The Family

TEENIE WEENIES

 

Mama came back from her GYN appointment (whatever that was) and walked right past me like I was invisible or something. I grabbed her sweater's edge and tugged, almost knocked her over. Her nasty look at me was what I must have deserved. 'Mama,' I asked, 'What did Dr. Fleishman say?' 'Julia,' he said, 'Children are too nosey, ask too many questions. Tell your daughter what you want her to know.' With that Mama disappeared up the steps. I heard the toilet flush and think Mama was throwing up. She groaned a little, coughed, and came downstairs with a nice smile on her face. 'Mama, are you okay? You're not going to die are you?'

 

If I could have looked in a mirror, I would probably have looked like a ghost when Mama said, 'Yes, Sweetums, I'm going to die, but not soon. We, all people, animals are going to die someday. Today is not my day.'
'Do you have time to play 'Fish' with me, now? I'm tired of coloring. Sesame St. is over. Clara may have mumps so her mama won't let her come outside until the doctor says it's ok. Am I going to get mumps?'
'Maybe, maybe not. We'll see.' That didn't satisfy me. 'Will you play one game of War with me? Daddy put some new cards in the dining room. We can play with two decks.' Mama looked at me and told me to leave her alone. Those new cards are for Daddy's friends, not you and me. Come in the kitchen and we'll play Fish for a few minutes.' I went with her, played and lost.

 

I had to set the table for supper, not the plates, just the spoons and stuff and paper napkins. Mama never liked plain things, including paper napkins. Once Daddy bought a package of 1000 white ones and Mama was going to exchange them at Ralph's Super Shop, but kept them, used them to wipe up spills, shine the thing where water comes into the sink, you know, that hard word I forget, 'fakeits, fancies, something like that.
Daddy came home and didn't see my mother. 'Where is she, Julia?' I looked up from the jigsaw puzzle I was working on, stopped, kissed Daddy's cheek and went back to my puzzle. He asked again and all I knew was she wasn't in the cellar, or in the kitchen. I told Daddy to look upstairs. He told me to go upstairs and tell her he's home early. Would I not do what my Daddy asked me, told me, to do? Uh Uh. I went up and found her lying in bed, right on top of the pretty rose colored bedspread she bought last Christmas. My shaking her just a little made her half sit up, cough and gag. 'Go away, Julia. Tell Daddy I'll be down soon.' I told him but he didn't wait for her.

 

I heard them laughing. Daddy was jumping up and down so hard that the light in the hall shook. He came down stairs first with Mama right behind him, called me to sit in the living room with them because they had something really, really important to tell me. We sat on the sofa, with me in the middle. Daddy poked Mama a little and told her to tell me. She shook her head and told him to tell me. 'What, what? Tell me, tell me,' I hollered. Each held one of my hands. Mama spoke first.

 

'You are going to have a baby brother in a few months.' I wasn't sure if I was happy about that or not. Daddy added, 'We aren't going to give you one brother. Momma and I are giving you three at one time!' I had so many questions that stuck in my throat, I couldn't say anything until finally I asked Daddy if Mama is going to get real fat. He hugged Mama and me and patted Mama's flat belly. 'Where will they all sleep, Daddy?
Not in my room, right?' Mama answered, 'We don't know but will figure it out.'

 

Days, weeks seemed like forever. Mama did get fat, went to see Dr. Fleishman every week and still played Fish with me. When Mama could hardly walk anymore, my Bubbub came to take care of me. The spare room had been emptied for the little boys and three little basinets put against the only empty wall. It had fresh coat of light blue paint on it. A picture of me was hung over the three basinets. Mama had found a toy magic wand in the five and dime and had me hold it for my picture to be taken. 

 

Mama told me there was going to be a big party in our house called a Bris. It was a Jewish tradition to cut little boys little dingies a certain way. I cried and cried. 'Don't let anybody cut my brothers, Mama. Please don't!' She told me not to be afraid, it won't hurt them very much. 'Can I watch, Mama.' 'Mama said 'No, but when my brothers were brought into the living room on pillows and everybody crowded around, I wiggled between my Uncle Mannie and Aunt Dorothy and could see everything.  My Daddy was standing near Allen on the end. When the rabbi came in with a prayer book and a little glass of wine, he bent over Allen, did something and I saw a drop of blood, heard my little brother cry and stop almost at once. Then I looked at Daddy. Everybody did. The rabbi moved away from my brothers so somebody could help my father to his feet. He had fainted dead away.

 

I had never seen a teeny weeny boy's thing cut or not cut and I never saw anybody faint either. What a party it was!