Pewter Angels (4 page)

They headed towards the front doors. Once again, Henry rushed ahead of Jenny to open the door for her. As happened often on the prairies, the beautiful summer sky was suddenly marred by dark grey clouds rolling towards them from the west. The wind had picked up even more since they had arrived, stirring the first few fallen leaves as they strolled down the walkway.

“So, where’s this confectionary you mentioned?” Jenny asked.

“Is it near here? Should we use the crosswalk … or go down further and take our chances?”

She’d succeeded in surprising Henry. Was it possible Jenny felt the same way he did when they held hands? His heart juddered at the possibility. But it would be an even longer walk back if they went that way and Henry decided to go with his better judgment.

“Nah, we’d better cross here. The confectionary is only a block away and straight ahead.”

Jenny nodded, but kept her eyes down and Henry sensed her disappointment. At least, he hoped she was disappointed.

They crossed College Avenue and headed down Toronto Street into an older part of the city that was well treed on both sides. Traffic was minimal in this area as most residents parked their cars behind their homes.

“The Golden Gate Confectionary is right up there,” Henry finally said, breaking the silence. “You can just barely make out the sign.”

“Oh, good, I’m really thirsty. I can hardly wait to have a drink.” Jenny’s eyes sparkled and Henry was glad to see it.

At the confectionary, Henry opened the door for her once more. It was bright, freshly painted and well-organized, nearly the opposite of Mr. Engelmann’s grocery store.

The drink coolers lined the back wall from one end to the other. They walked to the back and peered through the glass doors. These coolers displayed the entire bottle, quite different from Mr. Engelmann’s half cooler where the doors slid opened horizontally to reveal only the bottle caps on the top. Henry couldn’t help but feel that unless Mr. Engelmann made some major changes to his store, he wouldn’t be able to compete with the new ones opening up.

Henry grabbed a Dr. Pepper while Jenny opted for an Orange Crush. They took the drinks to the cashier, who asked if there was anything else they wanted. Henry had only enough to pay for his drink with a few cents left over. He couldn’t even offer to buy Jenny’s. Briefly he wished he’d thrown out Mrs. Goronic’s weeds. He could’ve used that nickel now.

Jenny reached into her sweater pocket and pulled out a small change purse. “Do you want to share a chocolate bar? I think I have enough for one.”

Henry hesitated for a moment, not wanting to sponge off the girl he was trying to impress, though he didn’t want to insult her by turning down her offer either.

“Sure, that would be great. I still have eight cents left that I can give you.”

Jenny reviewed all the bars in the display then said, “How about an Oh Henry?” She turned to him, giving him a teasing wink.

Henry chuckled and said, “It’s my favourite, of course.”

Jenny took the bar to the counter and paid for it along with her drink. As Jenny took the change from the cashier, put it in her purse and returned the purse to her pocket, Henry savoured the chance to watch her every action. Then, grasping each end of the bar she pulled it apart, tearing the wrapper and gauging the pieces before offering the larger portion to Henry.

“Thanks, Jenny,” Henry said.

They unwrapped their pieces at the same time and almost simultaneously took a bite chewing slowly before gulping their drinks. As they finished, a sharp flash of lightning lit up the sky through the window, followed a few seconds later by a clap of thunder that shook the glass in its frame. Bottles rattled and shivered in the coolers.

“Should we make a dash for it to see if we can make it home?” Jenny wondered.

“We can try. If we don’t, we might be stuck here for God knows how long.”

They looked at each other and in a moment of reckless abandon said at the same time, “Let’s go for it.”

Without a further word they headed for the front door, the wind almost ripping the glass door from Jenny’s hand as she opened it. They had to push together to close it.

“Quickly, hold my hand,” Jenny shouted over the whipping wind. Henry caught her fingers in his, squeezing her hand and feeling a rush of joy when she squeezed back. They took off east towards home, knowing they would never make it before the rain started.

