kingdavid
04-05-2016, 05:24 PM
“Git yer Goddamn grubby hands outta those pockets, boy.” Papa scolded, half under his breath. Johnny looked at Momma for help, but she’d gotten too used to that angry rasp in Papa’s voice to look away from the priest. We hadn’t gone to church this much since Papa was in the war, and I was too young to even remember what that was like. Me and Momma and Michael would come every Sunday, and sometimes Wednesdays too; but Poppa and Johnny went just about every morning. Before the summer, Johnny would get up really early and go with Papa. They’d be back before me and Michael even waked up for school. Now they both go before Papa takes Johnny to work with him, and they don’t even get back ‘til supper. Shoot, they even went on his birthday.
Johnny turned thirteen a little bit before Halloween last year. He took out me and Michael trick or treating ‘cause we’re younger, But I think he just wanted to come with us. Momma even made him a costume and gave it to him on his birthday. Little Red Riding Hood. Me and Momma and Michael thought it was the funniest thing how he looked in the dress and jacket. He put them on and danced around the kitchen, even Papa smiled. But then when Halloween came Papa wouldn’t let him put it on, and made him just wear his church clothes. He wouldn’t even let Johnny get any candy. I gave him some of mine, but kept it in my bag so Papa wouldn’t know. Funny thing is, Michael isn’t even much younger than Johnny, only a year; so I sure hope I’m not the only one that can get dressed up next fall. Sure would be strange to be a blood sucking vampire walkin’ around with two boring old church boys.
I couldn’t even ask Johnny why he didn’t dress up ‘cause he wasn’t talkin’ to anyone. Not even Momma. He hadn’t said a thing since his birthday. It got him in a heap of trouble at school too. Michael said they’d stand him up in front of the class and smack him for not sayin’ nothin’, but no matter how hard they whipped him, he never talked. I would hear him crying late at night in the fall and winter, real quiet like he was hiding. But that was the only sound I’d heard come out of him since Popa found him in the back shed with that black boy Marcus from down the street. I dunno what they were doing, but it must have been bad ‘cause Papa whooped him something awful and then locked him in the cellar for three days. Michael won’t tell me what they were doing in that shed, just says that it’s bad enough he told that nigger to come to the party anyway. I don’t think Michael ever really meant to be so mean to Johnny. I think it was more about him and Papa than anything else. Michael and Papa were always a lot closer than Johnny was to either of them. I’m not sure why, but I heard Momma on the phone later that day say that it was ‘cause Papa’s brother that died in the war was named Michael. I don’t know who she was talking to.
Ever since then Papa’s been really short with Johnny. He’s always yellin’ at him and whoopin’ him. He lets Michael yell at him too. I don’t think Momma likes it, but she’s been real quiet since it happened, so she’ll just go upstairs or bring me out to the porch with her. On the really bad days we all just end up back at church, like today. They had a stupid noon service on Saturdays.
“Momma?” I whined, “My dress is itchy.” I hated wearing dresses. They were poofy and frilly and looked dumb. Mine always smelled like damn moth balls too. I was never allowed to run around in them or climb any trees or nothin’. I did anyway, but if I got even just a nick of dirt anywhere Momma would draw my next bath as cold as she could. It was bad enough that Momma made me keep my hair long, but the dress was worse. Papa said that if I behaved and came to church with Momma every Sunday we could cut my hair short before I turned nine though. Momma said that she didn’t want a daughter boy, but Papa said it was fine. I was trying my hardest to be good because I knew he meant it. I even picked out how I wanted it cut. We had an old Huckleberry Finn book that Papa used to read to us when we were goin’ to bed. I wanted my hair just like he had it on the cover.
“I know hun, we’ll be home soon.” She answered, which meant we wouldn’t be home any time soon at all.
“But‒”
She shushed me and gave my shoulder a firm squeeze. I think it was harder than she meant. I scratched at the ends of the sleeves, where they were too tight and left marks in my arms; and the bottoms where they tickled the backs of my legs. It probably wouldn’t be so bad wearing it if the priest wouldn’t keep making us kneel and stand. I didn’t want to think about how we’d be right back there tomorrow morning.
