Just an Ordinary Day: The Uncollected Stories of Shirley Jackson (5 page)

“Baby,” Mrs. Dawson said, and stopped. Then she took a breath and asked slowly, “Baby, did you ever hear of people dying?”

“Sure,” Jeannie said, surprised. “Great-grandmother died, and Carrie’s goldfish.”

“Mrs. Archer had a little girl, and she died,” Mrs. Dawson said, still speaking very carefully. “You must have heard someone talking about it; it didn’t happen very long ago.”

“Tippie stays in her room all the time. We watch her put her toys on the windowsill and take them down again. She has a Noah’s Ark and a doll in a blue dress and a yellow giraffe.”

“Jeannie.” Mrs. Dawson gave her a little shake. “There
is
no little girl at the Archers’ house. There are no children there at all now,” and she held Jeannie tighter. “There are certainly no toys. I know.” She hesitated again. “I packed them away myself,” she said. “They gave everything away.”

“Why did you have to pack the things if they belonged to Mrs. Archer’s little girl? Why didn’t Mrs. Archer pack them herself?”

“Mrs. Archer wasn’t feeling very well. Carrie’s mother and Mrs. Brown and I went over to help her.”

“That was nice of you.” Jeannie wriggled comfortably. “Helping her pack when she didn’t feel well.”

“But you must promise me something, baby. You must promise me that you will never
never
say anything to Mrs. Archer about pretending to see a little girl—”

Jeannie sat up indignantly. “It’s not pretending,” she said. “We go all the time and watch Tippie. It’s our third-favorite game.”

Mrs. Dawson started to speak, and then stopped. Instead, she put her cheek down on Jeannie’s bright head. “Why do you call her Tippie?” she asked after a minute.

Jeannie giggled. “We thought sometimes we could see just the tip of her head or the tip of her hand waving, so we called her Tippie. It’s a name we made up, Carrie and me.”

“I see,” Mrs. Dawson said. Then she went on brightly, “You know, young lady, if I don’t get my potatoes peeled pretty soon, your daddy will come home and he’ll say ‘WHERE’S MY DINNER,’ and when there isn’t any dinner what do you think he’ll do?”

“He’ll spank us,” Jeannie said delightedly. “He’ll spank us both.”

She slid off her mother’s lap and landed on the floor, laughing and sitting. “Mommy,” she asked, “would you feel bad if I died like Tippie?”

Mrs. Dawson reached out and touched Jeannie’s nose quickly and lightly. “Yes,” she said. “I would feel very bad indeed.”

“Listen,” Jeannie said, scrambling to her feet, “there’s Carrie calling me. Why do you suppose she came over again just before dinner?”

Scurrying, she raced through the dining room and through the hall and tugged open the front door. “Hi, Carrie,” she said.

“I forgot Rosabelle Jemima,” Carrie said. “I had to come and get her so she wouldn’t catch cold being outside so late.”

“Did you ask your mother could Tippie come over?”

“Yes, but she said no,” Carrie said. “Did you?”

“Yes, but she said no. Ask your mother can I come to your house for lunch tomorrow.”

“I’ll ask her. And you ask your mother can I come to
your
house for lunch tomorrow. Then we can call each other on the telephone and say.”

“All right. You can bring Rosabelle Jemima if she doesn’t catch cold.”

“All right. Goodbye, Jeannie.”

“Goodbye, Carrie.”

Carrie turned the doll stroller and started off down the walk. “Listen,” Jeannie called, “you ask your mother.”

“I will. And you ask yours.”

“Don’t forget.”

“You don’t forget either.”

“Goodbye, Carrie.”

“Goodbye, Jeannie.”

“See you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow.”

“Goodbye, Rosabelle Jemima.”

“Goodbye, Amelia Marian.”

“Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

I
NDIANS
L
IVE IN
T
ENTS

36 Elm St.
   Tuesday

Dear Miss Griswold
,

This is just a note of thanks, to say that I want you to know how much I certainly appreciate your kindness in letting me have this apartment. Every time I come home at night and look around my own little room-and-a-half I think of you, and I think of how if I didn’t speak to Timmy Richards and Timmy Richards hadn’t known Eve Martin and Eve Martin hadn’t gotten in touch with Bill Ireland and Bill Ireland hadn’t known you, then I would still be living out in Staten Island with my sister and her kids, and I remember how grateful I am to you for giving me your apartment. I wish you could see it now. Of course your stuff was good-looking, and I guess I could never make this place look as pretty as you had it, but of course the first thing I had to do was put away all that stuff with the ruffles and the curtains and things, and now I’ve got my ship models and my college pictures up and it sure looks swell. Whenever you want your stuff, of course, it’s right here. I wouldn’t touch it for anything
.

