Winter Birds: A Novel by Jim Grimsley

Author:Jim Grimsley [Grimsley, Jim]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Literary, Fiction, Family Life, Gay, General
ISBN: 0684829916
Google: r6Nj1_ncA2IC
Amazon: B005K5YAJM
Publisher: Touchstone
Published: 1997-01-29T11:00:00+00:00

You, Danny, went into the kitchento pour yourselfa glass of cold tea, and there youfound Allenand Duck eatingpeanut butter crackers Mama had made. Youdrank the tea and ate the crackers withthem, tillMama came into soak the potatoes, tusslingyour hair and asking, “Are youglad there’s no school tomorrow? Did the teacher give youa lot ofhomework?”

Youmade a face. “She gave us this spellingstuff. We have to write this storyabout anythingwe want to, but we have to use all the spellingwords for next week.”

“Is that hard? Seems like to me that might be fun.” “Evenifit’s hard I stillhave to do it.”She smiled at youand said, “I’llhelp youthink up a story. I used to be good at makingup little stories whenI was inschool.”

“We also had allthis adding. But I did most ofit onthe school bus.

And we have to read inthe geographybook, about this island.” “I’llfixyouspaghettithis weekend,”Mama said, “ifyoustudy hard.

Youhave to be smart ifyouwant to go to college.”

“Danny’s too smart for his britches,”Amyhollered fromthe livingroom. “The teachers don’t like it ifyoube too smart.” “Youhush.”

“Youmake me.”

“Youmake me make you.”

“IfI’d ofmade you, youwouldn’t be as uglyas youare.” “IfI’d ofmade you, youwouldn’t be as uglyas youare.”

“Bothofyouhush,”Mama said. “Youshouldn’t talk meanto eachother.” She sent youout to playwithAllenand Duck inthe yard, onthe opposite side ofthe house fromthe roomwhere Grove was sleeping.

Ifhe heard youplayinghe would want to go outside, and Mama said he must be stilluntilthere was no more blood inhis elbow. Delia came into the kitchenand stood Amyina chair infront of the sink to washher hair. The sound oftheir laughingmade Mama leave the room.

Papa came home earlyfromwork and Mama made hima cup of coffee. He sat inthe kitchento drink it, watchingDelia slide bobbypins throughAmy’s soft, wet curls. Mama had asked him to stop at the grocerystore and bringhome a few things, so after a while she said to him, “Youdidn’t get the groceries I asked youbuy. We’re out ofsalt.

Mydinner won’t be fit to eat.”

“I didn’t forget,”Papa said. “But I didn’t come bya store onthe wayhome, I come downriver road.”

“Well, I got to have that stuff.”

“Don’t worryme about it, let me rest a minute. I’llride out directlyand get whatever youneed.” “You’re goingto the store?”Delia gazed at Papa holdinga comb suspended inthe air. “Let me go withyou. I need me some shampoo and things.”

“We got some shampoo,”Mama said. “Don’t waste your money.” “Youdon’t have the kind I like. I need me some withcondition.” Papa thumped a cigarette out ofthe pack and lit it. “Won’t hurt to have some company.”

Delia explained to Mama, “Some ofthe things I need youcan’t ask a manto buyfor you.”She and Papa watched eachother, smiling.

smiling.

Mama turned to the sink. Throughthe window she watched the slowlycontractinghalo ofcolor around the settingsun. She heard Delia say, “I ain’t beenawayfromthis house inthree days.”

“I haven’t beenawayfromthis house intwo weeks,”Mama said, almost quiet enoughthat no one heard. “Can’t go nowhere. Can’t get a damnbatteryfor the car. Can’t do nothing, not me.” No one answered. She ranwater over the potatoes and lit the stove beneaththe pot. Wipingher hands onher apron, she disappeared into the back ofthe house, where Grove lay sleepingonhis narrow bed.

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