Finally mass ended. After Momma talked to some of our neighbours outside about how their cats were missing or something, she said we were ready to go. Me and Michael raced to the car. He got a head start, which wasn’t fair, but I’d never beat him in a race anyway. Momma got in the passenger seat and told me not to run in my dress while Papa talked to Johnny outside. I couldn’t hear what Papa was saying, but I could see Johnny’s face. It looked like it did when Papa finally let him out of the cellar. It wasn’t mad or mean or anything, It was more like he was tired. The type of tired that keeps you up at night. Papa though, he just looked mad. They got in the car and Papa turned around to us with a big grin.
“Who wants milkshakes?” he asked, looking at me.
“We do!” me and Michael yelled together. We would always get milkshakes if we went to church on Saturdays. It made me a little bit jealous of Johnny since he went every week, but I hated sitting through mass when we could be out playing, so it was only a little bit. Papa looked over at Johnny. He was just staring out the window.
“Two milkshakes, comin’ right up.” he said, still looking at Johnny as he started the car.
Luckily we got to the candy parlour before there was a line. Me and Michael jumped out of the car and ran straight for the doors. I was sitting on the left side so Michael had to wait for me to get out first this time. I heard Momma yell something about running in my dress as I ran away so I tried to go faster. Michael still beat me. We both ordered chocolate. Johnny stayed in the car, just lookin’ out that window. I don’t know anyone in the world that wouldn’t want a milkshake on a Saturday afternoon so when we got back in the car I gave him the rest of mine. He waved his hand like he didn’t want it, but I gave him the straw anyway. I think he really did want one. He had only had a couple sips when Michael grabbed the cup from me and dumped the rest into his.
“Hey!” I yelled at Michael, But Johnny just tapped my arm and shook his head.
“But it wasn’t‒” He squeezed my arm just like Momma had, so I shut up. No one said anything for the rest of the ride.
When we got home Me, Johnny, and Michael went right upstairs to get changed into our overalls. Mine were an old pair of Papa’s he gave me that were full of patches, but Mommas really good at sewing so they were still tough enough I’d say. I left them hanging out my window to dry last night because they got wet on the way home. Today they were nice and warm. Me and Johnny and Michael had been working on our camp out in the woods all summer, and we were almost done. We had walls and a lookout in a tree and even booby traps. The last thing to build was the fort in the middle. We found a beam at the old abandoned Salsbury house at the top of the Smith hill last week, but it was too big. We couldn’t figure out how to cut it since Papa wouldn’t let us use his tools and we’d broke Johnny’s saw last spring. Michael found an old fridge in the basement of the place. He named her Wanda and had the idea to drop her from a bedroom window and break the beam in half. We’d spent the last few days dragging her out of the basement and now we were ready to get her upstairs. It wasn’t easy. Wanda was huge. she was one of those nice fridges with the big heavy doors on them that are in Momma’s magazines. Michael says that someone dumped her and she wasn’t from the people that lived there. I don’t know where he got that idea ‘cause I don’t know anyone that would just leave a fridge in some old basement.
As we set out for Smith hill Michael told us what the plan was, “So, Wanda is still on the sled, we’ll just drag her around to the bottom of the stairs and then move the rig. Rosie, you can rip out all the nails and take the pulleys and ropes upstairs while me and Johnny move Wanda.”
“Yep.” I chirped. They rig we set up took a few tries to get right. We broke a lot of the basement stairs yesterday, but there are still enough to get up and down them. Today should be a lot easier.
We went right to work when we got there. It was already almost two and it would take another couple hours to get Wanda upstairs. Momma gets really mad at us if we’re not back in time for dinner so we had to do everything fast. Within an hour we were ready to start heavin’ ‘er up. I had nailed three pulleys to the floor at the top of the stairs, one for each of us. The ropes were attached to an old bookshelf Johnny changed into a sled; then him and Michael slid Wanda onto it when she was still in the basement.
“Ready?” yelled Michael,
“Ready!” I yelled back.
“Heave!”
The three of us pulled with all our might. It was a long few seconds before Johnny and Michael could wrap their rope around the beams behind us to rest. She moved only a few inches. A couple minutes later we did it again. By the time she was at the top of the stairs and laid out on the floor in was past six. We cleaned ourselves up as best we could and nervously started for home.
When we got in Papa was already sitting on the porch smoking his after dinner pipe and had his whiskey. It was easy to tell he wasn’t happy with us.
“Where were you?” He asked, looking straight at Johnny.
“We were up at the old Salsbury house,” replied Michael, “ Johnny forgot his watch.” He lied.
