Bastard Out of Carolina - Dorothy Allison [104]
They looked at us, me hugging that hook to my belly, Grey stumbling with the weight of the bags he carried and stuff spilling out of his shirt. I saw one of them turn and look back up State Street toward the Woolworth’s building. Another dropped a cigarette and started off at a run. I knew by morning there wouldn’t be a case that hadn’t been opened, a counter that hadn’t been cleared. That was the thing that made me happy, the sound of those boots running down the street and the thought of what all those men would carry home. My ancient outrage at Tyler Highgarden seemed silly compared to that.
Under my sweaty fingers I felt the black paint flaking off the metal edge of one prong of that hook. I could scrape the rest of it down. My anger beat inside me. Maybe when the metal was clean and pure and shiny, I would take off one night. Maybe I would go all the way over to Uncle James’s house and pull up my mama a rosebush or two.
16
I was sleepy the next day, and nervous. The exhilaration was gone. I kept expecting something to happen, someone to come in and confront me with what Grey and I had done. It had been so easy to get back to Aunt Alma’s and into bed with Reese without anyone noticing—too easy. I kept waking up suddenly, all night long, until finally I jerked awake and the room was full of daylight. Reese was still heavily asleep near the edge of the bed, but I heard Temple talking in the next room. I got up and dressed, trying to look like I’d had all the sleep I needed.
Aunt Alma had stayed over at Aunt Ruth’s with Mama. Patsy Ruth was complaining that she had been on her own and hadn’t even known it. Garvey and Little Earle didn’t care. They were too busy arguing over whether Little Earle had spit in Garvey’s new harmonica. I kept looking at Grey’s shining features, wondering why everybody else didn’t see how smugly he was grinning, but there was too much confusion. No one even looked at him.
Temple had come by to make sure we all got some breakfast, her swollen belly showing how close she was to having her first child. She kept pushing herself up straight and putting her hand on her lower back as if it ached. She served us all bowls of grits with cheese and set a platter of fried fatback in the center of the table.
“Patsy Ruth and Little Earle.” She called their names like they were stray puppies. “I promised Mama I’d make sure you got off to school, so move it along.” She wiped grease off the edge of the platter and put a bowl of butter down beside it. “Bone, your mama said you were to stay over here till she comes to get you. But she might not get here till afternoon, so let Reese sleep as long as she wants.”
“Why do we have to go to school if Bone and Reese don’t?” Little Earle was offended.
“I don’t know and I don’t care.” Temple sounded like she’d been married for twenty years. “All I know is you’re going. If you want to argue with Mama about why, you can do it when she gets home tonight. Right now I’ve got to get Tadpole ready to come home with me.”
I took a piece of fatback to chew and went into the living room with the book I’d gotten from Aunt Raylene, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis. I loved the story, but I was so tired I fell asleep, not waking up until Mama put her hand on my shoulder.
“Where’s Reese, Bone?” Her voice sounded strange.
“I think she’s still asleep, Mama.” I pulled myself up off the couch and followed her into Alma’s kitchen. She dropped her purse on the kitchen table and sank heavily into one of the metal chairs. Her mascara was smeared under bloodshot eyes. She sat quiet, looking at me. I couldn’t read her expression.
“Mama, did I do something wrong?”
“No. No, baby.” She shook her head, her eyes focusing on mine for just a moment