Excerpt
Are you there God? Its me, Margaret. Were moving today. Im so scared God. Ive never lived anywhere but here. Suppose I hate my new school? Suppose everybody there hates me? Please help me God. Dont let New Jersey be too horrible. Thank you. We moved on the Tuesday before Labor Day. I knew what the weather was like the second I got up. I knew because I caught my mother sniffing under her arms. She always does that when its hot and humid, to make sure her deodorants working. I dont use deodorant yet. I dont think people start to smell bad until theyre at least twelve. So Ive still got a few months to go.
I was really surprised when I came home from camp and found out our New York apartment had been rented to another family and that we owned a house in Farbrook, New Jersey. First of all I never even heard of Farbrook. And second of all, Im not usually left out of important family decisions.
But when I groaned, “Why New Jersey?” I was told, “Long Island is too social-Westchester is too expensive-and Connecticut is too inconvenient.”
So Farbrook, New Jersey it was, where my father could commute to his job in Manhattan, where I could go to public school, and where my mother could have all the grass, trees and flowers she ever wanted. Except I never knew she wanted that stuff in the first place.
The new house is on Morningbird Lane. It isnt bad. Its part brick, part wood. Also, there is a very nice brass knocker. Every house on our new street looks a lot the same. They are all seven years old. So are the trees.
I think we left the city because of my grandmother, Sylvia Simon. I cant figure out any other reason for the move. Especially since my mother says Grandma is too much of an influence on me. Its no big secret in our family that Grandma sends me to summer camp in New Hampshire. And that she enjoys paying my private school tuition (which she wont be able to do any more because now Ill be going to public school). She even knits me sweaters that have labels sewed inside saying MADE EXPRESSLY FOR YOU…BY GRANDMA.
And she doesnt do all that because were poor. I know for a fact that were not. I mean, we arent rich but we certainly have enough. Especially since Im an only child. That cuts way down on food and clothes. I know this family that has seven kids and every time they go to the shoe store it costs a bundle. My mother and father didnt plan for me to be an only child, but thats the way it worked out, which is fine with me because this way I dont have anybody around to fight.
Anyhow, I figure this house-in-New-Jersey business is my parents way of getting me away from Grandma. She doesnt have a car, she hates buses and she thinks all trains are dirty. So unless Grandma plans to walk, which is unlikely, I wont be seeing much of her. Now some kids might think, who cares about seeing a grandmother? But Sylvia Simon is a lot of fun, considering her age, which I happen to know is sixty. The only problem is shes always asking me if I have boyfriends and if theyre Jewish. Now that is ridiculous because number one I dont have boyfriends. And number two what would I care if theyre Jewish or not?