Chapter 34
When I get back to our house, it takes me some time to stop shaking to where my teeth quit chattering. I got to go in my room and shut the door awhile.
I barely even remember getting fitted for school dresses.
By the time I went downstairs, all the girl cousins had gone home so it was just me and some older boys.
When I was done, Mr. Oney went to open the truck door for me and I flat-out told him, It is all right, Mr. Oney, I don’t need the special treatment now, you just do the driving.
He is a sweet old man who shakes and does not ever say much to me.
I thanked him for the peppermint candy he gave me, but I couldn’t stomach the thing yet.
Wouldn’t you know it, Lucille had got up before nine o’clock this morning. What was that all about? she asked. What did she want with you? I guess Willy May had told her where I’d gone.
She just wanted to fit me for dresses. Get me some clothes ready for school.
Lucille narrowed her eyes. I knew she was thinking it is her job to order me around, not Mrs. Heidelberg’s. But Tom said, I think Mama’s grown fond of you, Meg. As she should. He tousled my hair that I had combed down flat.
I wish I could tell Tom what she has me doing.
Lucille can go sit naked in a fire ant bed far as I’m concerned, but I know it would hurt him bad.
Even though he is a grown man, Tom is what you call sensitive.
The man would not last a week at the Orphan.
And at his age, who wants to hear you’re getting spied on by your mother?
I spend the afternoon in my room, out of Lucille’s way, reading the rest of Huckleberry Finn, and practice my lying faces in the mirror.
That night, Lucille fixes herself a whole pitcher of liquor alcohol.
I get the jitters watching it even though I have not known Mrs. Heidelberg to come here after dark.
Then I get to wondering could she smell it over the telephone if she called?
I have never used the thing or even touched it.
Lucille is drinking them down one after the other, working herself up, getting angrier and angrier at Tom for saying they didn’t need the money, what kind of idiot goes and says something like that?
How many drinks are you going to have tonight, Lucille? Tom finally asks her. How I hope he has had it up to here with her.
Lucille snarls her red lip at him. If she snapped one of his fingers off with her teeth, I would not be surprised. How many do you think I should have, TOM? To forget all your broken promises. To forget how rude your mother is to me. To forget how bored I am all day? How many, Tom?
Tom looks away. He does not want to answer that. I don’t know if the liquor alcohol makes Lucille STUPID like Mrs. Heidelberg said, but it sure makes her meaner.
All through this, I stare at the empty bottle she left sitting out on the kitchen counter. I do not relax again until she takes it outside, throws it in the trunk of her car, and then wobbles up to bed. I search the rooms for any evidence she could have left behind.
I do not fall asleep easy for worrying about that liquor. When I do finally rest, I get woke up to a terrible sound of snarling outside. I think it is a whole pack of those wild dogs chasing after some poor tired animal in the yard. But it might just be something going on in my head.
The next morning, when I hear Mrs. Heidelberg roll up the drive, I run downstairs and check again that everything is still perfect.
Not a cork or a glass or even a fingernail’s worth of that red wax on the floor.
I know Lucille is bound to have one of her hangover headaches, but when I sniff her, she is smelling regular.
Least I don’t have to worry about Tom. He lives the straight life.
Lucille puts on a big phony smile, thinking everything is fine. It is sort of hard to watch.
When she says, Why, Isabelle, doesn’t that pink suit make you look smart! Mrs. Heidelberg says, I am smart, Lucille. I don’t need a pink suit to do that.
It is fascinating how that insult rolls right off Lucille. I could stand to learn that myself.
Tom walks in and his mama gives him a big hug. I’m afraid I can’t visit today, Mama. I need to keep working.
I understand, Son. I just wanted to come by and say hello. The way she looks up at him, I know she longs for him to tell her the truth. I hate to see him make a fool of himself, but I had no choice in the matter. I hope you know your father and I are so proud of you.
Thank you, Mama. You know that’s all I want, is to make you and Daddy proud.
When he leaves the room and it is clear to Mrs. Heidelberg it’ll be just Lucille and me having a morning talk—Well, I probably should get on home too. I brought y’all some lemon icebox pie, Lucille. You’ll want to keep it chilled. Meg, walk me to my car, please?