Well, thanks again, and I sure hope you’re happy in your new place. You sure were lucky to get it and whenever you want to send for your furniture I’ll send it along to you and then get my furniture from Bill Ireland and he can get his stuff from Timmy Richards and Timmy can get his back from his mother. So thanks again, and yours very sincerely
,

Allan Burlingame

101 Eastern Square
   Thursday

Dear Mr. Burlingame
,

I’m so glad you like my apartment, and of course I’m truly delighted that I was able to pass it along to you. Naturally I’m not even beginning to be settled here yet, so of course can’t send for my furniture right away. However, as soon as I get my sublease straightened out, we can fix everything. As you know, I’m having a little trouble with the landlord, because we didn’t want to tell him right away about how I was subleasing the place
—
he wanted it for his aunt or something
—
so of course it’s not really
legal
yet, my being here. As a result I’d be very grateful if you didn’t address your letters such as the last one to me direct. Address them to me care of Tuttle, which is the name of the people I’m subleasing from. Or better still, if you have any problems, telephone. The number is listed under the name of J. T. Maloney, which is the name of the people the Tuttles subleased from, and of course no one liked to have the phone changed because the landlord never really
liked
having the Tuttles sublease from the Maloneys
.

As a matter of fact, it’s just me and the telephone here now. I managed to wear two blankets in under my coat when I came in so I can roll up in them at night, and I had my toothbrush in my pocketbook and I’ve sneaked in a towel and a cake of soap, but otherwise it’s sort of empty. The Tuttles took their furniture out piece by piece and put it into the back of their car covered with a rug, and yesterday the bed went and I must say it looked like the janitor was going to catch us taking the springs down the back stairs
.

If you know of any way you can sneak some kind of a folding chair up to me, I’d appreciate it
.

Yours very truly
,

Marian Griswold

36 Elm St.
   Monday

Dear Miss Griswold
,

Sorry to hear of your roughing it. There is nothing I would like better than turning over all your furniture to you right away, since my friends think it is sort of funny my sleeping in a bed with a pink canopy and keeping my watch and loose change on a dresser with a gauze skirt thing on it. I finally found the telephone under that little doll effect you had
,
and would call you instead of writing except that the telephone book is holding up one foot of the bathtub and I can’t get it out. I also wish you could get some of your clothes out of the closet partly because I could use the hangers and partly because my aunt brought me over a chocolate cake yesterday and when she went to the closet to hang up her coat I had a terrible time explaining to her. Can you think of anything?

Sincerely
,

Allan Burlingame

101 Eastern Square
   Wednesday

Dear Mr. Burlingame
,

I am having enough trouble getting in and out of my apartment myself without trying to carry a dresser with a gauze skirt. If you don’t like it, move. I have to go up the stairs one flight at a time, hiding in the shadows on every landing for fear someone should see me and tell the landlord there is someone strange living in the Tuttles’ apartment. I gave the janitor five dollars and I told him I was visiting the Tuttles and they never came out of the apartment because they all had influenza, but I’m pretty sure he knows they moved out and I am living there because I think he saw the living room chairs in the elevator, and I
know
he saw me moving in the cot, but I told him it was because the Tuttles didn’t have enough beds, and then I gave him the five dollars
.

At any rate I have a place to sleep now and I hope to get in a coffeepot tomorrow or the next day. As soon as I tell the landlord that the Tuttles have moved and I am leasing the apartment I will be able to send for my furniture
.

Yours very truly
,

Marian Griswold

Shax, Asmodeus, Baal, and Co. Realtors

Dear Mrs. Tuttle
,

In reference to the apartment 3C at 101 Eastern Square, subleased in your name from Mr. J. T. Maloney, we are sorry to be in a position to inform you that your sublease having expired, we have no choice but to inform you that your sublease on apartment 3C at 101 Eastern Square is no longer valid, and we shall expect to recover said premises on October 1st of this year, that being the date upon when your sublease expires. We are sorry to inform you that if you do not vacate said premises before said date we shall have to service upon you first warning of a notice of eviction
.

Yours extremely cordially
,

B. H. Shax, Executive Vice President

101 Eastern Square
   Monday

Dear Helen
,

This
just came. What shall I do?

Desperately
,

Marian

95 Martin Lane
   Wednesday

Dear Marian
,

Hang on, if you can. Because we have trouble enough of our own
—
it turns out the owner of this apartment can’t
stand
children and just because some old grouch complained about Butchie’s tricycle in the halls, and anyway it’s their own fault if the old halls are so dark, anyway, the landlord is being real nasty about it. So whatever you
do
do, don’t let go of that apartment
—
we may be coming back.

