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Chapter five
The evening wore on. The sun set, the moon rose, and the stars began to shine.
“It’s getting late, Robin,” Kermit said. “You should go to bed.”
Robin looked up with pleading eyes. “Do I have to, Uncle Kermit?” he asked.
“Yes, Robin, you have school tomorrow,” Kermit said as he stood up. “Come on, I’ll tuck you in.”
Robin took his uncle’s hand and reluctantly hopped off the porch swing. “Goodnight, everybody,” he said quietly as they walked inside.
Several minutes later, Kermit was in his nephew’s bedroom, pulling the blanket up to Robin’s neck.
“It’s nice having Aunt Maggie here, isn’t it, Uncle Kermit?” Robin said.
Kermit smiled weakly and sat on the bed. “Yeah,” he said, “It kind of is.”
“How long is she staying?” Robin asked.
Kermit shook his head. “I don’t know, Robin,” he said. “But I think I will in the morning. I’ll tell you then.”
“Okay,” Robin said. “Goodnight, Uncle Kermit.”
“Goodnight, Robin.” Kermit kissed his nephew on the top of his head. “Sleep good.” He got up, turned off the light, closed the door, and went downstairs.
Maggie was the only one still on the porch when Kermit came outside. She was leaning on the railing, looking out at the stars.
“What’d you do?” Kermit teased. “Scare them all away?”
Maggie smiled. “They went to sleep.” The two frogs sat down next to each other on the porch swing.
“So, seriously Mags,” Kermit said. “How is Croaker?”
Maggie leaned back and sighed, with a different kind of twinkle in her eye. “Didn’t he call you last week?” she asked.
“Well yeah,” Kermit said. “But I want to hear your side.”
Maggie smiled a little. She sat very quietly for a moment, staring off into space. Then she sighed. “How much do ya wanna know?”
“Enough to know what’s going on,” Kermit said. “Not so much that I get upset.”
Maggie scrunched up her face. “That’s oxy-moronic, Mit,” she said.
“Well at least tell me something,” Kermit said.
She smiled. “Just, something?” she said. “Alright... he’s a good kisser.”
Kermit scrunched up his face. “Well, you didn’t have to tell me that...”
She giggled. “Come on, admit it, you were curious...”
“Not about that,” he said.
They sat in silence for a while. Suddenly the door opened. Startled, they turned to see Robin standing there. “I can’t sleep,” he explained.
Kermit and Maggie glanced at each other, not believing their nephew for a second. Kermit sighed. “Alright, Robin,” he said. Robin hopped up and settled himself at the far end of the porch swing. They sat in silence for a short while, and soon the young frog was sound asleep.
Maggie shook her head. “If that’s what ‘can’t sleep’ looks like...”
“Maggie, you used to pull that trick all the time,” Kermit said.
“Well don’t act like you weren’t right there pulling it with me, Mit,” she said.
Kermit sighed and leaned back, remembering some of the late nights from their youth. He remembered the first time they’d pretended they couldn’t sleep, and why they had done it. It was so different from why Maggie was here now. The silence that hung between them told them it was time to stop ignoring it. Kermit took a deep breath, sat up, and asked the question he had been dreading.
“How’s Mom?”
Maggie hugged her knees to her chest, not wanting to answer. She turned and looked her brother in the eyes. “Kermit,” she whispered, “It’s back.”
He felt his heart skip a beat. He had known, something inside him had known, as soon as she had called that morning. But that didn’t make it easier. “The cancer?” he said quietly.
She nodded. “Another brain tumor.”
He looked down at his hands in his lap. He didn’t want to have this conversation. He didn’t want it to be real. But it was real. He took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes. “How bad is it?”
She didn’t answer at first, just stared back at him. “It... It’s bad,” she said. She looked away and rested her head on her knees.
Kermit scooted closer to her and gently rested his hand on her back. “Margaret... I need to know.”
She took a deep breath and forced the words to come out, almost sounding angry. “They didn’t find it soon enough, Kermit.” She picked her head up and looked at him.
He froze. They hadn’t found it soon enough? But then... “What did the doctor say?” he heard himself ask.
She was shaking a little. “He... he said she... she has...” Her eyes started to well up with tears. She took a deep breath. “Two to three months at the most, Mit.” She hesitated, took a few deep breaths, while her brother let it sink in. She put a hand on his shoulder. “They’ve got a new treatment, Mit,” she said. “It’s an operation. They don’t know if it works yet. But, but if it does, she’ll be okay.”
