Bring Your Own Poison by Jimmie Ruth Evans Page A

breakfast.”
    â€œI changed him before I got sick, Mama,” Miranda said from the bed.
    â€œOkay, honey. You call me if you need me,” Wanda Nell said. She turned off the light and pulled the door halfway shut.
    She followed Lavon back to the kitchen and gave him some milk to drink while she made his oatmeal. Once she had fed him, she prepared her own breakfast, some scrambled eggs and toast. Miranda appeared about half an hour later, and Wanda Nell gave her some ginger ale and a few crackers. That was all Miranda wanted.
    The rest of the morning passed quietly. Juliet stayed in her room, sleeping thanks to the sinus medicine. Miranda eventually felt good enough to start getting herself and Lavon ready for church. Teddy arrived to pick them up, and Wanda Nell complimented him on his suit and tie. With all those tattoos covered up, he looked like a nice, clean-cut young man. She wondered if any of the people at Mrs. Culpepper’s church had ever seen the ink on him.
    â€œYou’re coming back here for lunch, aren’t you?” Wanda Nell asked.
    â€œI’m sorry, we promised to have lunch with my sister and her family today,” Teddy said. “I hope you don’t mind.”
    â€œThat’s okay,” Wanda Nell said. “Give your sister my best, and I’ll see y’all sometime this afternoon.” She stood at the door, waving as they drove away.
    She had better get started on lunch soon, she thought. Juliet probably wouldn’t want to eat much, but she was expecting Jack. He would have a healthy appetite for sure.
    She ought to invite Mayrene and Lisa over, too, she decided. She picked up the phone and punched in Mayrene’s number.
    â€œGood morning,” she said when her friend answered. “Why don’t you and Lisa come over and have lunch with me and Jack today?”
    â€œWhy that’s terrible, honey,” Mayrene said, and Wanda Nell almost dropped the phone in surprise. “I’ll be right over to help you. You just hang on a minute.” The phone clicked in her ear. She hung it up. What on earth was going on?
    Moments later Mayrene knocked on her door. Wanda Nell had forgotten to lock it, and Mayrene opened it and walked in before Wanda Nell could get there.
    Mayrene shut the door behind her and locked it.
    â€œWhat is wrong with you?” Wanda Nell asked. “That was about the craziest talk I’ve ever heard. Did you even hear what I said?”
    Mayrene glared at her. “You wanna talk crazy, honey? That girl over there is crazy as a Betsy bug, and I’m about to go nuts myself.”

Nine
    Wanda Nell couldn’t remember a time when she had seen Mayrene this agitated. She took her friend by the arm and led her over to the couch.
    â€œSit down there, and tell me what on earth is going on,” Wanda Nell said.
    Mayrene stared at her. “That girl just won’t stop talking . She follows me around everywhere. Last night I thought she was going to climb in bed with me and keep on talking. I finally had to practically shove her in the guest room and lock the door to make her leave me alone. And this morning, well, I heard her up about five o’clock, rambling around. She kept coming to my bedroom door, but I acted like I was sound asleep. She’s like to drove me completely off my rocker.”
    She finally had to pause for breath, and Wanda Nell said, “Honey, I’m so sorry about all this. It’s my fault, because I asked you to take her in. I had no idea she would act like that.”
    Her outburst over, Mayrene sat back on the couch and seemed to relax a little. She shook her head. “It’s not your fault that girl has diarrhea of the mouth, Wanda Nell. I reckon she spends too much time alone, or something, and she’s making up for it. And after I said I’d help out, I couldn’t just shove her out the front door and lock it, no matter how tempted I was.”
    Wanda Nell shook