounge, a dim bar with booths along the wall, where Alice had allowed Martin McDonough to kiss her right out in the open one night over the summer, considering it her patriotic duty, since he would be heading to Germany the following day, though after a moment she had told him to stop.

Alice looked toward the table where Henry had been sitting. Naturally, her sister wouldnat deign to introduce her to their sophisticated friends. She saw that once Mary was formally a part of that world, Alice herself would be invisible to her. New York was hours away. Why hadnat Mary told her?

aI really canat,a she said. aIam going home now.a aOh, Alice!a Mary said.

Alice ignored her. She turned to Daniel. aPlease get my coat.a He looked crestfallen, but he did as she said.

She stood there with Mary and Henry in silence until he came back. Alice burned with embarra.s.sment when Mary caught sight of her own mink hanging on Danielas arm, though neither of them said a word about it.

Alice put the coat on. aSee you,a she said to them. She moved toward the exit without waiting for a reply. The crowd had grown even thicker now. Every table on the dine-and-dance floor was filled, and people stood in any empty corner or patch of s.p.a.ce. It was near impossible to move. Daniel followed close behind, careful not to lose her in the throng.

aYou should be nicer to your sister,a he said loudly, trying to be heard above the hubbub of voices and music and clinking gla.s.ses.

aYou donat know the first thing about it,a she said, pus.h.i.+ng past a group of men in heated conversation.

aNo, youare right. I donat,a he said. aSlow down, Iall walk you.a aWalk me? Iam all the way in Dorchester,a she said, still moving. aAnd anyway, I live with my parents and Iam a good girl, so forget whatever it is you had in mind.a She knew he had nothing of the sort in mind, but she was spoiling for a fight.

She went through the revolving door and he followed. Outside, the air was frigid. Alice pulled the fur coat tight around her waist.

aI meant Iad walk you to a taxi,a he said. aYouare bound and determined not to like me, arenat you, Alice Brennan?a She grinned with closed lips.

aIt was a pleasure meeting you,a he said. aIam sorry fora"well, Iam not quite sure what. I guess another date is out of the question.a aThatas right,a she said. Then, a little quieter, aSorry for spoiling your evening.a aYou didnat spoil anything,a he said. aThe nightas still young. Who knows? Maybe Iall go back in there and find myself a pretty girl to dance with.a aYou ought to,a she said.

He smiled goofily. aShoot, I hoped that would make you jealous.a Daniel raised his arm to hail a taxi for her. She looked at him and thought that she would probably never see him again and she didnat much care. She was eager to get home. But just as a cab pulled to the curb, Alice saw Mary coming out of the club.

Daniel didnat notice. He had opened the back door of the taxi and now stood there awkwardly, with his hand on the caras roof.

aYou take this one,a she said quickly. She didnat need him hanging about while she and Mary argued. aIall get the next one that comes along.a aNo, I insist,a he said.

aReally, look, thereas another pulling up now, and itas going in my direction.a aYou sure?a he asked.

Alice nodded. They said good night. She let him kiss her on the cheek. Then she watched him climb into the cab and ride off down Piedmont Street.

Mary was approaching. Alice held her breath.

aWhat got into you back there?a Mary asked when she reached her side. aWhy did you run off like that?a Alice just looked at her, without saying a word.

aLetas take a walk,a Mary said. aI need to talk to you.a aIam tired,a Alice said stubbornly. aI want to go home.a aIall come with you then,a Mary said.

aWhat about Henry? Youare going to just leave him inside?a aWeare here with other friends; heall be fine,a Mary said. aAnd anyway weare going to the beach tomorrow for some reason, even though itas freezing out. Itas where we had our first kiss.a Alice realized then why he had chosen to propose there. And while every bit of her said that she ought to be excited for Mary, she just felt numb.

aOh yes, your other friends,a Alice said. aI hope they didnat catch a glimpse of you talking to the likes of me.a aIs that what this is about?a Mary said. aFor heavenas sake, Alice, Iam terrified of those people. Most of them wouldnat save me from drowning if it meant their trousers might get damp.a Aliceas heart stung, to think of her sister that way.

aYou canat leave,a Mary said. aSomethingas happened. I need to talk to you.a aWhat is it?a Alice asked.

aHenry is moving to New York. He just told me tonighta"well, someone let the cat out of the bag at dinner. He looked really peeved and said wead discuss it tomorrow. Alice, I am so afraid that heas taking me to the beach to end it. I had this vision of you and me tonight, turning into those horrible old spinsters who live at home forever.a She hadnat seemed worried inside the club, but Mary had always been good at painting a rosy picture in mixed company.

Aliceas chest tightened. In the morning, Maryas bad dream would show itself to be a misunderstanding. Mary would get everything Alice herself had wished for. Those horrible old spinsters, she had said. Was that to be Aliceas fate?

She might have put her sister at ease, whispered that tomorrow Mary would get what she wanted most. But instead Alice said, aYou shouldnat have gone to bed with him.a The words were a sweet release as they came out of her mouth, but she instantly felt bad once shead said them.

