Sisters, Marie Brown [reading women txt] 📗

Rene nudged her leg. She spurted the tea back into the cup.


“Are you alright honey?”

“Yes mam.” She said. “Just went down the wrong windpipe. She coughed.”

“What you girls doing out here on a night like this anyhow?”

“We were looking for a house for sale and got lost.” Rene piped up. “it’s a really nice house with trees all around it.” The old lady smiled and nodded her head.

“How do you get of this mountain?” Mechell asked.

“Once a month Jack Humble comes by with his four wheel drive and takes me to the grocery store or where ever I need to go.”

“So you live by yourself. You don’t have any children?”

“One daughter.” The old woman’s eyes were distant.

“What’s your daughter’s name?”

“Charlotte. She’s a lawyer in California.” Rene picked up her cup and took a long sip. Mechell looked at her as if she’d lost her ever loving mind.
“Do you ever see your daughter?”

“Sometimes. Not too often anymore. She’s busy with work.” The silence was broken when the phone rang. The woman went into the adjoining room to answer it.


“We can call home now.” Mechell whispered.

“Yeah, but lets stay and talk with the nice lady awhile longer. She seems lonely.” Mechell looked at Rene and shook her head.

“There are some people in this world that I just don’t understand Rene, and you’re one of them.” Rene walked around the room looking at the what-knots and photo’s on the shelf. She picked up a picture of a small girl and the maybe the old woman. Mechell sat at the table holding her head in both hands.

“The old lady looks happy on this picture.” Rene said. Mechell laid her head on her arm now and rubbed around the nap of her neck with her fingers. And then the woman came back.

“You girls can use the phone when you like, but I do wish you would stay awhile longer. I’m making apple turnovers today.”

“Ok.” Rene said plopping back down into the chair. I was just look’n at your pictures. Is that your little girl?” She pointed. The woman got up and shuffled to the shelf.


“Yes, this is Charlotte.” She smiled. “Such a prissy thing back then.” the old woman put the picture back in it’s place on the shelf.

“I’m go’n to call my husband now if you don’t mind.” Mechell said.

“Sure.” The old woman replied. Mechell walked into the room where the phone was and Rene followed. After talking to Mark, Mechell told Rene they would pull the car out of the mud with bricks or whatever they could find. After telling the old woman they put on their shoes and went to work. The car slid out of the mud with two old boards placed under the tires. Rene put gas to the car while Mechell pushed.

“Let’s go tell the old woman we‘re leaving.” Mechell said wiping her hands on her pants.

“What about the apple turnovers?” Rene asked. Like I said before Rene, there are some people in this world that I just don’t understand, and you’re one of them.”

The delicate scent of food and warmth suffused the air at the shack. It was welcoming, just like the dream of a mama’s homemade cooking filled with love would have been like.

“We got the car out.” Mechell said.

“Oh, please stay a while longer. I would like to share all this food with someone. Homemade soup, corn fritters, and apple turnovers?”
Rene looked at Mechell. “Why not? Why are we in such a hurry, we have a while before the sun goes down.”

“Well…” Mechell said.


“Good,” Rene said took off her shoes. “Can I help with dinner?”

“Sure you can. Come on in the kitchen dear.” The old woman took Rene by the hand.

“Charlotte use to help me make the fritters.“

“You com’n?“ Rene looked back at Mechell. “In a minute.” Mechell said. “I feel a little queasy right now.”

“You go lay down sweetheart. Rene and I will wake you up when dinner is ready. You just rest some now.”

When Mechell woke up she went into the kitchen where Rene and the old lady were


talking about everything from cheerleading to first dates.

“You just gotta take a while to get to know each other before all that other stuff.” The old woman was saying.

“We put your plate in the oven to keep it warm. Let me get it.” She said when Mechell came into the room. She placed the plate in front of her sister only to watch her jump and run with her hands covering her mouth to the bathroom. When she came out she was a little ashen.

“I’m better now.” I’ve been getting nauseous lately but that‘s the first time I threw up.” She said taking a bite of tomato.

“How come you don’t move off this mountain.” She asked the old woman.

“Well, when I got out of jail I didn’t have any place else to go.” Rene’s mouth dropped and Mechell stopped chewing.

“Jail?” Rene echoed.

“Yes.” the woman answered. I was there for three years.”

“three years?” Rene echoed again.

“What did you go to jail for?” Rene asked

“They said I murdered my husband.”

“Oh my. Did you?” Mechell asked.

“Well, no, of course not. But no one would believe me.” the old woman looked down. It only matters now that my daughter believes me.”

“Doses she?”

“I don’t think so.” She never talks to me any more.

“What happened?” Mechell asked.

“He liked to hit me, and got some kind’a enjoyment out of throwing me around like a rag doll. Charlotte was just a small child. I wanted away from him before he would maybe hit her too. One day he fell into a empty well and died.”


“Why did everyone think you did it?” Rene asked.

“I was the one who covered the hole up with straw and weeds and stuff not thinking he would forget it was there. It was for chicken thieves. One day he came after me. I turned to run across the field. He was at my heels and my heart was beating fast. I jumped. He stepped into the hole and when I looked back he was gone.” The room was quiet.


“Wont you have some more fritters?” The old woman finally asked.

“No thank you.” Mechell said. We have to be going before it gets too late.”

“Ok girls, I packed you some sandwiches, soup and fritters to go.” The lines in her face were more evident than before, and the sadness in her eyes was unmistable.

“Thank you for all the help and for the food.”

“And the sassafras tea.” Rene said. “I hope that your daughter will one day see what a special person you are.” She said. Rene hugged the old woman and it felt like a mothers hug would feel. Tears pooled in Mechells eyes. They had melancholy warm hearts and were on their way home.

The leaves on the trees were glistening and the winds were still. A strong breeze every now and then caused a rustling bewilderment. Rene started to sing the song, “I think that I shall never see a poem….a poem as….” “As lovely as a tree.” Mechell finished.

“I think that Jeff and I will move the wedding date up.” She mused. And I don’t think that I want to live on top of a mountain.”

“Yeah.” Mechell said. “Although we met the nicest lady there.”

“You think she’ll ever make amends with her daughter?”

“I hope so.” Mechell said. The girls were home before they could say jack sprat.

Jack stayed home from work to greet the girls. He was anxious to see his wife to be.

“That realestate agent called for you. I told her where you were stuck on a mountain.”

“I’ll give her a call back this evening.” Rene smiled. “But first we’re go’n to look at that house you saw down the block.”


When Mechell got home she threw her bags in the closet and waited for Mark to call. It was late that night when he came home and the silence between them was not golden.
Rene came into the room where they sat watching cartoons. When she sat down Mark got up.

“What’s his problem?”

“I don’t know.” Mechell said.

“Well, I wanted to tell you something that will make you flip.”

“What?”

“I talked to the agent and told her how we got lost on top of the mountain look’n for that house. She told me that there is a shack in an alcove but it had been empy for years now.”

“Oh, yeah.” Mechell said.

“But wait a minute. Leoma Woods lived there and did go to jail but she never got out. She died of pneumonia while she was in there.”

“What?” Mechell’s eyes widened in disbelief. “But we were there and had dinner with her….”

“I know.” Mechell said.

“Let’s keep this to ourselves.” Rene said. “Even the boys will think we’re crazy.”

“Yeah.” Mechell agreed.

The summer of Rene and Jeff’s wedding was a summer of changes. Mark and Mechell separated and so she never told him that she was pregnant. She was in her second trimester.


Imprint

Publication Date: 08-22-2009

All Rights Reserved