Firefly Island by Lisa Wingate

Author:Lisa Wingate
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FIC042040, FIC027020, FIC042000, Women professional employees—Washington (D.C.)—Fiction, Life change events—Fiction, Ranch life—Texas—Fiction, Land use—Fiction, Political corruption—Fiction
ISBN: 9781441260987
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2012-12-07T05:00:00+00:00

Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.

—Seneca

(Left by a busload of ministry students taking rice and beans to Mexico)

Chapter 14

Throughout the morning in the garden, Sergio held fast to my hand, looking expectantly up at me. After a while, I had inherited another little fan. Sierra, a sandy-haired fourth-grader who was one of the older kids in the group. She let me know that she was writing a book, and I would now be in it. I told her I’d just discovered the joy of keeping a blog, so the two of us had something in common.

Somewhere in the conversation, I also concluded that, like Sergio, Sierra came from a family with issues. She had always lived in the country, but right now she was staying in town with someone she called “the foster lady.” I gathered that this was not the first time Sierra had experienced a foster stay. She wanted to make sure I knew that none of that was her mother’s fault. “Them stupid deputies come and got us,” she informed me flatly. “My mama tried to get us away. We got in the car and drove off down to the river bottom, but they found us anyhow. Jerks.” But she didn’t say jerks. She used an off-color anatomy term that shouldn’t be in any kid’s vocabulary.

“I really don’t like that word,” I choked out, mimicking my sister Carol, who could discipline her brood without ever raising her voice. “It’s not a good word, especially for a smart girl to use. Smart girls don’t need to say things like that.”

“’Kay.” Sierra shrugged as if she’d heard it all before. “You gonna go to the church with us after this and have green beans? The lady gives us sheets to color, and we see how to cook the food.” She stood on her toes, motioning for me to lean over so she could whisper in my ear. “They tell the little kids it’s all stuff from the garden, but it ain’t. There’s too many of us for it all to come outta here.” Sierra rolled a surreptitious glance at Sergio, then smiled a private smile, as in, These kids are so dumb, but I’ve got it all figured out.

I pretended to be surprised. “You’re a smart cookie.”

Sierra quirked a brow at me. “You talk funny. Where you from?”

“Washington, DC. We moved here a little over a month and a half ago.”

Sergio grabbed my hand and tugged me sideways, trying to search under yet another bean plant that had already been plucked clean. “That your boy?” Sierra asked, giving Sergio a doubtful look. Sergio was dark eyed and dark skinned, probably Native American or Hispanic.

“No, that one over there.” I pointed to Nick, who was on the other side of the courtyard, happily planting his very own seeds in a cup with the Binding Through Books sisters, who’d apparently shown up to volunteer for the day. Nick had been carefully avoiding me all morning, afraid that I might say something objectionable, like, It’s time to go home.

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