Read Online Ghost Country by Sara Paretsky - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Sara Paretsky
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reading the Bible, they might find God—after all, He had demanded that Joshua spare Rahab the harlot, who was able to recognize a divine emissary. So, too, might the women in Hagar’s House someday come to Jesus. Might even save the church from some danger, although that was added with a snicker.
“And you know,” Mara said to Harriet, still next to her on the piano bench. “He makes Cynthia come along sometimes to hand out the Bibles and make coffee and shit. You know how hard he whipped her that time she came over to watch the hew Madonna video with me?”
“But Grandfather had told you that you weren’t to buy it: you know his feelings on that kind of pointless eroticism.”
“So he had to tell Rafe. I’ll never forgive him for that. I tried getting her to go to the emergency room, but Cynthia was afraid of what a doctor might say. Rafe’s turning her into a little Stepford wife. He’s joined that horrible bunch of hypocrites called Family Matters, you know, where men get together and learn to be men again, praying God to smite all the evil feminists in their midst andpick out Christian spouses for their children. Mrs. Lowrie left after he broke her arm all those years ago, but Cynthia’s been terrorized into thinking she’ll go to hell if she disobeys him.”
Cynthia Lowrie and Mara Stonds had begun an improbable friendship when they met in Sunday school at the age of nine. Cynthia’s mother had just run away with a computer repairman; Mara had no mother at all. Even in a world filled with divorce most girls had a mother. Mara and Cynthia were the only two in their whole Sunday school class who didn’t.
Mara told Cynthia her grandfather had locked Mara’s mother in the psychiatry wing at the hospital, even though nothing was wrong with her, and that he whipped Mara when she tried to smuggle a key to her mother. Cynthia’s whippings made a big impression on Mara, which is why she added that particular detail to the story. Grandfather never actually beat her, although Mrs. Ephers, furious with having such a liar on her hands, smacked her across the face and washed her mouth with soap.
They made Mara apologize to Rafe for the story: I’m sorry, she said. My grandmother was kidnaped by the Russians after World War Two because Grandfather is a spy for the CIA. My mother died when she tried to go to Russia to rescue my grandmother. They were both shot by a firing squad.
No punishment could cure Mara of her storytelling, as Harriet labeled Mara’s dramatic tales. Lies, Mephers said, and don’t try to dress them up as something prettier.
Rafe and Dr. Stonds didn’t agree on much, but they were united in wanting Cynthia and Mara to find other friends. Dr. Stonds hated the friendship because he thought Cynthia dragged Mara down: she ought to have friends who were ambitious for education and professional acclaim. After graduating from high school, Cynthia became a transcriber in the word processing center at a big insurance company. She was only going to work until Rafe found a good Christian mate for her.
For his part, Rafe tried to end the friendship because hethought Mara taught Cynthia to disobey him. Dr. Stonds let Mara talk back to him in a way that he, Rafe, would never tolerate. He’d made it clear that in his own home Mara was to treat him with the same respect Cynthia did. Now that she’d been thrown out of college, he hoped Cynthia could see what a slippery slope her friend was on. Cynthia would murmur, Yes, Daddy, No, I’m not seeing her these days, Daddy, not adding that they talked almost every day on the phone while Cynthia was at work.
“You know, now Rafe’s got his undies in a bundle because the Lenore Family Foundation is bringing in a psychiatrist to counsel the homeless.” Mara played chopsticks with her right hand. “It’s only once a week, on Fridays, but apparently the resident they picked is a Jew. Rafe has been screeching about how a Christian church ought to be able
“And you know,” Mara said to Harriet, still next to her on the piano bench. “He makes Cynthia come along sometimes to hand out the Bibles and make coffee and shit. You know how hard he whipped her that time she came over to watch the hew Madonna video with me?”
“But Grandfather had told you that you weren’t to buy it: you know his feelings on that kind of pointless eroticism.”
“So he had to tell Rafe. I’ll never forgive him for that. I tried getting her to go to the emergency room, but Cynthia was afraid of what a doctor might say. Rafe’s turning her into a little Stepford wife. He’s joined that horrible bunch of hypocrites called Family Matters, you know, where men get together and learn to be men again, praying God to smite all the evil feminists in their midst andpick out Christian spouses for their children. Mrs. Lowrie left after he broke her arm all those years ago, but Cynthia’s been terrorized into thinking she’ll go to hell if she disobeys him.”
Cynthia Lowrie and Mara Stonds had begun an improbable friendship when they met in Sunday school at the age of nine. Cynthia’s mother had just run away with a computer repairman; Mara had no mother at all. Even in a world filled with divorce most girls had a mother. Mara and Cynthia were the only two in their whole Sunday school class who didn’t.
Mara told Cynthia her grandfather had locked Mara’s mother in the psychiatry wing at the hospital, even though nothing was wrong with her, and that he whipped Mara when she tried to smuggle a key to her mother. Cynthia’s whippings made a big impression on Mara, which is why she added that particular detail to the story. Grandfather never actually beat her, although Mrs. Ephers, furious with having such a liar on her hands, smacked her across the face and washed her mouth with soap.
They made Mara apologize to Rafe for the story: I’m sorry, she said. My grandmother was kidnaped by the Russians after World War Two because Grandfather is a spy for the CIA. My mother died when she tried to go to Russia to rescue my grandmother. They were both shot by a firing squad.
No punishment could cure Mara of her storytelling, as Harriet labeled Mara’s dramatic tales. Lies, Mephers said, and don’t try to dress them up as something prettier.
Rafe and Dr. Stonds didn’t agree on much, but they were united in wanting Cynthia and Mara to find other friends. Dr. Stonds hated the friendship because he thought Cynthia dragged Mara down: she ought to have friends who were ambitious for education and professional acclaim. After graduating from high school, Cynthia became a transcriber in the word processing center at a big insurance company. She was only going to work until Rafe found a good Christian mate for her.
For his part, Rafe tried to end the friendship because hethought Mara taught Cynthia to disobey him. Dr. Stonds let Mara talk back to him in a way that he, Rafe, would never tolerate. He’d made it clear that in his own home Mara was to treat him with the same respect Cynthia did. Now that she’d been thrown out of college, he hoped Cynthia could see what a slippery slope her friend was on. Cynthia would murmur, Yes, Daddy, No, I’m not seeing her these days, Daddy, not adding that they talked almost every day on the phone while Cynthia was at work.
“You know, now Rafe’s got his undies in a bundle because the Lenore Family Foundation is bringing in a psychiatrist to counsel the homeless.” Mara played chopsticks with her right hand. “It’s only once a week, on Fridays, but apparently the resident they picked is a Jew. Rafe has been screeching about how a Christian church ought to be able
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