The Mighty Quinn by Robyn Parnell

Author:Robyn Parnell [Parnell, Robyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781938063114
Publisher: Scarletta Press

“Ah, foof!” Quinn sputtered.

“You’re still not very good,” Mickey said.

“Mickey,” Ms. Lee said, “that’s not nice.”

“I know,” Mickey sighed. “I just wanted to remind him.”

Ms. Lee rubbed her eyes. “Dessert, anyone? Nothing fancy, just cereal and milk tonight.”

“I didn’t get to do my computer time today,” Mickey said.

“It’s all yours.” Quinn offered the chair to his sister. “Have a squished frog for dessert.” He followed his mother back to the kitchen, where his father sat at the table, pouring milk into his bowl of cornflakes.

“Can I have ...”

“May I,” Mr. Andrews corrected Quinn.

“May I have graham crackers and milk instead of cereal?”

“Of course.” Quinn’s mother removed a box of graham crackers from the cupboard, and leaned back against the kitchen counter. “My grandmother’s favorite dessert was cereal,” she said dreamily. “She said she’d rather have a bowl of cereal for dessert than a hot fudge sundae. I never saw her eat cereal for breakfast, not cold cereal. She’d have oatmeal on Sundays, before church. Other than that, it was two poached eggs over rye toast, every morning.”

“Have we ever had any of those Yaweh’s Disciples come to our house?”

Mr. Andrew paused, his spoon halfway to his mouth. “Interesting conversational transition,” he said.

“Yes, we have, but it was some time ago.” Ms. Lee brought the graham crackers and two more cereal bowls to the table and rested her hand on her husband’s shoulder. “When was the last time you remember them stopping by here?”

“It’s been two years, at least.”

“How come we don’t go to church?” Quinn pushed his graham crackers around his bowl with his spoon, mushing them into the milk. “Mom’s grandma did. I’m just wondering.”

Quinn carefully observed his parents. His dad grinned at his mom, who looked at his dad with the face she made when they played Scrabble and she accused him of making up words.

“Actually,” Mr. Andrews said, “both your mom and I were raised in churchgoing families. Well, it was another generation back, in your mother’s case. Grandpa and Grandma Lee are not churchgoers, as you know.”

“Yes, my mother’s parents went to church,” Ms. Lee said. “To the church of We’re Right And Everyone Else Is Going to H-E-double—”

“Your mother,” Mr. Andrews interjected, “had a few negative experiences while visiting her grandparents’ church, shall we say.”

“Shall we say,” Ms. Lee sniffed.

“But you did like the singing, as I recall.” Mr. Andrews looked hopefully at his wife and winked at Quinn. “You know how she loves to sing.”

“I don’t need to sit in a building to sing. You can say amen to that.” Quinn’s mother had a spark in her eyes and a lilt to her voice. “I’m sorry, Quinn. I don’t mean to be flippant.”

“That’s okay.” Quinn tried not to smile. “You can be flippant all you like, ’cause I don’t know what it means.”

“It’s one of those words Neally would look up, isn’t it? I meant I’m not trying to ignore your question. My reasons ...”

“Our reasons,” Mr. Andrews softly but firmly added.

“There are many reasons, some complicated, some clear-cut, why we don’t go to a church, any church,” Ms.

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