Lucille looks twice at me. But I follow Mrs. Heidelberg out, and when Mr. Oney opens the car door for her, she says low, Anything you need to tell me, Meg?
I look her in the eye and say it good and firm. No, ma’am, there is no drinking going on in this house, just like I practiced.
Good girl.
This time when Lucille asks why would she out of the blue ask me to walk her out, I look very genuine and above the law. Just likes my company, I guess. Which I hope will eat her alive. I am getting better at this.
Let me tell you something: There is nothing better than riding up front in the car with the windows down.
The company aside, this day could be perfect.
Lucille drives a lot faster than Tom. One hand on the wheel, the other propped on the window with her cigarette lit.
She only cranks hers down a couple inches, but I take mine all the way down.
Since it is just the two of us, I get to sit up front this time.
When we turn on the main dirt road, she flips the radio on, and it goes right to playing a song called “Ten Cents for a Dance.” Lucille hums along to it and I try and do the same.
It was a edge-of-your-seat situation in the kitchen this morning.
Tom was in there waiting on coffee to boil, and Lucille was waiting on somebody to pour it.
I was enjoying a breakfast of pancakes with syrup and butter, wondering what in the hell I could do different today.
I am getting bored staying at the house all day.
What used to sparkle new now just kind of feels like a regular old thing.
Then Willy May made her big announcement.
It was timed so perfect you’d a thought we’d rehearsed the thing.
You cousins going to the little sto today, Meg, Willy May said. Like I said, she did this kind of thing often. But this morning she said it extra loud.
What’s the little sto? I asked. I made sure Tom and Lucille heard me ask.
Mr. Little sto over by the railroad tracks. You cousins going shopping fo they school materials. Why you don’t go with ’em? You gone need things fo school too.
I looked quick up at Tom standing by the stovetop. He looked at Lucille. She raised a eyebrow at me sitting next to her at the little table.
Shortly after, Tom said, Thank you, Willy May, we can take it from here.
Tom was sitting down when he said, Willy May’s got a point. Meg’s going to need things for school soon.
In nine days, if you count Saturdays and Sundays, I said. Lucille gave me a look for interrupting.
Why don’t you and Meg go to the Little store with the others? Tom said.
Lucille took a sip of her coffee and said, Tom, not today.
Lucille didn’t ever want me to have any fun with those cousins, but school was necessary. I was itching to get my hands on some school materials to organize them all perfect on my table. I like to be prepared. I want to be the readiest person ever to walk into sixth grade.
Darling, it’s starting to look strange how we keep Meg away from the rest of the cousins, Tom said. And frankly you too. You shouldn’t be so standoffish with the other mothers.
Lucille lit her cigarette. I wish she would not do that while I am eating. I’ve tried, Tom, but there’s no use. That Sarah is a bitch and Rowena is a liar.
I don’t know either one of them good, but it did not surprise me about Gloria’s mama.
They’re just jealous, darling, and probably a little intimidated. We show up here from New York City, and Mama and Daddy give us this house and a car right away.
And no money, Lucille said. I never asked for a house like this. I was perfectly happy with a classic six on the park.
Far as I could tell, they didn’t know what Marybeth told me. That Gloria’s mama hates Lucille because she is the reason they had to move out the red house. And I wasn’t going to be a little fool and tell her either. She was grumpy with a hangover headache this morning.
It would probably help if you at least pretended that you liked living here when you’re around the other mothers, Tom said. Instead of always complaining to them how it’s not like New York.
Lucille inhaled her cigarette, blew it out. I waited for the argument. But she said, What do you suppose I would buy these school supplies with? Store scrip?
Scrip was fake sharecropper money, that was a known fact. But Tom got up and came back and handed Lucille some real cash money and change. I have two dollars and fifteen cents. That should be enough for school supplies. I’m sorry it’s not more.
Well you should’ve seen Lucille’s jaw drop—two dollars and fifteen cents was what he expected her to go shopping with? I got ready for the argument. I was about to exit myself from the room so as not to have to listen, when Tom pulled out his ace card.
If you want to be on good terms with Mama and get back on the dividends, I’m telling you. It would be smart to spend time with your sister-in-law.
Lucille watched him close. She could not resist the smell of money. She set her coffee cup down and said, Fine. I’ll go get dressed.