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22: “A Parade, A Pinch, and a Goodbye”
St. Patrick’s Day had arrived and Ali made sure she was wearing green, so as not to be pinched by anyone. Caroline told Ali she could come visit her to watch the annual parade from the windows of her office building that overlooked Broadway.
Caroline’s office had many desks all lined up, row after row. Each desk had a black telephone, and some of them had a typewriter. Baskets that said “In” and “Out” were on the desks along with all kinds of paperwork, and smelly ashtrays that were filled with cigarette butts. There were many file cabinets lined up along all the walls and everything looked gray. The only color here and there were some festive green paper shamrocks and leprechauns scotch taped to a few desks and the bathroom doors.
“Hi, Honey,” said her mother as Ali walked up to her desk. Caroline stopped what she was doing and started walking Ali around the office to meet her friends at work.
“This is Norma-----”
“Well if it isn’t a beautiful little shamrock, you’ve got there Caroline. So this is Ali. I see you’re wearing green, the only color to be wearing this fine day,” said Norma holding out her hand to Ali. “So where’s the other leprechaun you’ve got Caroline? The boy?”
“He’s not coming, Mother,” offered Ali without any explanation. Reynolds preferred not to go anywhere with his sister anymore.
“Kids!” said Caroline quickly as they moved to another desk.
“Bill, this is my daughter, Ali.”
“How do you do young lady. Here today to view the parade from our illustrious building?” he said with a wink. Ali nodded yes. And around the office Caroline took Ali who shook hands and said hello to all her mother’s friends who seemed to know who Ali was.
“Half the people here are Irish,” said her mother when they got back to her desk. “This is a big day for them.”
“Are we Irish, mother?” asked Ali.
“Just a wee bit----my grandmother was named Kate Scully and her parents came over from Ireland a long time ago. So, yes, we are Irish among other things.” Her mother tousled Ali’s hair and took her to the windows facing Broadway. You could already hear the bands playing down below.
“Everybody is Irish today,” yelled one of her mother’s co-workers.
There were many people walking and waving in the street below the office windows. Policemen on horseback walked alongside the parade route and the streets were lined with noisy, exuberant parade watchers.
“I think this is the best place to see the parade,” said Ali happily.
“I agree, Sweetie,” said her mother as she put her arm around Ali’s shoulders and bent forward to wave at the people in the parade down below.
Her mother suddenly said “Ouch,” and leaped forward a little.
“Who did that?” she demanded. No one admitted to it, but someone had pinched her.
“Sometimes they start celebrating just a little early around here with the green beer, I think,” said Ali’s mother, rubbing her backside.
Later, when Ali and her mother got in the elevator of the Osgood to go upstairs to their apartment, it took Albert, the elevator operator, about seven attempts to stop the elevator at the right landing. Too high. Too low. It was funny. Finally, Ali and her mother stepped up slightly and got out of the elevator and walked to their apartment. When the elevator doors closed, Caroline said, “He’s Irish, too. I think he’s been celebrating a wee bit too much also.”
A month later, as predicted, George’s show closed. One day while Caroline was working, George took both Ali and Reynolds to the carousel in Central Park. Ali was thrilled to see her father and spend the day with him. She skipped along the pathways leading to the carousel, holding her father’s hand, but occasionally dashed off toward a rock or a squirrel or anything else that looked interesting and worth exploring. Reynolds walked slower, choosing to distance himself from both Ali and his father.
“Look, Daddy, at all the trees------they’re all green again. I saw a nest back there in the branches with the sound of baby birds.”
“Well, Pumpkin, it’s Springtime once again. All the trees have sprouted back their leaves just in time for the birds to build their nests, lay their eggs, and have a place to raise their baby birds. See, look back at the nest, Ali. The mother bird is bringing a worm to her newly-hatched babies.”
“Glad, I’m not a bird. Worms for breakfast. Ugh,” Ali said, making a face and shuddering slightly.
“If you were a baby bird, you’d eat that little wiggling worm and think it delicious.” Ali’s father patted his stomach as if he had just eaten a worm.
“Reynolds,” yelled her father, “try to keep a little closer.” Reynolds, with his hands in his pockets, continued to walk at his own pace.
“That, boy,” muttered George as they approached the carousel.
“Shall we all take a spin on one of the horses?” asked George, looking down at his daughter. Her smile said yes.
