AN ILL FITTING CHAPTER... CONTINUED
“Oh, good, they get on my nerves. I’m sorry Sid,” Keisha said. “They’re too white for me. I feel like I should be eating cornflakes and mopping the floor in pearls and high heels like Donna Reed.”
“I don’t think you’ve ever mopped a floor,” Sidney told her. “in or out of heels.”
Keisha cocked her head to think about this, and then said, “No, I think you’re right. I tried once. But the soap was actually floor wax. That was a disaster.”
“Sit down, Mom,” Mason dragged his mother to the couch so he could have her to himself. He talked to her everyday and went to see her most weeks. He’d long resolved himself to the fact that she was incompetent and incapable concerning anything that existed in the realm of traditional motherhood. But then to Mason tradition was greatly overrated anyway.
“What about Joel and Seth?” she said to Mason. “I like Seth and he never shows up when Chris is here. Not that I blame him. He’s a weird little boy.”
“Seth and Joel will be here,” Mason reported, “but Seth is feeling weird and, Joel’s got a new girlfriend.” Involuntarily the story about the slip came into Mason’s head. He pushed it away.
“Joel’s got a girlfriend?”
“Yup. For a few months now.”
“Well, good,” Keisha sighed. “It’s about time. You can’t be in mourning forever.”
“Seth may not be his usual self,” Mason warned. “Not that Seth’s self is ever usual.” He told his mother about the suicides and she said, “Just last night?”
“Yes.”
“Just before Christmas?”
“Yes.”
“Well, it is the most depressing time of the year. That’s what they say.”
Keisha turned from Mason and began shouting, which meant she was talking to Sidney now, though Sidney was in the kitchen. “That’s what they say, but I don’t believe it. Easter depresses me.”
“Easter,” said Mason.
“Birth, I’ve been through. Birth isn’t that amazing,” Keisha said. At Mason’s raised eyebrow she said, “What comes out of it may be amazing, but the process in itself is more or less ordinary. But death and resurrection. Now, there have been so many times I’ve gone to Mass on Easter, especially Easter Vigil, after all the music, after all the celebration, and I think, “What’s this all about? How does it make my life different? Christmas is down to earth, literally, I can understand it. But I don’t care how many times they explain Easter to me, I still feel like, good for Jesus, yay Jesus. Gone through all his trouble, risen from the dead. But damnit I’ve still got my shit to deal with, and then there’s no snow on Easter, or if there is there shouldn’t be, so its bad either way And no presents. Just candy. It really gets on my nerves. We should just get rid of the whole thing.”
There was another knock at the door before it was flung open and Savannah strode in followed by Adam, who she introduced to Keisha.
He kissed her hand and said, “Your sister-in-law didn’t do your beauty justice.”
“Hey hey,” Savannah jabbed him with a finger. “Remember which Darrow you’re dating. Come here, girl!” She kissed Keisha. “Are you done promoting that damn book?”
“My book of poetry?”
“Yes, that very one. Yes, that damned book.”
“Yes, I’m finished.”
“Good, now you can be here for awhile and help me with my life. By the way—SIDNEY!”
Sidney came out of the kitchen. “Are we all riding to church later on in Keisha’s car or what?”
“I’m going to take my tricycle—” Adam began.
“Baby, it’s Christmas Eve. No you’re not.”
“Tricycle?” Keisha began.
“Gas is destroying the ozone layer—” Adam began, but Savannah placed a hand over his mouth. She shook her head: “It’s a long story.”
Keisha shrugged.
“I was thinking me and Keisha could ride with Mom and Dad.”
“Me,” Keisha said. “With your mother and father?”
“What wrong with that?”
“Even suggest that again, Sidney Darrow, and we’ll be signing a suicide pact.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Or a homicide pact,” she told him. “That suits me a hell of a lot better.”
“Addison!” Allison screamed as the doorbell rang.
Addison looked at his parents, and then at the door and Mrs. Cromptley said, “I’ll get the door.”
“Addison!” Allison screamed again.
“I’ll get Allie,” Addison said.
He went down the hall to the phone at the table near the bottom of the stairwell and muttered to his sister, “I’ve told you about that,” before punching her in the arm.
“I’ll tell—” but he was pinching her again, and then shoving Allie away.
“Hello,” Addison said.
“Addison?”
The voice was odd. Hollow. Impossible.
“Becky?”
“Yeah,” she said.
