OCTOBER 1943
PENNY SNAPPED THE LATCHES shut on the children’s lunch boxes and stood them on the porcelain countertop. “Okay, your lunches are all packed,” she said. “Don’t be late for school.”
“We’ve been going to school by ourselves for more than a year,” Esther mumbled into her cereal bowl. “Daddy always left for work before us.”
“Oh. Sorry.” Penny could have kicked herself. Why did she always say the wrong thing? “Well, I guess I’ll see you after school, then. Bye.” Penny grabbed her own lunch box and waved to the kids, but they didn’t even look up at her.
Winning their affection was proving to be harder than she’d expected. She had lived with them for nearly three weeks now, but Esther remained cool and distant, and Peter hadn’t spoken a single word to her since she arrived. Eddie sent short notes to her every week – along with much longer letters to his kids – asking Penny how everything was going. How could she tell him that everything was awful? Instead, she wrote long letters back to him, pretending that things were fine. Maybe everything would be fine in another week or so. She didn’t want Eddie to worry – or to find another woman to take her place.
Penny hurried to the corner bus stop and waited with the crowd of black-clothed Jewish men. They made her feel like a sparrow among a flock of crows. Her father would demand that she move home immediately if he knew that she mingled with so many Jewish people every day. That’s why she never mentioned Eddie’s neighborhood when she visited her parents on Sundays. As it was, they would spend the entire afternoon trying to convince Penny to give up this foolish idea and come home. She would never do that. Returning home would mean giving up her dream of marrying Eddie.
When the bus finally arrived, Penny didn’t see any empty seats. Swaying passengers filled the aisle, gripping the leather straps above their heads. She didn’t like to be jammed inside with so many strangers, but if she waited for the next bus she would be late for work. As she hesitated, halting with one foot on the step, a marine in one of the front seats stood up.
“Here, miss. Take my seat.”
“Are . . . are you sure? That’s very kind of you.” He smiled, and Penny thought he might be the same soldier who had sacrificed his seat for her once before. Who could tell with so many men in uniform these days?
“Are you on your way to work, miss?” he asked as they maneuvered to trade places. Penny nodded. Mother had warned her repeatedly not to talk to strangers. The stranger’s smile widened into a grin.
“Don’t tell me,” he said, “let me guess. I’ll bet you’re a . . . what do they call them nowadays? The gals who build ships for the war effort? . . . Rosie the Riveter!” He had such a friendly manner that she couldn’t help smiling in return. He reminded her of Mickey Rooney with his round, youthful face and pug nose – and Penny loved Mickey Rooney’s films. Mickey wasn’t tall and handsome like other movie stars, just plain and ordinary – like she was. He made her believe that ordinary people could live happily ever after, too.
“No, I work at the bus station,” she replied. The marine had gallantly forfeited his seat for her. The least she could do was be polite.
“The bus station is close to the Navy Yard, isn’t it?” he asked. “I’m assigned to the Navy Yard – that’s where I’m headed, in fact.”
Penny’s curiosity momentarily outweighed her fear. Or maybe it was loneliness that caused her to look up at him again and continue the conversation. With her parents mad at her and the children barely speaking to her, she hadn’t had a friendly conversation in days. “What does a soldier like you do at the Navy Yard?”
“Security work – making sure nobody sneaks inside the shipyard who isn’t supposed to be there. It’s no secret that they’re building ships for the war effort, so it’s the Marines’ job to keep out spies and saboteurs. Remember the German spies who came ashore on Long Island a few years ago?”
“I do! There haven’t been more since then, have there?”
“No, and there won’t be if I’m doing my job right,” he said with a laugh. He let go of the strap for a moment when the bus halted at the next stop and offered her his hand. “My name is Roy Fuller.”
Penny found it hard to break through years of fear. She had been frightened enough just boarding a bus every day instead of walking to work. But what could it hurt to be nice? She offered her hand for a quick shake. “Penny Goodrich.”
