Part V: Snakes (Chapter 95)
“You dirty son of a bitch!”
Sheldon?
Snake’s photograph drops to the ground, next to Daniel
O’Flaherty, flattened against the floor, holding his hand over his left eye.
His Roman collar is ripped.
I have missed whatever fracas has taken place, but I can
guess. I should have never hinted about that time with Danny; of course,
Sheldon would figure it all out....
Sheldon stands over him. “You little fucker!”
Nana gasps, her hand slapping her heart.
I can only imagine what Nana must be thinking ‒ a replay
of that long-ago day when old Mr. MacIntyre snitched on us for swearing, then
afterwards, when she pulled the whole story out of me...
What she must be feeling. A sense of betrayal. Split
loyalties.
But Daniel is family, and a priest besides, and Shel is an
interloper ‒ a Jew.
I sense the shift, Nana’s rallying toward Daniel’s side.
Daniel groans.
By now, Uncle Joe has the struggling Sheldon in a hammerlock.
“You think you can hide behind that collar of yours?” Sheldon
snarls.
“Sheldon Weiss!” Nana yells.
Ignoring her, he spits at Daniel. “Just who the hell do you
think you are, huh? Just tell me that, will ya? Huh? Huh?”
The family reunion has degenerated into the Theater of the
Absurd, my family into its audience enrapt. Even the kids remain frozen,
fascinated and puzzled by Shel’s behavior.
Uncle Joe tries pulling Shel away, but it’s almost as if he
has had his feet nailed to the ground.
“You arrogant son-of-a-bitch...”
I run over to him, my normally self-controlled shrink husband.
“Sheldon, please stop!”
“Samantha, you stay out of this!”
My family of voyeurs is holding its collective breath, waiting
for answers.
It’s now or never.
“Sheldon Weiss,” I say, my voice surprisingly strong and
strident. “If you don’t stop immediately, I’ll divorce you on the spot.”
Shel snaps back to reality, and the anger seems to drain from
his body. He relaxes. Uncle Joe releases him from the hammerlock.
“All right, Sam,” he says, shaking his head. He looks down at
Daniel one last time before walking away. I think he mutters “scum” under his
breath, but I can’t be sure, so I let it go. But he knows how carefully I guard
my secrets. And he knows I’d‒
I’d never forgive you if...