Genuine Sweet by Faith Harkey

Author:Faith Harkey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

“Genuine Sweet! What were you thinking?” Gram met me at the gate. She held her hands in a knot at her chest.

“Roxie Fuller showed me on her computer what you done,” she fretted. “Saying you’re a fourth-generation wish fetcher! From Sass, Georgia, no less! Putting up your picture for all the world to see!”

I gaped. “But Gram! You said Ma advertised in the Ardenville newspaper!”

“She didn’t put her name! And she used one of those blind addresses! Nobody ever knew who she was!” She plunked down on Pa’s apple crate and put her head in her hands.

Gazing up at me, her eyes full of regret, she said, “I didn’t even think to remember you might put your wishes on those Interwebs.”

“But . . . you said to find my own way,” I reminded her.

“And here’s what comes of it.” She held out her hand, revealing a balled-up paper. I smoothed it open against my palm.

Now Hiring, the flyer said. Town Handyman. Apply at City Hall.

“This is something Pa might be able to do!” I exclaimed. “Don’t you think?”

“I did think so,” Gram agreed. “Even went to city hall to get the details.”

I gulped. “And?”

“And I run into Penny Walton.” Gram took the job ad from me. “She told me Dale shouldn’t bother to apply—not while his daughter’s running around making trouble like she is.”

“No!”

“I asked her what business it was of hers—she don’t run this town. She said the mayor wouldn’t dare hire against her wishes, seeing as how he’s hoping to buy one of her properties for a real low price. Can you believe that? Full-out bribery! The very stench of it!”

I was strack hard. That job could have made a real difference for us. Bills paid. Groceries bought. Penny Walton making a ruckus on the street corner was one thing, but this was real spite—the dangerous sort.

“Why is she doing this? I don’t understand.”

Gram looked away. “There’s nothin’ to understand. Penny’s just mad, doin’ what mad people do.”

“This goes way past mad! Gram, please! Don’t send me to the cotillion without eye shadow! You have got to tell me why she is so riled!”

She was quiet for a time. “All right, Gen. I expect if I don’t tell you, someone else will.”

My heart did a double thump. Now that I’d asked for the truth, I wasn’t at all sure I wanted to hear it.

I cowgirled up. “I’m listening.”

She looked at me, still standing there holding the wish lists under my arm. “Sit, honey. You’re making me nervous.”

I sat down, facing her, with my back against one of our termite-chewed porch beams.

“So, what happened is,” Gram began, “some trouble came up. With some people. And there was some hurt feelings and some folks got mad. Then there was a sad to-do, but time passed and now, for the most part, it’s done with.” She gave me a fuzzy little half-smile. “You see?”

“I . . . think I’m gonna need a few more details,” I said.

“Right. Course you will.” She smoothed her skirt.

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