Leaving Lymon by Lesa Cline-Ransome

Author:Lesa Cline-Ransome
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Holiday House
Published: 2020-01-06T16:00:00+00:00

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Robert was a big man. Looked ’bout as wide as he was tall. Had a thick mustache and hair Mr. Eugene would need ’bout an hour to get through. He looked old enough to be my momma’s daddy. He was sitting on the couch when my momma opened the door, and he wasn’t in any hurry to get up.

“Robert, here he is. My baby. My Lymon. Lymon, go say hello to Robert.” She pushed me to the couch.

“Hello, Mr. Robert,” I said, holding out my hand trying not to stare at the belly sitting on his lap.

He looked at my momma and laughed. “He ain’t but a little thing,” he said. “My Theo’s almost as big as you, and he’s only seven.”

“He’s petite like his momma, right, Lymon?” Momma pushed me forward some more.

Wasn’t sure I liked the word petite.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Robert,” I said again, my hand still out.

He grunted loud and stood up. Clapped me on my shoulder and I dropped my hand. “Good to meet you, Lymon.” He hiked up his pants. Said to my momma, “Took y’all so long?”

“Don’t get me started. Vera wanted to give me a hard time ’bout waking up my boy in the middle of the night. Like she’s his momma.” She laughed.

“I’m going to bed,” Robert said, stretching. His shirt rose up good then, and I saw most of his hairy belly up close. Don’t know how my momma could look at that every day, but she didn’t seem to notice. Just kept right on smiling.

“Make yourself at home.” He laughed again, pointing to the couch.

“I’ll be right in, Robert,” my momma said. Sounded like every time she said his name, she was singing a song.

“You gonna have to sleep on the couch, baby. Just till we move into our new place. The boys are already tight as it is…. You understand, right?”

I nodded.

She went and got a blanket and pillow from her room. She kissed me on my forehead and handed them to me. “You and Robert are gonna get on just fine,” she told me. “He’s been good to me and if you treat him right, he’ll take care of all of us.” I didn’t know what my momma was talking ’bout, but I nodded my head.

“ ’Night, Lymon,” she said. “Try and get some sleep.”

I tucked the sheet into the cushions tight where Robert’s big behind made them flat, laid the blanket on top. I could hear Momma and Robert in the room laughing ’bout something. I hoped it wasn’t me.

Even though my momma turned off the lamp, the room was still bright from the street lamps outside the window. I took off my clothes and folded them up. When I lay on the couch, all I could feel were the springs. But the pillow smelled like lilac perfume. Just like my momma.

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