Jenny From the Block Chapter 3

Jenny wrapped the silken black bands around her waste and tied it in the back. Plain, black dress. She felt like a widow even though it was not a lover, but her Mama. She was heading to the funeral alone. Jimmy and Tommy had come down with fevers and were under strict direction to stay in bed, dad had drunk himself into a stupor the night before and was sleeping off his hangover, and the Farrells were all too familiar with funerals to make it look like it wasn't mob related. No… Jenny Reilly would attend her mother's funeral the way she did most everything anymore, completely alone.

She gently wrapped her mothers shawl around her and stepped out into the street, locking the diner door. There she stood, looking all too accustomed to sadness, waiting for the cab that she had called moments before. She locked her hands behind her back and sighed softly, she couldn't cry. She was the only one of her family to wish her mother safe passage through to Heaven, she had to be strong for her.

The cab angled up alongside the curb and the scuzzy looking driver waved her inside. She winced at the smell of stale Fritos and possibly vomit as she eased in.

Suddenly, a strong hand on her arm rescued her from the nasty back of the little yellow cab. "Why don't we walk?"

Her relief was evident as she turned to see Helen standing there, dressed all in black like she was. She smiled at the only woman left in her life and tipped her head slightly. "Are the boys any better?"

Helen shut the cab door and waved the guy off before slipping an arm around Jenny. "No, but I made soup and tea and they're all snuggled in bed." She smiled softly. "When I heard Johnny Mack talking about where you father was last night and until how late I realized you'd be alone today… I couldn't let you do that."

"Thank you." Jenny whispered as she felt the sob rising in her throat. She stopped it and instead rested her head on Helen's shoulder as they walked. She could feel her tears, but that was okay now. She didn't have to be strong, Mrs. Donnelly would be.

They arrived at the church after nearly all had gone in and settled down. There was a buzz about as everyone wondered where Meredith's family was. The poor woman had no loved ones there. And than Helen and Jenny walked in. There was a hush. Everyone knew everyone else in this tiny part of the city, and they'd all been to Bobby's funeral, seeing Helen come in with Jenny surprised them. Most were sure Helen wouldn't attend another funeral for as long as she lived.

Helen moved Jenny up the center of the Cathedral style Catholic church and into the second pew. And there they sat as the ceremony began and the motions were made in traditional Irish-Catholic ways.

"The Father… the Son… and the Holy Ghost…Amen"

"Amen." And with that, the well-wishers dispersed, the Priest left for the Cemetery, and Helen Donnelly and Jenny Reilly sat in that second pew.

One of the nuns, not seeing the two ladies, dimmed the lights and all that remained were the innumerable pillared candles, no doubt left lit for Mass that evening.

"Do you think, if enough tipped over the grout in the stone would set fire?" Jenny spoke with a hoarse voice from the tears she'd fought and the sniffles she stopped.

Helen reached onto her lap to catch her hand and squeezed. "No." She leaned her head against Jenny's. "Why? Do you want to try it?"

Jenny smiled and pressed back against Helen with just slight force. "I guess not. Mama liked this Church more than the others. We even went to St. Luke's in the city, gorgeous, have you ever been there?"

Helen shook her head. "One of Bobby's many promises, but no, I have not."

Jenny felt like biting her tongue until it bled. "Well, it's beautiful… the glass glows almost… by itself! I don't know if it's the way the New York streets shine in, but it's so awesome. It's like nothing you've ever seen, and the ceiling is so incredibly high! You and I will go someday for Christmas Mass."

Helen pulled Jenny closer as the cool air began to fill the Sanctuary. "Yes, we will." She let some time pass before speaking again. "Do you want to go to the cemetery?"

"No." Jenny shook her head. "It's just a body. This is where the end is, I just want to stay here. Oh Mrs. Donnelly! Do you have to go? I'm not keeping you am I?" She pulled back in horror, realizing how sick the boys were and she was keeping their Ma so selfishly.

Helen pulled Jenny back against her. "No, they're asleep, they're fine. Don't even think about it."

"Are you sure?" Jenny wasn't about to sit there alone, but she didn't want someone else to be without their mother, especially the Donnelly boys.

