The Distance Between High and Low: A Southern Gothic Novel by Kaye Hinckley

Author:Kaye Hinckley [Hinckley, Kaye]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-04-03T12:00:00+00:00

Every Brother

Should be with his Sister

Little Benedict

Two years after Peck died, on August 15, the handicapped school bus that will take me back to Highlow pulls up in front of Piney Woods. I’m waiting for it at the entrance door, holding Little Sister, wishing I didn’t have to get on the bus and leave her. Miss Candy comes up behind me, kisses me on the top of my head, and says, “Benny, you’re the nicest boy in the whole world.” I say, “Thank you, Miss Candy, but you didn’t know Peck.” Then I kiss Little Sister and give her back to Miss Candy ‘til the next time I come. Miss Candy walks away, with Little Sister peering over her shoulder. Little Sister’s got puddly look in her big, black eyes because she wants to go with me.

For the third time, Lizzie is waiting for me when the bus gets back to Highlow Elementary. She’ll walk with me, four blocks to Pearl’s where I’ll stay until I’m called to supper. Mama and Daddy won’t know I’ve been to see Little Sister, they’ll think I’ve been at Pearl’s all afternoon. Lizzie figured all that out. She doesn’t grab me by the neck anymore; she puts a hand on my shoulder, like Peck used to do.

“Did you hold your little sister?” she asks.

“Uh huh. She’s gettin’ heavy.”

“Every brother should be with his sister.” Lizzie gets the same puddly look Little Sister had.

“Uh huh,” is all I say because I’m afraid she might cry.

Lizzie’s changed in a lot of ways. For one, she’s taller, prettier, and has bosoms like my mama’s. That’s what’s different on the outside. The inside’s a little harder to figure out, but I’d say Lizzie’s turned out to be a nice girl, nearly as nice as Peck—with one exception. She still can’t stand Hobart any more than Miss Lila can. I’ve seen the ugly pictures with monster faces that Lizzie’s drawn of him. But one of them is not of Hobart’s face, it’s his future gravestone. On it she’s printed: Do Not Rest in Peace! She stacks the pictures in a pile, in the darkest corner of her room near the radiator. She won’t let Izear touch them, so the pile is covered with dirt, dust, and mold; almost black, until she tops it with another drawing, worse than the one before. I’ll bet Lizzie has as many mean pictures of Hobart as Miss Lila has sweet faces on china plates. One thing about Miss Lila, she never let her dislike of Hobart mess up her love of Art. I wonder if the nurses at the rest home where Miss Lila is now, are nice as Miss Candy. If Miss Lila was at Piney Woods, I know Miss Candy would find her plenty of plates to paint on.

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