Necessary Lies by Chamberlain Diane

Author:Chamberlain, Diane [Chamberlain, Diane]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 2013-09-03T04:00:00+00:00

22

Ivy

Mrs. Forrester popped out of the woods while I was hanging sheets on the line. Baby William’d peed all over them last night because Mary Ella was right sloppy with diapers sometimes. It was Sunday. What was Mrs. Forrester doing here on a Sunday? Couldn’t be good.

“Good morning, Ivy!” she said, like seeing me was the best thing that ever happened to her.

“It’s Sunday, Mrs. Forrester,” I said, thinking she might of got her days confused. I was happy to see her, though. Even Nonnie still laughed when we talked about doing the twisting dance in the kitchen and we loved the fan. We moved it into the bedroom and I never slept so good on a summer night before.

“That’s why I’m here,” she said. “You don’t work on the farm on Sunday, right? I thought I could take you and Mary Ella and Nonnie and Baby William on a little trip to the beach.”

I just stared at her. Had she lost her mind?

“The beach?” I shook out Nonnie’s raggedy old slip and hung it up. “What are you talking about?”

“I think y’all need a getaway,” she said. “Just for the day. Would you like that?”

“I ain’t never been,” I said.

“I know. That’s why I thought it might be fun. Do you have a bathing suit?”

“No, ma’am. When we go to the pond, we just wear shorts.”

“Well, let’s talk to your grandmother and Mary Ella and see if y’all can take time off from your household duties and have a relaxing day.”

I slipped a clothespin over one of Baby William’s dingy-looking diapers and started toward the house. “Mary Ella ain’t here right now,” I said. “Nonnie sent her to a church friend to get some of the cookies they give out after the service.” I was embarrassed to let Mrs. Forrester know how far Nonnie would go for sweets, sending Mary Ella two miles away on the bike just for a few cookies.

“When will she be back?”

“I don’t rightly know,” I said. You never did know with Mary Ella. She might of been doing one of her disappearing acts.

I looked up at the blue sky, a few puffy clouds right over my head. I didn’t know why Mrs. Forrester came up with this idea, but Lord, it was a beautiful day and I wanted to see the ocean. I didn’t think Nonnie would say yes, though. She had chores lined up for me and Mary Ella that would take us all day.

“Well, we’ll start with your grandmother, then.”

We found Nonnie in the kitchen, eating the biscuit I told her not to eat at breakfast. Smeared with jelly, of course. I wanted to rip it out of her hand, but knew better than to do that in front of somebody. I just gave her the eye and she gave it right back to me.

“Mrs. Forrester wants to take all of us to the beach,” I said. Mrs. Werkman would never do anything like that. Never.

“That’s the craziest thing I ever heard,” Nonnie said.

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