Best
,

Helen

36 Elm St.
   Thursday

Dear Miss Griswold
,

I am very sorry to keep bothering you like this, but the lady in the apartment down the hall here says that you owe her a dollar and sixty-five cents for a C.O.D. package which you never paid her, and I tried to give her your new address but she said she wanted the money so I had to give her the dollar sixty-five, which I am afraid left me rather pressed, since the rent here is higher than I was paying my sister when I lived with her. So I would be grateful if you could send it along. Also the bottom of your bookcase fell out and I tried to put it back but didn’t do much of a job on it. And I’m sorry but I burned a hole in the top of your coffee table
.

How are you getting along in your new place? I think I know where I can borrow a car and anytime you want your furniture I’d be glad to bring it over. Just let me know
.

Sincerely
,

Allan Burlingame

Thurs.

Dear Miss, Landlord came over today and made me let him into 3C to see if it was evicted and so here is your five back because I couldn’t keep him out
.

Charles E. Murphy (janitor)

Shax, Asmodeus, Baal, and Co. Realtors

Dear Mrs. Tuttle
,

Thank you for leaving so promptly after my letter. We must now only trouble you for the amount ($65.75) of last month’s rent.

Most extremely cordially
,

B. H. Shax

101 Eastern Square
   Friday

Dear Mr. Shax
,

You were misinformed. The Tuttles have moved, but I have taken over this apartment with their permission. Enclosed is my check for the month’s rent. Every human being has the right to shelter. Indians live in tents, Eskimos live in igloos, dogs live in kennels, and I am living here
.

Sincerely
,

Marian Griswold

Shax, Asmodeus, Baal, and Co. Realtors

Dear Miss Griswold
,

Enclosed is your check for last month’s rent of apartment 3C at 101 Eastern Square because we are returning it. If you are interested in the possibilities of renting a kennel or an igloo, I suggest you consult with some real estate firm that handles that type of business. Our firm handles only apartments, and since you are not the legal resident of the apartment at 101 Eastern Square you cannot pay the rent. Since you believe that you
are
the legal resident of the apartment you may consider this as first warning of notice to evict
.

Most extremely cordially
,

B. H. Shax

101 Eastern Square
   Wednesday

Dear Mr. Burlingame
,

Bring over all my furniture as fast as you can. I intend to stay in this apartment until a gentleman named B. H. Shax comes personally and carries me out into the street, and
that
is going to be harder than he things, because I am not an easy person to carry down three flights of stairs
.

Sincerely
,

Marian Griswold

36 Elm St.
   Thursday

Dear Bill
,

Will you get together my stuff and bring it over as soon as you can? I’m finally getting this dame’s stuff out of the place. Thank heaven
,

Al

10 Oliver
   Friday

Dear Timmy
,

Sorry, but I’m afraid I’ll be needing my furniture and things. Al wants his back because he is getting rid of the stuff that girl left in his place.

Bill

1249 Jones St.
   Saturday

Dear Mom, would you mind sending along as soon as possible the bed and chairs and stuff you said once I could have? On account of the guy who owns the furniture in this apartment wants it. Can I have the little radio too? Will write soon
.

Love
,

Timmy

101 Eastern Square
   Monday

Dear Mr. Shax
,

I am enclosing again my check for last month’s rent on this apartment. I have spoken to Mrs. Tuttle and she believes that her sublease gives her the right to sub-sublease, although it does not allow her to open a vegetable stand on the sidewall, keep mockingbirds, or advertise clairvoyant readings in the front windows. So you can consider me as having sub-sublet the apartment and I suggest you keep the check
.

Sincerely
,

Marian Griswold

Shax, Asmodeus, Baal, and Co. Realtors

Dear Miss Griswold
,

Enclosed please find your check for $65.75 to cover the rent for one month on apartment 3C at 101 Eastern Square. Since you are not the legal resident of this apartment it would not be legal for us to accept this check. Mrs. Tuttle is mistaken. Her lease gives her every right to keep mockingbirds, but none whatsoever to sub-sublet
.

Most extremely cordially
,

B. H. Shax

P.S. Please consider this as second warning of notice to evict
.

101 Eastern Square
   Friday

Dear Mr. Shax
,

If I am not the legal resident of the apartment you cannot evict me. You cannot evict Mrs. Tuttle, who
is
the legal resident of the apartment, because she is not living here. Unless you accept my check you are not going to receive any rent for the apartment at all because you cannot rent it to anyone else while I am living here because you cannot evict me so they could move in. Mrs. Tuttle will not pay the rent because she is not living here
.

Sincerely
,

Marian Griswold