The Doctor's Wife by Luis Jaramillo Read Free Book Online

spiky, and a new hat. She’s meeting the rest of the family in Union Square after an unsuccessful trip to I. Magnin. It’s nearly impossible to find a dress that looks remotely attractive.
    While crossing Powell Street, the heel of her right shoe wedges in the trolley track, and down she goes, breaking her fall with her hands.
    â€œI hurt my arm,” the Doctor’s Wife tells her husband when she meets up with him and the kids.
    He takes a look at it, grunting. “Well, let’s go get something to eat.”
    â€œBut I hurt my arm.”
    â€œThe kids are hungry.”
    â€œYes, dear,” the Doctor’s Wife says ironically.
    In a way, the Doctor is right, it’ll take a long time to be attended to in the emergency room and the kids will get cranky if they haven’t eaten. This is the Doctor’s way of thinking: that you have to take care of everybody else’s bodily desires before you treat the wounded. Nevertheless, the Doctor’s Wife’s arm throbs and she feels extremely queasy.
    They take a taxi to a restaurant. “This place looks fine,” the Doctor says, running his eyes over the silverware set on the tables. They get a booth. The Doctor’s Wife is not hungry even a bit, but she orders broiled Petrale sole. The kids order fish and chips. The Doctor orders the Captain’s plate, and when the food comes, nobody eats but the Doctor.

Home
    On Sunday afternoons, it’s Ann’s job to rub John’s back. He lies on the couch, his fists closed tight and limbs stiff. John has trouble breathing. He can’t talk and he’s going blind.
    What’s it like to go blind? The squint in his right eye is worse. That eye barely opens and the other one doesn’t seem to be able to make out when Ann or Chrissy make a funny face.
    While Ann rubs, Chrissy puts LPs on the record player, a large piece of furniture that has speakers integrated into the cabinet. Chrissy presses a button and the record drops down, the needle hits.
    â€œPianissimo, girls,” the Doctor’s Wife says, poking her head in from the kitchen.
    Ann wishes her mother would just leave them alone. John doesn’t mind the music. His head turns to follow her around and she thinks that he would smile if he could. These are good songs. The girls listen to musicals: South Pacific, Camelot, Oklahoma. The Sound of Music plays now. Ann has memorized all the words, and so has Chrissy. They sing along, but not too loudly. Ann continues to pat as she’s been instructed.

School
    Cathy Gunderson runs up the steps just as the bus gets ready to pull away form the Sandy Beach Drive stop. Cathy’s coat is unbuttoned and her hair uncombed. Ann and Sue Berg share significant looks and then wait until Cathy has passed before they start talking again.
    â€œIt’s too bad for her,” Sue whispers.
    The best part of school this year is that the fifth graders of Lake Stevens get to go to their very own school house, a little clapboard-covered building. Pioneer times are Ann’s favorite part of Washington State history, and she’s glad she gets to study pioneers in a real old schoolhouse that probably had pioneers as students. Mrs. Zuckerman has even promised to make hasty pudding for the class. Ann is wearing an itchy wool dress and ugly saddle shoes, but she imagines herself in cool calico and lace-up boots.
    Glenwood School has an old bell that each student gets to pull in turn. Sue has already had a chance to pull the bell, but that’s because her last name starts with B. Hagen comes after Gunderson. Cathy Gunderson was supposed to ring the bell first, but she got caught chewing gum. Mrs. Zuckerman made her go spit it out in the trash can in front of the whole class, and then Mrs. Zuckerman said that Cathy would have to move to the end of the bell ringing list, which means Ann’s up next. It’s a bit of a scandal.
    â€œThe bell is pretty heavy, so you have to