Read Online Homesick Creek by Diane Hammond - Free Book Online Page B

wouldn’t break down right there in her own kitchen.
    “I can do it, Grammy,” the child said. She removed her coat with the greatest care and handed it to Anita to hang on the peg by the door.
    Anita cleared her throat and said, “Look, honey, I think the Food Fairy’s been here.”
    Crystal clapped her hands and helped Anita unpack two roasts, potatoes, carrots, celery, apples, oranges, Saltines, coffee and coffee filters, Oreos, pudding mix, rice, Potato Buds, milk, Campbell’s soups, hot dogs and hot dog buns, Life cereal, oatmeal, raisins, brown sugar, Kraft dinner, margarine, a dot-to-dot book, a Cinderella coloring book, a fresh package of crayons, and—here Anita broke down entirely and wept—a carton of Marlboro lights.
    Crystal stood beside her, patting her hand over and over. “It’s okay, Grammy,” she said gravely.
    “How did you know?” Anita said when Bunny answered the phone.
    “Dooley talks.”
    Anita clutched the receiver between her shoulder and chin, setting a plate of Oreos and a glass of milk on the table for Crystal. “I’ll pay you back,” she said.
    “Sure,” Bunny said, as though Anita ever had. “So is Doreen okay?”
    Anita lit a Marlboro and inhaled deeply with closed eyes, as discerning as a connoisseur of fine wines. God, but she’d always loved Marlboros. She let the smoke leak out her nose. “Danny got arrested again,” she said.
    “Shit.”
    “Yeah.”
    “For what?”
    “Drugs. Meth lab. Apparently he’s been helping a buddy do some cooking.”
    “She ought to just get out before he involves her.”
    “I know, but try telling her that,” Anita said.
    “Did you bring Crystal back?”
    “Uh-huh. She’s right here, eating the cookies and milk the food fairy brought us.”
    “Is she okay?”
    Anita shrugged, as though Bunny could see her. “You know.”
    “Yeah.”
    “You opening up again tomorrow morning?”
    “No,” Bunny said. “Beth Ann’s better.”
    “Thank God for small mercies,” they both said in unison.
    “All right,” Bunny said. “Let me know if you need anything.”
    “Yeah. Love you, honey.”
    “You too.”
    After Anita had hung up, Crystal said, “Is Granddad here?”
    “Can’t you hear him snoring?” Anita said. “Holy cow.”
    Crystal giggled. “He’s loud.”
    “Yeah, he’s loud. Sometimes it makes the walls shake.”
    Crystal looked at the walls in alarm.
    “Gram’s just pulling your leg.”
    Crystal looked at her leg.
    “It’s just an expression, sweetie.” Anita sighed. “It means Grammy’s just teasing you.” Didn’t Doreen ever talk to the child?
    “Oh.” Crystal wiped her hands on her shirt. Anita let it go. Crystal had had enough to deal with today, plus the shirt was a rag anyway; it looked like it had belonged to six other kids before it came to Crystal. Doreen would never wear secondhand clothes herself. Her things all came from Wal-Mart, fresh off the rack and in the latest style. She’d always been like that, too good to wear other people’s things. She was appalled that Anita got most of her things from the thrift shops. Anita didn’t know where she got such a high horse.
    She took three cookies from the bag, dunked them in Crystal’s milk, and savored the taste, her head blissfully empty of thoughts for the first time all day, even thoughts about Doreen and Danny. A kitchen full of food could do that. She smiled at Crystal. “Good?” she said.
    “Good,” Crystal said, licking milk off her last cookie before popping it whole into her mouth.
    “Let Gram clean your hands and then how about we go into the living room?” Anita said, getting a dish towel wet and mop-ping at Crystal’s hands. Crystal bounded into the living room before Anita had even hung the towel back up, running straight to the toy chest Bob had made for her. Inside, it was packed with toys Anita picked up at Goodwill: dolls with both eyes and most of their hair, stuffed animals, a toy school bus with two toy children,