The Silents

21

CHAPTER 21 " DUTHIE, THIS is going to be a big party. The .R. biggest one of the year," my father said, as I retrieved Andy from their sofa one night. "I haven't seen my New York friends in years. Tell Sha to take you shopping for a new dress." My mother took his hand and waved it "OK." "What kind ofparty?" I asked her. "The annual convention ofthe Hebrew Deaf," he interrupted. "It's going to be at the Edgewater Hotel. I want you and AI and Addle and Art to come, too. My treat," he waved. "Sure, Papa." I put Andy to bed and walked into the living room. "How would you like to spend a Saturday night in a ballroom filled with deafpeople? My father's treat," I proposed to AI. "Sounds intimidating," he said, putting down his newspaper. "I can't manage one single conversation with your father without getting fingertied. How will I ever manage with a crowd of strangers?" "It'll do you good. You'll have plenty of people to practice on." "What's it like?" "I don't know. I've never been to one, but I'm happy Papa wants to go. Mama could use a fancy night out." "How is it that you've never gone before?" "I suppose he couldn't afford it before." "Your father's a sport, you know." 179 "My mother said that once when she told me how he courted her. This is how you say it in deaf: I put my thumbs into imaginary suspenders on my chest and puffed my fingers out. "Now that's how you say 'a sport.' Or you could call it a big timer, or a boaster, or someone who's full of it." "You're full of it," he quipped. " You made that all up." "No, it's true." "Well, how is one supposed to know which ofthose a person is?" "You have to pay attention to the rest of the conversation. When my mother told me my father poured coffee out of a silver pitcher in their first-class train compartment on their honeymoon , and she stuck her thumbs into her chest, she definitely meant he was a sport." "Gotcha." "And when you go around telling everyone how smart Andy is, I'd say you were a boaster." "Gotcha." "Did you really get it?" "I haven't the foggiest idea." "I thought so. Let's go to bed." "I'm going to look like a fool," he said, holding my hand. "No one will notice." FINGERING THE dresses on the rack at Marshall Field's, Mama seemed unhappy. She felt the collars, zippers, buttons , and sleeves, pinched the material between her fingers, then decided none of them were suitable. "But this one is perfect," I spelled, putting her hand back on a particular dress. "It's your size. It's blue, your favorite color, isn't it?" "All blue?" she asked, feeling the cuffs. "White cuffs and a white belt." "I'd rather have blue cuffs and a blue belt." "There aren't any like that." 180 "Then let's pay for this one and leave," she said. "Here's the money Papa gave me. She reached into her purse and pulled out a roll of bills. Papa was definitely acting like a sport. "Is it enough?" she asked, seeming uneasy with her bounty. "More than enough. But you have to try it on first." "No, I don't care to try it on," she said, closing her hands over the money. "Ifyou say it's fine, it's fine with me." "But Mama!" The store clerks were staring at us. My frantic fingerspelling had attracted them. They were bunched behind the cash register, pretending not to notice. One of the clerks leaned over and smiled. "Perhaps she'd feel more comfortable trying it on at home. Ifit doesn't fit, bring it back." "Thank you, but we'll try it on here." She had stuffed the bills back in her purse, shut the clasp, and waited for me to take her arm. I pulled the dress offthe rack and led her into the fitting room. "It fits," she said after a quick slip into the dress. "Let's go," she said, pulling it over her head. "I don't understand you, Mama. What are you upset about?" "Nothing." "Nobody's paying any attention to...