The Forgiving Kind by Donna Everhart

Author:Donna Everhart
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2018-11-13T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Aunt Ruth had been gone only a couple of days when the mail carrier gave a quick honk in the late afternoon, which signaled there was a package. Mama went out to the mailbox and came back in carrying a box and wearing a smile.

“Look what I have!” she said in a cheerful voice she’d been using, doing what Ross called “putting lipstick on a pig,” and trying to make it appear everything was just fine.

I’d tried to call Daniel to talk to him about what I’d found out, but he was never at home, and I could picture him sitting over at his elderly neighbor’s, stuffing himself on cookies and watching movies with her. I resented the fact he’d not bothered to try and call me at all. Mama handed the box to me with the name of some company I’d never heard of stamped in the upper left-hand corner.

She said in a singsong voice, “I bet I know what this is.”

I did too. I dreaded opening it up, and sort of sat there staring at it.

Ross said, “Want me to cut the tape?”

I nodded. He took out his pocketknife and cut through it, and then stood back. It appeared everyone was waiting on me. I lifted the top and pulled back the paper. Inside were two copper L-shaped rods. They looked nothing, nothing like the willow branch.

Mama said, “Well, they’re certainly official like.”

I picked them up and looked them over, holding each one a little awkwardly.

Trent said, “Boy, you sure are gonna look even more weird walking around outside with them shiny things.”

For once, he was right. I was going to look weird. Underneath the shipping paper was a small booklet that showed how you were supposed to hold them. Like pistols, with the short ends in your hands, the long ends pointing out straight. I read further, and according to the instructions, the ends would cross one over the other, making an X if you located water, oil, or whatever it was you thought you should try and find. I found this odd. We’d only used the willow branch to find water, while the booklet suggested for you to “have fun!” and hinted at it being like a magic trick. I quickly dropped them back into the box.

Mama said, “That’s real nice, don’t you think, Sonny? Frank’s trying to get along, and make things right in his own way. Make sure you thank him when you see him.”

I said, “Yes, ma’am.”

Ross said, “Don’t you want to try them? See if they’ll work?”

“Not right now.”

Mama said, “She will, maybe later, right, Sonny? Now, don’t forget to thank him.”

I sighed and stared at the copper rods, uncertain if I’d find water with them no matter what Aunt Ruth said. It was as if Mr. Fowler was telling me in his typical underhanded way what I did was only a game, a hoax, or, like the instructions hinted at, a magic trick. In other words, not real.

I picked up the box and said, “I’m gonna go put them in my room so I don’t lose them.

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