Page 54 of Roses, Pearls, and Hot Summer Nights
Beth has temper tantrums, where she throws herself on the ground and screams if she can’t have everything she wants. Johnny just runs away. Isn’t ten too old to be behaving this way? I don’t know. Today would have gone much worse, if not for the kindness of four men who stopped to help me with the tiny terrors. Maybe they could tell I was about to cry, pull out my hair, or just sink into despair? Regardless, they stopped and managed to get Johnny back to me before he ran into the street and got squashed like a bug.
The four brothers who stopped recently moved here from Louisiana, they said. I don’t know anything about Louisiana, so my curiosity was piqued. Once I finally managed to convince the kids to play nicely with the other children in the park, they talked to me about their home and answered many of my questions. I had to ask them if there were alligators everywhere, since it seems in stories they are more prolific than snails. They found the question really funny. I normally hate to be laughed at but the brothers seemed to find my questions delightful instead of ridiculous.
I doubt I’ll ever see them again, but their names were Nathaniel, Robert, Victor and Edward Lent. The last one prefers Ed, which is strangely charming. He’s five years older than me, and they are all two years apart. I couldn’t decide which one was handsomer, so I stopped trying to decide who I liked best and just reveled in their undivided attention. When I told them that I was seventeen, Victor frowned in such a way that thrilled me a bit. I added that I would be eighteen soon, pleased to see they all warmed up again. It is three weeks until my birthday, but I’d almost forgotten until I mentioned it to them.
None of the brothers brought up glass, a true pleasure and change of pace for me. Instead, they knew all sorts of other interesting things. Their accents are so pretty sounding, so smooth and slick. They say that I have an accent, which amused me. Maybe I do? If I have any accent, I likely picked it up in Europe. Maybe I don’t sound exactly like everyone else in New York? I never really thought about it before.
They came to the city because they inherited a lot of money recently. I didn’t ask them for the details, as it seems unlikely I will ever see them again. When they heard I was an orphan, too, they each gave me sympathy in such a way, I felt moved. I didn’t mean to cry, but I broke for just a second.
Before I knew it, I needed to bring the nightmare twins back to their mother, who seemed to be on something when I found her. Her bleary eyes had gone glassy again, and her speech slurred, but I’m not sure what she takes or drinks to make her inebriated.
My uncle was locked in his study again, but I prefer that. I would rather eat alone. I’ve decided I am going to call this journal my Newport Diaries. That is my last name after all and I, Dina Newport, will be the only person who will ever care to read it.
D
I bit my lip,surprised at the fact three generations of Lents had four sons. I glanced up at the two from the newest generation, passed out a few feet away from me. Jeremy’s blond head shone like gold, lit by a stream of sunshine beaming in from a nearby window. It gave him an angelic appearance, like a hero in repose. Phoenix, on the other hand, looked like he was in pain. His face was scrunched up as he breathed silently through his clenched teeth. Whatever he dreamed about, it wasn’t pleasant.
Somewhere distantly in the apartment, I heard someone awaken and start moving around, but I decided to go back to my reading.
June 26th,1966
Well,it’s official. I will never see the Lents again. Before the haze started, making it impossible to take the terrible twins outside, I brought them to the park every day to see the brothers. For the past three days, however, we couldn’t go out at all. It’stoo hard to breathe, making it impossible. I can’t imagine the Lents would be at the park in this weather anyway, so it isn’t like they are there waiting for me.
My uncle, however, is still traveling daily for his measurements. They hospitalized him last night for respiratory distress because of it. I thought he might die, and I am a terrible, hateful person, because even though it would leave me entirely alone in the world, I couldn’t bring myself to care very much.
Then again, my frustrations do feel fair, at least. He receives my salary every week, of which he gives me none for myself. I have to beg him for everything. I’m not sure if he realizes it, but I can see in his gaze how he hates me. It makes me shift in my seat when he looks at me, but I know I have done nothing but breathe, and I certainly can’t be blamed for the weather. Our neighbor, Mrs. Jones, said the haze was caused by the pollution. She is probably right. Really, I wonder how much worse it could get. The weather, though, is at least a reasonable topic for my concern, rather than the Lents, but I can’t stop thinking about them.
My mother would have called me a fanciful girl, and she would have been right. Then again, better to focus on them than my own problems or my summer as a nanny. I meant to finish high school in Europe, but then I spent a year painting in Italy and didn’t get around to it. Neither of my parents minded me painting. My father said it would get it out of my system, but they let me follow my dreams.
Where did it get me? No paint, my only job the endless hell of the children, which eventually ends when they go back to school. I don’t even know what would happen to me then. He certainly wouldn’t pay for me to go to college.
So what is there for an uneducated girl without anything in the world other than fantasies over four handsome brothers whomade her feel special, if only for a few afternoons? Yes, I know, I sound like a melodrama even in my own head.
D
July3rd1966
It’s my birthday!My uncle didn’t remember, but that wasn’t terrifically surprising. He rambled on and on about how Tony something made history by hitting two grand slams in a single game against the San Francisco Giants, becoming the first in the National League. I tapped my fingertips impatiently, not really caring, but I hadn’t known he liked baseball. Normally, he only spoke of glass.
But tonight he seemed downright excited about baseball instead.
I have to keep pausing to fan myself as I write because it is simply sweltering outside. My neighbor said we’ll hit one hundred and three degrees today, but then again, Mrs. Jones knows everything. It would be maddening if she wasn’t so helpful.
The terrible toddlers are sick with summer colds, all snot and fevers and unhappiness, but I couldn’t spend another second closed up in my stagnant apartment alone. I needed to feel … something. Even though it was too hot to imagine being outside, I went for a walk. I even risked getting red and forgot to put on a hat.
It was worth it. Do you know who waited in the park on such a hot day? The Lent brothers! They were waiting for me! I almost couldn’t believe it when I spotted them, but not only did they wait for me, they remembered it was my birthday, and they wanted to take me out for an ice cream. They didn’t havea backup plan for if I didn’t show up. I suppose I could have pretended to be busy, playing coy because they hadn’t spoken to me for two weeks. But I so longed for their conversation, and they are so handsome. I don’t think I can do them justice by writing about them, but I’ll try again.
Nathaniel has blond hair and brown eyes. Actually, they all do. I have always found my brown hair and brown eyes so drab, but the brothers remind me of sun gods. Oh, the comparison would make them laugh, so I would never dare tell them, just you, sweet book! They get their hair from their Maman, and I love that name for mother and their way of saying it. I once confessed to them how much I loved to hear them speak when I felt particularly ridiculous.
They inherited money after their father and uncles had died, which is why they’re here in New York. Their family does lumber business, but after a trucking accident, they inherited it all. I didn’t ask how much, but then again, the numerical value wouldn’t matter much to me anyway. Besides, even I have better manners than asking about a man’s finances.
They came because a man selling his small department store contacted them, and they thought they could make it grander. Their plans were huge, impressive to many. Their Maman wasn’t happy they moved away, that they hadn’t taken over the family business, as planned, but they had another dream. Since all of the brothers went to school to study business, they were sure they could make theirs a success.
Their energy was incredible, and hearing them talk about it even managed to get me a bit excited about their plans.
I can’t decide which one of them I like more. They’re each so handsome, so kind, so everything! Despite the heat, I let them all walk me home. I didn’t want to say goodbye yet, even though it would have been kinder to leave them at the restaurant.
It was a wonderful day, I thought, practically wanting to skip despite the sweltering heat. A real birthday treat, probably the best in my entire life. It didn’t even matter if I sat alone in my room for the remainder of the evening, I would still be flying high off the happiness from our visit.