“I didn’t ask you, Michael. Get inside, and take your sister with you.”
“Yes sir.” Me and Michael hurried inside. There were three plates of cold food waiting for us on the table, and Momma was nowhere to be seen. I heard Papa from the porch again. I didn’t want to, but I stood there in the kitchen listenin’ and watched.
“Answer me, boy! Where the hell were you?” Johnny just looked at his feet, that same tired look in his eyes.
“Your little nigger friend came looking for you today. You know that?” Johnny looked up at Papa but still didn’t say anything.
“What? Were you two going to go back out to the shed? Huh? Goddamnit, boy answer me, or it’s your ***!” He gave him a hard slap across his cheek.
“Johnny..” I whispered, not meaning to.
“Shhh!” Michael shushed me from behind, I hadn’t realized he was watching too.
“You got some more little faggot friends up on the hill? Huh?”
Another slap
“Maybe we should show them what happens to little fairy ****s like you! Huh?”
And another.
“God ****ing dammit, You little fruit, answer me!” They both went quiet for a second, but it felt like forever. Johnny looked up at Papa again, this time with a different look, almost a smirk, and then whistled. Michael gasped from behind me and then tried to cover my eyes. I still saw Papa hit Johnny harder than I’d ever seen someone hit another person. The way he was knocked over it looked like Johnny had been hit by a runaway horse. Momma came runnin’ down stairs, screaming like the house was on fire. She went out and tried to grab Papa off Johnny but couldn’t stop him. He just kept wailing.
“Jack! Jack, No! No, Jack! Jack! No!” She yelled. And kept yelling as Michael carried me upstairs.
Michael rushed me into our room and put on my favourite King Cole Trio record. I was really trying not to cry, but I couldn’t help it. The tears were already there.
“I’ll be right back.” He promised, “Just wait here.”
I waited and waited. By the time he did come back I had started the record over five whole times. He took the needle off and sat down on his bed. He wasn’t crying, but there were tears in his eyes.
“Do you feel bad for him?” He asked. I knew he meant Johnny.
“I don’t know.” I replied. I did; but I didn’t think that was the right answer.
“You shouldn’t.” He turned out the lamp and rolled over. Johnny never came upstairs.
When I waked up in the morning Michael was gone. I went downstairs and Momma had breakfast ready. It was later than usual, she knew I’d been up late so she let me sleep in. Momma was real nice like that. One time on Michael’s birthday she got me and Johnny little presents too. She gave them to us while Michael and Papa were out and told us that they were secret and just for us. I think she knew we were jealous of how Papa gets with him. Its funny ‘cause me and Johnny didn’t even like what she got us. We traded. But it was a good feeling to know that she was thinkin’ about us anyway.
“Where’s Michael?” I asked.
“He went up to the hill.” Momma replied.
“And Johnny?” She paused for a moment and wiped a tear.
“He’s there too, baby”
I sat down to eat breakfast. Momma sat down with me. We didn’t talk about the night before. We didn’t talk at all. After I’d eaten I put on my overalls and went out to get more nails, just in case we needed ‘em. Papa was on the back porch smoking his pipe. I didn’t say anything to him and just ran for the shed. He stopped me.
“Where you goin’, Rosie?”
“Gettin’ some nails in case--”
“Gettin’ some nails?” he laughed, “What would a pretty little girl like you ever be needin’ nails for?”
“I could be needin’ nails for whatever I wanted, thank you!” I stomped my foot, but I wasn’t actually mad. Me and Papa always joked about how much like my brothers I was.
“Come on, baby. I think it’s time I showed you your surprise.” He brought me through the house to the front porch, where he had a stool sat with a towel.
“Git on up, Darlin’.” I sat up on the stool and he draped the towel over my shoulders, “Y’all just wait here.” He went back inside, I think he had it in his big old head that I didn’t know what the surprise was yet. He came back out with a pair of scissors and a big silly grin.
“Let’s git that hair down to size, huh? You want it like Michael’s?”
“No!” I yelled, “Like Huck Finn.”
“Well alright.”
Papa started snipping away. It only took about ten minutes. When he was done he stood me up and looked at his work. Momma came to look but didn’t say anything. I thanked them both. Papa handed me the nails I needed and told me to go find my brother and show him my new hair.
