Getting Mother's Body by Suzan-Lori Parks

Author:Suzan-Lori Parks [Parks, Suzan-Lori]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781588363008
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2003-05-05T14:00:00+00:00

BILLY BEEDE

We’re heading west. In a little while the sun’s gonna come up right behind us. It’ll rise that way till we get where we’re headed, then it’ll come up in our faces all the way back.

Aunt June sits in the middle and Uncle Teddy by the door. Both of them brought they spades. Uncle Teddy’s long-handled one, throwed in the back with their suitcase and my things. Aunt June’s got her little trowel, the one she works on her rosebush with, on her lap.

They both look out the window but they can’t see nothing yet. Teddy glances at June’s trowel. The digging point is turned towards her stomach. He takes it from her, turns the digging point towards the dashboard, then gives it back to her. She smiles.

“It’s Sunday,” I say. “We gonna be back by Tuesday. We’ll have Tuesday night to get the place ready for Mr. Sanderson.”

“We’re gonna need help digging,” Uncle Teddy says.

“We can dig it all by ourselves,” I says.

“Candy and Even can help and I’ll do what I can,” Aunt June says, flicking the dirt from her trowel.

Behind us, the sky glows pink. Enough light to see by. June takes out one of her maps, holding it up close to her face, reading.

“Estelle and Big Walter stay in Pecos,” Uncle Teddy says.

“That’s on the way,” June says. She takes out a pencil, licks the tip and draws the best circle she can around Pecos. The road is bumps so the circle she draws is bumpy too. I hold my arms straight out to keep the wheel steady.

“They got their son Homer. Maybe Big Walter and Homer can help us,” Uncle Teddy says.

“They help they’ll want some treasure,” I says.

“You’ll get the lion’s share,” Aunt June says.

“That’s only fair,” Uncle Teddy adds.

I start to think getting some help would be nice. We won’t have much time to dig and the baby makes my back hurt.

“I ain’t never met Cousin Homer and them,” I says.

“They’re very sophisticated,” Uncle Teddy says and I imagine my father, Son Walker, and his sophisticated three trunks of clothes.

“Dill was real nice to give you her truck,” Uncle Teddy says.

“She didn’t give it,” I says. “She only lent it.”

“Dill ain’t as tight as some of us think,” Teddy says.

“I stand corrected,” June says, pursing her mouth.

“That’s twice in the span of one day,” Teddy says, joking with her.

“Don’t make me pop you with my pocketbook,” June says.

“How far is Pecos?” I ask.

June looks at the map key then, inches her fingers along and mumbles to herself. “Looks like fifty miles,” she says.

“Lemme see,” Uncle Teddy says and June hands him the map. He looks it over, turning it this way and that, making the most sense he can of it without being able to read it, then hands it back to June. When she looks at it again he pats her leg.

“Find El Paso, that’s where Blood stay at,” Teddy says.

June finds El Paso, circles it, and calculates the miles.

“We’ll get to Cousin Blood’s tonight,” Uncle Teddy says.

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