Seasons of Her Life (4 page)

“Sometimes I wonder myself. Maybe it won't be so bad. If I move over to the Pentagon, I'll be working for an admiral and making a lot more money. I might even be able to save some money.”

“But you'll be paying out more in rent, and she'll make you send more home. It doesn't make sense. This is your chance to save some money and take some night classes with me.”

“I can still do that, take the classes, I mean. Do you think you could get me a job at Lerner's on Saturday and maybe one night a week?”

Nola shook her head glumly. “You're dragging now, Ruby. How will you handle it all? You already put in too much overtime at the office. It's like you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.”

“It's easier this time around.” Ruby grinned. “I have you to bounce things off. Here's the list Amber stuck under my door this morning. I have to contribute to the food budget, the utilities, and the rent. I also have to do my share of the chores, and carfare is going to cost more. It comes to eighty dollars a month more, plus two hundred I'll have to borrow from Amber just to , move. I called her office today and told her no. You know what she said? She's calling home tonight at nine o'clock. That means my father will get on the phone and tell me I either move with Amber or I go back home. He'll come and drag me home, Nola. He will!”

Nola leaned back and lit a cigarette.

Nola Quantrell was the fifth youngest in a family of eleven children, not counting the eight orphans her parents looked after. She had learned the meaning of standing up for herself by the age of six.

“Why don't you tell your father you can send more money home if you continue to live at the Y?” she suggested. “If he's so gung ho on your sending money, he might go for it. In my opinion, what he's doing is outright extortion.”

Ruby snorted. “This is Amber's show; I'm just one of the bit players. I'll give it a try, but don't be surprised if I'm not around next week. God, I wish I were twenty-one.”

 

Amber Connors' eyes spewed venom when Ruby walked through the lobby doors of the Y at five minutes past nine. Amber was dressed in a yellow playsuit with a wide green belt and matching sandals. An ornate green comb with a ticklish-looking feather was stuck in her hair at a crazy angle. Ruby almost laughed, but she didn't when she saw the hostility in her sister's eyes.

“I'm not moving,” Ruby shot over her shoulder as she headed for the elevator.

“Don't tell me, tell Pop. If you aren't going, you better start to pack, because he'll be here on Sunday to pick you up.”

Ruby jabbed the button on the elevator. “Stuff it, Amber, I'm not moving. You tell Pop.” She entered the elevator, Amber on her heels. Ruby stared straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge her sister.

“You're really stupid, Ruby. You act as though this place is Shangri-la. It's the damn YWCA. An apartment will give us room to walk around; we can do our own cooking, have a refrigerator. There's even a garden. You'll have your own room. What more do you want?”

“I want exactly what I have. I'm happy here. I can afford this. I don't need anything else, not right now. Find someone else.”

“I can't find someone else. Pop said you were my responsibility, and while I don't like it, there isn't much I can do about it. I don't want to go back to Barstow, and Pop will drag me back with you, so you might as well agree here and now.”

“The way I see it, Amber, you're the only one who gains from this move. What's in it for me? Tell me one thing!”

“You little snot, you always spoil everything. I hated you the day you were born and I still hate you,” Amber shouted. “I wish to God you were never born!”

Ruby's throat closed tight. From somewhere deep inside her she summoned her last bit of courage. “Ask me, Amber. Ask me to move, don't tell me. Don't threaten me. Tell me you can't swing it without me. Don't tell me any lies about what's best for me; it's what's best for you. Say it, Amber, say you need me and I'll give you my answer.”

Amber's lips thinned out in anger, and her eyes narrowed. The words came out slowly. “Okay, I need you to make the move.”

“Why?” Ruby demanded.

“I told you why.”

“No, there's something else. I can see right through you, Amber.”

“Everyone has a boyfriend. We can't bring men here, but there we'll have a parlor.”

Ruby felt drunk with her advantage.
Get it all now, everything you want from her, because you won't get another chance.
“Well, aren't you the sneaky one. I guess that means you already have a boyfriend. He must be deaf, dumb, and blind to like you.”

“Well? Will you make the move with me?” Amber said as if she hadn't heard Ruby's insults.

