Island of Lost Girls - Jennifer McMahon [45]
Could it be that easy?
JUNE 20, 1993
LAURA LEE HELPEDGreta with her crocodile costume, and when she showed it to everyone at last, they were all quite impressed. Even Peter was pleased, and he was not one to give compliments easily.
Youre some crocodile, he acknowledged with a wide grin.
The costume was made from a series of cardboard boxes. The largest box was the torso, and it was where Greta hid inside and crawled around. Another long, narrow box made up the head, and a series of boxes attached to each other with string going from largest to smallest made up the tail. The crocodiles feet were made from four small boxes stapled to the body. The whole thing was painted bright green, and covered (everyone figured this must have been Laura Lees touch) with silver foil scales. The narrow box up front had round egg-carton eyes and a painted-on toothy grin that sparkled in the light (the teeth were made from glued-on tin foil also). Greta navigated through a small slit cut in the front of the body, just above the head.
Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock! she cried out, her voice muffled as she clambered her way around the stage, chasing Lizzy, cardboard tail dragging, foil scales and teeth gleaming.
Even out of costume, she chased Lizzy. Greta took great delight in sneaking up on poor unsuspecting Captain Hook during breaks, or popping out from behind a tree first thing in the morning.
Tick tock! she snarled, snapping her arms menacingly as Lizzy jumped back.
See, Rhonda whispered when the others were out of earshot.
I told you she had a crush on you.
This got Rhonda a strong thump on the shoulder from Lizzys hook, which got caught in her nightgown, ripping it.
Hey! Rhonda shouted, fingering the rip. Im gonna make you sew this. But Lizzy had walked away and was standing with the crocodile.
GRETA, AFTER PUTTINGso much effort into the costume, was angry that she wasnt in more scenes.
Ticktock , she snapped at Peter. Shouldnt the crocodile be there during the war with the lost boys, pirates, and Indians?
I dont know, Tock. I guess I could stick you in here and there.
Greta smiled to show she was pleased with both the plan to put her in more scenes and the new nickname.
She sat lurking at the edge of the action in nearly every scene, making her clock sounds, watching, just like she had done from the trees, only this time she had a front row seat. She was a part of things.
RHONDA HAD BEENstudiously avoiding her father, using the play as an excuse to be away from home as much as possible. She would run in for meals, let her mother heap tuna sandwiches or pork chops on her plate, while Rhonda sat in her white nightgown and told them little details about her day, like that Peter had let that awful Greta Clark join the play. But she couldnt avoid her father forever.
I think its time you and I had a talk, he said to her after dinner, when her mother had cleared the table and was running water in the sink. Rhonda nodded. Come into the office. You havent even seen where I hung your picture.
So, reluctantly, Rhonda followed him into the office and saw her drawings, tucked behind the new sheet of glass, hanging on the wall beside her fathers desk.
Theyre beautiful drawings, he told her. I look at them all the time. You got every detail just right, right down to the buttons on the uniforms.
Rhonda nodded.
Its the best birthday present I ever got.
She nodded again.
Ronnie, about what you saw
It doesnt matter, Rhonda said, staring down at her sneakers.
Of course it matters. And you deserve an explanation. I made a mistake. And you caught me. But its not a mistake Im going to make again. Do you understand?
Not really, Rhonda mumbled.
What is it you dont understand?
How you can be married to two people at once, Rhonda said.
Im not. Im married to your mother. And Im going to stay married to her.
But youwere married to Aggie.
Clem reached into his shirt pocket and took out a cigarette.
Yes, he said. I was once married to Aggie. A long