Perfect Glass (A Young Adult Novel (sequel to Glass Girl)) by Kurk Laura Anderson

Author:Kurk, Laura Anderson [Kurk, Laura Anderson]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Playlist Fiction
Published: 2013-05-25T22:00:00+00:00

***

As soon as I stepped onto Jo’s porch, I heard her. She wasn’t crying; she was swearing. She was spitting mad. We opened the door and I followed the sound of voices down the hall to the bathroom. I motioned behind me for Quinn to wait in the living room.

I’m not sure about all the particulars that led to this moment. Do I believe life is a series of dots to be connected, or that no one can outrun destiny, or that all roads lead to truth and coincidence is a lie to distract us? The reason I was in this place no longer mattered. The harsh reality stared me in the face and demanded an immediate decision.

Walk away and blame it on my age. Or stay and try to help a woman who had slowly become my friend over the last few weeks.

Jo sat in her rusted old claw-foot tub. Naked and thin. So thin. Emaciated, more like. She babbled words I couldn’t make out and tore at her unbraided and half-wet hair.

“It smells like a whorehouse in here,” she said.

Jenny poured a pitcher of hot water down Jo’s back, trying to warm her. I cleared my throat to get Jenny’s attention. Jo’s head snapped up and her glassy eyes searched the room for me. When she found me in the doorway, she pointed at me.

“Remember when you told me about how Henry took you to that cave? And how later you went to church and turned over your life in that water?”

“Yes, ma’am.” My voice sounded weak to my ears, like it wouldn’t even carry through the steam in the room.

“I said it was a nice story?”

“You did.”

“What I meant was it was a bunch of hogwash. All that about letting go and forgiving and mercy this and mercy that.” She choked a little on her own spit, coughing violently. “You’re a fool to think being dunked in some water will save you from trouble in this life.”

Something in my chest shattered. “What are you talking about, Jo?”

“I’m talking about how I believed all that, too, when I was younger. And life still went in the crapper for me. I still ended up alone. He still died.” Her voice had risen to a shriek that sounded like a vulture. My head pounded with it. I just wanted her to be quiet and calm down.

“Who died?” Maybe if I could get her to say the words, we could have a helpful conversation.

“It’s a waste of time, Meg. Can I get an amen?” She repeated that last part over and over like she was trying to block out what she was hearing in her own head. She covered both ears with her hands and rocked back and forth in the bathwater, making waves that grew larger with each movement.

Eventually they began to splash over the sides; that’s when Jenny ended it. “Okay, Jo, that’s enough. This is enough.”

I swallowed, trying not to cry, but I could do nothing about the way my leg muscles shook.

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