around in her garden shed last week. Looking for something to steal, I have all idea.” Mrs. Pomeroy fumbled with her wicker basket of shopping goods. “I don’t care what her daddy says about not being able to control her; he ought to keep her locked inside the house. Nothing but white trash.”
“It’s difficult to raise them on your own . . . let alone raise a child who is touched in the head like her.”
Mrs. Pomeroy swung the wicker basket across her forearm. “That might be the case, but with all of your trials and tribulations, we don’t see your boys running wild that way.” Mrs. Pomeroy turned to leave and then glanced back at Ella. “Bless your heart.”
Watching Mrs. Pomeroy walk away toward her house, Ella didn’t know whether to be honored or insulted.
“Now that girl with the stick was a sight,” Lanier said as he put on his work gloves. He had appeared from behind Ella, and as usual she had not heard him walk up.
Ella fanned her hand across her bosom. “I declare. I didn’t know you were standing there.”
He began pulling out the tools from a steel box. In the distance the mule honked at the sound of the tools being jostled. “I was thinking I was going to have to break the two of you apart. That ole gal looked like she was ready to jump you.”
“You mean Ruby. She means no harm. Just a little touched in the head. At the end of every month she marches up and down this road and sometimes all through the store, pretending that she’s leading a parade. She has it in her mind that today’s the last Friday of the month. So much for me setting her straight. I don’t know who’s sillier, me or her.” Ella laughed.
Lanier stopped working and looked at her. His eyes narrowed and seemed even softer. “I don’t think I’ve heard you laugh once since I’ve been here. You’ve got a nice laugh.”
Ella felt a streak of fire run up her neck. She massaged the place where her embarrassment had shown and looked away from Lanier.
Narsissa plodded forward with chains balanced on both shoulders. “Samuel is bridling up the mule. That animal is acting more ornery than usual today. He kicked at me twice.”
Lanier never looked away from Ella as Narsissa unfurled the chains across the ground. Narsissa looked at him and then at Ella. “What did I miss?”
Ella put on her work gloves and grabbed the end of the chain, pulling it out straight. “Ruby. She’s come to town today for her parade. She’s a week early, but she wouldn’t believe me.” Ella laughed again, but Narsissa only shook her head the same way she did whenever she thought Ella was acting childish. “I wouldn’t play with her if I was you,” Narsissa said and then tucked her coarse ponytail underneath the collar of a plaid work shirt. “Say what you will, but that girl’s got the devil in her.”
By lunchtime, Lanier had led them deep into the woods by the water’s edge. He had taught all of them how to scout out and avoid cutting the diseased pines until most of the path back to the house was nothing but pine-straw-scattered sand dotted with decayed and rotting trees. While Ella handed out biscuits and Narsissa opened up a jar of honey, Lanier and Keaton sat against what remained of a beetle-infested tree with half of its top missing.
Samuel busied himself with watering the mule that stood with one leg half propped up. “His left leg is acting up again. See how he’s giving on it,” Samuel said.
“He’ll be all right,” Ella said. “Come have a biscuit. You need to eat.”
Narsissa stood leaning against a pine. She looked out toward the cypress trees lining the low-lying water. “We don’t need to get much closer to the water.”
Lanier looked at her and then at the water’s edge. “I don’t expect we’ll have to. With the progress we’ve made, I think we’re doing good.”
“Why, Narsissa?” Keaton asked, licking a drop of honey that was wedged between dirt and a piece of bark glued with tar to
“It’s difficult to raise them on your own . . . let alone raise a child who is touched in the head like her.”
Mrs. Pomeroy swung the wicker basket across her forearm. “That might be the case, but with all of your trials and tribulations, we don’t see your boys running wild that way.” Mrs. Pomeroy turned to leave and then glanced back at Ella. “Bless your heart.”
Watching Mrs. Pomeroy walk away toward her house, Ella didn’t know whether to be honored or insulted.
“Now that girl with the stick was a sight,” Lanier said as he put on his work gloves. He had appeared from behind Ella, and as usual she had not heard him walk up.
Ella fanned her hand across her bosom. “I declare. I didn’t know you were standing there.”
He began pulling out the tools from a steel box. In the distance the mule honked at the sound of the tools being jostled. “I was thinking I was going to have to break the two of you apart. That ole gal looked like she was ready to jump you.”
“You mean Ruby. She means no harm. Just a little touched in the head. At the end of every month she marches up and down this road and sometimes all through the store, pretending that she’s leading a parade. She has it in her mind that today’s the last Friday of the month. So much for me setting her straight. I don’t know who’s sillier, me or her.” Ella laughed.
Lanier stopped working and looked at her. His eyes narrowed and seemed even softer. “I don’t think I’ve heard you laugh once since I’ve been here. You’ve got a nice laugh.”
Ella felt a streak of fire run up her neck. She massaged the place where her embarrassment had shown and looked away from Lanier.
Narsissa plodded forward with chains balanced on both shoulders. “Samuel is bridling up the mule. That animal is acting more ornery than usual today. He kicked at me twice.”
Lanier never looked away from Ella as Narsissa unfurled the chains across the ground. Narsissa looked at him and then at Ella. “What did I miss?”
Ella put on her work gloves and grabbed the end of the chain, pulling it out straight. “Ruby. She’s come to town today for her parade. She’s a week early, but she wouldn’t believe me.” Ella laughed again, but Narsissa only shook her head the same way she did whenever she thought Ella was acting childish. “I wouldn’t play with her if I was you,” Narsissa said and then tucked her coarse ponytail underneath the collar of a plaid work shirt. “Say what you will, but that girl’s got the devil in her.”
By lunchtime, Lanier had led them deep into the woods by the water’s edge. He had taught all of them how to scout out and avoid cutting the diseased pines until most of the path back to the house was nothing but pine-straw-scattered sand dotted with decayed and rotting trees. While Ella handed out biscuits and Narsissa opened up a jar of honey, Lanier and Keaton sat against what remained of a beetle-infested tree with half of its top missing.
Samuel busied himself with watering the mule that stood with one leg half propped up. “His left leg is acting up again. See how he’s giving on it,” Samuel said.
“He’ll be all right,” Ella said. “Come have a biscuit. You need to eat.”
Narsissa stood leaning against a pine. She looked out toward the cypress trees lining the low-lying water. “We don’t need to get much closer to the water.”
Lanier looked at her and then at the water’s edge. “I don’t expect we’ll have to. With the progress we’ve made, I think we’re doing good.”
“Why, Narsissa?” Keaton asked, licking a drop of honey that was wedged between dirt and a piece of bark glued with tar to
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