Papers and dust swirled in all directions. Low branches whipped across the sidewalk, barely missing them as they sped along, dust and little bits of gravel stinging their shins. Black clouds chased them, lightning flashed in rapid succession, thunder bellowed across the heavens. They ran closer and closer together, trying to protect each other and at the same time brace themselves against the intensifying turbulence around them.

A few drops of rain dampened Henry’s hair and he knew it would only be a matter of moments before the clouds released their fury. For a split second Henry thought they should go back to the confectionary, but the thrill and excitement of the approaching storm overpowered his fear of the lightning and impending downpour. Jenny’s hand in his gave him the strength to face anything.

A few more drops landed on his head and then—as if someone had turned on a heavenly faucet—the rain pelted down, drenching them instantly. Henry looked over at Jenny. Her mouth was open and she appeared to have lost her breath. Cold rain hammered down, gushing down the gutter beside them beneath the crashing thunder. Sheets of rain thick as fog clouded the objects ahead of them. Henry extended his arm, anticipating running into a fence or tree.

As they adjusted to the rain and cold, they ran with more ease and freedom, footfalls slapping in the cold wet wash of the sidewalk. Henry’s sneakers had already begun to leak. Minutes later, they slowed to a walk, closed their eyes and turned their heads towards the sky, daring the clouds to loose more of their fury. They were young and free, their fears washed away by exhilaration. They had challenged nature, it had given its best and they hadn’t backed down. They’d faced it straight on and were winning.

Jenny burst into laughter with the excitement of it all and swung their linked hands with abandon. There was victory in the motion and Henry joined in, raising their arms even higher on each upswing. It was difficult to believe that all these wonderful experiences could happen to him in a single day—one of the happiest of his life.

Gradually the rain abated and they slowed to a saunter. The wind also settled and visibility steadily improved. The rain stopped almost as quickly as it had begun, except for a few drops tumbling from the dripping trees.

“Gosh, that was fun,” Jenny exclaimed through gasps.

Henry looked at her against the backdrop of the departing storm. Jenny’s fine blond hair was plastered against her scalp. Her clothes drooped, her sweater stretched at least five inches below her waist. She must have sensed him studying her, because Jenny turned to him and burst out laughing. He laughed along with her as he suddenly realized how he must look too!

They stood there gazing at each other, only then becoming aware that they were still holding hands.

“Boy, are we ever wet,” Jenny said, forcing her thoughts away from their joined hands. “I feel like taking my shoes off and just running. It would be like running through a sprinkler in our bare feet. Come on, Henry. Let’s do it!”

Part of Henry wanted to, while a bigger part of him didn’t want to let go of Jenny’s hand, which he would have to do in order to take off his shoes and socks. But he couldn’t resist Jenny’s excitement. He wanted to please her and was willing to sacrifice just about anything to do so. He let go of her hand and crouched down to untie his shoes. Jenny did the same thing and their heads brushed together. Laughing like two little kids, they tugged off their shoes and socks. Henry held both of his shoes in one hand and was about to walk forward when Jenny surprised him again.

“Okay now, quickly, hold my hand.” The instant his hand was once more secure in her grasp, she tugged him onto the wet front lawn of the nearest house. Henry squeezed more tightly, letting her know what he was sure she already knew, that he was crazy about her.

They ran in and out of one yard after the other, waving their arms as they dodged tree branches and fences, tricycles and wagons, rubber hoses and sprinklers. Henry couldn’t remember having so much fun and savoured the feeling of complete freedom. It was as if he had only been half alive until today, seeing only half of what was around him and feeling only half of what was inside him. He felt more alive than he could ever remember feeling. To be out in a thunderstorm, then run through the wet grass in bare feet was something he would normally never do. Yet here he was, doing these crazy things and it felt normal and fun. It was Jenny. Her charm, playfulness, and spontaneity were contagious. Somehow she had opened Henry up to the fullness of life.

