Taking Care of Moses by Barbara O'Connor Page A

Jaybird and Althea. “We just figured that since this is the little church with the big heart and all … and … um …”
    Randall watched Mrs. Jennings’s face go from hard to soft.
    â€œAll right,” Mrs. Jennings said. “I’ll see what I can do.”
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    Randall and Jaybird made Althea sit at the very edge of the fort.
    â€œYou keep one arm and one leg out of our fort or else you can’t sit here at all,” Jaybird said.
    Althea nodded. “I will.”
    Randall motioned for them to be quiet. They sat still, staring up at the porch above them. Mrs. Jennings and Mrs. Gilley were talking.
    At first Mrs. Gilley’s words had come out quick and sharp.
    â€œYes?” “I see.” “Oh?”
    But before long she was sounding like somebody who might give in and say, “Yes, we’d love to come back
to the Rock of Ages Baptist Church.” When Mrs. Gilley offered Mrs. Jennings some diet cola and Mrs. Jennings said yes, she’d love some, Randall made a thumbs-up sign to Jaybird and Althea.
    Finally the two women stood up and Mrs. Jennings said, “See you Sunday, then.”
    Randall and Jaybird and Althea high-fived each other and Jaybird let Althea move just a few inches farther inside their fort.

18
    â€œ W e’re selling candy,” Althea said when Miss Frieda came to the door.
    â€œCandy?”
    â€œYes, ma’am.”
    Miss Frieda stepped out onto the porch. Two small boys came out after her.
    â€œY’all get on over there to Earlene’s like I told you,” Miss Frieda hollered at the boys, jerking her head toward the other side of the duplex.
    After the boys had scampered away, Miss Frieda sat in a rickety lawn chair on the porch.
    â€œWhat y’all selling candy for?” she said.
    â€œFor church,” Randall said.
    Althea sat on the porch beside Miss Frieda and grinned up at her. “For the Rolling Pulpit,” she said.
    Miss Frieda’s eyebrows squeezed together. “Rolling pulpit? What in tarnation is that?”

    â€œIt’s like a traveling church,” Randall said. “So old people and sick people and all can—”
    â€œSo people can pretend like they’re in church even if they have their pajamas on,” Althea said.
    â€œPreacher Ron and the Celebration Choir and everybody can come right to your house,” Randall said.
    â€œOnly it costs money,” Jaybird added. “To use the church bus and all. So the Sunday school is selling candy to help pay for it.”
    â€œI thought y’all quit that church,” Miss Frieda said to Jaybird.
    â€œMrs. Jennings came to talk to Mama,” Jaybird said.
    â€œOh, she did?”
    â€œYeah,” Althea said. “And she told her to put away her wrath with a mallet.”
    Miss Frieda chuckled. “Lawd, you sure can talk some talk, Althea.”
    Althea grinned. “ And ,” she said, “Mrs. Jennings told Mama to be ye forgiving. Do you know what ‘ye’ means?”
    Before Miss Frieda could answer, Althea said, “It means ‘you.’ That’s Bible talk.”
    Miss Frieda’s stomach jiggled as she laughed. “And did your mama be forgiving?” she asked.
    Althea shook her head. “Not at first,” she said. “At first Mama told her she shouldn’t have waited till her crow got cold.”

    Miss Frieda laughed and slapped her knee.
    Althea grinned. “Mama told her she was liable to choke.”
    Miss Frieda wiped at tears with a balled-up tissue. “Why was she liable to choke?”
    â€œâ€™Cause the easiest way to eat crow is while it’s still warm.” Althea beamed at Miss Frieda. “The colder it gets, the harder it is to swallow.”
    At that, Miss Frieda held her stomach and laughed so hard Randall thought she was going to fall right out of her chair.
    Althea had a look of pure delight on her face. “And now