Chapter 8 #2
Donnie burst out laughing, the robust sound filling the room. Maudra glared at him for a moment and then, unable to stifle her giggle, joined in.
It was so out of place that I had to stare at the furry mass in the chair before my brain could accept what my eyes were seeing.
Sitting straight up on its haunches, wide eyes darting back and forth among the three of us, was an enormous raccoon.
Maudra regained control first and went over to her chair, brushed the raccoon to the side with her hand, and sat back down. The raccoon glanced warily once more at Donnie and climbed onto Maudra’s lap.
Maudra reached out and swatted Donnie’s knee.
“Hush now. Goodness, ya’d think the damned thing just told a joke with all your carryin’ on.
” She began to absentmindedly stroke the raccoon’s back as she returned her focus to me.
“Brooke, this here’s Thurston.” She paused and then seemed to think the situation required more explanation. “He’s a raccoon.”
“Yeah, thanks, Maudra, caught that.” I stared at the animal in disbelief. “Only you could get away with having a raccoon for a pet. Where in the world did you get that?”
“First of all, Brooke, it’s a him, not a that.
And his name’s Thurston. And I didn’t get him, he got me.
Wandered right through my door one evenin’ when I was fryin’ some catfish.
He weren’t no more than a bitty little pup, but he didn’t even act a bit shy.
Came right up to me, as if I’d been givin’ ’im fish his whole life.
” She beamed down at him in adoration. “I looked ’round for his mamma but didn’t see a thing, so he jist stayed. ”
“First Scamper the squirrel, and now Thurston the raccoon. You do beat all, Maudra.”
“Well, look at that, Brooke, you remember Scamper’s name. That’s awful sweet a ya.” Maudra actually looked touched.
“Maudra, I guarantee you that tales of the lady who had a squirrel named Scamper will be told in this town long after we are gone.” I grinned at her.
“And now that Thurston here is going to be added into the story, they might as well make a statue of you and put it down by the bandstand in the park, make you some kind of living legend or something.”
I hadn’t noticed Donnie reaching into his pocket and taking out a piece of beef jerky.
He unexpectedly gave me a wink and tossed the jerky onto my lap.
Without so much as a blink, the raccoon launched itself from Maudra’s lap and leapt onto mine.
I barely caught the cake that was resting in my lap before it crashed to the floor.
The raccoon clutched the beef jerky between its little hands and contented itself perched on my leg as it rapidly nibbled away at it.
Donnie doubled over in laughter once again.
“Donnie Durke. If you can’t get yerself together, you just get yerself on home.
You can just let me catch up with Brooke here on my own.
” Maudra’s voice was stern, but she was clearly enjoying the spectacle as much as Donnie.
“I’ll call your mamma and let her know what kind of boy she raised. Thirty years old and actin’ a fool.”
“It’s worse than that, Maudra,” Donnie wheezed as he caught his breath. “I’m thirty-two now.”
“Now you just hesh up! You gettin’ older jist means I am too.” Maudra shook her finger at him.
“Wow!” I exhaled. “You’re thirty-two. I can’t believe it.” For some reason, hearing Donnie’s age took me by surprise and sparked a second of sadness. I’d missed so much of his life.
“Well, yeah. You aren’t exactly a spring chicken yourself. You’ve always been one year behind me, unless you’ve figured out a way to slow that down. Thirty-one, right?”
“Yeah,” I murmured.
“Well, didn’t expect me to be nineteen still like the last time you saw me, did ya?” he teased.
I stroked Thurston, who was now curled up in my lap. His warmth and soft fur were soothing. “I guess I did, actually,” I murmured.
My emotions must have shown on my face. “Aw, Brooke, I’m sorry.” Donnie grew serious. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just teasing. I don’t hold anything against you. You did what you had to do to get away. You always wanted to. I’ve just missed you. I’m glad you’re back, that’s all.”
“We’re all glad yer back, Brooke. You’ve kept yerself away too long.
” Maudra snapped her fingers, and Thurston stretched, climbed down my leg, and waddled back over to curl up over Maudra’s feet.
His absence left me feeling cold and exposed.
“Well”—Maudra’s tone turned abrupt—“I told ya yesterday that I was ’specting for ya ta talk last night.
I ended up givin’ ya more time than I meant to, so it’s time now.
