Me and Charley

26. Donny's Birthday

The next couple of days were quiet. Mom was off that Thursday. She let me laze around all morning, mostly reading on the back deck. Charley and his mom came down in the afternoon and we enjoyed a leisurely swim followed by a summer supper with his dad at our place. Friday rolled around. Since Mom had to work I went up to Charley's and found he was still keeping busy on the Braille project. In the late afternoon Ms. Rhoda took us out to the Duffy place for Donny's party, each of us with a gift certificate tucked in a birthday card, for the country clothing store in Lachaine. Sebby did not respond to the invitation, nor did he show up. That relieved at least half my anxiety. Joe McDowell was there, with most of the boys from our class.

Charley was great. They sat him in a chair for horseshoes and cornhole and he competed well enough to win the admiration of the other kids. He sat out the sack race but he did insist on getting into the three-legged race by tying his bad right leg to my left. He used a crutch for most of his share of the locomotion but even that left it mostly up to me. There was no way we could win. In fact we finished last. I fell flat on my back at the finish line, soaked in sweat, and Charley came down with me. We lay there and laughed our butts off as everyone gathered around us and clapped and cheered. That sight stayed with me for a long time. Soon Mrs. Duffy called us in for burgers and hot dogs. After the ritual birthday cake and ice cream parents began coming to take their kids home. Soon it was just Charley and me. I said, "Charley, when's your mom coming to get us?"

Charley turned to Donny and asked, "You got it?"

"Yeah," Donny replied. "My Dad went and got it as soon as you came." Donny disappeared into the kitchen and returned with Charley's knapsack in his hand. Donny's mom and dad and his two brothers and two sisters, all older, gathered with him.

Donny said, "Trey, I asked my mom and dad if Charley could stay the night after the party, and Charley asked if you could stay too. My mom said OK, and so did yours."

Charley said, "Your stuff for overnight is in the knapsack with mine. I had my mom leave it out by the mailbox after she dropped us off so you wouldn't suspect anything."

I didn't know how to feel about any of that. Part of me was angry because Charley and Mom and Ms. Rhoda all were in on it but no one had said anything to me. Another part, though, realized that if anything had been said I would have refused. I sat quiet so long that Mrs. Duffy asked, "Trey, are you all right?"

I felt myself flush as I replied, "Yes, Ma'am. It's all just, like, kinda sudden."

"Trey, you don't have to stay if you don't want to."

I thought, I'll hurt their feelings if I don't. I said, "It's all right, Ma'am, I'll stay."

Charley said, "I'm sorry if you're upset. I knew if I said anything to you, you wouldn't come."

Donny said, "Hey Trey, didja have fun?"

"Yeah, Donny," I replied, "I sure did."

"OK," he said. "Let's have some more."

"All right," I said. Just like that, all my anxiety lifted. Mrs. Duffy said, "Come with me, boys." She led us to a good-sized room off the living room, furnished with twin beds and a pair of easy chairs that faced out a generous bay window. Donny said, "Charley, you'll like this," as he opened the door to an ample bathroom equipped as Charley's was at home, with a wheelchair-friendly sink and mirror and grab bars at the toilet and tub. Mrs. Duffy explained, "We added this onto the house when my parents moved in with us ten years ago. My father lost his legs in the war so we accommodated everything to his needs. He died a year after they came here and my mother passed three years ago, so this is our guest room now. Donny thought you'd like it."