Pearl

Dear Pearl,

London is beautiful. It is strange to be walking through streets that are so old.

Your Daddy and I have been training at a new gym here. I have a fight this coming Saturday. Everyone hopes I will lose because I’m American. They think I’m too much of a Yankee to like, but I just keep being polite and training hard. When I win, they will have to get behind me.

I’ve been going to a lot of different parties. Your Daddy calls them soirees because so many fancy people go to them. I like it though. I get to wear suits.

But I miss you and will see you in August. I love you.

Yours, Owen.



_____

“Happy Birthday, Pearl!”

Sarah, Jane, and even Claire woke me up by jumping on my bed.

“Aah!” I screamed. They had surprised me, but they responded with giggles. Claire’s tummy was poking out and I instinctively reached over and placed a hand there. “Baby Whitaker,” I muttered. She grinned.

“Yep! But today’s your day, Pearl,” she said in clipped tones, “Ernest and I brought you a present, Momma and the girls made you some things, and there’s a package downstairs for you from Owen. I think it’s from Paris or something!”

I sat up in bed and pulled up the sleeves of my blue floral nightgown. “Thanks girlies,” I murmured.

“I made breakfast, so you can stay in your jammies till the cows come home,” Claire said, standing up and heading to my vanity mirror. I watched as she fixed her perfect blond hair and eyed her bump with pride.

“Get up, Momma Pearl!” Sarah hollered. I winced at the moniker the youngest had bestowed on me, but I laughed and got out of bed. We ran downstairs, all four of us. It reminded me of when we were smaller. Claire wasn’t married, I wasn’t pretending to replace Momma, and Jane and Sarah were tinier. I missed it.

Momma was downstairs, slowly clanking around the kitchen. When she saw me, she forced a smile, “Happy birthday, Pearl,” she muttered.

“Thanks Momma,” I said.

Momma and the girls made me a soft wool blanket; they said it would keep me warm when I left for the East Coast in September. Claire bought me a record player. And I opened the big package from Owen to find a soft mink coat. Overall, I felt so lucky and special. It was an especially great birthday.

That evening, however, I ran to the gym to help Jake. He was standing in the middle of the ring with a mop. “Jake!” I greeted him.

“What’cha doing here? It’s your day off, birthday girl!”

“Exactly, so I get to do whatever I want. And I want to hang out here,” I said.

He chuckled, “You’re a strange breed.”

“Did you send the finished payments in?” I asked him.

He nodded. “Yep. First of May,” he replied.

“Good.”

There was a long silence before he said, “Did, uh, Owen send ya anything?”

“Oh yes,” I returned, “A mink coat!”

He laughed at my excitement. “That’s a great present.”

“Mmhm.”

He paused again, leaning against the mop. When I looked up he was staring at me.

“Pearl, you ever box before? I mean, I know you watch, but have you ever put gloves on and went at it?”

I laughed. “Of course not! Father would never let me.”

“Go grab some gloves from the back,” he said.

“What?” I was dumbfounded.

“You heard me.”

Ten minutes later, I stood in the ring with my hair tied back. Jake held up a medicine ball and said. “Alright, jab!”

I jabbed. And it was pathetic. I could see Jake restrain himself from laughing.

“Dance on the balls of your feet, Pearl!” he tried again.

I ended up tripping. This time he could not help himself and he burst into laughter. “Shit, Pearly. I really thought you would get the gloves on and turn into Braddock! Thought it was in your blood or something.”

“Well, thanks… Jake,” I murmured.

“OK, OK. Fine,” he replied, “Take the gloves off.”

“I guess reading about boxing, and watching matches, doesn’t really equate knowing what you’re doing,” I concluded. I got the sweaty gloves off and handed them back.

“I got you a present, by the way,” Jake murmured.

I smiled at him. “What? No –why?”

“I dunno, for helping me out these past couple of weeks.”

“He, OK. What is it?”

“Close your eyes.”

I obeyed and held out my hands.

I felt the weight of something soft. “Open them!”

When I opened my eyes there was a soft sweater neatly folded in my arms. It was soft green and white with Sarah Lawrence printed on it.

“My cousin was travelling up to New York on business last weekend, and I asked him to pick it up. Ya like it?”

“Yes! I love it!” I said and gave him a hug.

“I’m glad. Now let’s get to your house for dinner. I’ve already invited myself because I could really use some cake.”

He extended his arm and led me home.