24
SANFORD FRIEDMAN
that very afternoon, whereupon Mommy screamed that Mr. Strauss
was a bum, and Daddy screamed that
Mrs.
Strauss was a tramp, and
they went on fighting
all
the way home in the car, until Mommy
began to sob, and Stephen squeezed the piece of green glass so
tighdy it almost cut his palm.
When they reached the house, the first thing Stephen did, as
always, was to run to the kitchen to show Clarry the treasure he
had found. "My, that's a pretty one, sugar," Clarry smiled. "Lemme
see, that makes thirty-six, don't it?"
"Thirty-seven, Clar."
"Thirty-seven! My, my: thirty-seven emeralds. What we need
more of now is some sapphires, ain't it, sugar?"
"I know, Claro But they're awful hard to find."
"Course they hard to find. You don't find precious gems lyin'
in the gutter. That's what makes 'em precious. Now, I tell you
what, sugar: before we go back to the City next week, you and
Clarry
is
gonna go down to that there beach and scour it until-"
Suddenly, hearing Mr. and Mrs. Wolfe upstairs, continuing their
fight, Clarrry interrupted herself and asked, "What's the matter
with your eyes, sugar? You been cryin'?"
"My eyes?"
"They's all bloodshot," Clarry said, and she stopped sprinkling
the calves' liver, and wiped her big floury hands on her apron.
"Oh, I forgot," Stephen exclaimed. "I was drowned."
"What do you mean?" Clarry chuckled. "You was drowned."
"I'm not kidding, Clarry."
"If
you was drowned, sugar, you wouldn't be standing here
right now."
"I mean it, Clar," Stephen stated earnesdy. "Daddy drowned
me in the ocean and I was dead for a long time."
Clarry laughed jovially. "Listen, sugar, once you dead, you
stay
dead. They're ain't no comin' back."
"I'm telling you I
was,"
Stephen insisted. "Ask Roggie
if
you
don't believe me. Ask anybody!"
"All right, sugar, have it your way. Tell me, how do it feel,
bein' dead?"
"It was horrible. I was so scared, Clar," Stephen reported