Ruby pulled her suitcase from the top shelf of her closet. “I can be bought, Amber. If the price is too high, find yourself another sucker. What's his name?”

Amber responded automatically to the iron command in Ruby's voice, so like her father's. “Nangi Duenas . . .” The stricken look on her face delighted Ruby. She replaced the suitcase on the top shelf.

“That Filipino guy who has been hanging around the lobby?” Ruby whooped her victory. “A Filipino! That's a good one! That's the same as going with a colored fella. Oh, boy, Pop is going to yank you home for sure when he finds
that
out!”

Amber was on her then, pulling her hair, pinching and gouging wherever she could. Ruby pulled the green comb from Amber's hair, ripping it down her bare arm at the same time she brought up one long leg, locking Amber in a viselike hold. Her clenched fist shot upward, catching her sister full on the chin. Amber toppled to the floor, Ruby towering over her. She was pleased to see blood trickling down Amber's arm onto the wrinkled playsuit.

“Do you remember the time I beat the shit out of you over that angel business?” Ruby gasped. “I can do it again, right here and now. Nothing would give me more pleasure, but you know what, Amber, you aren't worth the effort. I'll move with you, but I'm not going to owe you a cent. You can put up my rent increase, and we'll go on from there. You are never saddling me with a debt again. Take it or leave it!”

“Pop was right. You have the devil in you. You'll pay for this, I swear you will,” Amber gasped as she lurched to the door Ruby was holding open.

“So much for bravado,” Ruby whimpered, falling onto the bed.

 

Ruby woke on Saturday morning believing it was going to be the best day of her life. She tingled, she glowed, and her summer-blue eyes sparkled. Today was not routine; today was different. She was going to buy a new dress just for this dance, and she was going to tell Amber flat-out she was going. Tell her, not ask her. Her first real show of independence. She had a bad moment when she realized she would have to dip into her food budget to buy the dress. So what if she ate crackers and tomato soup for a week? She wouldn't starve. Nobody starved.

Once again Nola's practiced eye ran over the racks of dresses, searching for just the right one for her friend, a dress that was daring and different. “Wait a minute, Ruby, there's a dress in the back on layaway. I know it's your size, but the girl never came back to pick it up. We were supposed to put it back on the floor yesterday, guess they forgot. It's ah ... it's different. I'll get it.”

It was different all right, Ruby thought in dismay, and absolutely the most gorgeous dress she'd ever seen, all colors of the rainbow with three inches of fringe around the skirt bottom, She could hardly wait to try it on. “It's . . . scandalous. My father would lay down and die if he saw me in this.” Ruby gurgled.

“That would be one way of getting rid of him,” Nola muttered under her breath.

“How much is it?” Ruby asked, pulling the dress over her head.

Nola peeked into the dressing room. This was the sticky part. “It's . . . it's nineteen dollars. The person who had it on layaway paid nine already, but she hasn't been back, so you can have it for ten dollars. That's a bargain, Ruby, you can't pass it up.”

“Won't she want her money back?” Ruby called out as she smoothed the perfectly sized dress over her hips.

“No,” Nola lied. “If layaways aren't picked up on schedule, the customer forfeits the money. It's your lucky day, Ruby.”

Ruby's feet barely touched the ground as she walked back to the Y. Her hands were reverent when she hung the dress on its hanger. Where would she ever wear it again? It was unbelievably gorgeous, she thought, the color of a hundred Popsicles melting together.

Five hours later, her narrow face full of hostility, Amber Connors watched her sister sashay out of the lobby. Her eyes glinted angrily when Ethel commented on how pretty Ruby looked.

Ruby was a whirlwind as she made her way down the street. It was going to be a wonderful evening. She caught sight of the bus pulling to the curb. Nola would be getting off it. She raised her hand the minute she spotted her friend. Behind her was Nangi Duenas. A devil perched itself on Ruby's shoulder.

“Hello.” She smiled. “I'm Amber's sister. She's waiting for you.”

She was rewarded with a dazzling smile showing perfectly aligned teeth, but it was the approving look in the man's eyes that Ruby wanted to see.

