Mambo in Chinatown

“This is such a lovely color for you,” I said, taking a dark rose sundress off its hanger. “Let me help you.”

Lisa just stood there in her walker, staring at our reflections in the mirror.

“Come on, give me your hand and we’ll get your top off.”

She batted me away. “No, don’t touch me. Just stop it, Charlie.”

I stopped. “What’s wrong?”

“I didn’t want to come here, I don’t want a new dress, but you wouldn’t listen to me.”

“I was just trying to get you out of the apartment for a while.”

The expression on her face was bitter. “It’s all about you and what you want, isn’t it? You, the dancer; you, with your great boyfriend; you, Pa’s wonderful daughter. You don’t care about me at all.”

The blood rushed to my head. “So you’re jealous, is that it? It’s finally my turn and you can’t take it.” Then I caught sight of us in the mirror: me standing fit and straight, and Lisa’s hunched body in the walker. I was immediately overcome with remorse. “Sweetheart, I’m sorry.”

Her eyes reddened. “You used to read with me every night. You were there for me. This past year, you’ve only been thinking about yourself and your dancing, you even fobbed me off on Uncle Henry to study for the Hunter test. You haven’t been paying attention.”

“Oh, Lisa. I didn’t mean to make you feel that way.” I gathered her in my arms, the way I had from the time she was a toddler.

She started to sniff. “You left me. And I needed you.”

Now Pa poked his head through the curtain. “Are you girls all right?” When he saw us, he quietly slipped into the dressing room and stood in the corner.

I was trying now to blink the tears back too. “I always love you, Lisa, and even if it seemed like I was distracted, you were never far from my thoughts. I’ve been so worried about you.”

Her voice was muffled against my shirt. “You were right too, I am jealous of you. I watched you at that competition, you were so strong and beautiful, and everyone was applauding for you, even Pa, and I just hated you for it. I couldn’t stand it anymore. Ever since then, it’s been like there’s a balloon inside me, and it’s getting fuller and fuller until it has to pop. But I don’t really hate you, Charlie.”

“I know.”

I could barely hear her now. “I’m not a good person. I’ve done things, I’m so ashamed.”

Above her head, I met Pa’s worried eyes. “What kind of things? Nothing can be so bad that you can’t tell us.”

She shuddered like a small animal.

I stroked her hair. “Whatever it is, we’ll help you. I promise. We won’t be mad at you.”

“De

My forehead furrowed. “What about him?”

She took a deep breath. “He was like a big brother to me, he was so smart and cute, and I’d follow him around the clinic, and then I started to like him even more, you know?”

I nodded, relieved. Lisa had a crush, that was all.

She continued, “I tried to make myself as pretty as possible whenever I went there. I wanted him to like me back. Then one day, he kissed me.”

My entire body stiffened. “What?”

Pa went white.

“I was so happy and it felt nice. But then he went on and on, and it didn’t stop.” She started to sob. “It didn’t stop, Charlie.”

Pa stepped forward on rigid legs. He laid a careful hand on her shoulder as his voice trembled with anger. “De

There was complete stillness, then her dark head, smelling of sweat, gave an almost imperceptible nod. A cold creeping feeling stole into my lungs and my pulse started to trip over itself. It was all I needed to know. It all fit now. Lisa’s symptoms, the way she’d been acting. And even when she’d stopped working there, she’d undergone the treatments at Uncle’s office—it must have been awful for her to see De

She whispered, “He made me do things to him too.”

The veins stood out in Pa’s neck.

I couldn’t seem to stop shaking. “Why didn’t you tell us before?”

“It was my fault. I started it.”

Now both Pa and I held her. He said in a broken voice, “No, it was not your fault. You are an i

Lisa shook her head. “No, but it was getting worse. Thank goodness my legs started failing and I didn’t have to work at the clinic anymore. Uncle and Aunt had no idea. De

I said, “He’s a grown man and you’re a child. Whatever happened was completely his fault. You had a crush on him, that’s normal. He took advantage of you. What he did was criminal.” I thought back to what Lisa had accused me of and my stomach started to heave. “I should have seen it. I was too selfish. I blame myself.”

Pa said, “No, Charlie. No one could have known. Not even your uncle and aunt saw, and they were there every day.”

Lisa whispered, “Is everything going to be all right?”

Pa and I looked at each other. “Yes. We’re going over to the clinic right now.”

—

Since it was Saturday afternoon, the clinic was packed. There were so many people crowded behind the door, we could barely get it open. Aunt Monica rose from her seat as the three of us entered. “Is something wrong?”

Pa said, “Yes. Where are they?”

Aunt Monica pointed toward one of the treatment rooms, then trailed after us. “What is happening? You can’t just interrupt them, they’re with a patient.”

I stood close to Lisa as we went down the hallway. Her body looked so fragile and she was shaking. “I’m here, Lisa. The only person who should be worried is De

“De

By now, Pa had pushed open the door of the treatment room. Uncle Henry, De

Pa said to the patient, “Get out.” The man grabbed his clothing and fled.

Uncle Henry said, astonished, “Brother, what is wrong?”

Pa’s mouth opened but no sound came out.

I had my eyes fixed on De

Aunt Monica shoved us all fully into the room and shut the door behind us. “You’re going to cause a panic with our patients. What is going on?”

Pa stepped over to De

Uncle tried to step between them. “I know you’re protective of Charlie but—”

Pa pushed De

They all froze. Uncle’s face paled until only a few red blotches were visible on his cheeks. He whispered, “You ca

“He’s been molesting her.” I almost gagged to get the words out. “That’s why she’s been so ill. All the times she was alone there, he took advantage of her.”

De

Pa reached for De

Lisa had been standing in her walker, frozen and breathing shallowly. She didn’t speak. I went over and helped her into a chair, then stood in front of her with her hands clasped in mine. I looked into her wide frightened eyes. “Now is the moment, Lisa. You just have to tell them what you said to us.”

She pressed her lips together.

“The child is upset,” De