"When I have to go, I will tell you and than you are more than welcome home with me." Helen kissed the top of Jenny's head as the young girl relaxed again, content just to have someone.

Tommy tossed in his bed, the cold chilling him deep down. He shivered as he pulled the blankets tighter around him and coughed hard.

"Okay, Tommy?" Kevin's voice echoed as he shouted from the kitchen.

"No!" Tommy yelled back despite his aching head.

"Shut up, Tommy. I was asleep!" Jimmy rolled over and stared out the bedroom door, making eye contact with the youngest at the table. "Is Ma back, Seannie?"

Sean shook his head and continued playing his card game with Joey, who was losing worse than Kevin.

Kevin stumbled into view and held up a mug. "You want some tea?"

Jimmy sat. "Since I'm awake, I guess."

Kevin brought him the mug and sat on the edge of his bed. "I hope Jenny's okay. Funerals suck."

Jimmy nodded as he sipped the hot liquid. "We could have gone, even being sick. Jenny deserves to have friends there."

"Ma wasn't gonna go. I overheard Mack telling her that Mr. Reilly was super drunk at the Ol' Lady last night. Even threw a mug at the bartender. Than all the sudden she said she was going to pick Jenny up and take her."

"She likes Mack." Jimmy mumbled.

Kevin shot him a glare. "No, he's just a good friend. He worked with Dad for years at the Union you know that."

"I think she does. He influences her."

"Anyway, I think she just felt bad for Jenny." Kevin was still glaring at Jimmy when they heard the door open. He jumped up and leaned around the corner to see Helen and Jenny coming in.

Helen pushed her bedroom door open and pointed Jenny toward her dresser before shutting it. "Be nice." She warned the two at the table.

Both Sean and Joey nodded, but watched Helen closely as she went into the kitchen.

Kevin sat at the table and watched her too, waiting for some sort of report.

Helen ignored the three staring at her and wrapped up dinner that was still on the counter. She finally turned and threw her hands out to the sides. "What?"

They all looked away as quickly as she had turned and busied themselves with shuffling the cards.

She smiled to herself as she turned back and put a fresh pot of broth on the stove. Chopping vegetables she decided to humor them. "There were a lot of people there, everyone Mrs. Reilly ever knew I'd imagine."

Sean jumped up and brought the cups on the table to the sink. "Is Jenny staying with us tonight?"

Helen nodded as she handed him a knife and two carrots. "Thin, Seannie, or they'll never soften."

"Yes, Ma." He stood next to her, coming to her shoulder as he chopped up the carrots with care, watching his fingers as he did.

"She may stay for a few days, to give her father some space." She stopped chopping an onion to watch Sean. "A little bit thinner… perfect."

He smiled up at her and slid the chopped ones toward the pot.

She scooped them up along with the onions onto the edge of the knife and dropped them in the simmering pot. "Get some of the beef cubes out for me please. Joey will you rinse them and cut the fat off?"

"Okay." Joey jumped up, abandoning the cards at the table and taking the meat tray from Sean. "Can I have a knife?"

Helen gave him a sharper one, along with a warning look and left them both to finish prepping the soup. She peaked into the bedroom and smiled at Jimmy, who was still working on the tea. "Head any better?"

"No, but I'm not as cold." He grinned around the lip of the mug at his mother before scooting off the bed. "Okay if I come out?"

"Yes, it's fine, you've gotten plenty of rest already." She let him pass before crossing the room to the other bed. She sat on the edge and nudged Tommy. "Jenny came back with me, if you want to come out."

"I don't think I'm good company now, I feel like throwing up." Tommy mumbled from beneath the blankets.

"That's fine. I've got more soup on for when you get up." She tucked the thick blankets tighter around him and kissed the side of his head. "I love you, honey."

"Love you, Ma." He groaned back.

She smiled and returned to the kitchen. Standing behind Joey and Sean, she watched them carefully, and with a little bit of pride. Joey had come along way since being taken from his abusive mother and moved in down the road with his Grandma. And Seannie, he was finally moving beyond his father's death. She felt thin, feminine hands wrap around her waist and she turned her head enough to see Jenny behind her. "Hi you."

"Hi." Jenny smiled as she leaned against Helen, finally relaxing in the warm, just slightly too-big sweats she was wearing.

