A Death in the Family - James Agee [76]
Somebody sighed, from the heart; he looked up; it was Hannah. They were all looking downward and sidelong. His sister’s face had altered strangely among this silence; it had become thin, shy and somehow almost bridal. He remembered her wedding in Panama; yes, it was much the same face. He looked away.
“Aunt Hannah, will you please stay with me here tonight?” Mary asked.
Mama, Andrew thought, and his heart went out to her as he looked at her deaf, set smile.
“Why certainly, Mary.”
Joel decided not to look at his watch. Andrew covertly glanced at the mantel clock. It was ...
“I hope Mama won’t mind too much. I hope she’ll understand. Poor thing. Mama,” she suddenly called, and put her hand on her mother’s hand and on the trumpet. Her mother eagerly tilted it. “I think it’s about time we all tried to get some sleep.” Her mother nodded, and seemed to be about to speak; Mary pressed her hand for silence and continued, “Mama, I’ve asked Aunt Hannah if she’ll stay here tonight with me.” Her mother nodded and again seemed to be about to speak. Again Mary pressed her hand: “I’d love it if you could, but I know how it would disrupt things at eleven-fifteen,”—“Hahh,” her father exclaimed—“and I just ...”
“Tell her, Poll!”
“Also, Mama. Also it’s just—I hope you’ll understand and not mind, Mama dear—it’s just it would be so very hard for us to talk, quietly, and with the children and all, why I just sort of think ...”
“Why certainly, Mary,” her mother interrupted, in her somewhat ringing voice. “I absolutely agree with you. I think it’s so nice that Hannah can stay!” she added, almost as if Mary and Hannah were little girls.
“I hope you know, Mama, how very much!—I hope you don’t mind. I just appreciate it so much, I ...”
Her mother patted her hand rapidly. “It’s perfectly all right, Mary. It’s very sensible,” she smiled.
Mary put an arm around her and hugged her; she turned her aging face and smiled very brightly and Mary could see the tears in her eyes. She was speechless and her head was shaking in her effort to convey her love and the entirety of her feeling. “Anything I can do, dear child,” she said after a few moments. “Anything!”
“Bless you, Mama!”
“Beg pardon?”
“I said bless you, dear!”
Catherine patted her hand on the back and smiled even more tightly.
I love you so much! Mary exclaimed within herself.
“Praps the children,” Catherine said. “I could take care, if—it would be more, convenient ...”
“Oh, I don’t think we should wake them up!” Mary said.
“She doesn’t mean ...” Andrew began.
“Tomorrow,” her mother said. “Just, perhaps, during the—interim ...”
“That’s wonderful, Mama, that may turn out to be just the thing and if it is I most certainly will. Most gratefully. It’s just, I’m in such a spin it’s just too soon to quite know yet, make any plans. Anything. Tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow then.”
“Thank you, Mama.”
“Not at all.”
“Thank you all the same.”
Her mother smiled and shook her head.
Joel and his sister stood up.
“Mary before we go,” Andrew said.
“?”
“It’s much too late, Mary, you’re much too tired.”
“Not if it’s important, Andrew.”
“Let’s let it go till morning.”
“What is it, Andrew?”
“Just—various things we’ll have to discuss pretty soon.” He took a deep breath and said in a loud voice, “Getting a plot, making arrangements about the funeral; seeing about a headstone. Let’s wait till morning.”
Earth, stone, a coffin. The ugly craft of undertakers became real and tangible to her, but as if she touched them with frozen hands. She looked at him with glazed eyes.
“That’ll be plenty of time, Mary,” she heard her aunt say.
“Of course it will,” Andrew said. “It was foolish of me to