Scratch by Wayne Wise

Author:Wayne Wise [Wise, Wayne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Indie Author Project

CHAPTER SEVEN

“Hey,” Holly called from the living room later that afternoon. “I finally got a dial tone on this thing.” She was on the couch with a large black telephone in her lap. The receiver looked huge against her cheek, and the rotary dial was positively charming in an old-fashioned sort of way. It was a pain in the ass to actually dial, yes, but charming nonetheless.

“I’m going to call Mom and let her know we made it here okay,” she said.

“Okay,” Adam said, coming into the room from the foyer. Michaela tagged along, and climbed sleepily onto the couch next to Holly. She clutched Buggly and stuck a thumb in her mouth.

“Nap time, hunh?” Holly said while ruffling Mike’s hair.

“Tell your Mom ‘hi’ for me,” Adam said. “I think I want to do some exploring. I’m gonna take a walk.”

“Don’t get lost, city boy,” Holly teased in an exaggerated hillbilly drawl. “And watch out for the inbreds. They’ll fetch you up the holler and make you squeal.”

“I’ll stick to the road,” Adam said. “Or a well worn path at the worst. The country really is beautiful here. If we’re going to stick around I want to get to know the place.”

“Be careful,” Holly said. “Give my idea some thought.”

“I plan on it.” He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss, then tried to put one on Mike’s cheek. Mike rolled over, too tired and cranky to be affectionate. Adam snuck one on the back of her head then turned and walked to the door and left the house.

Holly lifted the receiver to her ear again and clicked the buttons on the cradle to get the dial tone. She stuck her finger in the hole in the dial over the zero and swirled it around, then waited impatiently as it returned.

“Good God,” she mumbled to herself. “I could’ve punched in the whole number while I was waiting. She shook her head and wished for speed dial.

“As soon as we find the box with our own phone in it, this one is going on the mantle as a conversation piece.” She smiled at her unintentional pun as the phone at her mother’s house began to ring. After four rings Carol finally picked up.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Mom!” Holly said.

“So you finally thought to call,” Carol said. Holly heard her light a cigarette.

“Finally?” Holly hated the way her mother always made her feel like she had to explain herself, but she launched into it anyway. “Mom, we just left you yesterday. The phone didn’t even work until this morning.”

“So, you’re in Canaan?” Carol asked. “How is the place?”

“It’s nice, Mom. The house is even more beautiful than I remembered.”

“I don’t know how your grandmother lived there alone for all those years,” Carol said. “Rattling around in that big, old barn all by herself. I tried to get her to move up here, but she wouldn’t leave.”

“It’s not a barn,” Holly said. “It’s big, but it’s really gorgeous here.”

“Have you met your neighbors yet?”

“Some,” Holly said.

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