Helen patted her hands as they stood observing the two youngest for a moment longer. "Hungry?"

"Not really, thank you."

Helen pulled out the leftovers anyway and made up a separate plate. She stuck the whole plate in the oven and turned it on warm. "It's in there when you are."

"Thanks, Mrs. Donnelly." Jenny eased down at the table next to Kevin and watched him deal the cards out for Solitaire.

"Wanna play?"

"No." She grinned a little while she watched him. He was sure good at dealing, now if he could only just win a hand.

Jimmy was near the window and shivering and Jenny watched Helen put a blanket around him and whisper something.

Jimmy giggled and shook his head as Helen playfully knocked his arm with hers.

Jenny smiled. She liked when everyone was happy and getting along and Jimmy's fever seemed to be distracting him from his leg, that was good too. She slouched down in the chair and than sighed. "I guess I really should eat huh?"

Helen nodded, a sort of satisfaction on her face as she moved away from Jimmy. "Turn it up to 250 for ten minutes, make sure the pork chops warm all the way through."

Jenny nodded as she pushed past Joey. "Scuuuse me."

Joey laughed and pointed a chunk of beef at her. "I don't 'scuse anyone."

Sean laughed too as he held his carrot out like a sword toward Joey's meat. "En guard!"

"Mine's pathetic!" Joey whined as he slapped the beef back against the counter and continued cutting it.

Sean held his carrot up victoriously before poking Joey in the side with it. "Take that you scurvy pirate!"

"Alright!" Helen interrupted finally. "Enough playing with the food."

Both boys dropped more cut pieces of ingredients into the pot without another word.

When Joey had been walked home and the younger two had been tucked into bed, Helen and Jenny sat at the table with bowls of the beef soup. Jimmy and Tommy had their soup in their room with music on and the door closed, leaving the ladies some quiet.

"So… what are you going to do, Jenny?" Helen spooned the last of her broth out of the bowl and than stood to put it in the sink. "Tea?"

"Umm, yeah I think that'd be good." Jenny was still working on her soup, tiny bits at a time as she contemplated Mrs. Donnelly's question. "You mean with Dad being drunk all the time and no one running the diner?"

"Something like that…" Helen sighed at the realization that Jenny will be living as her father's hands and feet now.

"Oh, well taking care of him and running the place." She sighed too as she pushed the bowl away. "Can I save this for tomorrow?"

"If you don't like it, throw it out." Helen put a tea kettle on the stove and returned to the table.

"I love your cooking, Mrs. Donnelly… or in this case Seannie and Joey's… it's just, I don't feel like eating. I'm not going to waste it either." She set her jaw defiantly earning a laugh from Helen.

"Okay, I believe you. There's a small plastic container and lid under the sink."

Jenny smiled and went to store the food. "I really appreciate everything. You've been amazing to me… you always have, but I'm glad I know a family like you and the boys. It makes me feel like I have somewhere to go if things get bad."

"You always do." Helen was nearly whispering, obviously touched by Jenny's trust. "Have some faith in your father, what he's going through is hard."

"Yeah, well… you and Mr. Donnelly were closer than my parents and you didn't go get drunk and skip his funeral." Again she bit down on her tongue. When would she learn?

Helen shrugged, but didn't respond.

"I guess people deal with things differently." Jenny spoke softly, hoping to ease the sting of what she said. She put the container in the fridge and than stared at the closed door.

"Jenny?"

When Jenny didn't turn back, Helen stood and walked over, putting her hands on Jenny's shoulders she pulled her backwards into her. "What?"

"I've been … blunt, it's not fair." Jenny was whispering, barely audible above the hum of the old refrigerator.

"Oh, to me? You've met my boys right?" Helen laughed it off easily, even though the words had hurt.

Jenny turned around and hugged Helen hard. "I just can't seem to find the right things to say." She ignored the way Helen pushed the comments off.

Helen held her there as she cried hard. "Ssh, darling… something else, isn't it?"

"No, I just… maybe. I just am too forward about it all."

Helen laughed again. "Why don't you take that tea, go into my room, put some music on and go to sleep?"

Jenny wiped her eyes and nodded as Helen poured a mug for her and ushered her off to sleep.

To be continued