Part 23 (2/2)
”Peoples are mad at Moose,” she says.
I hold the door of our place open waiting for her to come in. ”Yeah, but it's okay. We got off easy-practically scot-free.”
She touches her own chest. ”No one is mad at Natalie. Natalie is a moron.”
”No, Nat, listen to me. Listen very closely. You're not a moron. Piper is . . . She's the moron. Not you.”
”Mr. Mattaman shakes his finger at Moose. Not Natalie. Natalie went away.”
”Yeah, and you shouldn't do that, Nat. You shouldn't go up to the warden's house,” I tell her. ”But could we discuss this inside?”
”Why?” she asks, suddenly looking directly at me.
”Because it's not safe to go to the warden's house and I don't want to talk about this out here on the balcony where people can hear.”
”Tomorrow, we can see Molly tomorrow. Moose said,” she whispers.
”Yeah, okay, I said that. But I was wrong. We can't go up there whenever we want. There are things you can't do. You can't go up top and”-my voice drops down-”you can't be friends with 105 either.”
”105,” she mutters.
”Does he visit you, Natalie?”
”Visitors, Natalie. Mommy is here,” she says the way Sadie would say it, only quieter.
”Yeah, Mom visits, but does 105 visit?” I whisper.
”Dad visits,” Nat says.
”Mom and Dad visit, but 105 doesn't doesn't visit.” visit.”
”105 doesn't doesn't visit,” she mimics. visit,” she mimics.
She's not just repeating what I said, right? ”But how did you get the stuff in your suitcase?”
”Sadie packs my suitcase,” she says.
”Sadie packed the bar spreader?” I whisper, my throat suddenly too small for my words.
Natalie doesn't answer. She's busy counting the posts in the porch rail.
”C'mon, Nat!” Again, nothing.
”Nat, please. Let's get inside,” I plead. ”Mom! Dad!” I call in the door, but it's silent-too silent-inside. Where did they go?
”Natalie.” I'm begging now. Something about the way she seems to have locked up in place is making me very nervous.
”Home Moose. Not home Natalie,” she says.
It's Monday, but she's not going back to the Esther P. Marinoff for another week. Some kind of teacher break before the fall semester.
”Moose go. Natalie stay,” she mutters, closing her eyes and spinning round and round like a merry-go-round, pus.h.i.+ng herself faster and faster, until she falls in a clump on the balcony.
”Natalie, not here, okay? Just get inside.” But she doesn't move. She is curled up in a ball frozen there.
”Moose!” a bullhorn bleats. But it isn't Darby. It's Janet.
”Leave us alone, Janet,” I call down to her, but as soon as I say this, Darby appears by the first-floor landing.
”What's going on?” he bellows into his bullhorn. It blasts loud enough for all of 64 to hear.
”Nothing, sir,” I say.
”Don't look like nothin' to me, son.”
Mrs. Chudley opens her window. Mrs. Caconi comes out, her hands on her big hips. She still looks exhausted from last night. Bea's clickety-clackety high heels sound on the stairs.
”Sure ain't normal what she's doin' now,” Darby bellows.
”C'mon, Nat. Let's get you inside.” I try to scoop her up, but I can't get her to move.
”Where are your folks?” Darby's voice echoes in the bullhorn.
”Natalie,” I whisper, ”we need to count the dishes. Come inside.” This is lame, but it's all I can think of.
Nat doesn't budge. Her eyes are shut tight.
”Natalie, we need you to come and check . . . Mom's knitting something for the warden's baby. You need to help,” I lie. My mother doesn't know how to knit.
Still nothing.
Out of the corner of my eye I see Janet Trixle banging on the Mattamans' door. ”C'mon, Theresa! Jimmy! Moose needs help!” she bellows in her baby bullhorn.
”Janet! You come down here!” Darby shouts, but it's too late. Janet has Theresa and Jimmy in tow. Jimmy takes one look at Natalie and understands exactly what's going on.
”Let's carry her in,” Jimmy says. He scoops up her arms, Theresa gets her feet, and I carry her middle. It's awkward, but it's not far, only a few feet really. We manage to lug her over the threshold of our apartment and close the door.
I can't believe it's Janet helping, but it is. ”Thanks,” I tell all of them.
Janet's face glows. ”You want to play?” she whispers to Theresa.
Theresa looks at me. I nod.
” 'Kay,” Theresa says as she, Jimmy, and Janet go out. I breathe a huge sigh of relief as I close the door after them.
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