July 7th by Jill McCorkle

Author:Jill McCorkle
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Published: 1984-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

4

Granner is so happy to see Harold’s pickup truck pull up and stop, even if he is a full hour early. Usually, she’d think what she always thinks about Harold, that he’s rude and coming over early to get first dibs on the food, but today she’s too glad to see him even to fuss. That damned Mr. Abdul has just about driven her crazy all morning long and that on top of that article in the paper that Ernie Stubbs set up.

“Come in, son!” Granner screams and smiles great big at Harold. The only times that Harold has ever seen her looking this happy were the few times that she has accidentally gotten lit. “I’m so happy to see you, Harold, and I’ve got so much to tell you.”

“I got some things to tell myself.” Harold goes over to the stove and takes two big brownies out of the pan, and Granner doesn’t even fuss. “You been drinking a little bit, birthday girl?”

“Harold Weeks, you know better! Can’t a woman be nice to the one child who ain’t done her wrong on this day without being accused of something?” She sits down right beside him. He might’ve known that she’s being all sweet to him cause she’s mad at everybody else. “I want you to see what Ernie Stubbs did to me.”

“Okay, but first I got to tell you.” Harold swallows and wipes the brownie crumbs away from his face. The crumbs land on the floor and Granner stares down at every speck, but she still doesn’t say anything. “Charles Husky was murdered down at the Quik Pik last night and I was the one that found him.”

“Do tell,” she says and licks her finger, bends down and dots up those crumbs. “Well, that’s something, Harold; now you go over and look at what I put up on my refrigerator with magnets so that Ernie Stubbs will see that I know what he did, that is if he shows today. He might have to hit the field, play a little golf, you know.”

“Mother, did you hear what I said?”

“I heard you, Harold, but I’m telling you that I’ve got some worries of my own, that on the refrigerator and Petie Rose, getting hit by that car, and that Mr. Abdul calling every other breath.”

“Petie Rose? What happened to Petie Rose?”

“Her cat got hit by a fast little car, knocked the life right out of him, deadest thing you ever saw.”

Harold takes a deep breath. His Mama scares the hell out of him, the way that she tells stories without all the words that belong in it. “Charles Husky was the deadest thing I ever saw.”

“I’m sure, Harold, now go look on my refrigerator before Mr. Abdul calls me back. I want you to answer if he does, so that hell know that I’m not some old lady all by herself, which I am most of the time.”

Harold sighs and gets up and goes over to the refrigerator. “All it

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