Water Street (14 page)

Thomas murmured to himself as he walked next to Bird. Not only was he the valedictorian, but he had also won the prize for the best eighth-grade essay.
How exciting
, Bird thought,
how right
, even though they still didn't know what the prize was.

Bird's own essay was plain: She'd said she didn't know what was going to happen in her life, but she knew it had to have something to do with healing someday. She was satisfied with the essay, and knew Sister Raymond had been pleased with it.

Bird hugged Mama and Da at the auditorium door; then she and Thomas hurried to the classroom one last time. How different everyone looked. How loudly they talked about who was starting work tomorrow, who would start in a week, while Sister Raymond sat at her desk looking serene. Bird felt a lurch in her chest. Of all of them, she thought, she might be the one who'd miss school the most.

They marched into the auditorium and up on the stage just as they had practiced. Sister Raymond said a few words, then nodded to Thomas, and he went to the podium. Bird leaned forward; it was hard not to be nervous for him.

“I'm going to talk about things that seem impossible,” he said. “Like the great bridge that has been under construction for as long as we can remember. People said it would never be finished, but all we have to do is look up, and there are the towers in place.”

Mrs. Daley should hear this!

Thomas spoke about a mother and father: “So many hardships, and yet they managed to come to this country, as my own father did,” he said. “I want them to be proud of me, all three of them.” He talked about a brother he'd become close to, and an older sister who cooked for him.

In a seat near the front, Bird could see Annie reach out to touch Mama's arm, her eyes brimming.

Thomas looked across the stage at Bird, then at the audience again. “I wouldn't be standing here telling you this if my best friend, Bird, hadn't shared her family with me.”

Bird glanced at Mr. Neary, next to Da, and saw that he was smiling.

“What I want to do is write about them,” Thomas said, still looking at Bird. “I think I'll be able to do that. After all, nothing's impossible.”

Oh, Thomas
, she thought as Ellen Burke went first to receive her diploma, Ellen, who had said,
He gives her candy, they're going to get married.
Her eyes were still wet when Sister Raymond gave her the diploma, and Hughie looked up at her, smiling.

Later that day they had a party. Mrs. Daley came to sit on Hughie's bed and eat a piece of Annie's cake.

“It's boiling hot in here,” Bird told Thomas, and they went to sit on the hallway stairs.

“Filthy steps as usual, Eldrida,” he said. “I'm going to put this in my book. You'd better hope no one recognizes you.”

She sat back grinning at him, thinking of the end of the ceremony. Sister Raymond had announced the prize for the best essay of the class of 1876: a scholarship to the School of the Arts for Thomas Neary.

He'd write his first book there, Bird was sure.

At last the day was over. One by one everyone left, and Bird went back into the kitchen to help Mama and Annie do the dishes.

Everyone was still at the table, and Mama pulled at Bird's sleeve so she'd sit down on the edge of the chair with her. “Already you have more education than Da and I ever did,” Mama said. “It gives me great satisfaction.”

Bird nodded, remembering Da giving her the book that day, and all the books that Sister Raymond had shared with her.

Da stood up then and went to the cabinet. He opened the little door underneath and took out the farm box.

“You need to go to high school, Birdie.”

“Stuff that head with a little knowledge,” Hughie said.

She shook her head, not understanding. She glanced across at him. He would never look quite the same as he had before. His nose wasn't as straight and the scar would always be there, but Mama had said Bird had done the best she could. She knew that was true.

“I'd never—” she began.

Hughie interrupted her, looking at the others around the table. “She'll never take the money because she knows how much I want a farm.” He smiled. “But there's enough money in my pockets from boxing to get myself to New Jersey. I'll see if Uncle Patch can find me a place to work with him on a farm.”

Mama nodded. “Yes, Patch. And there's a huge seed place down in Monmouth. You could work there, I think, if Patch couldn't help.”

“But what about you, Mama?” Bird said. “You've always wanted—”

“We do what we have to do,” Mama said.

“But the cabbages Da promised you. The roses.”

“One day, maybe.” She glanced at Da. “But in the meantime, I can do without them.”

Annie patted Bird's shoulder. “You might have to use
your own riches, miss,” she said. “All those pennies gathering dust on top of the cabinet.”

Leave it to Annie. She knew everything.

Bird took it in. She'd go to high school.

Mama might never have her roses or cabbages, but Bird promised herself that someday she'd make Mama proud.