How to Be an American Housewife - Margaret Dilloway [36]
“Can I see them?” Helena was always curious about Japan, always asking me for stories. For show-and-tell in third grade, she had brought me in to talk about kimonos.
I got out the kokeshi dolls and set them up on the dining table. “These I got for your mommy and daddy,” I said, pulling out the matching couple. They had cartoonish big eyes, painted black hair, and red lips. Their bobble heads drifted away from each other. “See, they look away from each other.”
“That means they don’t love each other, right?” She wasn’t upset. She blinked her eyes innocently.
“Yeah, that right. But this only legend.” Some people said that the kokeshi held the spirits of the dead; maybe some long-ago religion had used them. I had bought mine from a tourist spot near a hot spring.
I got out two more. These had kimonos made of a soft flocked material; Helena felt them with her index finger, as she always did. “These me and Ojisan.” I put them on the table next to the others. Their heads bobbled, wavered, then looked at each other.
“You love each other!” Helena grinned. She twirled the head around on Craig’s doll. “Can I take these home?”
I shrugged. “Your mommy no like them.”
“They remind her of a bad time, I guess.” Helena spun the doll head faster. “But I want them.”
“You try cause trouble, Helena-chan?” I smoothed her hair out of her face. “Why no wear hair back, see pretty face?”
“I like it like this.” She shook her mane. “I am not causing trouble. I just want the dolls. Will you get me dolls when I get married?”
“If get marry.” I smiled. “No get married until thirty year old, got it?”
“I know, I know.” She rolled her eyes.
I peered at her. “You wear eyeliner? Your mommy know?” Good girls didn’t wear eyeliner at twelve. What path was she headed down?
She leaned to me. “Don’t tell her, okay?”
My heart melted. “Okay. Our secret.” I smiled. “You want make cookie with me?”
“Sure.” Helena put the kokeshi dolls by the front door to take home. I hoped Sue wouldn’t be angry.
Helena was my do-over daughter. With her, I had the patience to do everything I should have done with Sue. Cook. Teach about Japan. Hugging. I would have even taught her the language, if I hadn’t been certain I would mess it up. She needed to learn proper dialect, not what we used out in the country.
Maybe Helena could go with Sue, if Sue would agree to go.
I pulled on my clothes. I needed to go see Sue, tell her. My hands shook as I put on my makeup. Charlie could not know.
Charlie pushed the door open. I jumped. “Hey, I thought I heard you up.” He sat down to put on his shoes. “I’m going to help Mike move the rest of his stuff.”
“Good.” I smoothed the guilty look over on my face.
“Where are you going?”
“Store.” I brushed down my hair quickly. I knew he thought I meant the store that was a mile away.
“Get some Maalox while you’re out, okay?” Charlie left.
“Okey-dokey.” I put on blue eye shadow and my coral Revlon Moondrops lipstick that I’d had for the last ten years. I made makeup stretch. Then I added foundation—it was lighter than the skin on my neck, Sue said, but that’s how I liked it—and was ready to go on my secret mission.
SUE’S OFFICE BUILDING was a long way away. Though I had my driver’s license, I didn’t do much driving on my own. Usually I avoided freeways, but I had to take three to get there. I kept to the slow lane the whole way.
Her building was tall glass that reflected the clouds and sun. The company was so big, it took up all the office space. At the receptionist’s desk, I asked where Sue worked.
“Second floor, New Accounts. You want me to call her?” the girl asked. She snapped her gum. Rude.
Another young woman was already heading through the double doors. “I go with her, okay?” I walked in behind the woman before she could let the doors close.
“It’s upstairs to the right,” the woman told me. Her clothes were so chic; her perfume smelled expensive. It made me wish that we could switch positions.
I thanked her. My mind whirred