The Legend of Ghost Dog Island by Rita Monette

Author:Rita Monette
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Musa Publishing
Published: 2012-11-15T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Grandma’s Story

PATTI AND I GOT UP EARLY THE NEXT MORNING. She changed out of her night clothes and gathered her things.

I stuck my head into the kitchen where Mama was busy making breakfast. “Mama, Patti wants me to eat at her house and go to church with them. Is it okay?”

“Sure, but don’t you be a bother, ya’ hear.”

“I won’t.” I closed the door and hurried into my pink gingham dress and new shoes. Patti tied my sash and fixed my braids.

When we walked back into the kitchen, Mama smiled at me. “Don’t you look pretty?” She reached into the cupboard and took out a jar. “Give this blackberry jam to Mrs. LeBlanc. I promised her a jar the other day when I met her at the store.”

We skipped all the way to Patti’s house. The smell of fresh baked bread filled my nose as we got close.

An older man stood with his axe against a wood block. “Bonjour, girls. Y’all sure up early this fine morning.” He wiped the sweat from his forehead with a large red handkerchief and stuffed it in his back pocket.

“Hey, Grandpa.” Patti ran up and threw her arms around his waist.

Patti’s grandmother stood in the doorway. Her dress, covered in the front with a white apron, had tiny red roses on it, her gray hair pinned up in a neat bun. She had a nice smile. “Y’all want some breakfast?”

“Yes, ma’am. It sure smells good.” I handed her the jar of jam. “My mama sent this.”

“Merci.” She took the jar from my hand.

“You’re welcome.” I smiled.

She piled the table with sausage, eggs, grits, and fresh-baked bread.

I ate everything on my plate, plus two big hunks of warm bread with lots of melted butter and jam.

“Patti, what’s that on your glasses?” Mrs. LeBlanc leaned over the table and scrunched her eyes together.

Patti touched the gum on her specs. “I broke them, and Nikki did a quick fix.”

Her grandmother got up, plucked the glasses off her face, and took a closer look. She shook her head and walked into another room, then returned with them taped. “We’ll get you some new ones before schools starts back. Until then, you’ll have to put up with your grandfather’s electrical tape.”

We all got in Mr. LeBlanc’s station wagon and headed east before crossing the levee.

I remembered seeing Tee Joe drive this way when he took Papa to get his truck. “Are we going to church in Pierre Part?”

“No,” Mrs. LeBlanc said. “It’s a little town right this side of there. Belle River.”

“Oh, I know where that is.” My voice sorta sang. “I used to go there with Papa to buy bait for his lines. And my friend’s father works there.”

We pulled into the parking lot of the small white church. It was in a part of town I’d never seen before. The stained glass windows on either side of the big wooden doors sparkled with yellow, red, and blue light. A couple of ladies came up to Mrs. LeBlanc and hugged her.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.