Iggie's House Read online

  Mr. Barringer banged his fist on the top of the piano so hard that he shattered an ash tray and knocked over a vase. Water dripped onto the carpet but no one made a move to clean it up. Winnie thought her dad was going to lose control of himself. She had never seen him so mad. She didn’t quite understand everything that Mrs. Landon was talking about but she got the general idea. The Landons were moving! She was glad to hear it.

  Her father was shouting. “We’ll have no Block-Busting on this street. No real estate agent’s going to tell me I’d better sell my house. Not now and not ever! I WON’T HAVE IT! Nobody is going to scare me into selling because of the Garbers. Nobody!”

  “Fine,” Mrs. Landon shouted back. “I hope you and THEM will be very happy together.”

  “Why do you hate them so?” Winnie asked, joining in. “You don’t even know the Garbers! So how can you hate them?”

  “I don’t have to know them!” Mrs. Landon screamed. “They’re different … they’re …”

  “They are not,” Winnie yelled, interrupting Mrs. Landon. “They even use the same kind of peanut butter. That’s how different they are!”

  There was absolute silence. The three grownups simply stared at her. Winnie wanted to grab Mrs. Landon and shake her. Then Mr. Barringer walked quickly to the front door and opened it. “Good night, Dorothy.”

  Mrs. Landon stomped out of the house. Winnie threw her arms around her father. “Oh Daddy! I’m so proud of you!”

  “Look Winnie—I’m still not exactly sure about my feelings. I want you to understand that. But I’ll tell you this. I’m going to organize a block meeting. Nobody else on this street is going to be pressured into selling his home. Not if I have anything to say about it. Now let’s have those cherry tarts.”

  Winnie hadn’t thought about her mother until now. When she looked over she saw her mother shaking. Her face was ashen. She frightened Winnie. “Mom?” Winnie said. “Mom? What’s the matter?”

  Mrs. Barringer covered her mouth with her hands and ran from the room.

  Dear Iggie,

  How are you? I hope you’re fine because nobody around here is, especially my mother!!!

  Yick! She wasn’t in the mood. She’d finish it in the morning.

  chapter nine

  Winnie didn’t sleep well that night. She was angry at her mother for behaving the way she did. Just like Herbie Garber! And furious that nobody got to eat any cherry tarts because of that awful Mrs. Landon.

  The next morning when Winnie got up the house was perfectly still. No morning noises at all, even though the clock on her dresser said ten after nine. Then Winnie remembered it was Sunday. That was the trouble with summer. One day was just like another. It was hard to keep track of which was which. She dressed slowly and crept downstairs to the kitchen where she discovered her father, his nose buried in the Sunday papers. “Where’s Mom?” Winnie asked.

  “Sleeping,” her father replied.

  “Oh. She okay?”

  “She will be. Just a little upset. Nothing to worry about.”

  “Oh.”

  “Your mother wants to move.”

  “But Daddy—we’re not going to, are we? Last night you said …”

  Her father interrupted her. “Sometimes people think more clearly in the morning.”

  It was her mother’s fault. She’d gotten to him all right. Probably with one of those whispering campaigns. Everything her father stood up for last night was gone this morning. Vanished! Poof! Just like that!

  Well, if they were going to move they were going to be in for a big surprise, because she wasn’t going with them. She’d leave town … run away! She’d run to Iggie in Tokyo. At least Iggie’s folks would understand. They’d take care of her. They’d never make her go back! And it wouldn’t be hard. She’d hide on a ship. Hitch a ride to New York and then hide on a ship. She read about people who did that all the time. The only problem would be how to find Iggie once she got to Tokyo. Of course she had the address. All she’d have to do was find somebody who spoke English. Somebody to give her directions to Iggie’s new house. Once she was there she’d never see her folks again. Maybe Matthew would join her. Yes, that was a good idea. She’d wait until Tuesday when Matthew came home from camp then they’d go together.

  “Winnie! Why are you staring into space like that?” Mr. Barringer asked.