“Look at the beautiful colours in the grass and trees. It’s amazing how rain seems to restore the colours,” Henry said excitedly. Before Jenny could respond, he continued, “Did you notice how as the summer goes by the leaves turn darker and more olive, and as fall comes along, the colours change again into so many yellows, oranges and browns? See there.” He pointed to a small tree in all the colours he’d just described.

“Henry,” Jenny interrupted, “you sound like an artist.” She said it with such excitement and awe that Henry considered the possibility.

They continued home and soon Henry saw the perfect ending to an amazing day. “Look, Jenny!”

The ominous clouds had dissipated, leaving behind a beautiful blue sky and a perfect rainbow. Its vibrant colours shimmered and arced, uniting one end of the horizon with the other, echoing the feeling in Henry’s heart.

Awestruck, they didn’t realize how tightly—and tenderly— their hands were joined.

“It’s beautiful, Henry, just beautiful,” Jenny said.

“I wish I could paint a scene like this,” Henry’s words were quiet and held the hint of a promise.

“Would you like to be an artist?”

“I do like drawing. I want to take art this fall, but my dad says it’s too hard to make a living that way. Maybe I’ll become a teacher or something.”

“Sounds great. I think you would do well at either,” Jenny replied. “Maybe you could even teach art.”

“Yeah, I never thought of that. How about you? What do you want to do?”

“I just love reading and stories in general. I could sit and read all day long. I’d love to work in a library and be around books all the time.”

“Sounds like you want to be a writer, Jenny,” Henry said.

“Oh, I’d love to write a book! A romance novel. I love those kinds of stories.” She stopped walking and looked at him. “You’re the first person I’ve ever told that to.”

Henry’s heart nearly burst at her expression of trust.

Before they knew it, they were on Broder Street, a block and a half from home. They strolled down the sidewalk, holding hands, neither of them seeming to want to let go. Until Jenny stopped, released his hand and put both of hers up to her mouth in shock. “Henry, I forgot my application forms at the confectionary.” “Oh, that’s okay,” he said. “I’ll get my bike and go back and get them for you. It’ll only take a few minutes.”

“That would be great. Thanks, Henry,” Jenny said, and the problem was solved as quickly as it had presented itself.

At the gate leading to Jenny’s front door, they looked each other up and down, grimacing and laughing again at how soaked they were.

“I really enjoyed myself this afternoon,” Jenny smiled.

“So did I.”
More than you will ever know
. “I’ll get the application forms for you as soon as I change into dry clothes.”

“Thanks again, Henry.”

Jenny turned and walked towards her front door, the subtle sway of her hips clearly outlined by the clothes that hung wet and limp on her body. Just before Jenny went inside, she turned and tilted her lips in a coy smile, her eyes sparkling. Henry almost melted right then and there.

As the screen door closed behind her, Henry heard Jenny’s mother exclaim, “Jenny! What on earth happened to you?”

Henry couldn’t hear the reply as he turned towards his house, fully expecting a similar reaction from his mom. Fortunately, she was in the kitchen preparing supper when he got there. Henry yelled that he was home then went straight to his room. After changing into dry clothes, he rushed to the front door.

“Where are you going now?”

“We stopped at the confectionary for a drink and Jenny forgot her application forms there, so I’m going to bike over and get them for her. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“Oh, that reminds me. Mr. Engelmann phoned and asked if it’s okay with us if you work for him for the rest of the summer, and after school and on the weekends when school starts up again. We told him it would be okay. Maybe you could go and see him later on.”

“Sure, Mom,” Henry called over his shoulder as he headed back out the door and between the houses to retrieve his bike.

“Oh, there you are, Henry.” Mrs. Goronic was outside in the wet. A little rain didn’t stop her, either. “See, you didn’t take the weeds away this morning and now they are so wet.”

“I promise I’ll do it tomorrow, Mrs. Goronic.” Before she could engage him in any further trivialities, he picked up his bike and headed for the street.