Curses and Other Buried Things by Caroline George

Author:Caroline George
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2023-10-10T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Susana Prather

September, Present Day

Godwin sprays me with the garden hose.

“Oh, you’re gonna get it.” I scurry around Papa’s truck and hurl a soapy sponge at Godwin. He ducks, laughing, and sprays me again.

“Come on,” he taunts. “Give it to me good.”

I charge at him and play tug of war with the hose. He pulls me into a headlock, aiming the spout at my face. I squeal as the icy water blasts my chin and soaks my dress.

“Stop fooling around!” Nanny shouts while potting azaleas in hanging planters.

“Truce?” Godwin murmurs. I nod, but he doesn’t loosen his grip. Standing behind me, he wraps his arms around my waist and grins against my temple.

I smile too.

We fill the dying days of summer with each other. I go to school and make deliveries. Godwin works his farm and helps Papa with chores. Then we all converge—Nanny, Papa, Godwin, and me—for evenings of card playing and string picking.

On Friday nights, we go to the football game at Berryville High. Papa buys us nachos and sodas. Nanny waves her foam finger, cheering for Holler.

Godwin shouts and laughs and makes me laugh too.

He tries to grow a mustache. It’s so blond it’s just about invisible. Still, Papa tells him it’s coming in nicely because I reckon that’s what all guys tell each other.

I should worry more about the curse, but it’s easier to pretend my life is car washes and football games and rides on Godwin’s tractor. He fits with my family like he did when we were kids. We plant broccoli and carrots in the garden. We talk about our mamas, the struggles of growing up in a town where gossip is bandied about.

Being around Godwin rewinds the clock to an innocent epoch before the curse got in the way of us. I confide in him, maybe because he already knows the worst of my secrets.

He accepts my vulnerability with soft smiles and nods.

The more I tell him, the less I can ignore my feelings. They bubble up inside me, heating my cheeks whenever he glances my way. I can’t let this happen.

I must keep my heart in check.

Nanny and Papa invite Godwin over for supper. As we wait for him to arrive, I pace the living room, my stomach in knots. I sit on the sofa’s armrest and rearrange my hair. I try to play it cool, look pretty, but the moment Godwin waltzes through the front door, I grin like an idiot.

We gather around the kitchen table for okra and fried chicken. Godwin jokes with my grandparents, looks to me for a quip, but all I do is smile because I’m glad he’s here.

Papa shrugs as if to say, She’s an introvert. She doesn’t talk much.

Godwin snickers. With him, I never shut up.

He tells us about his new plan to lease his land to a cattle farmer. Doing so would give him the freedom to leave Berryville and reenroll in school.

At hearing the news, I lose my appetite. My face feels wobbly with emotion as though my features are distorted and melting with it.

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