I got to the top of the hill and found Michael stacking cinder blocks and rocks underneath the window we were going to throw Wanda from.
“What you doin’?” I wondered aloud.
“Well,” he said, “If this beam is gonna snap it’ll need some room, so we’ll have to get it up off the ground.”
“Oh,” I had no idea what he was talking about. “Where’s Johnny?”
“He’s up getting Wanda ready to put on the windowsill so we can see where she’ll land.”
“You need help?”
“No. Go help the fairy.” He didn’t even look up to notice my hair.
I went inside the house and headed upstairs to find Johnny quietly sitting on top of the fridge. “Johnny?” I whispered. He turned around and looked at me. He had a large bruise up the side of his head and a swollen black eye. Michael appeared from behind us and looked at Johnny as if nothing was wrong.
“Geez, Rosie! You get in a fight with a tractor?” He laughed, then looked at Johnny, “Ready?” Johnny nodded. Together they lifted Wanda’s head onto the windowsill, and then heaved ‘er forward. When she was about to start teetering they tied ‘er off to a post of the wall frame. Michael went to clear the windowsill. Johnny was trying to keep ‘er up and pushed ‘er out a bit further, catching Michael’s hand underneath. He let out a scream of pain before talkin’ just like Papa.
“What the hell, Johnny?” He yelled, “Now you’re a fag and stupid? Look what you did!” Michael hit Johnny right in his black eye.
"What? You gonna go kiss your nigger again?” He hit him again. Johnny got that same look he gets with Papa, but stayed calm.
“Now I’m gonna go down under the window and tell you to move ‘er left or right. If I say left, move ‘er left.” There was a tone in Michael’s voice I never heard since, “You think you can handle that?”
Johnny just nodded. Michael headed downstairs and scruffed my hair on his way by.
I sat down in the neighbouring windowsill and watched Michael step out from the house and walk into Wanda’s shadow.
“OK, let ‘er slip out!” He yelled.
Johnny gave the rope enough slack that the fridge was toppled out of the window, but wouldn’t quite fall. This was it. A week of work to get that stupid thing up here was about to be worth it,
“Left!” Michael hollered up to us. I looked over at Johnny.
“Left.” I said. Johnny pulled at the rope and slid her a few inches to the left..
“OK now a little bit right!” Michael yelled again.
“Right.” I said to Johnny.
“Is he under it?” asked Johnny
“Yep.” I responded, without realizing what had happened. I looked over at Johnny. He was smiling; Just standing there with his hands in his pockets like he hadn’t said a word.
“Come on, let’s go get ready for church.”
Johnny turned thirteen a little bit before Halloween last year. He took out me and Michael trick or treating ‘cause we’re younger, But I think he just wanted to come with us. Momma even made him a costume and gave it to him on his birthday. Little Red Riding Hood. Me and Momma and Michael thought it was the funniest thing how he looked in the dress and jacket. He put them on and danced around the kitchen, even Papa smiled. But then when Halloween came Papa wouldn’t let him put it on, and made him just wear his church clothes. He wouldn’t even let Johnny get any candy. I gave him some of mine, but kept it in my bag so Papa wouldn’t know. Funny thing is, Michael isn’t even much younger than Johnny, only a year; so I sure hope I’m not the only one that can get dressed up next fall. Sure would be strange to be a blood sucking vampire walkin’ around with two boring old church boys.
I couldn’t even ask Johnny why he didn’t dress up ‘cause he wasn’t talkin’ to anyone. Not even Momma. He hadn’t said a thing since his birthday. It got him in a heap of trouble at school too. Michael said they’d stand him up in front of the class and smack him for not sayin’ nothin’, but no matter how hard they whipped him, he never talked. I would hear him crying late at night in the fall and winter, real quiet like he was hiding. But that was the only sound I’d heard come out of him since Popa found him in the back shed with that black boy Marcus from down the street. I dunno what they were doing, but it must have been bad ‘cause Papa whooped him something awful and then locked him in the cellar for three days. Michael won’t tell me what they were doing in that shed, just says that it’s bad enough he told that nigger to come to the party anyway. I don’t think Michael ever really meant to be so mean to Johnny. I think it was more about him and Papa than anything else. Michael and Papa were always a lot closer than Johnny was to either of them. I’m not sure why, but I heard Momma on the phone later that day say that it was ‘cause Papa’s brother that died in the war was named Michael. I don’t know who she was talking to.
