按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
And their son would stare from the word to the pictures； his lips moving； sounding out； actually sweating it out； And with his double…sized red pencil curled into his pudgy right fist； he could now write about three dozen words on his own。
His finger traced slowly under the words in the reader。 Above them was a picture Wendy half…remembered from her own grammar school days； nineteen years before。 A laughing boy with brown curly hair。 A girl in a short dress； her hair in blond ringlets one hand holding a jump rope。 A prancing dog running after a large red rubber ball。 The first…grade trinity。 Dick； Jane； and Jip。
〃See Jip run；〃 Danny read slowly。 〃Run； Jip； run。 Run； run； run。〃 He paused； dropping his finger down a line。 〃See the 。 。 。〃 He bent closer； his nose almost touching the page now。 〃See the 。 。 。〃
〃Not so close； doc；〃 Wendy said quietly。 〃You'll hurt your eyes。 It's…〃
〃Don't tell me！〃 he said； sitting up with a jerk。 His voice was alarmed。
〃Don't tell me； Mommy； I can get it！〃
〃All right； honey；〃 she said。 〃But it's not a big thing。 Really it's not。〃 Unheeding； Danny bent forward again。 On his face was an expression that might be more monly seen hovering over a graduate record exam in a college gym somewhere。 She liked it less and less。
〃See the 。 。 。 buh。 Aw。 El。 El。 See the buhaw…el…el？ See the buhawl。 Ball！〃 Suddenly triumphant。 Fierce。 The fierceness in his voice scared her。 〃See the ball！〃
〃That's right；〃 she said。 〃Honey； I think that's enough for tonight。〃
〃A couple more pages； Mommy？ Please？〃
〃No； doc。〃 She closed the red…bound book firmly。 〃It's bedtime。〃
〃Please？〃
〃Don't tease me about it； Danny。 Mommy's tired。〃
〃Okay。〃 But he looked longingly at the primer。
〃Go kiss your father and then wash up。 Don't forget to brush。〃
〃Yeah。〃 He slouched out； a small boy in pajama bottoms with feet and a large flannel top with a football on the front and NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS written on the back。
Jack's typewriter stopped； and she heard Danny's hearty smack。 〃Night； Daddy。〃
〃Goodnight； doc。 How'd you do？〃
〃Okay； I guess。 Mommy made me stop。〃
〃Mommy was right。 It's past eight…thirty。 Going to the bathroom？〃
〃Yeah。〃
〃Good。 There's potatoes growing out of your ears。 And onions and carrots and chives and…〃 Danny's giggle； fading； then cut off by the firm click of the bathroom door。
He was private about his bathroom functions； while both she and Jack were pretty much catch…as…catch…can。 Another sign…and they were multiplying all the time… that there was another human being in the place； not just a carbon copy of one of them or a bination of both。 It made her a little sad。 Someday her child would be a stranger to her； and she would be strange to him 。 。 。 but not as strange as her own mother had bee to her。 Please don't let it be that way； God。 Let him grow up and still love his mother。
Jack's typewriter began its irregular bursts again。
Still sitting in the chair beside Danny's reading table； she let her eyes wander around her son's room。 The glider's wing had been neatly mended。 His desk was piled high with picture books； coloring books； old Spiderman ic books with the covers half torn off； Crayolas； and an untidy pile of Lincoln Logs。 The VW model was neatly placed above these lesser things； its shrink…wrap still undisturbed。 He and his father would be putting it together tomorrow night or the night after if Danny went on at this rate； and never mind the end of the week。 His pictures of Pooh and Eyore and Christopher Robin were tacked neatly to the wall； soon enough to be replaced with pin…ups and photographs of dope… smoking rock singers； she supposed。 Innocence to experience。 Human nature； baby。
Grab it and growl。 Still it made her sad。 Next year he would be in school and she would lose at least half of him； maybe more； to his friends。 She and Jack had tried to have another one for a while when things had seemed to be going well at Stovington； but she was on the pill again now。 Things were too uncertain。 God knew where they would be in nine months。
Her eyes fell on the wasps' nest。
It held the ultimate high place in Danny's room； resting on a large plastic plate on the table by his bed。 She didn't like it； even if it was empty。 She wondered vaguely if it might have germs； thought to ask Jack； then decided he would laugh at her。 But she would ask the doctor tomorrow； if she could catch him with Jack out of the room。 She didn't like the idea of that thing； constructed from the chewings and saliva of so many alien creatures； lying within a foot of her sleeping son's head。
