The Singing Quilt by Kathi Macias

Author:Kathi Macias
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: New Hope Publishers
Published: 2014-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

IF ABUELA ONLY KNEW how close I came to not stopping by here at all. She scratched the top of Mario’s head and cuddled him close as they waited for Eva to return. Jolissa had worked straight through her break in an attempt to block out the mocking words of the boys who had caught her behind the tree, watching the little girl’s house. As she sat in the park after work, eating her sandwich, she’d nearly convinced herself not to go to her abuela’s again so soon, thinking she might be making a pest of herself. But the thought of going home to face Tio was more than she was up to in her already fragile state. And so she had ended up at Eva’s home, heartbroken when the old woman didn’t answer the door but pleased that she’d had the nerve to call out to her in case she was in the backyard.

And now, here I am, petting a cat that isn’t mine, sitting in a chair in a yard behind a house that isn’t mine, trying to find comfort from being with a grandmother who isn’t really mine either. But what else do I have?

“Here you are, mija.” Eva appeared carrying a small tray with a plate of cookies and two glasses. “The pitcher of lemonade is in the refrigerator. Would you mind getting it? And why don’t you get the singing quilt from my bed while you’re in there? Maybe we’ll have time for another story while you’re here. You’re not in a hurry to leave, are you?”

Jolissa shook her head. She was in no hurry whatsoever.

She let herself into the house and went to Eva’s bedroom to retrieve the quilt first. Carrying it carefully tucked under one arm, she stopped in the kitchen and got the lemonade from the refrigerator, all the time wondering at why this sweet woman would trust someone like her to walk freely through her home.

Once outside she handed Eva the quilt and then poured the lemonade. Mario had appeared more than slightly disgruntled when she moved him off her lap before going into the house, but he quickly resettled there when she returned.

“So,” Eva said as she set her glass down on the small table between them, “you said last night that you enjoyed the service. What do you think today, now that you’ve had time to think about it a little more?”

Jolissa didn’t want to tell her that she really hadn’t had nearly as much time as she would have liked to focus on church because of all that had happened since she dropped her off the evening before. But there was no need to worry her with all that.

“I l-l-liked it very m-m-m-much.”

“And will you come back with me again?”

Jolissa paused. “Y-y-yes. B-b-but it m-m-might have to b-b-be on S-S-Sunday instead of W-W-Wednesday because I c-c-can’t m-m-miss too much s-s-school.”

Eva nodded. “Of course you can’t. You need to finish your studies so you can become a social worker.” She leaned toward her.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.