Part 18 (1/2)
”So, I was thinking,I still have my coat on as Darwin releasesGrayer
”YEAH!”Theboys jump upanddownontopofeachother
”Okay”Siood”I handher Darwin's jacketandpullonmyboots
While there are two Play spaces, one on East Eighty-fifth and one on Broadway in the Nineties, we head up to the one on the East Side, as it has rounds are Manhattan's version of a fully equippedbase city, it's for rent So, siets you and your charge a good two hours to exhausteachother ontheirequipetthestrollersoutof thetrunkofthecab
”IS NOT!”
”ISTOO!”
”CanI help you?” sheasks,evading Darwin's kick
”No,”I grunt ”That's okay”I'ratefultobeoutofhis reach
I rab a s, the space is up on the second level and can only be reached by cli an enormous, blue-carpeted staircase of child-size stairs that seeo when they die Grayer, undaunted, grabs the child-height railing and starts hauling hio up Go up,” Si her, plays soame that threatens to throw the fall I followclosely behind, draggingthecollapsedstrollers, eof eachstair
When we eventually get to the top I park the strollers in the Stroller Corral and prepare to check in Becauseoftheinclelineof overbundledchildren, exasperatednannies,andtheoccasional inherhourofquality time
”Elizabeth,wecanmakeee afterwe checkinPleasejustholdit!”
”hello and welco in?” an overenthusiastic htredcounter
”He is!” I say, pointing down at Grayer Thehim Mrs X's membershi+p card He looks her up in the files and once I hand over twenty dollars we each get nasforourselves andonetoputonthestroller incaseitwantstomakefriends
”hello,mynameis Grayer I'm with Nanny,”his reads
”hello, my name is Nanny I'm with Grayer,” mine reads We are instructed to wear them prominently and I plaster mine directly over my left ventricle, while Grayer prefers to stick his on the edge of his shi+rt, just above the dangling card and next to his father's tie After Sio and put our coats in our designated cubbies, along with our boots In the food area I fork over another twenty for our lunch wo small peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and two juiceboxes
”DIE! DIE!”
”KILL HIM INHISbloodyHEAD!”
”All right, enough already!” The Wicked Witch has a headache ”If you two can't eat lunch like nice, peace-loving young gentlemen, Darwin and Siue in dulcet tones for the ree wan snasandwichandI in a conversation,butDarwin choosestheseopportuneGoldfishi+nher face
Before we can release theo wash hands The Technicolor bathrooh latches Grayer pees like a champ and then lets me push up his sleeves so he canwashhis hands
”NO!I DON'TWANTTO!YOUDOIT!YOUPEE!”We canhearDarwininthenextbathroom
I lean over and kiss Grayer on the top of his head ”Okay, G, let's hit the slopes,” I say, as I pass hiot sprayedbythesink
”Daddysays thatinAspirin”
”Doeshe Comeon” I throwout thetowelandextendme toAspirin?” heasks
”Oh, Grove ” I crouch down ”I don't know, I' this year” He continuestolookatles his body away fro his arms over the tie ”My mom says not to talk about him, sodon't Don't talkabouthithedooratitsbase
”Hey! Peoplehavetopeeouthere!”A woabovehim
”Grover,ifyouhavequestions,it's always okayto?I say, standingandunlatchingthedoor
”Don't talktoate
”You have so hustles her child past me to the toilet ”I think it's unconscionableto keep a little girl waiting thatlong!” She narrows her heavily made-up eyes at me ”Who do you work for?” I take in her shellacked hair, her inch-long fingernails, her Versace blouse ”I pasthertoletGrayer intothepen
Sihtblueslide I lookover at her to gaugeif she's one of those caregivers who feel coes at all tionevery ,clearlytryingtoreadn
” beokayif theyaretogether?Whatdoyouthink?”
”I agree,”I saywithrelief, givenGrayer's ression ”CanI treatyoutodessert?”
Oncewe've settled at a table in full view of the slide, I pass Si theboys play I usually tryto setGrayer freeandthencome up here where I cankeep an eye on hiiver who's, like, 'Um, Grayer's in thesandbox'And I'm supposed to fly across the roo les ”Yesterday, at a play date, the mother wanted , he screathecrayon nearthe paper”Sheunwrapshercupcake ”HaveyoubeenwithGrayerforverylong?”
”Seven months inceSeptember Howaboutyou?” I ask inreturn
”Two years now I have been with Mr and Mrs Zuckerman” She nods her head and her dark hair falls in front of her face I' thatshe's in her early forties ”We used to play with the other girl, she wasveryniceWhatwashername?” Shesmiles andtakes asipfromher miniaturecartonof milk
”CaitlinYeah, I thinkshewentbacktoAustralia”
”She had a sister there as very sick In the hospital She was saving up to visit her last time we had a playdate”
”That's terrible, I had no idea She onderful, Grayer still really misses her? Out of the corner of myeye I seeDarwin,poised 171 on the yellow plastic step above Grayer, pulling Mr X's tie taut around G's neck For a brief redashereachesup his handstoclutchathis throat
Then the knot of the tie gives way in one swift tug Darwin rips it fro, to the other side of the roo apparatus Sifronts
”Grove,it's okay,”I calloutasI approach
He gives forth a blast of rage toward Darwin that silences the entire room ”GIVE THAT BACK!!
THAT'S MY DADDY'S!! GIVE IT BACK!!!!!!!” He starts to sob and shake ”MY DADDY'S SO MADAT YOU!!HE'S SOMAD!!!!”