Minerva Day by Christie Keele

Author:Christie Keele [Keele, Christie]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw3
Publisher: Christie Keele
Published: 2013-09-23T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Minerva wrapped the last ornament from the tree and stuffed it in the box. Searching for strays, she found one and pushed an arm through several branches to retrieve it. She winced when a pine needle caught her forearm, causing her to drop the ornament where it bounced off another branch and exploded on the floor. Minerva dropped to her butt, legs splayed like pudgy logs. This was the part she hated the most about Christmas...the stripping of the tree, the packing away of many cherished ornaments, and all done on the second day of the New Year.

A finger poked a small drop of what looked like chocolate on the green of her jogging pants. Her eyes roamed the pants for more bloodstains. Finding no more, she stretched out belly down on the floor and picked up the tiny shards of glass. The task fascinated her. She studied the remains of each sparkling piece big enough to hold in her fingers. Each sliver seemed to hold a memory.

Her mind traveled to the time John was around six months old. It was Christmas, and the tree was already in its place in the corner of the trailer. John had crawled to the tree, mesmerized by the twinkling lights and glittering balls. Minerva turned the piece of broken glass between her fingers toward the light and she remembered John's little hand reaching for one of the balls. Minerva had sat down beside him, slapping his hand away each time he'd reach. The slaps weren't hard. The boy continued reaching until he tired of Minerva's persistence. But when John had wailed in anger, his face bright red, Minerva pulled him to her lap and wrapped her arms around him.

She pushed to her feet, her mind still deep in thought, and discarded the broken remains in the box of wrapped decorations, then sealed the lid with the same duct tape she ripped from the box two weeks ago. One by one, she carried each box to the spare bedroom and stacked them at the back of the closet. Something behind the bedroom door caught her eye and she moved the door to see. Fellow's suitcase was propped against the wall, the one brought with him for his stay. She grabbed the handle and sat on the bed, unlatching the metal buckle.

She unfolded two pairs of underwear, one green pair featuring the Hulk and the other plain red, pajama bottoms, still wrinkled from wear, a white t-shirt wadded up inside the bottoms, a kid's toothbrush, two pairs of jeans, and two shirts, one green and one blue. Closing the lid, she read I Love My Grandma on the front. She brought the suitcase to her lap and ran her hand over it. This was the one she gave to him as a gift when Piper and George took him in.

She couldn't say she loved the boy like one of her own. After all, she had only known him for a short while. He wasn't like a real grandson, since he came from a different family, she thought.

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