Ever since then Papa’s been really short with Johnny. He’s always yellin’ at him and whoopin’ him. He lets Michael yell at him too. I don’t think Momma likes it, but she’s been real quiet since it happened, so she’ll just go upstairs or bring me out to the porch with her. On the really bad days we all just end up back at church, like today. They had a stupid noon service on Saturdays.
“Momma?” I whined, “My dress is itchy.” I hated wearing dresses. They were poofy and frilly and looked dumb. Mine always smelled like damn moth balls too. I was never allowed to run around in them or climb any trees or nothin’. I did anyway, but if I got even just a nick of dirt anywhere Momma would draw my next bath as cold as she could. It was bad enough that Momma made me keep my hair long, but the dress was worse. Papa said that if I behaved and came to church with Momma every Sunday we could cut my hair short before I turned nine though. Momma said that she didn’t want a daughter boy, but Papa said it was fine. I was trying my hardest to be good because I knew he meant it. I even picked out how I wanted it cut. We had an old Huckleberry Finn book that Papa used to read to us when we were goin’ to bed. I wanted my hair just like he had it on the cover.
“I know hun, we’ll be home soon.” She answered, which meant we wouldn’t be home any time soon at all.
“But‒”
She shushed me and gave my shoulder a firm squeeze. I think it was harder than she meant. I scratched at the ends of the sleeves, where they were too tight and left marks in my arms; and the bottoms where they tickled the backs of my legs. It probably wouldn’t be so bad wearing it if the priest wouldn’t keep making us kneel and stand. I didn’t want to think about how we’d be right back there tomorrow morning.
Finally mass ended. After Momma talked to some of our neighbours outside about how their cats were missing or something, she said we were ready to go. Me and Michael raced to the car. He got a head start, which wasn’t fair, but I’d never beat him in a race anyway. Momma got in the passenger seat and told me not to run in my dress while Papa talked to Johnny outside. I couldn’t hear what Papa was saying, but I could see Johnny’s face. It looked like it did when Papa finally let him out of the cellar. It wasn’t mad or mean or anything, It was more like he was tired. The type of tired that keeps you up at night. Papa though, he just looked mad. They got in the car and Papa turned around to us with a big grin.
“Who wants milkshakes?” he asked, looking at me.
“We do!” me and Michael yelled together. We would always get milkshakes if we went to church on Saturdays. It made me a little bit jealous of Johnny since he went every week, but I hated sitting through mass when we could be out playing, so it was only a little bit. Papa looked over at Johnny. He was just staring out the window.
“Two milkshakes, comin’ right up.” he said, still looking at Johnny as he started the car.
Luckily we got to the candy parlour before there was a line. Me and Michael jumped out of the car and ran straight for the doors. I was sitting on the left side so Michael had to wait for me to get out first this time. I heard Momma yell something about running in my dress as I ran away so I tried to go faster. Michael still beat me. We both ordered chocolate. Johnny stayed in the car, just lookin’ out that window. I don’t know anyone in the world that wouldn’t want a milkshake on a Saturday afternoon so when we got back in the car I gave him the rest of mine. He waved his hand like he didn’t want it, but I gave him the straw anyway. I think he really did want one. He had only had a couple sips when Michael grabbed the cup from me and dumped the rest into his.
“Hey!” I yelled at Michael, But Johnny just tapped my arm and shook his head.
“But it wasn’t‒” He squeezed my arm just like Momma had, so I shut up. No one said anything for the rest of the ride.
When we got home Me, Johnny, and Michael went right upstairs to get changed into our overalls. Mine were an old pair of Papa’s he gave me that were full of patches, but Mommas really good at sewing so they were still tough enough I’d say. I left them hanging out my window to dry last night because they got wet on the way home. Today they were nice and warm. Me and Johnny and Michael had been working on our camp out in the woods all summer, and we were almost done. We had walls and a lookout in a tree and even booby traps. The last thing to build was the fort in the middle. We found a beam at the old abandoned Salsbury house at the top of the Smith hill last week, but it was too big. We couldn’t figure out how to cut it since Papa wouldn’t let us use his tools and we’d broke Johnny’s saw last spring. Michael found an old fridge in the basement of the place. He named her Wanda and had the idea to drop her from a bedroom window and break the beam in half. We’d spent the last few days dragging her out of the basement and now we were ready to get her upstairs. It wasn’t easy. Wanda was huge. she was one of those nice fridges with the big heavy doors on them that are in Momma’s magazines. Michael says that someone dumped her and she wasn’t from the people that lived there. I don’t know where he got that idea ‘cause I don’t know anyone that would just leave a fridge in some old basement.
