Crazy Water: Six Fictions

Grace

Grace • • • 1. Definitions y goo d frien d Grac e gre w u p i n a shadow y house o n a suburba n stree t a s clea n an d brilliant an d shadowles s a s a razo r blade . O n mos t afternoons, Grac e i n he r pin k dres s wa s th e onl y el lipse i n a Mondria n o f perfectl y plane d whit e fence s advancing t o curb s stiffe r tha n hospita l bed s an d hedges marchin g lik e evergreen soldier s aroun d care fully researche d borders . Althoug h sh e migh t hav e held a bal l o r a jum p rop e o r a plasti c truck , pla y was a myster y t o Grace , fo r sh e wa s dedicate d t o th e sanctity o f he r dress . Wrinkles an d dir t wer e forbid den , an d Mother , peerin g ou t o f th e bac k windo w from behin d a n ingenuousl y drape d curtain , mad e certain i t was so . Grace's hous e wa s ful l o f shadows , althoug h i t was just a s big, and white , and wid e windowed a s th e houses al l around it . The shadows emanate d no t fro m some architectura l blunde r bu t fro m Grace' s mother , [ 3 ] C R A Z Y W A T E R who was a woman o f complex mood s an d mysteriou s disappointments. Ever y da y whe n Mothe r steppe d out t o th e cur b t o ge t th e mai l sh e stoo d fo r a mo ment , lookin g u p an d dow n th e stree t wit h it s identi cal houses , an d imagine d othe r women , identica l t o herself, steppin g ou t t o identica l mailboxe s t o fetc h identical mai l (th e telephon e bill , th e electri c bill , some flye r advertisin g rum p roas t a t thirty-fiv e cent s a pound) . Coming back int o the house an d lookin g at Grace , she'd say , "More of the same , more o f the same , mor e of th e same, " over an d ove r lik e a prayer . Grac e pon dered he r words , a s i f the y containe d som e lesson , some key . When sh e wa s pregnant , Mothe r said , sh e ha d had a dream i n which sh e saw herself a t th e seashore , playing i n th e wate r wit h a golde n chil d o f exquisit e beauty. The n sh e ha d gon e t o th e hospital , sh e said , "and yo u cam e out. " Grac e wa s no t a n exquisit e golden child ; sh e wa s smal l an d dar k an d vaguel y funny looking , an d a s sh e gre w sh e wa s followe d ev erywhere b y th e vas t shado w o f he r mother' s disap proval . Ever y da y th e shado w followe d he r dow n th e street an d al l th e wa y t o school . Only there , once sh e had slippe d beneat h th e principal' s ar m an d throug h the ding y gree n entranc e doors , di d th e shado w re - [ 4 ] Grace cede, allowin g Grac e t o bounc e a bal l an d pu t wrin kles into her dress . "You mar k m y words/ ' Mothe r woul d say , scowl ing a t th e wrinkle s whe n Grac e returne d hom e fro m school promptl y a t thre e fifteen, "n o on e wil l eve r want you , if you don' t lear n ho w t o keep yourself up. " Grace o f course ha d n o ide...