“What’s up? How are you? Are you okay—?”
“Look, Addison. I want to make this easy as possible, so let me just say it, okay? Me and Laura are going out of town the day after Christmas.”
“Okay?” Addison said. He didn’t know what that had to do with him. He tried to sound like it mattered.
“Laura Hudson?” he said.
“Yes.”
“Okay,” Addison said again.
“God, Addison!” Becky’s voice was desperate now. “God, you don’t understand. Is anyone else on your line?”
“No,” Addison said, looking around just in case someone was.
“Addison, I’m pregnant. But... Just give me till Tuesday, and I won’t be.”
Addison’s whole face was on fire, fire was going up and down him. He was shaking and the world was shaking under him.
Becky just kept talking.
“I’m too young for this. We were too young, and it doesn’t make any sense. I mean, some people aren’t careful. We were totally careful, and for this to happen when I’ve got my life ahead of me and you’ve got your life ahead of you...”
Addison cleared his throat and whispered into the phone as Seth entered the room.
“You’re going to have an.… abortion?”
“Yes, Addison. Yes, that’s what I’m going to do.” She sounded relieved that he had said it for her. As if he himself had just chosen the welcome option she couldn’t quite find.
“Oh... On Tuesday?”
“Yes.”
“Out of town?”
“There’s no clinic in Cartimandua. The closest one is in Ogden.”
He didn’t say anything. What was he supposed to say?
“Well,” Addison said, “all right then.”
He dropped the phone into its cradle and looked at Seth.
“What was that all about?” Seth said.
“People trying to sell shit. Even on Christmas Eve.
“This son of a bitch wanted to sell a vacuum cleaner. Said for three easy payments of thirty-nine ninety five it would clean all of our messes right up.”
“Will you boys be back tomorrow?” Mrs. Cromptley asked.
“Yeah,” Addison tucked his hair into the collar of his peacoat. “We’ll stay the night at Sidney’s.”
His mother stood up suddenly and kissed him on the cheek. Then she kissed Seth too.
“You both look so handsome tonight.” She brushed Addison’s hair a little. “My baby grown up,” she said fondly.
She was lying, Addison thought as he headed out the door. He didn’t look handsome at all.
The next morning, Mason said, “Wake up, Addison. It’s Christmas.”
Breakfast was already cooking, and Addison could smell the sausage and the eggs. The Darrows and Adam were in the large kitchen, and he was yawning when he came in. He knew he should feel good. It was Christmas Day. The tree was large and loaded with presents and at Addison’s house there was a tree like this one with good things for him under its branches. But he was tired, he wanted to sleep and keep on sleeping.
“Every time I’m here,” Keisha said, “there’s that wonderful smell coming from Sidney’s stove.”
“Yes,” Mason’s grandmother remarked, going to the oven and pulling out cinnamon rolls. “It’s called cooking. I wouldn’t be surprised that its unfamiliar to you.”
“Now, Liane,” began Mason’s father, but Keisha just laughed and said, “It’s Christmas.”
“Mason, Addison,” Sidney said, “put icing on the rolls.”
“But not too much on mine,” said Keisha.
“Why?” Mrs. Darrow said, looking at the round woman. “Are you watching your weight?”
“As a matter of fact I am,” Keisha said.
“Well, I’ve been watching it for years and years now,” Liane said pleasantly, “And I can’t help but notice it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.”
Over the rolls, beside Mason, Addison snorted. It was his first smile of the day. Mason just shook his head.
“Sidney, are you going to let your wife be treated like this?” Keisha said to him.
“Sidney has a wife?” Liane said, looking around. “Where? Where? Is there a woman in this house who stays here and takes care of her child? Let me see her and I promise I’ll respect her.”
“That’s enough out of both of you,” Sidney said. reaching for a cigarette.
Liane opened her mouth.
“Whaddit I say, Mama?”
Liane humphed and muttered, “I don’t know why you put up with her.”
“Because I’m good in bed,” Addison heard Keisha say, and choked on the bit of frosting he’d squeezed into his mouth.
Before breakfast was halfway over Tommy arrived in the pickup truck and to everyone’s surprise, Balliol was with him.
“Merry Christmas!” he shouted, and then, looking at Addison. “Well, as merry as Addison’s face will allow. What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Yeah, I noticed that too,” Tommy murmured.
“He’s been like that since yesterday,” Mason said.