As we set out for Smith hill Michael told us what the plan was, “So, Wanda is still on the sled, we’ll just drag her around to the bottom of the stairs and then move the rig. Rosie, you can rip out all the nails and take the pulleys and ropes upstairs while me and Johnny move Wanda.”
“Yep.” I chirped. They rig we set up took a few tries to get right. We broke a lot of the basement stairs yesterday, but there are still enough to get up and down them. Today should be a lot easier.
We went right to work when we got there. It was already almost two and it would take another couple hours to get Wanda upstairs. Momma gets really mad at us if we’re not back in time for dinner so we had to do everything fast. Within an hour we were ready to start heavin’ ‘er up. I had nailed three pulleys to the floor at the top of the stairs, one for each of us. The ropes were attached to an old bookshelf Johnny changed into a sled; then him and Michael slid Wanda onto it when she was still in the basement.
“Ready?” yelled Michael,
“Ready!” I yelled back.
“Heave!”
The three of us pulled with all our might. It was a long few seconds before Johnny and Michael could wrap their rope around the beams behind us to rest. She moved only a few inches. A couple minutes later we did it again. By the time she was at the top of the stairs and laid out on the floor in was past six. We cleaned ourselves up as best we could and nervously started for home.
When we got in Papa was already sitting on the porch smoking his after dinner pipe and had his whiskey. It was easy to tell he wasn’t happy with us.
“Where were you?” He asked, looking straight at Johnny.
“We were up at the old Salsbury house,” replied Michael, “ Johnny forgot his watch.” He lied.
“I didn’t ask you, Michael. Get inside, and take your sister with you.”
“Yes sir.” Me and Michael hurried inside. There were three plates of cold food waiting for us on the table, and Momma was nowhere to be seen. I heard Papa from the porch again. I didn’t want to, but I stood there in the kitchen listenin’ and watched.
“Answer me, boy! Where the hell were you?” Johnny just looked at his feet, that same tired look in his eyes.
“Your little nigger friend came looking for you today. You know that?” Johnny looked up at Papa but still didn’t say anything.
“What? Were you two going to go back out to the shed? Huh? Goddamnit, boy answer me, or it’s your ***!” He gave him a hard slap across his cheek.
“Johnny..” I whispered, not meaning to.
“Shhh!” Michael shushed me from behind, I hadn’t realized he was watching too.
“You got some more little faggot friends up on the hill? Huh?”
Another slap
“Maybe we should show them what happens to little fairy ****s like you! Huh?”
And another.
“God ****ing dammit, You little fruit, answer me!” They both went quiet for a second, but it felt like forever. Johnny looked up at Papa again, this time with a different look, almost a smirk, and then whistled. Michael gasped from behind me and then tried to cover my eyes. I still saw Papa hit Johnny harder than I’d ever seen someone hit another person. The way he was knocked over it looked like Johnny had been hit by a runaway horse. Momma came runnin’ down stairs, screaming like the house was on fire. She went out and tried to grab Papa off Johnny but couldn’t stop him. He just kept wailing.
“Jack! Jack, No! No, Jack! Jack! No!” She yelled. And kept yelling as Michael carried me upstairs.
Michael rushed me into our room and put on my favourite King Cole Trio record. I was really trying not to cry, but I couldn’t help it. The tears were already there.
“I’ll be right back.” He promised, “Just wait here.”
I waited and waited. By the time he did come back I had started the record over five whole times. He took the needle off and sat down on his bed. He wasn’t crying, but there were tears in his eyes.
“Do you feel bad for him?” He asked. I knew he meant Johnny.
“I don’t know.” I replied. I did; but I didn’t think that was the right answer.
“You shouldn’t.” He turned out the lamp and rolled over. Johnny never came upstairs.
When I waked up in the morning Michael was gone. I went downstairs and Momma had breakfast ready. It was later than usual, she knew I’d been up late so she let me sleep in. Momma was real nice like that. One time on Michael’s birthday she got me and Johnny little presents too. She gave them to us while Michael and Papa were out and told us that they were secret and just for us. I think she knew we were jealous of how Papa gets with him. Its funny ‘cause me and Johnny didn’t even like what she got us. We traded. But it was a good feeling to know that she was thinkin’ about us anyway.