“Nice to meet you, Miss Goodrich.” The conversation ended as more people boarded the bus, pushing Roy farther down the aisle. Penny wasn’t sure if she felt relieved or disappointed. It had felt good to talk to someone and extend a hand of friendship, so when she arrived at the bus station and saw a panhandler begging for food, Penny opened her lunch box and gave him her sandwich. Everyone needed a little love now and then.
She sat at her cashier’s window all morning as bus after bus pulled into the station, disgorging passengers and then filling up again, like a scene from a cartoon. When the morning rush finally dwindled down to a trickle, her thoughts returned to handsome Eddie Shaffer and how he would be coming home on leave in a few weeks. What would he think of the job she was doing for him? Yes, his house was clean and his children were washed and fed, but Peter refused to talk to her, and Esther hated her guts. Penny didn’t know how to win them over. If she wrote to Eddie and complained, he would take his children’s side. Right now he obviously loved them more than he loved her. . . . Loved her? Ha! He barely knew she existed!
Think, Penny, think. She wished she were smarter and could figure things out better. Should she buy them ice cream and other treats? Take them to the movies next Saturday?
“Miss Goodrich . . . Excuse me, Miss Goodrich?” She turned to see her boss standing behind her in the doorway of her ticket booth. How long had he been there?
“Yes, Mr. Whitney?”
“Would you come into my office, please? I need to talk to you.”
“But . . . my ticket window?”
“You can close it. Miss Napoli can cover things now that the rush is over.”
“Yes, sir.” Penny pulled the shield down over her window and locked the cash drawer, then slid off her stool and followed him to his office. Was she in trouble? Had something terrible happened? Her cash drawer had balanced to the penny yesterday, so it couldn’t be a shortage. Had she accepted a counterfeit bill by mistake?
“Sit down, please, Miss Goodrich.” He motioned to a chair as he sat down behind his desk. Penny obeyed, but worry kept her on the very edge of it, as if she might have to leap up and run.
“Miss Goodrich, I understand that you’ve worked here for more than five years now?”
“Yes, sir. Ever since I finished high school.”
“And you’ve been one of our best workers – smart, honest, and very reliable. How would you like a promotion?”
It took a moment before she could speak. “Me? . . . A promotion?”
“Yes, ” he said, smiling. “And it would include a pay raise, too. I understand you help out your elderly parents, don’t you?”
She nodded, too stunned to speak.
“The thing is, I need bus drivers right now more than I need cashiers. A lot of our drivers are either enlisting or leaving us for higher-paying work in the armament industry. And we need to add more buses to destinations like the Navy Yard and the military bases, with so many servicemen stationed around here. I’m sure you’ve noticed how crowded the buses are these days.”
“I-I don’t even know how to drive a car, Mr. Whitney.”
“That doesn’t matter. We’re starting a training program for new drivers. The company will train you for free, help you get your license, the whole works. I appreciate the fact that you haven’t already left us for a munitions job.”
“That kind of work isn’t for me, Mr. Whitney. I would hate being cooped up in a noisy factory all day. Besides, I hear they make you work long hours, seven days a week at the Navy Yard, and I can’t do that because I’m taking care of two children for a friend of mine who went into the army.”
“Well, this will be perfect for you, then. We can assign you to a bus route right here in Brooklyn, Monday through Friday only. You’ll have seniority since you already work for us. You can do it, Miss Goodrich, I’m certain of it.”
No one had ever shown confidence in Penny before, and she longed to prove Mr. Whitney right. But driving a bus? That wasn’t a job for someone like her, Mother would say. Besides, hadn’t Penny already tackled more changes than she could handle?
“Did I mention that your pay would increase by more than fifteen dollars a week?”
Penny could only stare at him. It seemed like a huge amount of money.
“So how about it, Miss Goodrich? What do you say?”
She didn’t know what to say. “Could . . . could I think about it?”
“Sure, but you’ll have to let me know shortly. The drivers’ training program begins soon. Oh, and if you do decide to sign up for it, you’ll need some form of identification to start the licensing process. A birth certificate will do.”
Penny felt as though she was sleepwalking as she made her way back to her ticket booth and slid open her window. “What was that all about?” the other cashier asked. Penny wasn’t sure if she should tell her . . . then decided that it didn’t matter since she probably wouldn’t accept the job.
