Keep My Own

By Kit Linford

(Previous chapter)

Chapter 6

The furnace went “Whoom!” just as Granddad had predicted it would.

The nights had turned so cold that Dick went downstairs the night after Kathy’s birth to light the ancient old heating apparatus. He had returned and was washing his hands, when a queer puffing noise began filtering throughout the house.

“What’s that racket?” Ella called from the kitchen.

“I’m not sure,” Granddad replied with a twinkle, ”but Dick did just start the furnace going.”

“If that furnace is going to act like it might explode, I’m getting out of here right now,” Ella threatened.

“I don’t think it’ll do that. We might get smoked out. I don’t think we’ll get blown out.”

“That’s not funny. Do you think we want smoke getting into everything?” Dick came into the kitchen. “Dick, do you hear that noise?”

“I hear it. It’s a safe bet the whole town can hear it. What about it. Granddad? Is it just objecting as it gets going? Puffing the idleness out? Or is it giving up entirely?”

“It’s puffing, but I’m no furnace doctor, and I can’t diagnose the kind of puff. It sounds like first cousin to a freight train. For Irene’s sake, I kind of hope it’s giving up the ghost. If she heard it making that kind of noise, she’d be like as not to have a nervous breakdown.”

“Will you two stop being funny and do something?” Ella demanded. “It’s getting louder!”

“What do you want us to do?” Dick asked. “Turn it off? The nights are getting mighty cold … and the days, sometimes, too.”

“We can wear sweaters and toss on extra blankets. At least for the time being. You’d better get a repairman here before Irene and Kathy come home… .”

The furnace gave a mighty puff that ended in a tortured wheeze. The whole house seemed to shake as the noise increased in volume.

“Whoom!” Granddad spoke his word as the furnace aptly illustrated it.

The repairman shook his head. “Not worth repairing. You’ll probably have to hire somebody to haul it off to the dump.”

The furnace installer shook his head, too. “Get rid of that monstrosity, and we could start to work right away putting in the new one. It’ll take a couple of weeks to get the job done, at best.”

“A couple of weeks! My wife’s coming home with a new baby the end of this week!”

”Sorry. These things take time.”

Granddad had remained silent during Dick’s exchanges with the furnace men. As his grandson was showing them out, however, he heard his grandfather on the telephone.

‘That’s right, bishop … a real problem. The baby isn’t ill, you understand, but we’ll have to be a bit careful for a time because of this lung condition she had at first. Certainly can’t bring her or her mother back to this drafty old place without a good heating system in operation… . Yes, it has turned off cold … not too early. It’s to be expected this time of year… . Yes, that’s about the size of it… . I know … I see. … It certainly would… . Yes… . Thanks a lot, bishop.”

Ella’s breath floated in clouds about her as she bustled into her kitchen the following morning. Her nose was red. Her glasses covered with steam every time she exhaled. The metal frames absorbed the cold, and were like circles of ice on her face. Daw followed her. He wore his pajamas and woolly robe, with a blanket tossed about his shoulders. His feet nestled in fur mules. Only his nose and ears were scarlet red with cold.

“Your Grandfather’s making a fire in the library fireplace,” Ella said to the boy, ”and the cooking heat from getting breakfast will warm it up soon in here. Just sit there and wait a minute …”

Davy ran to the terrace doors. They had clouded with steam, but he rubbed it off with his hand and looked out.

“What is it, Davy? What’s out there?” Ella asked.

She joined him. A large truck was backing into the drive.

That was just the beginning. From that time forward for several days Ella had the oddest feeling that she had somehow moved backward in time. It almost seemed that they were back in the middle of the remodeling that they had all so gratefully put behind them. Fortunately, this time the major portion of the dirt and clutter was confined to the dark recesses of the cellar. Ella kept the door going downstairs closed as tightly as the many workmen going in and out would permit.

Dick told Irene about it during visiting hours. “You just never saw anything like it. One hurried call to the bishop from Granddad, that’s all it took. I think maybe everyone in Spencerside has had, or will have, a hand in installing our furnace. I know that anybody who has anything in the way of experience or know-how to contribute to the project certainly will.”

“But will it be ready… .?”

“I’m sure it will. You get that many men on a job, and it doesn’t take long to get even the toughest ones done.”

Irene lay back on the pillow. Her blonde hair was pulled off her face with a wide pink ribbon. There were dark pink ribbons on her pale pink bed jacket. Dick thought fondly that she looked like a brown-eyed, pink-clad Christmas doll.

Her eyes were dark and moist as she looked up at him. “They hardly know me,” she whispered. “They hardly even know anything about me. But they’re doing this for my baby and me.”

”As I always told you,” Dick teased, ”Spencerside’s a real nice town.”

She was struck by a sudden thought. ”What about Davy? Oh, Dick, the remodeling was such a trial for him. There were so many things he couldn’t touch, and so many he had to be careful of … for such a long, long time! There were so many men working, and he always had to be careful to stay out of the way. It was unfair to the child, Dick, it really was. I used to feel so sorry for him. He was happier than any of us, when it was all ended and over with. What does he think of this furnace project?”

Dick threw back his head and laughed. ”You wouldn’t worry if you could see him! Irene, that child is having more fun out of this than a monkey on a spinner. Ella’s nearly had a fit about his being down in the cellar in all of it, but he’s overseeing the whole operation. He knows we’ve got to get it done before the baby can come home, and as far as Davy’s concerned, getting Kathy Ella home is the most important thing in the world. He looks like a chimney sweep, but he’s happier than I’ve ever seen him. Ella says she’ll never be able to get all the dirt and soot off him.” He paused, reconsidering. Then, he said slowly, the laughter gone from his voice, “Maybe the fault of our therapy has been that we’ve all been so busy that Davy’s felt useless. Just underfoot.”

