aunt Ina. Tell her I need her to see about this."
Johnnie Mae ran all the way. Passersby caught their breath, seeing the Bynum girl running. Before she reached Ina's door, Johnnie Mae started calling out, "Aunt Ina, Aunt Ina! Mama's arm is burnt."
Ina rose from her chair by the window. Still bent over from sitting, she peered out. Seeing Johnnie Mae, she called, "What is it, Johnnie?"
"Mama's hand is burnt. She wants you to come take a look at it."
Ella Bromsen appeared suddenly from behind the box elder tree. "What's happened, girl?" she said and reached out her arms to Johnnie Mae. The girl rushed toward her, but Ella stopped her at arm's length and grasped her wrists. She looked down at Johnnie Mae's hands, turning the palms up to study them.
Ina went back into the house to grab up her long-handled satchel. Johnnie Mae twisted her torso away from Ella and followed Ina with her eyes. Ella and Johnnie Mae looked for a
go ' Breena Clarke
minute like they were dancing. Johnnie Mae broke free when Ina came barreling out of the house and caught up with her, heading down Volta Place. Ella Bromsen called after, "I'll bring a poultice and a salve."
"Alice, girl, what happened?" Ina said, rushing toward her cousin sitting on the top step of the back porch. Alice's eyes were focused off into the distance. Her face wore an expression that Johnnie Mae had never seen before.
Blisters had formed on Alice's right hand, and several spots along the arm were deep red. She cupped the elbow of the burned limb and held it out toward Ina. Her face was tight and her forehead looked like a cloth being wrung out. Staring at Johnnie Mae, who was standing back near the azalea bush, Alice asked Ina, "She tell you what happened?"
"She said you pulled over the pot of boiling water. And your arm got burnt."
"Study this," Alice said, pointing to her arm. "I could have sworn she was getting ready to plunge her hand in that pot. What in the world were you grabbing for, Johnnie?"
Johnnie Mae didn't answer but slunk back into the lap of the bush. The women's stares froze her. Her mother's eyes asked for some bit of explanation. What had she done to her mother? She hadn't meant to cause this. How had she brought th
is on:
Ella came through the back gate into the Bynums' yard and saw Alice, Ina, and Johnnie Mae frozen in a tableau. Alice's arm was extended toward Ina, but both women's eyes were on Johnnie Mae. Ella carried a parcel containing three smaller bundles wrapped in Sears and Roebuck pages. "Miz Alice, let me tend to your burns now," she said quietly and
Riter, Cross My Heart - 91
walked ahead of the others into the house. She unwrapped the packages and laid out various roots and twigs on the kitchen table. "Y'all got a crock of cider?"
"Surely." Alice rose from the porch step and walked back into the kitchen. Ina followed and patted Alice on her back and led her to a chair.
"Johnnie Mae, won't you get your mama a cup of cider?" Miss Ella assumed command with her low-pitched, steady voice.
"Yes, ma'am," the girl answered.
With a small razor, Miss Ella sliced the green skin off both sides oi a plant and placed slithery lengths over the blisters and red places on Alice's arm. "This will draw the heat off," she explained.
Alice shook her head like she was trying to rearrange her thoughts. "What you make of that?" she said, her words hissing out from between clamped teeth. Without answering, Ina looked around the room, as if some explanation might be lurking in the corners or behind the cupboards.
When Johnnie Mae returned with the cup of cider, Miss Ella Bromsen was mixing the contents of her packets together. She said, "Miz Alice, you quieten your fears. We'll take care of this." She dipped out a bit o{ the boiling water that had not spilled and moistened her herbs. "Johnnie Mae, get me some lard the size of an egg," she said, pouring off the water. "Put it there." Her pointing finger was a golden brown color and Johnnie Mae saw
Johnnie Mae ran all the way. Passersby caught their breath, seeing the Bynum girl running. Before she reached Ina's door, Johnnie Mae started calling out, "Aunt Ina, Aunt Ina! Mama's arm is burnt."
Ina rose from her chair by the window. Still bent over from sitting, she peered out. Seeing Johnnie Mae, she called, "What is it, Johnnie?"
"Mama's hand is burnt. She wants you to come take a look at it."
Ella Bromsen appeared suddenly from behind the box elder tree. "What's happened, girl?" she said and reached out her arms to Johnnie Mae. The girl rushed toward her, but Ella stopped her at arm's length and grasped her wrists. She looked down at Johnnie Mae's hands, turning the palms up to study them.
Ina went back into the house to grab up her long-handled satchel. Johnnie Mae twisted her torso away from Ella and followed Ina with her eyes. Ella and Johnnie Mae looked for a
go ' Breena Clarke
minute like they were dancing. Johnnie Mae broke free when Ina came barreling out of the house and caught up with her, heading down Volta Place. Ella Bromsen called after, "I'll bring a poultice and a salve."
"Alice, girl, what happened?" Ina said, rushing toward her cousin sitting on the top step of the back porch. Alice's eyes were focused off into the distance. Her face wore an expression that Johnnie Mae had never seen before.
Blisters had formed on Alice's right hand, and several spots along the arm were deep red. She cupped the elbow of the burned limb and held it out toward Ina. Her face was tight and her forehead looked like a cloth being wrung out. Staring at Johnnie Mae, who was standing back near the azalea bush, Alice asked Ina, "She tell you what happened?"
"She said you pulled over the pot of boiling water. And your arm got burnt."
"Study this," Alice said, pointing to her arm. "I could have sworn she was getting ready to plunge her hand in that pot. What in the world were you grabbing for, Johnnie?"
Johnnie Mae didn't answer but slunk back into the lap of the bush. The women's stares froze her. Her mother's eyes asked for some bit of explanation. What had she done to her mother? She hadn't meant to cause this. How had she brought th
is on:
Ella came through the back gate into the Bynums' yard and saw Alice, Ina, and Johnnie Mae frozen in a tableau. Alice's arm was extended toward Ina, but both women's eyes were on Johnnie Mae. Ella carried a parcel containing three smaller bundles wrapped in Sears and Roebuck pages. "Miz Alice, let me tend to your burns now," she said quietly and
Riter, Cross My Heart - 91
walked ahead of the others into the house. She unwrapped the packages and laid out various roots and twigs on the kitchen table. "Y'all got a crock of cider?"
"Surely." Alice rose from the porch step and walked back into the kitchen. Ina followed and patted Alice on her back and led her to a chair.
"Johnnie Mae, won't you get your mama a cup of cider?" Miss Ella assumed command with her low-pitched, steady voice.
"Yes, ma'am," the girl answered.
With a small razor, Miss Ella sliced the green skin off both sides oi a plant and placed slithery lengths over the blisters and red places on Alice's arm. "This will draw the heat off," she explained.
Alice shook her head like she was trying to rearrange her thoughts. "What you make of that?" she said, her words hissing out from between clamped teeth. Without answering, Ina looked around the room, as if some explanation might be lurking in the corners or behind the cupboards.
When Johnnie Mae returned with the cup of cider, Miss Ella Bromsen was mixing the contents of her packets together. She said, "Miz Alice, you quieten your fears. We'll take care of this." She dipped out a bit o{ the boiling water that had not spilled and moistened her herbs. "Johnnie Mae, get me some lard the size of an egg," she said, pouring off the water. "Put it there." Her pointing finger was a golden brown color and Johnnie Mae saw
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