“How about you, Reynolds, what to go with us?”
“No, thanks. I’ll wait on the bench for you.”
“You sure?”
“I’m sure, Dad. You and Ali go ahead.” George looked at his son and shook his head in disappointment. Reynolds looked back at him in defiance.
It was hard for Ali to select just the right horse on the magnificent carousel. It reminded her of the carousel she used to ride in Griffith Park in California. Although she had given up all her cowgirl things when she came to New York, she still loved horses, even if they were carved in wood and painted in bright colors.
“This one, Daddy,” she said excitedly, picking a rather wild looking steed with his wooden mane carved in such a way that made it look like her horse was flying through the air at great speed.
“Kind of looks like the Lone Ranger’s horse. What was his name?” said her father as her helped her up and looped the safety rope around Ali’s waist.
“Silver! You know, Daddy. Hi, ho Silver.” Just at that moment the carousel began moving slowly, and then faster and faster to the tune of some music being played. George stood along side his daughter, as her horse rose up and down on the pole it was attached to. Ali’s father was humming loudly to the carousel music. The other kids seemed to be enjoying their ride as well, waving at their parents and holding tight to the horse poles.
After the ride, George and Ali joined Reynolds at the nearby bench.
“That was so much fun!” said Ali to her brother. Reynolds reluctantly responded with a grunt.
“What’s the matter with you, son? It’s like you’re on another planet lately.”
“You’re the one who wanted to bring us here today, Dad. We haven’t seen you in so long. What’s going on? I know the show closed. What’s going to happen now? Mom already talked to us awhile back about you leaving us and going back to California.” Reynolds was finally saying what he had been feeling for a long time. Ali sat apprehensively on the bench, watching her father and brother.
“No beating around the bush, huh, son. Well, you’re right the show closed. Had a good run, but sooner or later the lights go out. I brought you both here to spend a little time with you today, and to say I’m sorry I wasn’t able to spend more time with you during the run of the show.” George looked at both Ali and Reynolds who were seated on the bench next to him.
“I love you both. This is so complicated. Your mother and I have been apart for so long. I thought we could all come together again, but it has been a struggle.” While Ali listened, she could feel sadness coming over her. She, too, remembered the conversation with her mother a couple of months ago about her father leaving and going back to California, but chose not to think about it back then. Reynolds, however, was feeling anger towards his father.
“Why did you bring us to New York? To leave us here to go back to California? How funny is that, Dad? “ Reynolds jumped up off the bench. He was angry, but had tears in his eyes. He started running down the path, away from
the carousel and toward 59th Street.
“Daddy, are you going to get him?” asked Ali, looking up at her father.
“No, Pumpkin. He’ll be alright. He just needs to run off his feelings right now.” After a long pause, as they both watched Reynolds disappear in the distance, George turned to Ali.
“How are you doing, Honey. I’m sorry that our day has turned out like this.”
“When are you leaving, Daddy?” asked Ali, as she took his arm and rubbed her face against the sleeve of his shirt. He always smelled so good.
“Well, my little girl doesn’t beat around the bush either.” Ali’s father placed his strong arm around Ali and pulled her close.
“I’ll be going back to California is a couple of days. Your mother tells me she talked to you and Reynolds awhile back and that you all agreed that you wanted to stay in New York.”
“But, I said I’d miss you, Daddy,” Ali added quickly.
“I know,” her father smiled, “your mother told me you said that. And I’ll miss you, too-----all of you. You’re a big girl now, you can write me and I’ll write you too, OK? I want you to tell me all about the things you do. Once I get settled and figure out what I’m going to do next, we’ll plan for you to come visit me, OK?”
“OK, Daddy.”
“As the matter of fact, I’ve been reading about a wonderful amusement park that will be opening near where we used to live. It’s called Disneyland. And you know what, Pumpkin? One of the many rides it will have is one called “Alice in Wonderland”. I thought of you. When we go there someday, that we be the very first ride we go on, OK?”
“OK, Daddy.” Ali and her father got up from the bench.
“Shall we buy a bag of peanuts to feed the squirrels, Pumpkin?”
“Can we buy 2 bags, one for the squirrels and one of us?”
“Absolutely. Two bags of peanuts coming right up.”
A few days later, George flew back to California.