  “What? Me? Oh, nothing!” Winnie poured pineapple juice from a can into a glass. “I think I’ll make some plans if it’s okay with you.”

  “Fine. Go ahead. No need to hang around here,” her father answered.

  She swallowed her juice in one gulp and walked out to the hall where she picked up the phone. Without dunking, Winnie started to dial Iggie’s number. Of course it would have been changed! She called information and asked for GARBER … a new listing on Grove Street. She jotted down the number on the milk bill, which was lying face up on the telephone table.

  She couldn’t leave town without explaining it to them. Then Herbie would really have something to talk about! How she ran off when the going got rough. She’d show him. She’d show that Herbie Garber! She’d plan a day to remember.

  The Garbers’ phone rang twice before a gruff voice answered. “Hello … hello …”

  Winnie hung up. She hadn’t expected Herbie to answer. She waited a minute, then dialed a second time. “Hello … hello …” Herbie again.

  Finally Winnie managed to say, “Hello Herbie. This is Winnie. May I please speak to Glenn?”

  Silence on the other end. “Uh … Herbie …” Winnie continued. “Are you there?”

  “Yeah. I’m here.”

  “Well, may I please speak to Glenn?”

  “Just a second.”

  “Hello?” It was Glenn’s voice.

  “Hi. It’s me … Winnie.”

  “I know.”

  “Oh. Well, it’s a nice day and I was wondering what you were doing.”

  “Don’t know.”

  “Oh.”

  “Why were you wondering?”

  “Well, I thought we could do something together.”

  “Like what?”

  “Maybe a picnic.”

  “Your house?”

  “No, in the park.”

  “I thought you said the park’s too crowded on weekends.”

  “Too crowded for ball … not to eat.”

  “Just you and me?” Glenn asked.

  “No, everybody.”

  “Even Herbie?”

  “Sure.”

  “Just a second.” Winnie heard a lot of muffled voices in the background. Then Glenn said, “Okay, we’ll go.”

  “Good!” Winnie was pleased. “Come over here as soon as you can. And Glenn, I’ll bring everything we’ll need for the picnic. Bye.”

  She hung up and raced back to the kitchen. Her father was gone. She slapped some peanut butter on eight slices of bread and carefully cut the sandwiches in half. She stepped back to admire her work. Yick! Whenever she cut with a knife it looked like she’d done the job with a dull scissors. The peanut butter sandwiches were no exception. She wrapped each sandwich in Saran, took an unopened box of chocolate-chip cookies from the pantry shelf, threw in a few napkins and put everything into a big brown paper bag. They could buy soda and ice cream at the stand in the park and if the Garbers had no money with them … well, Winnie would just treat them. She had plenty of allowance saved up.

  She searched frantically for the picnic blanket but she couldn’t find it upstairs or down. No use asking her father, who was in the den. Daddy never knew where anything was around the house. Instead, she pulled the blanket from her own bed, rolled it up, carried it downstairs, grabbed the brown bag of lunch and announced, “Daddy, I’m going to the park for a picnic. Just tell Mom I’ll be home later this afternoon. Okay?”

  “Fine. Bye,” Mr. Barringer said without looking up. Winnie packed the red wagon with the blanket and lunch. She was outside and ready when the Garbers arrived. She couldn’t look at Herbie. She�
�d never slapped anyone in the face in her whole life. She wondered if she should apologize, or what! But Herbie deserved that slap. He really did … so why apologize? She wasn’t the one who started it. She’d do what her mother did after a fight with her father. Pretend it hadn’t happened. Just act natural. “Hi,” Winnie said.

  Tina and Glenn answered, but Herbie was busy kicking a stone down the street.

  “Let’s go,” Winnie said, pulling the wagon.

  When they turned off Grove Street and onto Sherbrooke Road Winnie couldn’t stand the suspense any longer. “Well, are you moving?” she asked Glenn.

  “Nope.”

  “How come? What happened?”

  “You’ve never seen our father when he’s made up his mind about something!” Glenn said.