” She nodded for emphasis. “So, first off. I see ya got a ring on. Must mean yer married.” Her eyes met mine with more directness.
“So where is this husband a yers, and why didn’t he come down here with ya? ”
My jaw dropped. I forgot to breathe.
“Maudra!” Donnie admonished. “Couldn’t you have said that a little more delicately? Could have led up to it, at least.”
“Oh phew! We’re all friends here. Ain’t gonna waste time with a bunch of questions just so I can get to where I wanna be anyway. And I do care fer what Brooke’s goin’ through right now, but I ain’t gonna sugarcoat things when there ain’t no reason.” She looked back at me. “So, where is he?”
My mouth opened and closed several times before I could get sound out. “How… how did you know? Did Mom tell you?”
“How’d we know what? That you’re married or that you’re a fagger?”
“Maudra!” Donnie beseeched her with bulging eyes.
“What?” She raised her hands in innocence. “He is!”
I cut in. “I didn’t know you knew I was gay. I can’t believe Mom told you.”
Donnie shook his head and smiled gently. “She didn’t.”
“Well, at least that she remembers,” Maudra scoffed.
“Maudra! Cut it out!” Donnie gave her another glare and turned back to me. “Sorry, Brooke. I didn’t know we were going to bring it up right now. We already knew without your mom having to say anything.” He shrugged. “I’ve always known.”
“What?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I’d never told anyone I was gay besides my mother.
“Well, cuz, it wasn’t that hard to figure out. You never dated any girls, and you cooked a lot.” He grinned at me sheepishly.
“Well now, that’s just stupid, Donnie. Cookin’ don’t mean a damn thing.” She looked back at me. “You remember Ray, my brother, don’tcha?”
I nodded. He had lived with Maudra for as long as I could remember. He died when I was in fifth or sixth grade. He’d always been kind of timid and creepy. He never came to church with Maudra. People had always said not to talk to him. I hadn’t.
Maudra continued. “Ray was gay too, and he couldn’t even burn toast. I learned how to recognize others from bein’ ’round him, I suppose.
” She reached down and scooped up Thurston and returned him to her lap.
“Plus, he told me that you were gay, or at least you were gonna be, if ya didn’t get married first. A plenty of ’em here in town do that, you know.
They don’t think anybody realizes, but I do. Ray did too.”
It was like my entire childhood had morphed into something I didn’t even recognize.
All the years agonizing over someone finding out.
Doing my best to cover my feelings. Never letting my gaze linger too long on the other boys.
Feeling like I was all alone and could never tell anyone.
Now to find out that my cousin and Maudra had known all along, and Ray, a man I’d never even spoken to.
How many others had known my secret? I thought I had done such a convincing job.
“You okay, Brooke?” Donnie was inspecting me, concerned.
“Ah, yeah, sure.” I cleared my throat. “That was just a lot of information all at once. Not really sure what to do with it.”
“Well, how ’bout you tell why this husband a yers ain’t here when you need ’im!”
“Maudra! Seriously! Cut it out!” Donnie growled.
“No, it’s okay.” I looked at them both, seeing them completely differently than I ever had before.
Why hadn’t they ever said anything? “My husband’s name is Jed.
He’s a great man. I guess we aren’t really married.
It’s not legal or anything, you know. But the ceremony was six years ago.
We were together about a year before that, a little less. ”
Maudra and Donnie exchanged looks. I kept going.
“Don’t worry, Maudra. He’d be here if he could.
All of this happened so suddenly. Jed’s a college professor.
He had already committed to several classes this semester and didn’t feel right about leaving them in a bind.
He’s gonna move down here at Christmas when the semester is over.
” I looked at Maudra once again. “We’re going to get an apartment. Don’t worry.”
Maudra guffawed. “Why the hell would ya do somethin’ as stupid as that? You know good ’n’ well all the apartments in this town are crap. Why ain’t you stayin’ here?”
“We didn’t want to put you out. And I didn’t want to ask you to have to have gay people in your home.”
Maudra glowered at me severely, almost angrily.
“Now you listen here, Brooklyn Morrison. That’s about the most insultin’ thing I’ve heard in a good while.
Like there’s somethin’ you could tell me that would make me not welcome you in my home.
Gay brother or not! You and Jed are gonna live here till y’all get everythin’ figgered out and decide what you gonna do. You hear me?”