26

“A re you okay?” Chip asked Georgina as they approached Eighty-sixth Street.

“Yes. Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know. Your mood seems to have changed.”

“My mood?”

“You just got so quiet, that’s all.”

“I was thinking. This area used to be known as Germantown. Did you know that?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Have you ever heard of the General Slocum steamship disaster?” Georgina asked.

“What disaster?”

“The General Slocum steamship disaster. It happened in the East River in 1904. A steamship full of mostly women and children was headed to a picnic on Long Island when the ship caught fire as it was passing Ninetieth Street. Over a thousand people died. If the captain had handled things better, fewer people would have been killed. He was sent to prison but eventually was pardoned.”

“How do you know all this?” Chip asked.

My grandmother told me, Georgina thought. But I can’t tell you that. I can’t tell you that except for the time I thought I was happy with Huck, the best times of my life were spent with my grandmother in this neighborhood and down by where she lived. She loved history and knew about everything that ever happened in this city. Georgina shrugged. “I heard about it once and I guess it just stuck with me. Don’t you think that captain should have been severely punished?” she asked, her voice rising.

Chip stopped and looked at her. “I guess so. What a terrible tragedy.”

“I just hate it when people do the wrong thing and after a while it’s forgotten and they can go on living their own life like nothing happened. Most people in New York City have never even heard of that disaster.”

“You’re probably right,” Chip agreed. “Hey, how about that margarita? The bar is just a few doors down from here.”

He doesn’t even care, Georgina thought. He doesn’t care about a major disaster and he wouldn’t care about what Huck did to me.

As Chip led her down the steps to the entrance of the bar, he was hoping against hope that some of his buddies would be inside. This girl was starting to act like she was from the twilight zone. What happened to the smiling girl who loved Woody Allen films?

The tiny bar was dark and packed. Chip called out over the crowd to the bartender. “Any chance of getting a couple margaritas?”

“I’ll do the best I can. We are really low on ice. It’s last call.”

“Thanks.” Chip pulled out his wallet. He was tempted to turn on his cell phone to check messages but decided against it. He was sure Rose would be insulted. She had been so intent on having him turn the phone off. A few moments later the bartender handed him the drinks in plastic cups.

“Thanks, buddy,” Chip said, as he paid the tab.

“Thank you. This has been fun for a while but it’s crazy in here with no electricity.”

“I bet,” Chip said with a smile. He turned and handed Georgina her drink.