  Herbie gave his stone a big kick, then turned around to face the others. He pretended to be his father. He shook his finger at them and growled. “I’ve worked for years to get this job and I’m not giving it up now!”

  “That’s what he yelled at my mother,” Tina whispered to Winnie.

  Herbie continued his act. “Grow up honey! You’ve got to grow up and face life! Running away isn’t the answer.”

  “That started my mother on a crying jag that lasted all night,” Glenn added.

  “But this morning she came down and gave us breakfast. She sniffled a lot but she didn’t cry once,” Tina reported.

  “Man! Will I be glad when school starts. Anything to get out of that house!” Herbie kicked his stone.

  “The Landons are moving,” Winnie said, quietly.

  “No kidding?” Glenn looked at her.

  “Good riddance!” Herbie hollered. “Good riddance to the Germ family!”

  “Mrs. Landon wants my folks to sell our house too.”

  They stopped walking. Winnie sat down on the edge of the wagon. Herbie, Tina and Glenn gathered around her.

  “And?” Glenn asked.

  “Well, I don’t know yet,” Winnie confessed.

  Herbie bent over, picked up his stone and threw it. “Maybe we can start a nice little ghetto right on Grove Street. That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? Get out before we take over?”

  “Look, I don’t want to get into another fight,” Winnie explained. “I just wanted to tell you that if my folks move away I’m not going with them.”

  “Where you going to live? In Iggie’s tree house?” Herbie laughed.

  “Very funny! I’m going to Tokyo. To live with Iggie’s family.”

  “Oh, just like that! That’s just great!” Herbie laughed at her again.

  “Herbie, if you’d stop being so impossible for a minute …”

  “Come on, Winnie!” Glenn said. “Going to Tokyo isn’t exactly a practical idea.”

  “We’ll see about that!” Winnie told them. “I already have my plans. I know how to do it. All you have to do is stow away on a ship. People do it all the time.” Winnie jumped up off the wagon. She started to walk.

  Sherbrooke Road was quiet today. No hammering, digging, or any of the usual building sounds. Winnie stopped in front of the first new house. She shaded her eyes from the sun and wondered who was going to live in it. “Want to go in and have a look around?” she asked.

  “I don’t think that’s a very good idea,” Glenn said. “Suppose we get caught?”

  “It doesn’t belong to anybody yet,” Winnie said. “No one’s working. And we’re not going to do anything wrong anyway.”

  Glenn agreed. “Okay, but leave the wagon here, under the trees. Hey Herbie! We’re going exploring. Come on!”

  chapter ten

  The four of them stepped along the wooden planks that had been stretched out like a walk so people could inspect the new houses without stepping on the muddy ground. At the end of the planks was a ladder, propped up against the brick porch. They climbed up one at a time.

  The house was partitioned into rooms, but had no inside walls. They prowled through the first floor arguing about which room was which until they came to the kitchen. There was no doubt about that—a kitchen was a kitchen no matter what. Even without things like a refrigerator, stove and sink, they could still tell a kitchen. Next to it was a hole, leading to the cellar. They peered down into the darkness. There were no steps yet. Glenn held onto Tina’s hand and motioned for them all to get away from the hole.

  “Hey, let’s play house,” Tina said. “Winnie, you be the mother and Glenn’s the father and Herbie’s the baby and I’m Woozie. Woof - Woof.”

  “Okay doggie,” Winnie said, chasing Tina up the stairs. “You know the rules—no dogs in the bedroom!”

  Herbie and Glenn followed the girls to the second floor where they continued their exploring. There were two bathrooms back to back. They could tell because of the pipes. Winnie sat down on the floor in the corner pretending she was taking a bath. Herbie made a loud gargling sound.

  They all laughed together and Winnie felt mighty pleased with herself. She took the credit for getting everyone friendly again. She really was the good neighbor she started out to be, wasn’t she? Wait until she got to Tokyo and told Iggie’s folks the whole story. Wouldn’t they be proud of her!

  “Let’s go,” Herbie called, after a few more minutes. “I’m hungry!”

