Hungry for Love (12 page)

Candy was equally livid as she entered her front door
,
slamming it so loudly neighbors half a block away could hear.  Chrissy approached her looking puzzled and not just a little irritated.

Candy
’
s tone was accusatory
,
“
You forgot to pick me up again!  I had to call Aunt Laura.
”

Chrissy registered genuine shock and remorse
,
and removing the cold cloth with which she had swaddled her forehead
,
she said
“
Oh my God!  I
’
m so sorry
,
Cindy.
”

Candy grew instantly more enraged. 
“
My name isn
’
t Cindy—it
’
s CANDY—Candy—didn
’
t they teach you that word when you worked at the mall—in a God damn candy shop
?”
  Candy
’
s eyes opened wide.  She
’
d never said those words before.  Good thing Daddy wasn
’
t here to hear her.  Or her teacher.  Or Will.  Will would be sure to tell on her and who knew what the punishment was for saying that.  But she was glad she said the words and she thought them again.  God damn.  God damn Chrissy.

Holding her head with one hand
,
and looking as though the only thing preventing her brains from exploding out one side was the pressure she was applying
,
Chrissy walked over closer to Candy
,
put her arm around the child
,
attempting to call a truce
,
but by the expression on her face it was clear she wasn
’
t really focused on her sin du jour.  Maybe the little girl would understand if she explained.

“
I just had a really really really terrible day
,”
Chrissy said. 
“
Okay
?”
  She peered into Candy
’
s eyes
,
looking for signs of absolution
,
signs which were not forthcoming. 
“
You can see I
’
m stressed
,
can
’
t you
?”
  Candy was unyielding.  Chrissy realized this could become a serious problem
,
so she decided to offer the child a
consolation
. 
“
Be good and we can have a special girls
’
dinner together later
,
okay
?
  You can dress up if you want to and we can even look at your sticker book.
”

Candy peered suspiciously at Chrissy.  She didn
’
t trust the offer that had just been tendered
,
but she did like looking at her sticker book. 
“
What should I wear
?”
she asked.

“
Whatever you want
,
of course
,”
said Chrissy
,
smiling through a grimace that was designed to generate sympathy for her and her really really really bad day. 
“
You go get dressed up and I
’
ll set the table
,
okay
?”

Candy nodded and went off to her room
,
where she pulled an old princess Halloween costume from her dress up trunk along with a feather boa and several strands of plastic pearls
,
cheering up a little as she draped them around her neck.  But where was her crown
?
  She looked and looked but it wasn
’
t in the dress up trunk.  She did have a magic wand
,
though
,
so maybe that would do.  She looked in the mirror.  Maybe it all would work out okay.  Maybe she would have fun with Chrissy and it would be like it was when they first met and she laughed and played with them and brought them little gold boxes of chocolate.

Candy walked into the dining room and curtseyed and it seemed as though Chrissy were smiling
,
in a genuine way.  Look—there were crystal glasses on the table—the kind grownups used for wine—this was exciting—Candy wasn
’
t normally allowed to have wine or to touch those glasses.  She saw they contained only water with a lemon slice on the side
,
but still it would be fun to feel like a grown up and drink from them.

Candy sat at her place at the table and watched expectantly as Chrissy walked into the dining room carrying a huge silver platter with a giant silver dome on it.  Had she made a turkey
?
  Candy didn
’
t smell anything.

With a flourish
,
Chrissy set the tray on the table and removed the dome
,
revealing four rice cakes
,
some carrot curls
,
four celery sticks
,
a couple lettuce wedges
,
and some lemon halves.  She
’
d put a small bowl of salad dressing next to the lettuce and beside it was a dropper
,
just like Daddy used to give Candy medicine.  What
?

Candy
’
s vicious mood resumed instantly. 
“
Are you kidding me
?
  I
’
m a growing kid.  I need food.  I have the rest of my life to diet.
”
  She glared at Chrissy
,
even angrier because her tiny glimmer of hope had once again been crushed.  Grabbing one of the rice cakes
,
she snapped it into pieces and was about to hurl it at Chrissy when she thought better of it.  She
’
d surely be punished for that.  But she looked at Chrissy furiously and tossed the broken pieces back down on the tray.

“
But Cindy
,”
said Chrissy softly.

Enraged
,
the child began screaming
,
“
It
’
s Candy.  Candy.  Candy. Why don
’
t you eat a piece—your brain needs the sugar.
”
  Then she glared furiously at Chrissy and said loudly
,
“
God damn it.
”

Candy got down from her chair and walked into the kitchen
,
where she dragged one of the chairs in there over to the counter
,
climbed onto it and reached into a high shelf and extracted the jar of peanut butter.  She then sat in the chair
,
opened the jar and shoved her hand inside
,
licking the peanut butter off.

Candy began to weep as she licked her hand
,
but before she could launch into a full blown crying jag
,
there was a faint tap tap tap at the door leading from the dining area in the kitchen to the back yard.  She ran to open the door as Chrissy entered the kitchen
,
also ready to see who was there.

Sophie
,
thought Chrissy with annoyance.  Mrs. G
,
thought Candy
,
elated to see that her hands were not empty.  Candy flung open the door and hurled herself into Mrs. G
’
s arms
,
almost upending the tray of food she carried.

Taking one savvy look around the kitchen
,
Sophie entered the house and smiled. 
“
Hello
,
girls
,
I came to beg you to do me a favor.
”

“
Please
,”
said Candy in an exaggeratedly adult way
,
“
Do come in.  We
’
re always here to help.
”
  She sniffled then and most of her tears disappeared. 

Sophie set the tray down on the counter and turned toward the girls. 
“
You know my poor hubby Bert of course
,
right
?
  Well he
’
s a terrible food addict.  Determined to eat all the wrong things.  I
’
m so worried about his health.  He
’
s a geezer you know.
”

“
I thought maybe he was a geezer
,”
said Candy.  Later she would ask Will what that was.

“
I love my Bert
,
so when he begs me to make lasagna and strudel
,
what can I do
?
I have to do it.  It would hurt his feelings if I said
‘
Shut up geezer
,
and eat your bran flakes.
’”
Sophie smiled at Candy as she said this.