Kermit looked hopeful. “Well... did the doctor say if he’s ever done it before?”
Maggie shook her head. “No one’s done it before, Kermit. He said if... if the operation doesn’t work, she won’t be any worse, but...”
Kermit waited, but she didn’t finish her sentence. “But?”
She took a deep breath. “That’s it, Kermit,” she said. “If- if something goes wrong during the operation, then... then she...” Maggie could not bring herself to say it.
Kermit hugged his sister close as she cried into his shoulder.
His mother had never had to bear the cancer on her own. They hadn’t let her. Kermit, his father, all his brothers and sisters, all his nieces and nephews, all of them had always been by her side when it got rough. Kermit was not going to let that change, and Maggie knew it.
He mulled it over while he waited for her sobs to subside. If could have, he would have boarded the train for Leland that minute. But it wasn’t that simple. He was fairly rooted here, with the house, the theater, the show, his friends, Robin’s school...
Maggie had stopped crying, but she didn’t want to move. She liked being able to cry on her brother’s shoulder, but she hated for him to see her face when she was done. Besides, her nose was still running. She sniffed.
Kermit just held her, knowing it was the best comfort he could give her. He took a deep breath. “I need a day to make sure everyone knows what to do for a while,” he said. He glanced at their sleeping nephew. “Then the three of us will go back home.” He felt her nod into his shoulder. He turned and looked out at the stars. After a while, he noticed a change in Maggie’s breathing, and knew that she had fallen asleep. He smiled a tiny little smile. It looked like he would be staying outside tonight.
Robin woke up in the darkness and rolled over. Then he realized he must have fallen asleep, and quickly sat up, hoping no one had noticed. He looked around. Uncle Kermit was leaning all the way back in the porch swing, with his chin tilted way up and his mouth slightly open, fast asleep. Aunt Maggie was sleeping too, curled up in his arms.
Robin smiled. He got up, walked to his uncle’s other side, and sat down there. He snuggled into Kermit’s lap and fell back asleep.
The evening wore on. The sun set, the moon rose, and the stars began to shine.
“It’s getting late, Robin,” Kermit said. “You should go to bed.”
Robin looked up with pleading eyes. “Do I have to, Uncle Kermit?” he asked.
“Yes, Robin, you have school tomorrow,” Kermit said as he stood up. “Come on, I’ll tuck you in.”
Robin took his uncle’s hand and reluctantly hopped off the porch swing. “Goodnight, everybody,” he said quietly as they walked inside.
Several minutes later, Kermit was in his nephew’s bedroom, pulling the blanket up to Robin’s neck.
“It’s nice having Aunt Maggie here, isn’t it, Uncle Kermit?” Robin said.
Kermit smiled weakly and sat on the bed. “Yeah,” he said, “It kind of is.”
“How long is she staying?” Robin asked.
Kermit shook his head. “I don’t know, Robin,” he said. “But I think I will in the morning. I’ll tell you then.”
“Okay,” Robin said. “Goodnight, Uncle Kermit.”
“Goodnight, Robin.” Kermit kissed his nephew on the top of his head. “Sleep good.” He got up, turned off the light, closed the door, and went downstairs.
Maggie was the only one still on the porch when Kermit came outside. She was leaning on the railing, looking out at the stars.
“What’d you do?” Kermit teased. “Scare them all away?”
Maggie smiled. “They went to sleep.” The two frogs sat down next to each other on the porch swing.
“So, seriously Mags,” Kermit said. “How is Croaker?”
Maggie leaned back and sighed, with a different kind of twinkle in her eye. “Didn’t he call you last week?” she asked.
“Well yeah,” Kermit said. “But I want to hear your side.”
Maggie smiled a little. She sat very quietly for a moment, staring off into space. Then she sighed. “How much do ya wanna know?”
“Enough to know what’s going on,” Kermit said. “Not so much that I get upset.”
Maggie scrunched up her face. “That’s oxy-moronic, Mit,” she said.
“Well at least tell me something,” Kermit said.
She smiled. “Just, something?” she said. “Alright... he’s a good kisser.”
Kermit scrunched up his face. “Well, you didn’t have to tell me that...”
