CHAPTER THIRTEEN L: THE FIRST QUESTION
The mayor’s aide approached Nora ten minutes before the ceremony.
She carried a small card bearing the names of people who had agreed to speak.
“June Mallory is first,” she said.
“Walter is second.”
Nora looked at the card.
“Why is June first?”
“She asked to go before him.”
Nora glanced toward June, who was sitting beside her husband with her hands folded tightly in her lap.
“She wants him to know he won’t be alone,” the aide explained.
Nora felt a wave of gratitude.
“Thank her for me.”
“You can thank her yourself.”
The aide smiled briefly.
“She’s very determined.”
Nora walked to June’s chair.
“Are you sure about speaking?” she asked.
June nodded.
“I’ve been trying to decide what to say since last night.”
“What did you decide?”
“To tell them about Peter.”
Nora sat beside her.
“Why Peter?”
“Because everybody remembers the number twelve.”
June looked toward the stage.
“Almost nobody remembers that one of those twelve children was afraid of noise and needed somebody to hold his hand.”
Nora waited.
“I want them to remember that the children were people.”
“That matters,” Nora said.
June looked at her.
“I also want to say something about Walter.”
“What?”
“That he tried to open the door.”
Nora nodded.
“He doesn’t remember that.”
“I know.”
June glanced toward him.
“Maybe he’ll believe it if he hears me say it in front of everyone.”
Nora considered the old man’s years of guilt.
She thought of how easily a public story could become a private sentence that somebody served for decades.
“Thank you,” she said.
June squeezed her hand.
“Your mother didn’t ask us to become heroes.”
“She asked us to move.”
June smiled.
“Exactly.”
Across the aisle, Rachel Senn’s son was asking his mother why the chairs faced an old building.
Rachel told him the town had come to remember something important.
The boy asked whether remembering would make the building new again.
Rachel shook her head.
“No.”
“Then what does remembering do?”
Rachel looked toward Nora.
“It helps us tell the next person what happened.”
The boy considered this.
Then he asked whether he could have a sandwich.
Nora opened Denise’s paper bag and handed him one.
Rachel laughed softly.
“Thank you.”
“Denise packed enough for everybody,” Nora said.
The boy took a bite and looked satisfied.
Nora realized that the ceremony would continue whether she felt prepared or not.
She stood and walked toward Walter.
He was studying the printed program with his good hand.
“Are you nervous?” she asked.
“Terrified.”
“Good.”
Walter looked up.
“Good?”
“It means you know the words matter.”
He gave her a crooked smile.
“Your mother used to say something like that.”
“What did she say?”
“She said a frightened person could still be useful.”
Nora laughed unexpectedly.
“That sounds exactly like her.”
Walter folded the program.
“Will you stand near me?”
“Yes.”
“Even if I forget what I meant to say?”
“Yes.”
He nodded.
“Then I think I can do it.”
