Read Online Heart of the Country by Rene Gutteridge - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rene Gutteridge
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hugged, but I let go of her because frankly I’m not much of a hugger. Never have been. At least since I was a kid. I tried not to stare at her, but it was hard. I mean, she looked like she’d run into a paint truck with that lipstick and eye shadow. And if her orange shirt got any louder and crisper, it might be a Cheeto.
Suddenly the door flung open and Nell and Vic were bounding toward us.
“I told you guys to stay in the truck.”
“Who’s that?” Nell said, pointing to Faith. “Here’s your medicine, Grandpa.”
“Girls,” Dad said, “this is your aunt. Faith. This is Nell and Victoria.”
Good grief, could this get any more awkward?
“Well, listen,” I said, huddling the girls and pushing them toward the house, “I know you two have a lot of catching up to do. Years’ worth, really. I’ve got to get home and get the schoolwork done. Faith, you just stopping by or are you here for a while?”
“Not sure yet.”
Of course you’re not . “Okay. Boy, wish I could be as whimsical as that. ’Course that’d throw Hardy for a loop, you know, me just up and leaving. Dad too, for that matter.” I let out an unfortunately timed laugh, which sent awkward ripples through the breeze.
“Daddy, pharmacist says that’s the same medication, it just looks different. New manufacturer or some such. Faith, I’m sure we’ll catch up soon. You might want to move that fancy car of yours. That gravel can put some real dings in even the nicest of paint.”
I heard Dad say something, but I pretended not to hear it. I let the back screen slam and continued to whisk the girls out front and toward the truck.
“I thought you said we’d stay for a little bit,” Nell whined.
“Not today. Busy, busy.” I hoisted Victoria into the truck and shut the door, then went around the back to try to catch my breath. My hands were shaking. It was like I’d seen a ghost or something.
I climbed into the truck and started it up.
“I didn’t know we had an aunt,” Nell said.
“’Course you did. I told you.”
“We never seen her,” Victoria said.
“Yes, well, she’s very busy with her life in New York.” So busy that she couldn’t pick up the phone. Told us she was married after the fact, on a postcard from someplace I’d never heard of. Eloped. I think I still had her present in a closet somewhere.
We drove up the dirt road. I cranked the air just to keep the kids from jabbering. The pumpkin sat there on the seat next to me.
After a while, Nell leaned forward from the backseat. “She looks like your mommy.”
I might’ve seen a ghost after all.
14
FAITH
“D ON’T WORRY ABOUT L IV. She’ll come around. Just shock, that’s all. I was getting ready to ask you if you’d called her to let her know you were coming.”
I looked at my feet. Pedicured toes peeking out of designer stilettos. Just didn’t fit the scene here. “No. I, uh . . . I wasn’t ready for that.” I lifted my head as a gentle breeze rustled the leaves. “Can we walk to the barn?”
Dad shrugged. “Sure.”
We walked in silence for a while. There was too much to say, and that was the problem with coming home. At least like this. But the simple walk to the barn brought me a comfort I couldn’t explain. Took me back to my roots, I guess.It’s easy to underestimate your roots until they’re all you’ve got left.
Beside me, Dad limped a little, like he had a bad knee. I’d have to ask him about that later. Every time I looked at him, he’d smile. Part of me wanted to just observe him without his knowing. His temples were gray. The skin over his eyelids sagging just a bit.
I had hoped the sadness would be gone from his eyes. But it was still there.
Dad unlocked the large door. I pulled one side; he pulled the other.
At the barn’s smell, I was instantly taken back to my childhood, memories bulleting through my mind so fast they were almost blurry. My mind wasn’t the one really seeing them, though. It was my heart.
I
Suddenly the door flung open and Nell and Vic were bounding toward us.
“I told you guys to stay in the truck.”
“Who’s that?” Nell said, pointing to Faith. “Here’s your medicine, Grandpa.”
“Girls,” Dad said, “this is your aunt. Faith. This is Nell and Victoria.”
Good grief, could this get any more awkward?
“Well, listen,” I said, huddling the girls and pushing them toward the house, “I know you two have a lot of catching up to do. Years’ worth, really. I’ve got to get home and get the schoolwork done. Faith, you just stopping by or are you here for a while?”
“Not sure yet.”
Of course you’re not . “Okay. Boy, wish I could be as whimsical as that. ’Course that’d throw Hardy for a loop, you know, me just up and leaving. Dad too, for that matter.” I let out an unfortunately timed laugh, which sent awkward ripples through the breeze.
“Daddy, pharmacist says that’s the same medication, it just looks different. New manufacturer or some such. Faith, I’m sure we’ll catch up soon. You might want to move that fancy car of yours. That gravel can put some real dings in even the nicest of paint.”
I heard Dad say something, but I pretended not to hear it. I let the back screen slam and continued to whisk the girls out front and toward the truck.
“I thought you said we’d stay for a little bit,” Nell whined.
“Not today. Busy, busy.” I hoisted Victoria into the truck and shut the door, then went around the back to try to catch my breath. My hands were shaking. It was like I’d seen a ghost or something.
I climbed into the truck and started it up.
“I didn’t know we had an aunt,” Nell said.
“’Course you did. I told you.”
“We never seen her,” Victoria said.
“Yes, well, she’s very busy with her life in New York.” So busy that she couldn’t pick up the phone. Told us she was married after the fact, on a postcard from someplace I’d never heard of. Eloped. I think I still had her present in a closet somewhere.
We drove up the dirt road. I cranked the air just to keep the kids from jabbering. The pumpkin sat there on the seat next to me.
After a while, Nell leaned forward from the backseat. “She looks like your mommy.”
I might’ve seen a ghost after all.
14
FAITH
“D ON’T WORRY ABOUT L IV. She’ll come around. Just shock, that’s all. I was getting ready to ask you if you’d called her to let her know you were coming.”
I looked at my feet. Pedicured toes peeking out of designer stilettos. Just didn’t fit the scene here. “No. I, uh . . . I wasn’t ready for that.” I lifted my head as a gentle breeze rustled the leaves. “Can we walk to the barn?”
Dad shrugged. “Sure.”
We walked in silence for a while. There was too much to say, and that was the problem with coming home. At least like this. But the simple walk to the barn brought me a comfort I couldn’t explain. Took me back to my roots, I guess.It’s easy to underestimate your roots until they’re all you’ve got left.
Beside me, Dad limped a little, like he had a bad knee. I’d have to ask him about that later. Every time I looked at him, he’d smile. Part of me wanted to just observe him without his knowing. His temples were gray. The skin over his eyelids sagging just a bit.
I had hoped the sadness would be gone from his eyes. But it was still there.
Dad unlocked the large door. I pulled one side; he pulled the other.
At the barn’s smell, I was instantly taken back to my childhood, memories bulleting through my mind so fast they were almost blurry. My mind wasn’t the one really seeing them, though. It was my heart.
I
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