  “Me too,” Winnie agreed.

  They scrambled down the stairs and back outside, to where they had left the wagon with the blanket and the food.

  When they got to the park Winnie led them to a grassy area under some tall trees. She spread out the blanket and opened the bag of sandwiches, handing one to each of her guests.

  “This blanket itches me,” Tina complained.

  “Then sit on the grass,” Glenn suggested.

  “That itches me too.”

  “Then stand up,” Herbie said, his mouth full of peanut butter.

  “I don’t like to eat standing up,” Tina whined.

  “Then don’t eat!” Glenn hollered.

  Tina plunked herself back on the blanket and picked up her sandwich. She finished it without another word.

  “Peanut butter really makes me thirsty,” Winnie said.

  “Peanut butter makes everybody thirsty,” Herbie agreed.

  “And it sticks to the top of my mouth too,” Tina said.

  “Well, we have to walk down to the stand for drinks. I didn’t bring them with me.”

  “Let’s go,” Glenn said, collecting the garbage into the brown bag.

  Winnie led them down the path. She hummed a marching song. The day was really working out well. She was glad because she would be gone soon and she wanted Herbie and Glenn to remember her like this.

  “Hey, there’s a lake,” Herbie called, when he reached the end of the wooded path.

  “Yeah … and rowboats!” Glenn said.

  “It’s pretty isn’t it?” Winnie asked, facing the round, blue lake. She looked around, admiring the flower beds. This was her favorite part of the park. Glenn, Herbie and Tina hadn’t seen it the other day because the ball field was at the other end.

  Herbie pointed. “Hey, look at those little kids fishing.”

  “I used to do that,” Winnie said. “But I never caught anything. And they won’t either.” She laughed.

  “Where are they?” Tina asked.

  “Where are what?” Winnie answered.

  “The black people.”

  Oh no! Tina was going to start that again! Winnie thought. “They aren’t here today,” Winnie told her. Why did Tina have to go and spoil things? Just when everything was going great!

  “That’s what you said the last time,” Tina said.

  “Tina, you dope!” Herbie shook his sister by the shoulders. “Don’t you know by now? There just aren’t any black people around here!”

  “That’s not true!” Winnie said. “There are some. And anyway, what’s the difference?”

  “The difference is …” Herbie let go of Tina and faced Winnie. “How would you like it if you lived in a place where everybody was black?�
�

  “I don’t know.”

  “Come off it Winnie!” Herbie looked around and lowered his voice. “You know all right. You know!”

  They were going to ruin her day. It wasn’t fair! “You’re the one making such a big deal out of it! Just remember that,” Winnie said, walking toward the refreshment stand.

  Herbie walked alongside her dragging his feet. “I’m not making a big deal. I’m just trying to be honest. That’s what we wanted to be … remember? We all wanted people to be honest with us!”

  “Four cokes,” Winnie told the man behind the counter. She thought about what Herbie had said. It wasn’t easy to be honest all the time. It really wasn’t. Even if you wanted to.

  The counter man put the four drinks in front of Winnie. “That’ll be eighty-six cents,” he said. “The six cents is tax.”

  Winnie fumbled around in her pocket.

  “I’m paying,” Glenn said, handing the man a dollar bill. “You brought the sandwiches,” he told Winnie. “I’m buying the drinks.”

  Winnie looked up at him but didn’t say a word.

  When Glenn finished his soda he wiped off his mouth and said, “You know what I feel like doing? I feel like going rowing!”

  “I can’t,” Winnie said.

  “Why not? Why can’t you go?” Herbie asked.

  “I’m not allowed to go rowing if my folks didn’t give me permission.”

  “Man! You’re really something.” Herbie took a long swallow of soda. “You’re going to stow away on a ship to Tokyo but you’re chicken to ride around the lake in a rowboat.”

  “I’m not chicken!” But Herbie was absolutely right for once. What did she care if she didn’t have permission to go rowing. What did it matter anymore! “Okay, let’s go.”