Chapter 1

“Maman,” Cat called from the train aisle. A woman ahead of them was nursing a baby.

“Come back here, mon chat. Yes, it is a beautiful sight.” Jeanette wasn’t going to let the poor woman think that she was doing wrong. “But it is a private event. When I fed you that way years ago, other people left us alone. Come back to your seat. Maybe when they are quite finished, she will let you see her baby then.”

“Sometimes, Cat,” Bob added, “curiosity is good. Sometimes it is wrong.” He pulled his feet back so that Cat could get inside to sit beside him. The train was far from full, and they had taken two facing seats for the three of them. “Curiosity about the world is wonderful. Curiosity about other people sometimes makes them feel bad.” He was much more concerned about his daughter’s keeping the curiosity about the world. But child rearing is a joint task, and Jeanette was in charge. She had more tact than he ever had, and she was likelier to be blamed for Cat’s not acting tactfully.

‘Now,’ Jeanette thought, ‘he’s teaching her that one shouldn’t watch a woman nurse when it makes her uncomfortable. Too bad he didn’t practice what he now preaches. Oh well, it’s better than now preaching what he’d practiced. And, after all, he’d only leered at us in private.’ She waited until the woman had burped the baby and put him to the side before she got up and nodded to Cat.

“I’m really sorry,” she said. “Cat has great curiosity and no manners. Wait six years. She does want to look at your baby.”

“I heard. That’s quite all right.” The woman moved as far back as she could in the seat. When Cat stood against the seat back, she moved her knees to allow her closer. Cat stared; the baby seemed indifferent to the attention. He was in a car seat with some toys dangling from the rim, and those were taking his attention now.

“I think this is enough, mon chat.”

“Thank you for letting me see your baby.”

“You’re welcome.” And they trailed back to their seats.

“Happy Cat?” asked Bob. He was less worried than Jeanette that Cat would annoy another passenger. Passengers who were easily annoyed by first-graders deserved little consideration. He was more worried that Cat would explore some mechanical device on the train that would hurt her.

“Elle est tres belle.“

“Vraiment, a moins qu’il soit tres beau.“ Actually, Jeanette didn’t think the baby was particularly cute, though it was a cuter boy than a girl.

“Maman! est-ce-que vous croyez le bebe est un garcon?“ Actually, Jeanette hadn’t any evidence of whether the baby was a boy. The clothes looked more like a boy’s baby clothes, but it wasn’t as if he were dressed all in blue.

“Je ne sais pas.“ And when Cat looked about to go ask, she said, “Nous avons gene la bonne dame trop. Peut-etre je, ta maman, demandai plus tard. Tu ne demandas jamais.“ As Bob said, inquisitiveness was all very well, but it could easily become rudeness. Bob and she tried to keep the rule that Cat could ask them anything, but she would have to learn that she couldn’t ask other people too many questions. The problem was that once that was established, what you could ask whom was a whole universe. Anyway, she’d told Cat to let that one woman alone.

They’d brought some books, both old and new, to read to Cat to keep her amused. Bob was reading one of the old ones and Jeanette was deep into a mystery from the library when Cat’s attention wandered.

“Can we go eat now?”

“Are you hungry?” There was a snack car on the train. While they had brought their own food, the tables were probably necessary. “We can eat when Maman gets to a stopping place.” Jeanette found a stopping place before Cat started to nag her. She took Cat to the ladies’ where they both relieved themselves and washed their hands. When Bob and Cat got to the snack car, the mother and the baby were there.

“Is your baby a girl or a boy?” Cat asked. So much for ‘jamais.’ ‘Never’ had come quite soon.

“He’s a boy. His name’s Billy.”

“Hello, Billy. My name is Cat.”

“And my name is Bob Brennan. I’m sorry our daughter has been bothering you.”

“I’m Grace Johnson. It hasn’t been a bother.”

“Vous avez raison, Maman, “ Cat told Jeanette on her arrival. “Il est un garcon.“

“English, mon chat. It is not polite to speak a language in front of other people which they do not understand.”

“You were right. He is a boy. His name is Billy.”

“Hello Billy.”

“And this is Mrs. Johnson,” put in Bob. “My wife Jeanette.”

“Hello,” said Jeanette. “If you can tolerate us a bit longer, do you mind if we join you? Pulling Cat from this table would be a struggle.”

“Go right ahead.”

“We have carrot and celery sticks. You’re welcome to them. They’re not on Billy’s diet right now, I can tell.” Mrs. Johnson accepted some carrot sticks. Cat, who was much more interested in Billy, did not. She waved a finger within his reach.