“Mr. Whitney asked me if I wanted to learn to drive a bus.”
“Wow! You gonna do it?”
“I don’t know. I’m such a Dumb Dora . . . and I don’t even know how to drive a car.”
“You? Dumb? Are you kidding? Your cash drawer always balances right to the penny, every single day. Mine never does. Boy, if I could get out of this crummy booth I’d do it in a minute!”
“But I don’t think . . . I mean . . . I can’t drive a great big bus.”
“You should do it. I’ll bet you’ll meet a lot of servicemen. The buses are full of them these days. You’re so lucky!”
“I don’t care about meeting servicemen,” Penny said with a little laugh. “I already have a boyfriend.”
By the end of the workday, Penny still hadn’t made up her mind about the promotion, teetering back and forth between taking it and not taking it like a kid on a seesaw. On a whim she decided to run home to her parents’ house on her way to the apartment and pick up her birth certificate just in case. Her mother had the ironing board set up in the kitchen and was listening to the radio as she pressed Father’s shirts. The sweet smell of steaming cotton filled the room.
“Your birth certificate!” she said when Penny told her what she wanted. “What do you need that for?” She made it sound as though Penny had asked her for the moon. Too late, Penny realized her mistake.
First of all, Mother would have a conniption fit if she found out that Penny wanted to learn to drive a bus. And after she recovered, she would nag Penny day and night until she finally talked her out of it. She didn’t think Penny was capable of riding a bicycle, much less driving a huge bus filled with people – and all of them strangers!
“Well, you see . . .” Penny started backing out of the kitchen and into the living room as she talked. “My boss at work says I might be getting a promotion soon, but he needs to see my birth certificate. So if you just tell me where to look, I’ll find it myself. You don’t have to bother. Is it here in the desk with Father’s important papers?”
Mother set down the iron with a thump and hurried after Penny, leaving the appliance plugged in – something she repeatedly warned Penny never to do. “Don’t go digging through the desk. It isn’t in there.”
“Well, where is it, then?”
“You don’t have one.”
Penny stared at her. “Everybody has a birth certificate.”
“Well, you don’t. It got lost years ago . . . when we moved into this house. I never replaced it.”
“Lost? But . . . but I need it. I won’t get the promotion unless – ”
“What kind of promotion is this? Who ever heard of such a thing? You didn’t need a birth certificate when you started working for the bus company. Why would you need one now?”
Penny didn’t dare tell her the truth – nor did she want to lie. She knew Mother was still furious with her for moving into Eddie’s apartment, and she wasn’t likely to help her now, no matter how much Penny begged.
“Never mind. I need to get back to the apartment. I don’t like to leave the kids alone for too long after school.”
“Those children should be living next door with their grandmother, not with you. When are you going to give up this ridiculous notion of playing house and come back home where you belong? And why in the world would you want a promotion when you already have more responsibility than you can handle?”
Penny slouched toward the door. “I’ll see you and Dad next Sunday. Bye.”
Mother’s reaction made Penny fume all the way across town. Long before she arrived home, she reached the conclusion that no matter what happened, she would never move back home with her parents. Never. If Eddie fired her and hired someone else to watch his kids, she would find a little apartment of her own. She could do it with a pay increase of fifteen dollars a week. If Mr. Whitney thought she could drive a bus, then maybe she could.
Penny had found a seat close to the front of the bus, and she watched the driver at work, imagining herself doing his job. He had a lot to look out for with so many cars and pedestrians and buses filling the streets. But other than that, all he did was stop and go, and take people’s tickets, and hand out transfers, and make sure passengers dropped enough change into the little metal slots to cover their fares. Penny had endured the same boring, day-to-day existence her entire life – living at home, selling tickets at the bus station, listening to her mother’s criticism – and suddenly, she couldn’t stand the thought of living that way for the rest of her life. Fifteen extra dollars a week. She would be rich. She would sign up for drivers’ training tomorrow.
