look a lot like her, you know?"
"That's what I hear." But all I can imagine is how old and tired my
morn looks these days, shuffling around in her grungy green bathrobe, stringy gray hair hanging in her face. Not a pretty picture.
"How is she?" asks Grandma Donna. "Is she okay?"
"Yeah. I mean, she's pretty much the same as when Caleb left.
Nothing's wrong, if that's what you mean. I mean, nothing new
anyway."
She nods knowingly then sighs.
"Where's Caleb?" I ask.
"Out tending the livestock."
"I saw horses. Is there more than that?"
"Two paints, a couple of steers, several sheep, and too many
chickens."
"Wow. How much land do you have?"
"Lane said it's about twenty acres. Not much, but more than
enough for an old woman like me."
"I'll go out and let Caleb know you're here," says Uncle Rod.
"Has it been nice having Caleb here?" I ask hopefully. "I mean,
is he helping you some?"
She smiles, revealing a missing tooth off to one side. "Caleb's a
pure delight. And what a worker. I guess he learned that much from
your father." But the way she says this doesn't make it sound like a
genuine compliment.
"And you have enough room for him here?" I glance around the
small living room.
"I've got two bedrooms. One was full of my junk. But Caleb and
I got it cleaned out and moved to a shed out back, and he seems just
fine."
"Are you worried about what my dad's going to do?"
She frowns now. "Well, I've wondered if we should call someone." Then she shakes her head. "I wanted Caleb to tell his mother
where he was, but he refused. He says she'll tell your dad and that
he'll be in bad trouble for sure."
I nod. "Yeah, that's probably true." I'm actually wondering if
there's enough room for me to hide out here too. But I know there's
probably not. Besides, Grandma Wallace knows what's going on
now. She might help to get things changed.
When Caleb comes in, we go out onto the front porch, and I
tell him about my conversation with our other grandma. I tell him
about what she said about Dad.
"So?" he says finally in a blase tone.
"Well, I thought you might want to know." I feel slightly defensive. "I thought it might give you some hope."
"Hope for what?"
"That maybe things could change. Maybe Dad will listen to
Grandpa and Grandma. Maybe he'll start treating us right."
Caleb kind of laughs now. "You really think so, Ruth? You
honestly think that Dad can change?"
I shrug. "I don't know. Why not?"
"I think you're as dumb as Dad says you are." He turns away
from me and I suspect he's thinking about my dirty little secret now.
"Thanks a lot." I stand up, mad that he'd say something like
that. Especially after I came out here to encourage him.
"Don't get mad at me," he says, standing too. "Dad's the one
who screwed everything up."
"But maybe things can get better. I mean if Dad changed, maybe
Mom would get well. Maybe we could-"
"Be one big happy family?" He rolls his eyes. "Yeah, right. And
maybe we'll win the lottery too. And maybe there's a Santa Claus
and an Easter bunny Get real, Ruth. Nothing's gonna change. And
if you're smart, you'll figure out how to take care of yourself before
you go down with them."
Now I don't know what to say. I wonder why I even bothered to
come out here.
"And just for the record, I am not going home." He shoves his
hands into his jeans pockets. "I'd rather run away for good and live
on the streets. Anything would be better than living with Dad."
"Well, maybe you'll get to stay on here," I say, forcing my voice
to be light and positive. "Maybe Grandma Donna can help you
figure things out so it'll be legal. And since there's only a couple
more weeks of school, you'll have all summer to work things out."
I want to add, "And aren't you the lucky one?" I want to let him
know that he's not making life any easier for me. And that the anger Dad used to divvy up between the two of us is totally mine now. But
what would be the use? Caleb has obviously landed in a
"That's what I hear." But all I can imagine is how old and tired my
morn looks these days, shuffling around in her grungy green bathrobe, stringy gray hair hanging in her face. Not a pretty picture.
"How is she?" asks Grandma Donna. "Is she okay?"
"Yeah. I mean, she's pretty much the same as when Caleb left.
Nothing's wrong, if that's what you mean. I mean, nothing new
anyway."
She nods knowingly then sighs.
"Where's Caleb?" I ask.
"Out tending the livestock."
"I saw horses. Is there more than that?"
"Two paints, a couple of steers, several sheep, and too many
chickens."
"Wow. How much land do you have?"
"Lane said it's about twenty acres. Not much, but more than
enough for an old woman like me."
"I'll go out and let Caleb know you're here," says Uncle Rod.
"Has it been nice having Caleb here?" I ask hopefully. "I mean,
is he helping you some?"
She smiles, revealing a missing tooth off to one side. "Caleb's a
pure delight. And what a worker. I guess he learned that much from
your father." But the way she says this doesn't make it sound like a
genuine compliment.
"And you have enough room for him here?" I glance around the
small living room.
"I've got two bedrooms. One was full of my junk. But Caleb and
I got it cleaned out and moved to a shed out back, and he seems just
fine."
"Are you worried about what my dad's going to do?"
She frowns now. "Well, I've wondered if we should call someone." Then she shakes her head. "I wanted Caleb to tell his mother
where he was, but he refused. He says she'll tell your dad and that
he'll be in bad trouble for sure."
I nod. "Yeah, that's probably true." I'm actually wondering if
there's enough room for me to hide out here too. But I know there's
probably not. Besides, Grandma Wallace knows what's going on
now. She might help to get things changed.
When Caleb comes in, we go out onto the front porch, and I
tell him about my conversation with our other grandma. I tell him
about what she said about Dad.
"So?" he says finally in a blase tone.
"Well, I thought you might want to know." I feel slightly defensive. "I thought it might give you some hope."
"Hope for what?"
"That maybe things could change. Maybe Dad will listen to
Grandpa and Grandma. Maybe he'll start treating us right."
Caleb kind of laughs now. "You really think so, Ruth? You
honestly think that Dad can change?"
I shrug. "I don't know. Why not?"
"I think you're as dumb as Dad says you are." He turns away
from me and I suspect he's thinking about my dirty little secret now.
"Thanks a lot." I stand up, mad that he'd say something like
that. Especially after I came out here to encourage him.
"Don't get mad at me," he says, standing too. "Dad's the one
who screwed everything up."
"But maybe things can get better. I mean if Dad changed, maybe
Mom would get well. Maybe we could-"
"Be one big happy family?" He rolls his eyes. "Yeah, right. And
maybe we'll win the lottery too. And maybe there's a Santa Claus
and an Easter bunny Get real, Ruth. Nothing's gonna change. And
if you're smart, you'll figure out how to take care of yourself before
you go down with them."
Now I don't know what to say. I wonder why I even bothered to
come out here.
"And just for the record, I am not going home." He shoves his
hands into his jeans pockets. "I'd rather run away for good and live
on the streets. Anything would be better than living with Dad."
"Well, maybe you'll get to stay on here," I say, forcing my voice
to be light and positive. "Maybe Grandma Donna can help you
figure things out so it'll be legal. And since there's only a couple
more weeks of school, you'll have all summer to work things out."
I want to add, "And aren't you the lucky one?" I want to let him
know that he's not making life any easier for me. And that the anger Dad used to divvy up between the two of us is totally mine now. But
what would be the use? Caleb has obviously landed in a
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