said, “So why’d you and Momma make us go there?”
At first Daddy didn’t say anything. Then he said real quiet, “I don’t know, son. I don’t know.” He ran his tapping hand through his hair, leaving it on top of his head, holding in the thoughts he didn’t want to let out.
I held my breath in again, and let it out slow. I knew if I let one tear fall, the rest would rush on out. I wasn’t going to be a baby.
Daddy traded hands, tap tap tapping. “How about we stop for some hamburgers, put all this Ruby stuff behind us, huh?
I nodded, but I don’t know what Micah did.
We stopped at a diner mixed with a hotel. Daddy ordered hamburgers and fried potatoes with root beer floats. I felt like I was in one of my bad dreams that all a sudden turned good. Micah must have, too, since he looked the same as me. My brother gobbled down his food like he was starving. I laughed at his chipmunk cheeks until I remembered how many times Ruby had made him go to bed without supper.
Daddy sucked up his float with a loud sloopsh sound, then asked, “Isn’t this nice?” He sloopshed again.
“Yes, Daddy.” I wanted him to feel better. “It’s good.”
Micah didn’t talk.
When Daddy went to the bathroom, Micah asked, “Seestor, can I have the rest of your ta-toes?”
I handed them over, watched him cram a bunch in his mouth.
With his mouth full, he said, “Thanks for the po-taters, Vee-Katers.” He reached over and put me in a headlock. I thought I smelled Uncle Ar-vile’s hair grease.
Back in the car, I right away fell asleep and dreamed I was trying to climb my mountain while Aunt Ruby screamed and cussed and chased me. Every time I climbed up away from her, I’d start sliding back down. Then Grandma Faith sat beside me. She kissed me on the cheek and said little mites like me shouldn’t have to hurt. I leaned against her, feeling happy she’d run off Aunt Ruby.
I woke when we were at the end of our long road. Daddy drove up to the house, stopped the car, and left it running. He sat holding onto the steering wheel. Micah hurried to get out and the slammed car door made me jump.
I asked, “Daddy? Aren’t you coming in?”
“No, Bug.”
“Are you going to the store to get some milk?” I showed all my teeth.
I couldn’t see his eyes in the dark. “Bitty Bug . . . ”
“Okay, Daddy, you go on to the store and I’ll be waiting.” I grabbed my suitcase, opened the car door slow, to give him time to tell me the truth. When he didn’t say anything, I eased out and closed the door. By the time I was on the steps, he was backing out of the driveway.
I threw down my case and went straight away to Momma and Daddy’s bedroom to search through the closet and his dresser drawers. I slipped the shaving brush he left into my pocket. Momma came to the door holding Andy. She didn’t say a word about my hair. I stared at her with my arms across my chest. She’d lied. Grown-up vacations didn’t make everything magic-good.
She took me by the hand and led me into the living room where Micah sat on the couch drawing.
Andy asked, “Ginny Kate? You hurt?”
My eyes burned and itched. Momma pointed to the couch. I sat next to Micah, and she put Andy on the other side of me. She went into the kitchen and came back with big gooey brownies. We sat down on the floor and ate. Momma told us stories about when she was a kid, and I scooted up closer to hear every word. It was as if everything was a dream.
“Remember I told you about Petal Puss? That pig looked after me just like Bruiser watched over Ben. Too bad Bruiser died before Ben did or else maybe he’d a saved him from blowing his own . . . ” Momma rubbed her eyes. “Oh, my baby brother.”
“Petal Puss sounds good, Momma. I wish we had a pig,” I said, so she wouldn’t remember Uncle Ben under the willow tree, dead with a bullet hole in his brain. Gone dead on purpose.
Momma’s smile came back. “Yes, and a dog. We could marry them and
At first Daddy didn’t say anything. Then he said real quiet, “I don’t know, son. I don’t know.” He ran his tapping hand through his hair, leaving it on top of his head, holding in the thoughts he didn’t want to let out.
I held my breath in again, and let it out slow. I knew if I let one tear fall, the rest would rush on out. I wasn’t going to be a baby.
Daddy traded hands, tap tap tapping. “How about we stop for some hamburgers, put all this Ruby stuff behind us, huh?
I nodded, but I don’t know what Micah did.
We stopped at a diner mixed with a hotel. Daddy ordered hamburgers and fried potatoes with root beer floats. I felt like I was in one of my bad dreams that all a sudden turned good. Micah must have, too, since he looked the same as me. My brother gobbled down his food like he was starving. I laughed at his chipmunk cheeks until I remembered how many times Ruby had made him go to bed without supper.
Daddy sucked up his float with a loud sloopsh sound, then asked, “Isn’t this nice?” He sloopshed again.
“Yes, Daddy.” I wanted him to feel better. “It’s good.”
Micah didn’t talk.
When Daddy went to the bathroom, Micah asked, “Seestor, can I have the rest of your ta-toes?”
I handed them over, watched him cram a bunch in his mouth.
With his mouth full, he said, “Thanks for the po-taters, Vee-Katers.” He reached over and put me in a headlock. I thought I smelled Uncle Ar-vile’s hair grease.
Back in the car, I right away fell asleep and dreamed I was trying to climb my mountain while Aunt Ruby screamed and cussed and chased me. Every time I climbed up away from her, I’d start sliding back down. Then Grandma Faith sat beside me. She kissed me on the cheek and said little mites like me shouldn’t have to hurt. I leaned against her, feeling happy she’d run off Aunt Ruby.
I woke when we were at the end of our long road. Daddy drove up to the house, stopped the car, and left it running. He sat holding onto the steering wheel. Micah hurried to get out and the slammed car door made me jump.
I asked, “Daddy? Aren’t you coming in?”
“No, Bug.”
“Are you going to the store to get some milk?” I showed all my teeth.
I couldn’t see his eyes in the dark. “Bitty Bug . . . ”
“Okay, Daddy, you go on to the store and I’ll be waiting.” I grabbed my suitcase, opened the car door slow, to give him time to tell me the truth. When he didn’t say anything, I eased out and closed the door. By the time I was on the steps, he was backing out of the driveway.
I threw down my case and went straight away to Momma and Daddy’s bedroom to search through the closet and his dresser drawers. I slipped the shaving brush he left into my pocket. Momma came to the door holding Andy. She didn’t say a word about my hair. I stared at her with my arms across my chest. She’d lied. Grown-up vacations didn’t make everything magic-good.
She took me by the hand and led me into the living room where Micah sat on the couch drawing.
Andy asked, “Ginny Kate? You hurt?”
My eyes burned and itched. Momma pointed to the couch. I sat next to Micah, and she put Andy on the other side of me. She went into the kitchen and came back with big gooey brownies. We sat down on the floor and ate. Momma told us stories about when she was a kid, and I scooted up closer to hear every word. It was as if everything was a dream.
“Remember I told you about Petal Puss? That pig looked after me just like Bruiser watched over Ben. Too bad Bruiser died before Ben did or else maybe he’d a saved him from blowing his own . . . ” Momma rubbed her eyes. “Oh, my baby brother.”
“Petal Puss sounds good, Momma. I wish we had a pig,” I said, so she wouldn’t remember Uncle Ben under the willow tree, dead with a bullet hole in his brain. Gone dead on purpose.
Momma’s smile came back. “Yes, and a dog. We could marry them and
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