Free Princess of Passyunk by Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff Page B

his toes, wriggling bright red in last year’s Christmas socks.
    â€œWe are Catholic ,” Da said. “Polish and Catholic. Why should this boy call you a...such a name?”
    Baba, face closed, moved to go upstairs. Ganady made a gesture with his thumb and Marija disappeared from her perch on the second floor landing.
    Nick wriggled his toes some more. “He called me a dumb Pollock, too.”
    Da stopped pacing. “Go to bed, boys.”
    They obeyed immediately, helping their grandmother to the landing where they kissed her goodnight. In their room, Nick flopped onto his bed to stare at the ceiling. Ganady got slowly into his pajamas, brushed his teeth, mumbled his prayers and sat down on the edge of his bed to watch his brother study the discolored plaster.
    â€œNick? Why’d that guy beat on you, really?”
    When Ganady had decided Nick wouldn’t answer, he said, “Because of Annie.”
    â€œHuh? Princess Annie?”
    â€œYeah. Annie Guercino. We went out to talk—you know—just to talk. We were just sitting there on the steps when her brother and a bunch of his friends came out.” He hesitated a moment, then went on. “They were smoking.”
    â€œSmoking cigarettes ?”
    Nick grimaced. “Yeah. And I think they had a flask of something.”
    â€œYou mean like liquor ?”
    Nick shrugged, making his bedstead creak. “Annie, she sees them first and jumps up and lays into her brother like you wouldn’t believe.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what she said to him, ‘cause she was talking Italian, but I could sure tell she was hot and I heard ‘Mama’ and ‘Papa’ a few times, so I think she was saying she was gonna tell on him. Anyway, he sees me there and that’s when he starts in on her for going around with a Jew boy. Like his smoking and drinking is nothing compared to that.”
    â€œDid he really call you that?”
    â€œYeah, and you know what? I don’t think he really cares whether we’re Jewish or Catholic. He just cares that we’re not Italian.” He made a face at the ceiling. “I guess I’ll have to change my name to Puzdrolli.”
    Ganady considered his next question carefully before asking it. “Nick, why didn’t you tell Mama and Da what it was really about?”
    â€œI don’t know. I guess I was afraid maybe they’d care that Annie wasn’t Polish.”
    â€œYou think?”
    â€œHey, I don’t know. I just figured why take a chance, you know?”
    â€œSo, what’re you going to do?”
    â€œI don’t know, Ganny. I got to think of something, I guess.”
    â€œYou’re gonna stay away from her, right?”
    Nick levered himself up and onto his feet. “Go to sleep, kid.” He headed to the bathroom to wash up.
    Kid .
    Ganady looked after him, bemused and uneasy. It was the first time Nick had ever called him that.
    oOo
    The Monday following the bloody nose, Nick failed to meet his brother and Yevgeny at their appointed after-school meeting place.
    â€œHe has a report due on Wednesday,” recalled Ganady. “Maybe he’s gone to the library to get the books.”
    They went up to the library. He wasn’t there. He was not at the tables; he was not among the stacks. But as they were passing the little chapel annex next door to the library, they saw him. He was sitting in the pew nearest the altar, his auburn head tilted toward the raven one of the girl sitting close beside him.
    Ganady and Yevgeny observed for only a moment, then moved on in silent accord. They were half a block toward home before Yevgeny said,”Was that Princess Annie, you think?”
    â€œI guess so.”
    â€œI thought you said her brother gave him a bloody nose and told him to stay away from her.”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œGeez, Ganny, why’s he want to take up with her?”
    â€œI guess he