“They won’t.”
“How do you know?”
“B’cause your mama likes being married to your daddy.”
“You wouldn’t know that to hear her talk.It used tobe that she was upset when Daddy was angry.She isn’t anymore.”
“She got used to it.”
But Pam had another reason.“She has John now.He probably convinces her that it’s better for Daddy to be in Maine, just like he convinced her that I shouldn’t go skiing.Why does she listen to him, Marcy?”
“B’cause he’s got the answers for the things she’s asking.”
“But why doesn’t she ask my father those things?”
“B’cause he’s in Timiny Cove.”
“She could call him.If she wanted to, she could.I think it’s gotten so that she likes being with John more.”
“But she loves your daddy.There’s a difference.”
“They’re never together.”
“But when they are, it’s not so bad.”Marcy paused, pulled a cuff straight, pressed the iron down hard.“I’ve seen bad.I know.”
Pam remembered the screaming she’d heard.“At home?”
Marcy moved the iron back and forth over the cuff.Then she set it on its end and turned the cuff over.
“Marcy?”After another moment’s pause, she said, “Is it really bad in your house?”
The iron began moving on the reverse side of the cuff.“It’s bad.”
“How?What happens?”
After a pause, Marcy said, “They fight.Mama goes back and forth to the factory—”
“Why doesn’t she work at the mine?”
“B’cause that’s men’s work.”
“I could do it.Daddy’s shown me how.I could do it.”
“But you won’t, b’cause it’s men’s work.”
“I don’t believe that.If women can do what men do, they should be able to get the job.I’m going to be president of St.George Mining someday.”
“Did your daddy tell you that?”
“He tells me I can be what I want, and that’s what I want.”
“What about John?”
“What about him?”
“He’s already there.Won’t the company be his?”
“I’ll fire him.That’s the first thing I’ll do.The second will be to hire your mother.She can do sorting and matching.”