Mary looked taken aback. She bit her lip and stood there in silence until Alice let out an involuntary s.h.i.+ver.

aYou must be cold,a Mary said. She reached into her purse, aHere, take my mittens.a aI have some,a Alice snapped. It was then that she realized she had left Maryas suede gloves sitting on the bar. ad.a.m.n it to h.e.l.l,a she said, before she had time to think. aI forgot them inside.a aWhich ones?a Mary said, in a tone that implied she already knew.

aThe gray suede.a aOh, Alice, theyare my favoritea"you know that. I saved up to buy them.a Alice knew she ought to feel guilty, but she didnat.

aGo get them, please,a Mary said.

aIam not going back into that crowd,a Alice said.

aQuit being willful, and go get them, and Iall hail us a cab.a aNo.a aAlice!a aWhy do you care so much? You know Henry will buy you a new pair.a aWhy must you always be so pigheaded?a aIam not! My head hurts. And youare the one who wants the silly gloves so bad.a Mary blinked. aFine then. You hail us a cab, and Iall get them.a She didnat respond.

Mary turned around with a sigh and went back into the club.

Alice stood there, still as stone. She lit a cigarette and smoked it down to the bottom.

After a few minutes, a taxi ambled down the block, and she waved it over, climbing into the backseat. She thought of leaving Mary behind, but at the last second she said, aIam waiting for my sister, sheall just be a minute.a She pulled a compact from her purse and stared into the mirror. Her makeup seemed to have drooped. She looked ten years older than she had when the evening began.

Mary was taking ages. Alice imagined her inside, saying her long good-byes, as if she werenat going to see Henry again tomorrow.

The driver s.h.i.+fted impatiently in his seat. Alice started to feel a bit embarra.s.sed. Hurry up, she thought.

Still looking in the mirror, she heard a ruckus out by the doors, voices booming, the sort of noise that could mean only true joy or terror. She felt jealous of whoever they were for a moment, but then there came the sound of breaking gla.s.s and the wail of the fire alarm.

The driver yelled, aJesus Christ! We gotta get outta here, lady.a Alice looked up, confused. Smoke poured through the windows of the club. People were shoving one another to get out at the revolving door, its panes shattering in the fray. They streamed out to the sidewalk, all of them yelling, crying.

Without thinking, she jumped out of the cab, unable to breathe. The driver sped off.

She scanned the sidewalk, praying that Mary had already come out.

Seconds seemed like hours, as she stood there. She felt cemented to the ground, unable to move. Sirens roared and then firemen pushed past Alice, trying to get inside.

aYouave got to scram, honey,a one of them said. aYouare going to get hurt.a aMy sisteras in there!a she said, frantic. aYou have to help her.a aJust go on home,a he said. aTell your parents. Your sister will be okay. Just go home.a Alice watched them move toward the doors at the edges of the building, but they did not go in. They pushed and pushed until one firefighter screamed over his shoulder to a few others, who were unwinding a hose from the truck: aChrist, we canat get in. Theyare screaming b.l.o.o.d.y murder in there. The doors must be locked from inside.a aBreak aem down,a someone yelled.

They took axes to the doors, but it was no use.

aThereas not enough time!a the first guy shouted.

Alice felt like she might pa.s.s out. She wanted to run inside and grab Maryas hand, but the front entrance was already clogged with people, lying one atop another like fallen dominoes, some of them screaming for help in agonizing tones, some of them already trampled and dying. She was terrified, too afraid to be brave.

The firemen broke in through the windows as best they could, and a few people managed to get out that way. She watched them, her stomach a jumble of nerves. She prayed as she searched the faces for Maryas.

The sidewalk, which had been quiet and near empty a few minutes earlier, was now swarming with chaos. Those who managed to get out screamed in horror for their loved ones still inside. Sailors and soldiers, all home on leave for Thanksgiving, just out having themselves a night, were suddenly thrown into rescue duty. They had escaped death in combat overseas, but now they were carrying people out like mad, running back into the fire five times, some of them never reemerging on the sixth.

aWe canat get to them all,a yelled a young boy with a heavy older woman in his arms.

Another moaned, aOh Jesus, Jesus. When I went to pull her out, her arm came right off in my hands.a Alice shouted at them: aYou have to get a girl named Mary. Please! Sheas wearing a green dress. Please!a Flames burst through the roof of the club, and a huge crowd gathered in the street, seeming to come from all corners of the city, blocking the path of the fire trucks, until soldiers formed a human chain and pushed the throngs down Shawmut Avenue.

It had all happened so fast. Alice ran toward Broadway, thinking that perhaps she could find her brothers at the cinema. Theyad be able to save Mary, she knew it. Before she could turn the corner, she saw a handful of people inside the club who had managed to break the small windowpanes along Piedmont Street, but had gotten stuck in the windowsa metal bars, their heads out, halfway to safety, their bodies burning as they screamed. A priest stood before them on the sidewalk, reading them their last rites.

Alice looked on and screamed her sisteras name. She could not move.

Injured people lay on the sidewalk and on the floor of the garage next door to the club, waiting for help. After a while, ambulances roared, rolling in from Lynn, Newton, Brookline, and the Charlestown Navy Yard, but there still werenat enough of them. Taxicabs drove the overflow.