One Step Forward

After working hard for four hours this morning, Carrie-Bri and I caught up on what was happening at the Big House: quiet: Mom at a luncheon at Gloria’s, Francis at school (sleeping in the library, no doubt), and Linnea-Irish at work. Then Grandma called Carrie. A few minutes later I started paying attention to Carrie’s end of the conversation…

“But, Grandma, we do not want to hear about you picking up any more strangers in your car. That is very dangerous and … it doesn’t matter if you’ve had police training … he could have hit you in the face with one of those crutches!”

 

I waited for Puck’s dismissal in the usual brick hallway, reading more Branch Rickey while a dad talked on his cell about traveling to the British Virgin Islands. When Puck walked out, he held a notebook paper drawing of a purple butterfly. Something told me the pinching-kicking-girl from his class, Mary, had given it to him. I was right.

“Did you drink all your water today?” I asked him.

“Sort of. Mary put a pencil in my water bottle. The first time was on purpose, the second time … was on purpose, and the … I think she did it about five times.”

This girl had a serious case. Later, he expounded on the episode with Mom and Carrie back at the Big House.

“She is the most ill-mannered girl I have ever met. And can you believe she goes to church?!”

“Well, we’re all a work in progress, Puck. Projects.”

Puck paused and grumbled, “Well, it’s my project to get rid of this ill-mannered girl.”

We talked.

 

Thick masses of dark blue-gray-violet storm clouds sent us hurrying out of Schnuck’s for milk and shampoo on the way home.

Inside, Puck asked me loudly, pushing the “customer in training” mini grocery cart, “Mom? How did shampoo get its name when half of it is something so disgusting?”

A point I had never pondered, I’ll admit.

Rain broke hard with the storm during dinner, pouring. Puck called El Oso on my cell while I switched on the game.

El Oso answered the phone. “Hello?”

Puck grinned and said loudly, “Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! You just won two million dollars!”

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Jamie Larson
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