The water in the bathroom was still running； and she got up and went into the big bedroom to make sure everything was okay。 Jack didn't look up； he was lost in the world he was making； staring at the typewriter； a filter cigarette clamped in his teeth。
She knocked lightly on the closed bathroom room。 〃You okay； doc？ You awake？〃 No answer。
〃Danny？〃 No answer。 She tried the door。 It was locked。
〃Danny？〃 She was worried now。 The lack of any sound beneath the steadily running water made her uneasy。 〃Danny？ Open the door； honey。〃 No answer。
〃Danny！〃
〃Jesus Christ； Wendy； I can't think if you're going to pound on the door all night。〃
〃Danny's locked himself in the bathroom and he doesn't answer me！〃 Jack came around the desk； looking put out。 He knocked on the door once； hard。
〃Open up； Danny。 No games。〃 No answer。
Jack knocked harder。 〃Stop fooling； doc。 Bedtime's bedtime。 Spanking if you don't open up。〃 He's losing his temper； she thought； and was more afraid。 He had not touched Danny in anger since that evening two years ago； but at this moment he sounded angry enough to do it。
〃Danny； honey…〃 she began。
No answer。 Only running water。
〃Danny； if you make me break this lock I can guarantee you you'll spend the night sleeping on your belly；〃 Jack warned。
Nothing。
〃Break it；〃 she said； and suddenly it was hard to talk。 〃Quick。〃 He raised one foot and brought it down hard against the door to the right of the knob。 The lock was a poor thing； it gave immediately and the door shuddered open； banging the tiled bathroom wall and rebounding halfway。
〃Danny！〃 she screamed。
The water was running full force in the basin。 Beside it； a tube of Crest with the cap off。 Danny was sitting on the rim of the bathtub across the room； his toothbrush clasped limply in his left hand； a thin foam of toothpaste around his mouth。 He was staring； trancelike； into the mirror on the front of the medicine cabinet above the washbasin。 The expression on his face was one of drugged horror； and her first thought was that he was having some sort of epileptic seizure； that he might have swallowed his tongue。
〃Danny！〃 Danny didn't answer。 Guttural sounds came from his throat。
Then she was pushed aside so hard that she crashed into the towel rack； and Jack was kneeling in front of the boy。
〃Danny；〃 he said。 〃Danny； Danny！〃 He snapped his fingers in front of Danny's blank eyes。
〃Ah…sure；〃 Danny said。 〃Tournament play。 Stroke。 Nurrrrr 。 。 。〃
〃Danny…〃
〃Roque！〃 Danny said； his voice suddenly deep； almost manlike。 〃Roque。 Stroke。
The roque mallet 。 。 。 has two sides。 Gaaaaaa…〃
〃Oh Jack my God what's wrong with him？〃 Jack grabbed the boy's elbows and shook him hard。 Danny's head rolled limply backward and then snapped forward like a balloon on a stick。
〃Roque。 Stroke。 Redrum。〃 Jack shook him again； and Danny's eyes suddenly cleared。 His toothbrush fell out of his hand and onto the tiled floor with a small click。
〃What？〃 he asked； looking around。 He saw his father kneeling before him； Wendy standing by the wall。 〃What？〃 Danny asked again； with rising alarm。 〃W…W…Wuh… What's wr…r…r…〃
〃Don't stutter！〃 Jack suddenly screamed into his face。 Danny cried out in shock； his body going tense； trying to draw away from his father； and then he collapsed into tears。 Stricken； Jack pulled him close。 〃Oh； honey； I'm sorry。
I'm sorry； doc。 Please。 Don't cry。 I'm sorry。 Everything's okay。〃 The water ran ceaselessly in the basin； and Wendy felt that she had suddenly stepped into some grinding nightmare where time ran backward； backward to the time when her drunken husband had broken her son's arm and had then mewled over him in almost the exact same words。
（Oh honey。 I'm sorry。 I'm sorry； doc。 Please。 So sorry。） She ran to them both； pried Danny out of Jack's arms somehow （she saw the look of angry reproach on his face but filed it away for later consideration）； and lifted him up。 She walked him back into the small bedroom； Danny's arms clasped around her neck； Jack trailing them。
She sat down on Danny's bed and rocked him back and forth； soothing him with nonsensical words repeated over and over。 She looked up at Jack and there was only worry in his eyes now。 He raised questioning eyebrows at her。 She shook her head faintly。
〃Danny；〃 she said。 〃Danny； Danny； Danny。 'S okay； doc。 'S fine。〃 At last Danny was quiet； only faintly trembling in her arms。 Yet it was Jack he spoke to first； Jack who was now sitting beside them on the bed； and she felt the ol