“Where’s Michael?” I asked.
“He went up to the hill.” Momma replied.
“And Johnny?” She paused for a moment and wiped a tear.
“He’s there too, baby”
I sat down to eat breakfast. Momma sat down with me. We didn’t talk about the night before. We didn’t talk at all. After I’d eaten I put on my overalls and went out to get more nails, just in case we needed ‘em. Papa was on the back porch smoking his pipe. I didn’t say anything to him and just ran for the shed. He stopped me.
“Where you goin’, Rosie?”
“Gettin’ some nails in case--”
“Gettin’ some nails?” he laughed, “What would a pretty little girl like you ever be needin’ nails for?”
“I could be needin’ nails for whatever I wanted, thank you!” I stomped my foot, but I wasn’t actually mad. Me and Papa always joked about how much like my brothers I was.
“Come on, baby. I think it’s time I showed you your surprise.” He brought me through the house to the front porch, where he had a stool sat with a towel.
“Git on up, Darlin’.” I sat up on the stool and he draped the towel over my shoulders, “Y’all just wait here.” He went back inside, I think he had it in his big old head that I didn’t know what the surprise was yet. He came back out with a pair of scissors and a big silly grin.
“Let’s git that hair down to size, huh? You want it like Michael’s?”
“No!” I yelled, “Like Huck Finn.”
“Well alright.”
Papa started snipping away. It only took about ten minutes. When he was done he stood me up and looked at his work. Momma came to look but didn’t say anything. I thanked them both. Papa handed me the nails I needed and told me to go find my brother and show him my new hair.
I got to the top of the hill and found Michael stacking cinder blocks and rocks underneath the window we were going to throw Wanda from.
“What you doin’?” I wondered aloud.
“Well,” he said, “If this beam is gonna snap it’ll need some room, so we’ll have to get it up off the ground.”
“Oh,” I had no idea what he was talking about. “Where’s Johnny?”
“He’s up getting Wanda ready to put on the windowsill so we can see where she’ll land.”
“You need help?”
“No. Go help the fairy.” He didn’t even look up to notice my hair.
I went inside the house and headed upstairs to find Johnny quietly sitting on top of the fridge. “Johnny?” I whispered. He turned around and looked at me. He had a large bruise up the side of his head and a swollen black eye. Michael appeared from behind us and looked at Johnny as if nothing was wrong.
“Geez, Rosie! You get in a fight with a tractor?” He laughed, then looked at Johnny, “Ready?” Johnny nodded. Together they lifted Wanda’s head onto the windowsill, and then heaved ‘er forward. When she was about to start teetering they tied ‘er off to a post of the wall frame. Michael went to clear the windowsill. Johnny was trying to keep ‘er up and pushed ‘er out a bit further, catching Michael’s hand underneath. He let out a scream of pain before talkin’ just like Papa.
“What the hell, Johnny?” He yelled, “Now you’re a fag and stupid? Look what you did!” Michael hit Johnny right in his black eye.
"What? You gonna go kiss your nigger again?” He hit him again. Johnny got that same look he gets with Papa, but stayed calm.
“Now I’m gonna go down under the window and tell you to move ‘er left or right. If I say left, move ‘er left.” There was a tone in Michael’s voice I never heard since, “You think you can handle that?”
Johnny just nodded. Michael headed downstairs and scruffed my hair on his way by.
I sat down in the neighbouring windowsill and watched Michael step out from the house and walk into Wanda’s shadow.
“OK, let ‘er slip out!” He yelled.
Johnny gave the rope enough slack that the fridge was toppled out of the window, but wouldn’t quite fall. This was it. A week of work to get that stupid thing up here was about to be worth it,
“Left!” Michael hollered up to us. I looked over at Johnny.
“Left.” I said. Johnny pulled at the rope and slid her a few inches to the left..
“OK now a little bit right!” Michael yelled again.
“Right.” I said to Johnny.
“Is he under it?” asked Johnny
“Yep.” I responded, without realizing what had happened. I looked over at Johnny. He was smiling; Just standing there with his hands in his pockets like he hadn’t said a word.
“Come on, let’s go get ready for church.”