She smiled at the driver as she got off the bus. She practically skipped all the way upstairs to Eddie’s apartment. She had her confidence back and was growing more and more excited about the new job when the ringing telephone interrupted her thoughts.
“Shaffer residence, Penny Goodrich speaking.”
“Hello, this is Mrs. Cole from Waring Elementary School. I’m Peter’s teacher. I wondered if you could meet with me tomorrow afternoon after school.”
“Well . . . I’m not a relative, Mrs. Cole. I’m just taking care of Peter and Esther while – ”
“I know. Mr. Shaffer came to the school and explained the arrangement before he left for the army. Would this time tomorrow work for you, Miss Goodrich?”
“I guess so. I could come right after work.”
“Thank you. I’m in Room 5. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Now what? Did Peter need extra help
with his homework? Was he causing trouble? Penny hoped not, because
she didn’t know how to handle discipline problems. She couldn’t
even get Peter to talk to her. Now Eddie would realize for certain
that she didn’t know anything about kids. She was in over her head
and dumber than a green bean to have volunteered for this job in
the first place. She would be an even bigger fool to think she
could drive a bus.
Penny barely slept that night for worrying. She was groggy-eyed the next morning when Mr. Whitney came to her cashier’s booth again. “I don’t want to rush you, Miss Goodrich, but I will need to know your decision soon.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Whitney, but I don’t have a birth certificate. My mother said she lost it years ago and – ”
“Where were you born?”
“Here in Brooklyn, I guess.”
“Well, the New York State Vital Records Office can issue you a new one. You’ll probably have to pay a few dollars, but it shouldn’t be a problem.”
She was about to explain that she had made up her mind not to take the job when Mr. Whitney added, “In fact, I’ll give you an extra half hour for lunch today so you can go over and apply for a new one. That’s how badly I need drivers, Miss Goodrich.”
Penny did as she was told. She always did. As soon as she finished filling out all the papers at the records’ office, she shoved the job decision to the back of her mind as she continued to worry about this afternoon’s meeting with Peter’s teacher. Her knees shook as she walked through the doors of his elementary school.
“I’ll come right to the point,” Mrs. Cole said after the introductions. “Peter hasn’t spoken a word to me or anyone else in school in weeks.”
The news astonished Penny. She would have fallen over if she hadn’t been sitting on a chair. “You either? He hasn’t talked to me since the day I arrived and his daddy left for boot camp. I thought he was mad at me for some reason. I had no idea he wasn’t talking to anyone.”
“His sister, Esther, came to me a few days after their father left and said that Peter had laryngitis and couldn’t talk. I sent him to the school nurse, but he didn’t have a fever and his throat didn’t seem swollen. I decided to wait and see if he was going through a phase, but when nothing changed I thought you and I should talk. He has been doing fine with his schoolwork, and he doesn’t cause any trouble. He simply communicates by writing, not speaking.”
“What should I do? I-I don’t know what to do. I don’t have any experience with children, Mrs. Cole. I just wanted to help Eddie out.”
“I’m aware that Peter’s mother passed away over a year ago and that his father has recently left home. I’ve heard of cases like this before where a child becomes so traumatized that he simply shuts down. For a boy as sensitive as Peter, I can see how losing both of his parents in such a short time might have that effect.”
“Do you think I should take him to a doctor?”
“Not yet. You seem like a kind, capable woman, Miss Goodrich, and I have a feeling that once you and the children settle into a new routine, Peter will be okay.”
It was the second time in two days that someone had told Penny that she seemed capable. She felt like a fraud.
“Will Peter’s father be coming home anytime soon?” Mrs. Cole asked.
“He’ll get a furlough when he finishes basic training.”
“Then I think the best thing to do is to simply wait and see. Don’t pressure Peter. If the problem doesn’t resolve on its own, we can all meet to talk about the situation when Mr. Shaffer comes home.”
Penny thanked Mrs. Cole and walked back to the apartment. For some reason her tears would not stop falling the entire way. She didn’t want to raise two difficult children. She didn’t know how. All she wanted to do was marry Eddie Shaffer. Was that asking for so much?