“What? You all don’t have anything better to do than monitor Addison Cromptley’s facial expressions?”
“We’re your friends,” Mason said. “Of course we don’t.”
“I need you all to come out into Tommy’s truck.” Balliol murmured after saying his good mornings to everyone else. “I have things for you, and I didn’t bring stuff for everyone.”
“Well, of course you didn’t,” said Mason. You didn’t have to bring us anything.”
“It’s not a matter of have to or of course it’s a matter of good taste,” Balliol said. “And good taste dictates that you don’t hand out three presents when there are eight people in the room.”
On the way out Balliol said, “Is that your mom, Mason?”
“Yeah.”
“She’s hot,” Balliol said. “In that full figured way. I like her.”
“She’s great in bed,” Addison commented.
Mason didn’t even touch it. It was the first time Addison had cracked a joke all morning.
From a white bag in the back of the truck Balliol gave out three boxes. Mason’s was a set of clays, paints and a book, an expensive book of the complete works of Michelangelo. Addison had a boxed collection of Led Zeppelin and the Beatles.
I always meant to listen to the Beatles, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet.”
“Well, now you can.”
And Tommy had three Christian music CDs, four tickets to a Christian music concert for some group Mason had never heard of and a new teen Bible.
“How did you know them?” Tommy said, looking at the tickets.
“I listen to you,” Balliol said simply.
“Apparently more than I do,” Mason said.
“I noticed you got four tickets,” Addison said.
“You guys don’t have to go,” Tommy told him.
Balliol mouthed over Tommy’s head, “Yes you do.”
“It’ll be good for my soul,” Addison smirked goofily.
“You know what’ll cheer you up?” Tommy told him.
“Christian music?”
Tommy cocked his head at Addison and said at length, “In your case I’m going to say no. Mason can get out his Bible and read us the Christmas story. It’s Christmas. Jesus is the reason for the season.”
“I hate it when you do that,” Addison said. “Get all slogany and shit.”
“Jesus is the answer,” Tommy said solemnly.
Addison raised an eyebrow at him.
“He would have died for you if you were just the only one.”
Addison slugged Tommy in the shoulder, then they both looked at each other before bursting out into laughter and heading back into the house together shoving each other.
“What happened to turn the other cheek?” Mason heard Addison say as he entered the living room, and Tommy replied, “I only got two cheeks, then you better watch out.”
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus
that all the world should be enrolled.
This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius
was governor of Syria.
And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee,
from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David,
which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house
and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary,
his betrothed, who was with child.
And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered.
And she gave birth to her firstborn son and
wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger,
because there was no place for them in the inn.
Mason paused. In his room he stubbed out his cigarette.
“Why’d you stop?” Tommy said.
“Because we shouldn’t be smoking when Jesus comes into the world.”
“Oh,” Tommy said. “Right.”
Even Addison took one final drag, and then crushed out his cigarette.
“And in that region there were shepherds out in the field,
keeping watch over their flock by night.
And an angel of the Lord appeared to them,
and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them,
‘Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news
of a great joy which will come to all the people;
for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior,
who is Christ the Lord.
And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe
wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.’
And suddenly there was with the angel
a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
Tommy opened his mouth and said it, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!”
Mason continued, but it was Balliol who mouthed him word for word, remembering. Addison felt himself shivering. He couldn’t explain. He didn’t believe. Not really.
“When the angels went away from them into heaven,
the shepherds said to one another,
‘Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has
happened, which the Lord has made known to us.’
And they went with haste, and found Mary
and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
And when they saw it they made known
the saying which had been told them concerning this child;
and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.
But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising
God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised,
he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel
before he was conceived in the womb.”
“And then King Herod comes,” Addison said.
“No,” said Balliol. “That’s in a different Gospel.”
“It’s in Matthew,” Tommy said. “Herod doesn’t want Jesus. He’s afraid, and so he kills all the babies.”
Addison’s voice was a breath:
“Why?”
Mason looked at him.
“Why?” said Addison. “Why did he do that? Why is that in the story? Why ruin it with Herod killing all those babies.”
“Because that’s the way it happened,” Tommy said. “The Bible can’t lie.”
Mason opened his mouth, and then Addison turned to him and shook his head.
“No,” Addison’s voice was scarcely audible. “He did it because... the baby was in the way. It interrupted everything. It…. shouldn’t come.”
They all looked at him.
“It was in the way,” Addison said.