I asked her again the next day, the 23rd, in the evening, after work. On Friday, the 24th, too. Nabisase adamantly opposed me until Saturday, around one o’clock. I was in Mom’s old room. Mine now.
— Ledric says I should be nicer.
I lay on the bed I’d brought up from the basement by myself. — Why did you ask him?
– ’Cause I talk to him every day, she said. He’s getting released tomorrow.
— Did his family ever send us that money they promised?
— I haven’t seen it yet.
It was the 25th of November. Nabisase and I walked instead of using the car. She was thirteen and I was twenty-three.
We crossed Brookville Park and entered Town, a three-block strip of shops: Key Food, two corner stores, a Korean market and four hair salons. There was a minor branch of the public library, used mostly for the free toilet. I pulled my sister across the street, pinched the fleshy lobes of her ears. — Let’s get these pierced, I said.
Nabisase clutched a parking meter. — You said we were just going to a movie.
— I figured that since we were out, we might as well. She wasn’t smiling, but I was. I had an encyclopedia of horror films, have I mentioned that?
Nabisase looked down the block. — I always thought I’d do this with Mom.
— How long do you plan to wait?
My sister rested her chin on the top of the parking meter. — I miss her.
I pulled Nabisase into this jewelry store that also sold pets. It was situated between a laundromat and a pizzeria. She was aghast because the place had no dignity.
— How about the Piercing Pagoda in Green Acres Mall? she asked.
— The mall is as far as the movies. That’s twenty minutes from here. This is where we are.
Nabisase tugged her ears hard like she wished they would come off. — I saw you let those people into Miss Innocence, she said.
— But look how things turned out.
— You going to try and take credit for Goodness Girls now?
They sold animals toward the front of the store and gold from a glass counter in the back. Why try to make money in only one way? If not for space limitations they’d have sold 50 cent bags of cookies too.
The woman who owned the store was in back, by the jewelry, her head wrapped in bright green cloth. Another woman was back there too, tall and as yet unimpressed by the jewelry choices. The customer switched her purse from one shoulder to the other, making no motion to unzip and spend. — You all right? she called suddenly.
I was going to answer, but a child’s voice came. — Yeah Momma, come look at fishes!
Against the walls of the store were cages of lizards and snakes, some green, some brown or black. Two rows of fish tanks, eight feet high and fifteen feet long, split the center of the store into aisles.
The sun was up, but we were still dressed heavy for winter. The store itself was humid. It smelled like wet, mossy stones. I stuck my gut out to see it stretch my shirt so far that the buttons might burst. I did that to make my sister laugh, but my imperfections had lost their funny side for her.
Nabisase and I looked into a tank of ten baby lizards. They tumbled over one another. They stood on one another’s heads. As a unit they turned and watched us.
That kid who’d demanded her mother come watch fish appeared wearing black jeans, a black sweatshirt, blue cap, no holes punched in her ears.
— That’s bearded dragons, she said.
I thumped my belly like the old man she’d say I was.
— Is that right? my sister asked.
— Snakes is better though. Lizards and fish are boring.
— Maybe they think you’re boring, I told the girl.
Nabisase said, — Shut up, Anthony!
— I’m sorry, but who is she to criticize them?
The girl smiled like I’d said something nice because I’d used a kind tone. Then she pointed her thumb.
— That’s your thumb, I said dismissively.
— And this is my pinky.
Her stern mother looked at us. — How you doing over there Samarra?
— Good, Momma.
The little girl looked at me as though she had done me a service, perhaps spared my life.
Sam took Pop-Rocks from her pants pocket, snapped the small pack in the air. Her little belly stuck out under her sweatshirt, over her jeans. — Pop-Rocks! she yelled.
— Samarra Kroon you stop that screaming!
Sam ate a handful of the purple candy then opened her mouth to show the science fomenting.
— You put all that in your mouth at once? Nabisase asked. She knelt between the girl and me, but the kid could not be mesmerized by kindness. It was with me that Sam spoke. — You know which finger this is?
— Do you? I asked back.
She shyly peeked at her mother then turned to Nabisase, who was tapping a turtle tank to get the conversation away from me.
— That’s the longest finger, I answered for her.
Sam grinned widely. — Nah-uh. That’s not the word.
— You tell me what it is then, I dared.
— It’s the fuck-you finger, she whispered.
— You saying that to me? I asked.
Sam laughed.
Nabisase did not. — Let’s go. Anthony.
— No, I said to Samarra Kroon loudly. Fuck you.
Then here the girl’s mother came. A blue flame surrounded her.
— You get back! she screamed. I don’t give a damn, you get back from my daughter!
Little Samarra began to cry. The store owner reached under the counter while her husband came out from a closed office door. My sister could have helped by explaining that I always joke around with kids, but the only thing my sister did was step away. I had to run outside by myself and wait for her around the corner.
Outside the movies I fumed. I also panted. We walked fast from the lizard store to here. I was afraid Sam’s mother would be looking for me.
— I really thought you’d help me, I said again.
Nabisase wouldn’t discuss this anymore. I stood behind her, in line to enter Sunrise Cinemas Multiplex, pressing my thumb into her back. Either I’d annoy her or she’d answer me, but I wouldn’t be ignored. Getting into the movies was a slow process ever since they’d put up metal detectors. My sister wouldn’t look at me like I wanted her to.
— Which movie do you want to see? I asked.
She was distracted, holding a small cork to her nose. I was too annoyed to take notice.
— Why did you come with me if you’re not going to talk!
When she heard my voice raise she turned to me. — Whatever you want to see.
Then she looked around or through me again, sniffing the little stopper with her back to me.
— What is it? I asked while the ticket line stalled ahead of us.
— Uncle Allen sent it to me, she said. It was in my award envelope, but I don’t know why. It has a funny smell.
She gave it to me. A move so casual that she must have really wanted an answer and hoped I could provide it. If she hadn’t wanted my help she wouldn’t have explained anything to me.
Even after holding it under my nose a full minute I didn’t recognize the scent, so I put the top in my mouth.
— Oh Anthony, my sister said.
— It’s spicy and sweet at the same time. Paprika and peppermint.
— You’ve had it before? She seemed encouraged.
— Never have, I lied.
It was a soggy cork now. I held it out to her. — Can I keep it?
She shrugged — You act like it’s a Christmas card.
The film was being shown in the smallest theater to the far, far left. I walked behind my sister. I passed the concession stand so easily that everyone at Halfway House would have applauded. The only sign that I noticed the snacks was a sheen of sweat on my upper lip as we went by.