Satisfied, she stood back to admire Nola, resplendent in a skin-tight lime-green dress with a vivid purple sash. She had a pretty, heart-shaped face, a clear complexion, and soft, dark eyes that she enhanced with mascara and a deep charcoal line at the base of her eyelashes. Tonight she wore a deep burgundy lipstick that looked almost purple, a perfect match for the vivid sash and huge purple earrings. She'd never seen Nola's hair curled and frizzed before. To Ruby's eye she looked exotic.

“Wait till all those marines from the Marine barracks get a load of us!” Nola laughed uproariously. “A friend of mine told me most of the girls wear these simple little dresses with Peter Pan collars, you know, all prim and proper. We, on the other hand, look ... experienced ... I mean, we look as if we've been to these dances before. Trust me when I tell you we are going to dance our feet off right up to our anklebones.”

Excitement rivered through Ruby when they arrived at the dance. She'd never seen so many people in one place before. There had to be at least a thousand voices contributing to the sound coursing through the huge building.

In the lead, Nola shouldered her way through throngs of young men in military attire: sailors in immaculate white, young airmen in Santiago blue, soldiers in khaki, and marines in olive green. The young women were dressed mostly in starched crinolines, sundresses, and white gloves.

“Which floor do we want?” Nola shouted to be heard over the blaring band on the first floor. “There's a dance on seven, five, three, and this floor.” Ruby pointed upward.

“We'll work our way down,” Nola shouted a second time. “Get your money out.” Ruby did as instructed. She paid her quarter and had her hand stamped. She made up her mind not to wash her hand for at least two days. She wanted to remember every little detail of this night.

The music thundered as the two girls fought their way through the crowds. Slightly ahead of her, Ruby saw a young Marine lieutenant crush Nola against a wall. She was about to elbow the young man in the ribs, when she saw Nola smile flirtatiously. Ruby hung back, bumping into a second young man, a marine. His eyes seemed to apologize as he shouted into her ear, “Andrew Blue. Would you like me to cut a path for you?” Ruby nodded weakly, her eyes on Nola. Panic rushed through her. They hadn't discussed the possibility of becoming separated.

Nola winked at Ruby as she clasped the lieutenant around the waist and followed him.

“Good idea,” Andrew shouted. “Grab hold, Miss Rainbow, and we'll make it to seven or die in the effort.” Without hesitation Ruby reached out.

Her father would call this place a hotbed of sin. Ruby laughed aloud. Today she didn't care what her father would think.

Andrew was handsome, Ruby thought, tall and lean with sandy hair cut very short. His uniform was immaculately creased, his cap folded neatly in his belt. She'd had an impression of blue eyes full of humor and a wide grin. He jiggled his hips in a rumba motion, which caused Ruby to burst out laughing. She knew he was grinning.

“We're here!” Nola bellowed over her shoulder to be heard over the sounds of “Pennsylvania 6-5000.” “This is seven. Ohhh, listen to that band. Let's meet back here. I'm Nola, this is Ruby, and this is Alex,” she said, pointing to her partner.

“This is Andrew,” Ruby laughed excitedly.

“Let's dance,” Andrew said, motioning to the floor. “I love to dance, do you?”

“Uh-huh,” Ruby muttered, trying to remember Nola's instructions. Throw your hips out to the left, then to the right, then swing around. Let your partner do the rest.

Andrew Blue was fun, Ruby decided two hours later as she made her way to the closest wall. She was thirsty and had to find a bathroom. Frantically, she looked around for Nola but couldn't see her anywhere. Sensing her distress, Andrew said, “Follow me, I know where it is.”

Somewhere between the seventh and third floors Ruby lost Andrew in a crush of sailors and giggling, laughing girls. Ohhh, she was having such a wonderful time, and the fringed skirt felt so delicious against her legs. She'd seen more than one girl look at her dress enviously. She'd returned their looks smugly, mostly because of the dress and partly because of the handsome lieutenant whirling her about.

The ladies' room yielded a long line that stretched into the corridor. Patiently, Ruby waited her turn. She was jiggling from one foot to the other when she looked around to meet a pair of dark, amused eyes.