caught with a whoosh and flames snaked around the pot. Satisfied, Corrine looked up and smiled at Andy.
***
It was almost four when the rabbit stew was finally ready. Corrine and Andy sat in opposing corners of the hut, enjoying their respective meals. She held her hot bowl with a bunched-up rag while he ate the buns from Aunt Magda. Both hadn’t said much since Corrine started cooking, and they were quiet now, each lost in their own thoughts.
“Your mother was a good person. She was sweet,” Corrine said suddenly. “And I’m sorry she’s gone.”
“Thanks. Your mother is a wonderful person too,” Andy said cautiously. He licked his lips when Corrine didn’t say anything. “I don’t understand why you hate her so much.”
She scoffed. “That’s one way to put it.”
Andy shook his head. “What is it about her that makes you go all weird? All she wants is for you to be happy. She works so hard despite Uncle Matt being what he is, and I’m sorry to say this about your father, but he is, in fact, a dead weight saddled to Aunt Magda. I mean, she’s trying. Can’t you give her a break?”
Corrine’s face broke into a wide grin. “I like the way you describe him.” She stuck a spoonful of stew into her mouth. “Anyway, I hate them both,” she said with her mouth full.
“I understand why you don’t like Uncle Matt. Seems like half the town hates him. But why Aunt Magda?”
“Well, she insists on staying with him, doesn’t she?”
“I’d say the better approach would be to talk to her.”
“Yeah.” She snickered. “That would work.”
“How did you get so smart if you dropped out of school, anyway?”
“I’m not stupid. I go to the town’s library every now and then. Keep the mind sharp.”
“Well then, you should have an idea how much she wants to talk to you, Einstein.”
“So?” She continued eating. Andy shook his head in disbelief. There it was again: her complete and utter indifference. She smiled. “You know what I did once?”
“What?”
“I told my dad that my mom had been selling bread behind his back.”
“Are you kidding? Why would you do that?” Andy was horrified. “The whole town’s trying to keep it a secret for her and you…”
Corrine laughed heartily. “Boy, you should have seen his face. He wanted the money and she kept saying she didn’t sell anything. So he picked up her rolling pin and whacked her to a pulp. Her eyes and face were so swollen, she couldn’t do anything for days. Just lay in bed.”
“You’re sick,” Andy spat, and Corrine smiled. “How could you do that to your mother? To anybody?”
“I didn’t lie, did I? Anyway, I felt like killing him with my bare hands afterward, if it makes you feel better.”
“Feel better?” Andy was incredulous. “I’m supposed to feel better at that? We’re talking about your parents. And your psychotic pleasures. What’s wrong with you?”
Corrine placed her empty bowl on the floor and rolled her eyes. “There you go again, getting all preachy and self-righteous.”
Andy didn’t know what to say. She never used to hate her mother like that. So what happened in the last three years? “How come she’s still selling? It looked like he didn’t know this morning.”
“Three days after he beat her up, I told him I lied about her selling stuff secretly. He got pissed and welted me, of course, but whatever. I’m used to it.”
By the time they finished, it was almost five and Andy was desperate to leave. It hadn’t been a good day, and he was exhausted.
“Remember, don’t tell anyone about this place. Especially my folks. Can I trust you?” Corrine asked as he picked up his bag to leave.
“Yeah.”
Andy left her alone but he didn’t head for the farmhouse. Instead, he went to Aunt Magda’s. He had to be careful about what he told the poor woman, now that Corrine expected him to keep her secrets. But when the time was right, he’d tell her everything.
When Andy reached the
***
It was almost four when the rabbit stew was finally ready. Corrine and Andy sat in opposing corners of the hut, enjoying their respective meals. She held her hot bowl with a bunched-up rag while he ate the buns from Aunt Magda. Both hadn’t said much since Corrine started cooking, and they were quiet now, each lost in their own thoughts.
“Your mother was a good person. She was sweet,” Corrine said suddenly. “And I’m sorry she’s gone.”
“Thanks. Your mother is a wonderful person too,” Andy said cautiously. He licked his lips when Corrine didn’t say anything. “I don’t understand why you hate her so much.”
She scoffed. “That’s one way to put it.”
Andy shook his head. “What is it about her that makes you go all weird? All she wants is for you to be happy. She works so hard despite Uncle Matt being what he is, and I’m sorry to say this about your father, but he is, in fact, a dead weight saddled to Aunt Magda. I mean, she’s trying. Can’t you give her a break?”
Corrine’s face broke into a wide grin. “I like the way you describe him.” She stuck a spoonful of stew into her mouth. “Anyway, I hate them both,” she said with her mouth full.
“I understand why you don’t like Uncle Matt. Seems like half the town hates him. But why Aunt Magda?”
“Well, she insists on staying with him, doesn’t she?”
“I’d say the better approach would be to talk to her.”
“Yeah.” She snickered. “That would work.”
“How did you get so smart if you dropped out of school, anyway?”
“I’m not stupid. I go to the town’s library every now and then. Keep the mind sharp.”
“Well then, you should have an idea how much she wants to talk to you, Einstein.”
“So?” She continued eating. Andy shook his head in disbelief. There it was again: her complete and utter indifference. She smiled. “You know what I did once?”
“What?”
“I told my dad that my mom had been selling bread behind his back.”
“Are you kidding? Why would you do that?” Andy was horrified. “The whole town’s trying to keep it a secret for her and you…”
Corrine laughed heartily. “Boy, you should have seen his face. He wanted the money and she kept saying she didn’t sell anything. So he picked up her rolling pin and whacked her to a pulp. Her eyes and face were so swollen, she couldn’t do anything for days. Just lay in bed.”
“You’re sick,” Andy spat, and Corrine smiled. “How could you do that to your mother? To anybody?”
“I didn’t lie, did I? Anyway, I felt like killing him with my bare hands afterward, if it makes you feel better.”
“Feel better?” Andy was incredulous. “I’m supposed to feel better at that? We’re talking about your parents. And your psychotic pleasures. What’s wrong with you?”
Corrine placed her empty bowl on the floor and rolled her eyes. “There you go again, getting all preachy and self-righteous.”
Andy didn’t know what to say. She never used to hate her mother like that. So what happened in the last three years? “How come she’s still selling? It looked like he didn’t know this morning.”
“Three days after he beat her up, I told him I lied about her selling stuff secretly. He got pissed and welted me, of course, but whatever. I’m used to it.”
By the time they finished, it was almost five and Andy was desperate to leave. It hadn’t been a good day, and he was exhausted.
“Remember, don’t tell anyone about this place. Especially my folks. Can I trust you?” Corrine asked as he picked up his bag to leave.
“Yeah.”
Andy left her alone but he didn’t head for the farmhouse. Instead, he went to Aunt Magda’s. He had to be careful about what he told the poor woman, now that Corrine expected him to keep her secrets. But when the time was right, he’d tell her everything.
When Andy reached the
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