He stopped and looked at me. "I told Flora about you and she told me about the plants," he said, and continued walking.
"You told someone about me?" I cried. "Mama will be very upset."
"Don't worry about it," he said, continuing to walk toward the stairway. "I don't think Flora's a gossip and silly like most girls her age. And besides," he said when he reached the front step, more important, she's like you. She had the same thing happen to her when she was about your age, so you'll want to talk to her."
He continued into the house, leaving me standing in shock and amazement until I heard Daddy call to me from the bottom of the driveway.
"How was the supermarket?" he asked, laughing. His face looked flushed and when he drew closer. I could smell the whiskey on his breath. He had stopped at the little restaurant and bar near the dock. I thought. Mama hated it when he drank during the day. This was going to upset her and she wasn't very happy as it was.
"All right," I said.
"Everything easy to find, properly labeled, aisles wide enough, clerks helpful, checkout efficient?" he rattled off. Then he laughed again. He swayed a little as he stood there looking at me. "You feel okay, Jordan?"
"Yes," I said.
"You started your medicine, right?"
"Yes, Daddy."
"Well..." He paused and looked back down the driveway as if he had forgotten something. "You'll be fine," he said, ran his hand softly over my head, and walked to the steps. "Let's get inside and hear all the complaints. The quicker we let her get it all out, the better off we'll all be," he muttered.
I followed. Both Mama and Ian were in their rooms getting things organized.
"Lucy. I'm home," Daddy called from
the living room, and laughed at his own imitation of the I Love Lacy show. Although it was on reruns, it was practically the only television show, other than sports, that he watched.
Mama stepped out on the loft. She had a mop and a pail in her hands.
"What's going on?" Daddy asked. "Why are you playing maid already?"
"Our Mr. Pitts didn't check the toilets. One apparently froze and cracked this winter. Ian used it and it leaked all over the floor.
"Damn," Daddy said. "Mother is going to be fit to be tied."
"Mother? What about me, Christopher? I'm the one doing the mop-up or hadn't you noticed?"
"I'll call him right away and get him to install a new toilet immediately," Daddy promised. The news sobered him quickly.
"Good." Mama said.
"Where do you want to tat tonight? The Italian place or the Beehive or what?"
"I don't care at the moment. Whatever," Mama said, "Jordan, get up here and start putting your things away."
"Welcome to your summer," Daddy whispered in my direction, but the way his eyes rolled. I wasn't sure if he meant it for me or for himself.
Afterward, while we were having our dinner at the Beehive, Mr. Pitts installed a new toilet. He was waiting for us when we returned to tell us he couldn't imagine why the old one had cracked.
"I'm just surprised neither you nor Mrs. Pitts noticed," Mama said.
"It had to just happen recently." He looked at Daddy.
"Sure, that could happen," Daddy said. 'It's no one's fault," he added
"I checked every other fixture, faucet, everything," he told Daddy. "Nothing else has a problem. Sorry about this mess, Mrs. March. If you want, have Helen over here tomorrow to redo the bathroom."
"It's done," Mama said. "Forget about it."