Free My Sister, My Love by Joyce Carol Oates Page B

threateningly, Daddy teetered above you. Daddy pinched, Daddy poked, Daddy tickled. (Daddy’s “spider fingers”!) Daddy was always hurrying in from somewhere (where?) to hug (“Big Bear Hug”—made you swoon!) and to kiss (“Turkey-Gobbler Kiss”—“Boa Constrictor Kiss”—made you giggle!). Because Daddy was so tall, Daddy did a lot of stooping, and swooping, and scooping-up in powerful Daddy-arms, and Daddy lifted you above his head so your own head brushed against the ceiling, Daddy twirled and swirled and tossed and “flipped” you. Daddy had “pet” names as he called them for you: Little Guy, Little Toot, Little Smelly (‘way back when Skyler was just emerging from diapers to potty, we can skip this), Junior Peepee (let’s skip this). Later came Big Guy, Hotshot, Skye-boy, Son. Also Kid. Also Buddy. Daddy had not nearly so many pet names for Skyler’s little sister and only just a few names for Mummy whom he called Gorgeous—My Gorgeous Gal—My Gorgeous-Luscious-Big-Busty Gal—My Sweet-ass Pumkin—My Good-Girl-Scout-Girly-Gal—My Pussy Galore etcetera. (Certain of these Mummy-names were growled in Daddy’s throat as Mummy laughingly, or flush-faced with embarrassment, or annoyance, tried to push Daddy away; Skyler was probably not supposed to overhear. So we’ll skip these, too.) (As I intend to skip an inventory of Bix Rampike’s sex toys, too. Don’t expect it.)
    In our household, we were very proud of Daddy. Grandmother Rampike, the icy-hearted old gal with a pike’s smile, was, it was hoped, proud of Daddy. (And would remember Daddy more generously in her will than she would remember Daddy’s conniving, mendacious, deceitful loser-siblings who were, in other guises, Skyler’s “uncles” and “aunts.”) For Daddy was likely to be, in any gathering, the tallest man in the room; and for a long time, Daddy was likely to be the youngest. It was said of Bix Rampike that he was “up-and-coming” and it was said that “headhunters” were in constant pursuit of him. When the subject came up one day in the Rampike household, and Skyler happened to overhear, the silly kid piped up fearfully, “‘Headhunters’? After Daddy’s h-head?” and Mummy and Daddy laughed at Skyler, and filed away little Skyler’s query to be repeated, for laughs, in subsequent years; explaining to Skyler that it was “corporate” headhunters who were in pursuit of Daddy, ever tempting him with offers from Baddaxe Oil competitors, and such “corporate” interest was a very desirable thing, and made Daddy “more valuable” as it put Daddy in a “very good bargaining position.” Mummy laughed nervously saying, “Darling, we can’t move again. We’ve only just moved here.” And Daddy said, “Never say never, darling.” And Mummy laughed again,though Mummy’s eyes were frightened, and Mummy said, “I still miss Parsippany, we were happy there, I thought,” and Daddy chuckled saying, “You said the exact same thing, gorgeous, when we lived in Parsippany: you missed Whippany. And before Whippany, you missed New Axis.” (Whippany, New Jersey, and New Axis, a Philadelphia suburb, were before Skyler’s time and were not places that meant anything to Skyler, could’ve disappeared into enormous sinkholes or tar pits, who cares? Except Mummy seemed to care.) (Skyler did not like to think of a time in Mummy’s life before-Skyler still less that Mummy was claiming now tearfully to have been “happy” then.) Daddy spoke pleasantly, but with an edge to his voice; and Mummy spoke falteringly, as if not knowing what she was saying; and Daddy said, “In such matters, it’s wisest to cultivate a strategy of sand-feud. Like on the football field. Or poker. That way the sons-abitches can’t figure you out.” Mummy asked, doubtfully, “Isn’t it— sand-freud ?” Daddy laughed. “‘Freud’ is the Jew shrink. What’s he got to do with this?” and Mummy said, “Bix, ‘Jew’ sounds crude. In Fair