She giggled. “Come on, admit it, you were curious...”
“Not about that,” he said.
They sat in silence for a while. Suddenly the door opened. Startled, they turned to see Robin standing there. “I can’t sleep,” he explained.
Kermit and Maggie glanced at each other, not believing their nephew for a second. Kermit sighed. “Alright, Robin,” he said. Robin hopped up and settled himself at the far end of the porch swing. They sat in silence for a short while, and soon the young frog was sound asleep.
Maggie shook her head. “If that’s what ‘can’t sleep’ looks like...”
“Maggie, you used to pull that trick all the time,” Kermit said.
“Well don’t act like you weren’t right there pulling it with me, Mit,” she said.
Kermit sighed and leaned back, remembering some of the late nights from their youth. He remembered the first time they’d pretended they couldn’t sleep, and why they had done it. It was so different from why Maggie was here now. The silence that hung between them told them it was time to stop ignoring it. Kermit took a deep breath, sat up, and asked the question he had been dreading.
“How’s Mom?”
Maggie hugged her knees to her chest, not wanting to answer. She turned and looked her brother in the eyes. “Kermit,” she whispered, “It’s back.”
He felt his heart skip a beat. He had known, something inside him had known, as soon as she had called that morning. But that didn’t make it easier. “The cancer?” he said quietly.
She nodded. “Another brain tumor.”
He looked down at his hands in his lap. He didn’t want to have this conversation. He didn’t want it to be real. But it was real. He took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes. “How bad is it?”
She didn’t answer at first, just stared back at him. “It... It’s bad,” she said. She looked away and rested her head on her knees.
Kermit scooted closer to her and gently rested his hand on her back. “Margaret... I need to know.”
She took a deep breath and forced the words to come out, almost sounding angry. “They didn’t find it soon enough, Kermit.” She picked her head up and looked at him.
He froze. They hadn’t found it soon enough? But then... “What did the doctor say?” he heard himself ask.
She was shaking a little. “He... he said she... she has...” Her eyes started to well up with tears. She took a deep breath. “Two to three months at the most, Mit.” She hesitated, took a few deep breaths, while her brother let it sink in. She put a hand on his shoulder. “They’ve got a new treatment, Mit,” she said. “It’s an operation. They don’t know if it works yet. But, but if it does, she’ll be okay.”
Kermit looked hopeful. “Well... did the doctor say if he’s ever done it before?”
Maggie shook her head. “No one’s done it before, Kermit. He said if... if the operation doesn’t work, she won’t be any worse, but...”
Kermit waited, but she didn’t finish her sentence. “But?”
She took a deep breath. “That’s it, Kermit,” she said. “If- if something goes wrong during the operation, then... then she...” Maggie could not bring herself to say it.
Kermit hugged his sister close as she cried into his shoulder.
His mother had never had to bear the cancer on her own. They hadn’t let her. Kermit, his father, all his brothers and sisters, all his nieces and nephews, all of them had always been by her side when it got rough. Kermit was not going to let that change, and Maggie knew it.
He mulled it over while he waited for her sobs to subside. If could have, he would have boarded the train for Leland that minute. But it wasn’t that simple. He was fairly rooted here, with the house, the theater, the show, his friends, Robin’s school...
Maggie had stopped crying, but she didn’t want to move. She liked being able to cry on her brother’s shoulder, but she hated for him to see her face when she was done. Besides, her nose was still running. She sniffed.
Kermit just held her, knowing it was the best comfort he could give her. He took a deep breath. “I need a day to make sure everyone knows what to do for a while,” he said. He glanced at their sleeping nephew. “Then the three of us will go back home.” He felt her nod into his shoulder. He turned and looked out at the stars. After a while, he noticed a change in Maggie’s breathing, and knew that she had fallen asleep. He smiled a tiny little smile. It looked like he would be staying outside tonight.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Robin woke up in the darkness and rolled over. Then he realized he must have fallen asleep, and quickly sat up, hoping no one had noticed. He looked around. Uncle Kermit was leaning all the way back in the porch swing, with his chin tilted way up and his mouth slightly open, fast asleep. Aunt Maggie was sleeping too, curled up in his arms.
Robin smiled. He got up, walked to his uncle’s other side, and sat down there. He snuggled into Kermit’s lap and fell back asleep.
So sad...