Irene’s tears spilled. They made tiny silver rivers down her cheeks. “Sometimes a little dirt can be a good thing … when it’s for a good cause. Davy needed something to occupy his mind until Kathy Ella and I come home. Oh, Dick, there are so many things I would do differently with Davy if I had it all to do over. …”

He took a tissue and dried her tears. “Come on now, honey, everybody feels like that at some time or another. But maybe not concentrating on him was the best thing we could have done. It gave him a chance to get adjusted to us and used to us without being or feeling forced. You can’t tell. The doctor says he’s doing wonderfully well. That’s the only criteria we have. I’m sure that if he weren’t, we’d hear about it.”

The furnace was finished, and the last workman gone when Dick brought Irene home. As they pulled into the driveway, Irene was surprised at the emotion she felt. Granddad and Davy and Ella stood waiting on the porch. She was glad to sec them. Of course she was, but the elation that enveloped her was more than that. It was almost a feeling of coming home.

Granddad took little Kathy Ella, and cradling her close, carried her into the house with Davy at his heels. Kathy managed to sleep throughout the excitement. Ella and Dick helped Irene to the house. Granddad stood alone, looking down at the sleeping baby.

“I don’t want to wake her, and I can’t climb the stairs without my cane. You’d better take her, Ella.”

Ella was only too happy to do so.

Irene looked about. “Where’s Davy?”

”He’s upstairs, Irene, in the nursery,” Granddad said as he eased into a large overstuffed chair. ”That boy is beside himself with excitement. The furnace is his pet project, you’ll probably have to go down and examine it just to please him when you’re able.”

Irene wrinkled her nose, remembering Granddad and Dick teasing her over her aversion to the old furnace. “And I will, too,” she said.

Davy sat on a straight-backed chair next to the bassinet. His book about babies lay on the work table. He stood when they entered, his timidity returning. He moved a little distance away.

Ella gave the baby to Dick. “I’ll go turn down Irene’s bed. She must be tired by now.”

Ella was right. Irene sank wearily into the comfort of the little rocker. Dick laid the baby in her bed, then held out a hand to Davy.

“Come and see the baby, Davy,” he said.

Davy accepted the proffered hand. They stood together looking down at the sleeping infant. Irene watched through half-closed eyes, some of her earlier apprehensions about Davy returning to plague her. What would be his reaction to Kathy Ella after the newness wore off? Would he resent the attention she would undoubtedly command? Dared Irene trust him? What if he became jealous? Who could tell with a child that never spoke?

Kathy began to fuss. Between the ruffles Irene could see a tiny pink fist waving in the air. She sat quite still, watching Davy. He was enchanted, and leaned closer to watch.

Kathy was not content to be watched. She decided to cry. Davy drew back quickly in concern and alarm. He looked up at Dick to see what should be done. Dick’s one-sided grin took the child into a charmed circle as he reached into the bassinet, lifting the baby out and cooing to her.

“Hungry, sweetheart?” He winked at Davy as Kathy momentarily hushed. After only a moment’s hesitation, he held the baby toward Davy. “Would you please take the baby to Irene, Davy?”

Irene had to bite her tongue to remain silent. Davy slowly raised his arms. His eyes had widened. They were a little scared, but luminous with love. Dick laid the squirming treasure of humanity in Davy’s arms. Perhaps Davy held the baby too close and too carefully tight, but neither Dick nor Irene said a word.

The boy was stiff with uncertainty for a long moment. He did not quite dare to move. He stood as if he had grown roots. Kathy grew impatient.

Davy looked down at her, up at Dick, then over at Irene. Dick nodded encouragement, and Irene managed a weak little smile. Davy smiled in return, and very cautiously began to walk toward her.

Dick followed him.

It seemed to take Davy a long time to cross the room. At last he stood before Irene, his elfin face animated with pleasure. He was reluctant to give the baby up, but Kathy was growing loud in her protest over the delay of her dinner. Almost reverently, Davy laid the infant tenderly in Irene’s outstretched arms.

He remained standing there, lost. His empty little arms were still cupped, as if Kathy Ella were still cradled there.

Without warning, he spoke — “Baby.”

The sharp intake of Dick’s breath was the only sound in the room.

Irene gasped. Her voice was breathy when she finally managed to speak. ”Oh, Davy!”

Her words broke the shocked silence. Dick went down en one knee beside them. ”What did you say, fella?” His voice was husky with emotion.

Davy’s eyes were sparkling, was enjoying their reaction immensely. That enveloping took possession of his face as he tried the word again, “Baby.”

Dick gathered the three of them into his arms. There was a film in his eyes. He didn’t trust himself to speak or to rise.

Irene let tears of relief and joy run unashamed down her cheeks. The months of anxiety and frustration fell away into nothingness. All of it … every bit of it had been worth the wonder of this one moment.

Davy delightedly kept repeating the magic word that had opened his lonely, wordless world.

“Baby. Baby. Baby.”

Other words would follow. Wonderful, healing words. The awful seal of silence had been broken.

The house resounded with unity and love. Davy’s laughter, intermingled with Kathy Ella’s infant noises, were absorbed into the walls and drunk up by the rafters in every room as those family noises of the past had also been assimilated. For the first time Irene felt truly at home in the house. She felt that now she belonged there, just as the others belonged.

She shivered, not with cold as she had shivered on that day in early spring, but with oneness, pleasure, belonging.

I belong, she said over and over to herself. I really belong.

The realization was pure enchantment. Dick helped her to bed. He leaned down and kissed her gently before he left the room.

The whispering autumn leaves on the trees outside merged their voices with that of the house, and Irene fell asleep hearing all of them murmuring a sonorous song of “Welcome home, Irene. Welcome home.”

(The End)