other times, other beatings.
But in a way we were relieved. This was more like it. More like what we were used to.
Ruth just shrugged. “No need for you to get all upset about it, Meggy. I just want to ask her what she knows about you raiding the icebox in between meals. If you won’t do what I ask, then I guess she’d be the one to know.”
“She wasn’t even with us!”
“I’m sure she’s heard you, honey. I’m sure the neighbors have heard you. Anyhow, sisters know, don’t they? Sorta instinctive, really.”
She turned toward the bedroom. “Susan?”
Meg reached out and grabbed her arm. And it was like she was a whole other girl now, scared, helpless, desperate.
“God damn you!” she said.
You knew right away it was a mistake.
Ruth whirled and smacked her.
“You touch me? You touch me, dammit? You bold with me?”
She slapped her again as Meg backed away, and again as she stumbled against the refrigerator, off balance, and fell to her knees. Ruth leaned over and gripped her jaw, pulling on it hard.
“Now you open your goddamn mouth, you hear me? Or I’ll kick the living shit out of you and your precious little sister! You hear me? Willie? Donny?”
Willie got up and went to her. Donny looked confused.
“Hold her.”
I felt frozen. Everything was happening so fast. I was aware of Denise sitting next to me, goggle-eyed.
“I said hold her.”
Willie got out of his seat and took her right arm and I guess Ruth was hurting her where she held tight to her jaw because she didn’t resist. Donny put his jars and cans on the table and took hold of her left. Two of the cans rolled off the table and clattered to the floor.
“Now open , tramp.”
And then Meg did fight, trying to get to her feet, bucking and rolling against them, but they had her tight. Willie was enjoying himself, that was obvious. But Donny looked grim. Ruth had both hands on her now, trying to pry her jaws apart.
Meg bit her.
Ruth yelled and stumbled back. Meg squirmed to her feet. Willie twisted her arm behind her back and yanked it up. She yelled and doubled over and tried to pull away, shaking her left arm hard to get it away from Donny in a kind of simultaneous panic and she almost made it, Donny’s grip was uncertain enough, she almost got it free.
Then Ruth stepped forward again.
For an instant she just stood there, studying her, looking I guess for an opening. Then she balled up a fist and hit her in the stomach exactly the way a man would hit a man, and nearly as hard. What you heard was like somebody punching a basketball.
Meg fell, choking, and gasped for breath.
Donny let her go.
“Jesus!” whispered Denise beside me.
Ruth stepped back.
“You want to fight?” she said. “Okay. Fight.”
Meg shook her head.
“You don’t want to fight? No?”
She shook her head.
Willie looked at his mother.
“Too bad,” he said quietly.
He still had her arm. And now he started twisting. She doubled over.
“Willie’s right,” said Ruth. “It is too bad. Come on, Meg honey, fight. Fight him.”
Willie twisted. She jumped with the pain and gasped and shook her head a third time.
“Well I guess she just won’t do it,” said Ruth. “This girl don’t want to do anything I say today.”
She shook the hand Meg had bitten and examined it. From where I sat it was just a red spot. Meg hadn’t broken the skin or anything.
“Let her go,” said Ruth.
He dropped her arm. Meg slumped forward. She was crying.
I didn’t like to watch. I glanced away.
I saw Susan standing in the hall, holding on to the wall, looking frightened, staring around the corner. Eyes riveted on her sister.
“I gotta go,” I said in a voice that sounded strangely thick to me.
“What about the brook?” said Willie. Sounding disappointed, the big ass. Like nothing had happened at all.
“Later,” I said. “I gotta go now”
I was aware of Ruth watching me.
I got up. I didn’t want to go by Meg for some reason. Instead I walked
But in a way we were relieved. This was more like it. More like what we were used to.
Ruth just shrugged. “No need for you to get all upset about it, Meggy. I just want to ask her what she knows about you raiding the icebox in between meals. If you won’t do what I ask, then I guess she’d be the one to know.”
“She wasn’t even with us!”
“I’m sure she’s heard you, honey. I’m sure the neighbors have heard you. Anyhow, sisters know, don’t they? Sorta instinctive, really.”
She turned toward the bedroom. “Susan?”
Meg reached out and grabbed her arm. And it was like she was a whole other girl now, scared, helpless, desperate.
“God damn you!” she said.
You knew right away it was a mistake.
Ruth whirled and smacked her.
“You touch me? You touch me, dammit? You bold with me?”
She slapped her again as Meg backed away, and again as she stumbled against the refrigerator, off balance, and fell to her knees. Ruth leaned over and gripped her jaw, pulling on it hard.
“Now you open your goddamn mouth, you hear me? Or I’ll kick the living shit out of you and your precious little sister! You hear me? Willie? Donny?”
Willie got up and went to her. Donny looked confused.
“Hold her.”
I felt frozen. Everything was happening so fast. I was aware of Denise sitting next to me, goggle-eyed.
“I said hold her.”
Willie got out of his seat and took her right arm and I guess Ruth was hurting her where she held tight to her jaw because she didn’t resist. Donny put his jars and cans on the table and took hold of her left. Two of the cans rolled off the table and clattered to the floor.
“Now open , tramp.”
And then Meg did fight, trying to get to her feet, bucking and rolling against them, but they had her tight. Willie was enjoying himself, that was obvious. But Donny looked grim. Ruth had both hands on her now, trying to pry her jaws apart.
Meg bit her.
Ruth yelled and stumbled back. Meg squirmed to her feet. Willie twisted her arm behind her back and yanked it up. She yelled and doubled over and tried to pull away, shaking her left arm hard to get it away from Donny in a kind of simultaneous panic and she almost made it, Donny’s grip was uncertain enough, she almost got it free.
Then Ruth stepped forward again.
For an instant she just stood there, studying her, looking I guess for an opening. Then she balled up a fist and hit her in the stomach exactly the way a man would hit a man, and nearly as hard. What you heard was like somebody punching a basketball.
Meg fell, choking, and gasped for breath.
Donny let her go.
“Jesus!” whispered Denise beside me.
Ruth stepped back.
“You want to fight?” she said. “Okay. Fight.”
Meg shook her head.
“You don’t want to fight? No?”
She shook her head.
Willie looked at his mother.
“Too bad,” he said quietly.
He still had her arm. And now he started twisting. She doubled over.
“Willie’s right,” said Ruth. “It is too bad. Come on, Meg honey, fight. Fight him.”
Willie twisted. She jumped with the pain and gasped and shook her head a third time.
“Well I guess she just won’t do it,” said Ruth. “This girl don’t want to do anything I say today.”
She shook the hand Meg had bitten and examined it. From where I sat it was just a red spot. Meg hadn’t broken the skin or anything.
“Let her go,” said Ruth.
He dropped her arm. Meg slumped forward. She was crying.
I didn’t like to watch. I glanced away.
I saw Susan standing in the hall, holding on to the wall, looking frightened, staring around the corner. Eyes riveted on her sister.
“I gotta go,” I said in a voice that sounded strangely thick to me.
“What about the brook?” said Willie. Sounding disappointed, the big ass. Like nothing had happened at all.
“Later,” I said. “I gotta go now”
I was aware of Ruth watching me.
I got up. I didn’t want to go by Meg for some reason. Instead I walked
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