A Girl Called Al: The Al Series, Book One Read Online Free PDF Page B

said. “It is often difficult even with the help of a man.”
    The front door opened and my father and Teddy came in.
    â€œMay I present my husband?” my mother said.
    My father took Al’s mother’s hand, and instead of shaking it, he sort of bowed. He bowed low over her hand. He didn’t kiss it, but he looked like he might. Al dug her elbow into my ribs. Teddy’s mouth hung open and Al’s mother said, “How delightful to meet you. Al’s told me so much about you.”
    My father smiled. “I wish I could have gotten home sooner,” he said.
    â€œIt’s been such fun,” Al’s mother said, and they left.
    My mother started to carry the tray out. “Charm was certainly oozing from every pore,” she said.
    Teddy crammed a whole mouthful of bread and cookies into his mouth, so for once, it was closed.
    â€œWas it all right?” my mother asked.
    â€œIt was great,” I said. “Just great. I think they liked it. Thanks, Mom. Al’s mother is really very nice, don’t you think?”
    â€œVery nice,” she said. “Do you think those fingernails were real?”
    My father went over to my mother and bent over her hand, nibbling his way up her arm like he was eating an ear of corn.
    â€œNot on your tintype,” he said.

Chapter Eleven
    â€œI have been invited to Al’s for supper,” I told my mother. “Her mother is out for dinner and she gave Al money to get a pizza. Please.”
    â€œLet her come here instead,” my mother said, darning a hole in my father’s sock. Darning always makes her cross.
    â€œShe says she’s been here too much and that her mother wants to repay our hospitality.”
    â€œIt’s a school night.” She sighed and put down the darning. I have noticed that she will use almost any excuse to put down darning.
    â€œWe’ll do our homework together and we promise not to watch television,” I said.
    â€œYou can go if you’ll be home by eight-thirty,” she said.
    â€œYou’re the mother of my dreams,” I told her.
    I put my books in a pile and went to Al’s. She had all the lights in the entire apartment on. It made the house cosier, she said.
    We went down to the corner to Angelo’s and ordered a sausage-and-pepper pizza. To go. I wanted to stay there and eat it and watch Angelo throw the dough in the air and catch it and make the different kinds that people ordered, but Al said, “Let’s take it home.”
    It was still warm when we got it back, on account of we ran. We each had a Coke because, though I would rather have milk, all they have is skimmed milk, which is pale gray, and I don’t find it too appetizing.
    â€œYour mother,” I said when we were eating, “where does she go when she goes out all the time?”
    â€œShe goes dancing, mostly,” Al said. “She is a very good dancer. Or else they go to a play or the movies or something.”
    â€œDoes she, you know, does she go steady? With any one person, I mean.”
    Al got a little red. “You don’t go steady when you are my mother’s age,” she said. “She has to have masculine companionship. She has a very demanding job and a lot of women telling her what to do, and she likes masculine companionship.”
    â€œDo you think she’ll ever get married again?” I asked, helping myself to another piece of pizza.
    â€œI doubt it.” Al hit the bottom of the Coke bottle with her straw and gave a big slurp.
    â€œWho’s she out with tonight?” I asked.
    â€œThe one I told you about. The one who wanted to take me to the circus. Can you imagine!” Al rolled her eyes. “Me, at the circus!”
    â€œWhat’s the matter with that?” I asked.
    â€œAt my age, go to the circus? Are you crazy? I outgrew it years ago. My father wouldn’t dream of any dumb thing like that. He’d take me out to