Read Online I'll Stand by You by Sharon Sala - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Sharon Sala
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gang up on one little boy who is much younger and smaller?” Jane snapped.
Luwanda sputtered. “Well, he must have been doing something to—”
“Oh yes, he did something all right! He got gum stuck in his hair. His brother cut it out and sent him to school, where four bullies decided not only to taunt him for it, they kicked him all over the room.”
Luwanda gasped. “That’s not how—”
“That little Pine boy is one of my boys. He’s seven years old and in the second grade. He’s barely past a baby and now, because of those little thugs, he has a broken nose, broken ribs, loose teeth, black eyes, and deep muscle contusions. Your little choir boys brutalized him and I, for one, am furious about it!”
Luwanda’s lips flapped but no words came out.
Vera was shocked. She knew he’d been hurt but had no idea to what extent.
“Are you serious? They did all that?” she asked.
“Yes, they did. I spoke to Johnny myself. They had to take him to the emergency room, and he can’t go to school for Lord knows how long. And Johnny didn’t call the police; the doctor did. Assault is against the law and the victim was a child. It was his duty.”
Luwanda tore off her cape, flung a twenty-dollar bill on Vera’s counter and grabbed her purse as she took a step toward Jane.
Jane stood, the vent brush still dangling down the back of her neck and her fingers curled into fists.
Right in the middle of the Curl Up and Dye, the two middle-aged women sized each other up like two broody setting hens with only one nest between them.
“I never took you for a lover of white trash,” Luwanda snapped.
Jane’s eyes narrowed. “White trash isn’t a location, Luwanda Peeples. It is how someone acts, and in my book, you just put yourself right in the Dumpster.”
Luwanda gasped. “I won’t forget this!”
Jane shook her head. “I should hope not. Maybe next time you’ll get your facts straight instead of spreading lies.”
Luwanda charged for the front door at a lope while the rest of the women watched her go. The door squeaked as she yanked it open, and then she slammed it shut behind her.
Ruby thought to herself that she needed to oil those hinges. The silence afterward was almost uncomfortable until Mabel Jean came in the back door. She took one look at the women and grinned.
“What did I miss?”
Ruby looked at Vera, and then they both looked at Jane and burst into laughter.
Mabel Jean’s grin widened.
“Come on. Really. What happened?”
Jane plopped back down in Ruby’s chair.
“I’m not going to apologize,” she muttered.
Ruby carefully unwound the vent brush from Jane’s hair and turned on the dryer.
“And you should not. Do you part your hair on the right or on the left?”
Chapter 5
Yesterday it was rain that had kept Granny’s Country Kitchen busy, and today it was the elementary school scandal. Everyone had taken sides, and they weren’t shy about voicing it. Granny’s was the best forum in town.
Lovey held an early morning employee meeting in the kitchen, cautioning her employees not to get involved in the growing disagreement, but it was all they could do to take and serve orders without commenting, because everyone had an opinion.
The waitresses kept Dori and Walter filled in on what was being said as they hustled in and out with orders. But the uglier the comments became, the angrier Dori became. A little boy had been seriously injured, and half the town seemed to have forgotten that. She was banging pots and clanking cutlery with obvious vehemence, voicing her opinion of the whole mess in a somewhat subversive manner.
Walter slapped another couple of hamburger patties on the grill and then put some buns off to the side to toast. He didn’t know what to make of Dori’s behavior. Normally she was so quiet, he almost forgot she was there, but not today. He looked at her again and decided she wore anger well.
Dori caught him looking at her and frowned.
“What?”
“I was
Luwanda sputtered. “Well, he must have been doing something to—”
“Oh yes, he did something all right! He got gum stuck in his hair. His brother cut it out and sent him to school, where four bullies decided not only to taunt him for it, they kicked him all over the room.”
Luwanda gasped. “That’s not how—”
“That little Pine boy is one of my boys. He’s seven years old and in the second grade. He’s barely past a baby and now, because of those little thugs, he has a broken nose, broken ribs, loose teeth, black eyes, and deep muscle contusions. Your little choir boys brutalized him and I, for one, am furious about it!”
Luwanda’s lips flapped but no words came out.
Vera was shocked. She knew he’d been hurt but had no idea to what extent.
“Are you serious? They did all that?” she asked.
“Yes, they did. I spoke to Johnny myself. They had to take him to the emergency room, and he can’t go to school for Lord knows how long. And Johnny didn’t call the police; the doctor did. Assault is against the law and the victim was a child. It was his duty.”
Luwanda tore off her cape, flung a twenty-dollar bill on Vera’s counter and grabbed her purse as she took a step toward Jane.
Jane stood, the vent brush still dangling down the back of her neck and her fingers curled into fists.
Right in the middle of the Curl Up and Dye, the two middle-aged women sized each other up like two broody setting hens with only one nest between them.
“I never took you for a lover of white trash,” Luwanda snapped.
Jane’s eyes narrowed. “White trash isn’t a location, Luwanda Peeples. It is how someone acts, and in my book, you just put yourself right in the Dumpster.”
Luwanda gasped. “I won’t forget this!”
Jane shook her head. “I should hope not. Maybe next time you’ll get your facts straight instead of spreading lies.”
Luwanda charged for the front door at a lope while the rest of the women watched her go. The door squeaked as she yanked it open, and then she slammed it shut behind her.
Ruby thought to herself that she needed to oil those hinges. The silence afterward was almost uncomfortable until Mabel Jean came in the back door. She took one look at the women and grinned.
“What did I miss?”
Ruby looked at Vera, and then they both looked at Jane and burst into laughter.
Mabel Jean’s grin widened.
“Come on. Really. What happened?”
Jane plopped back down in Ruby’s chair.
“I’m not going to apologize,” she muttered.
Ruby carefully unwound the vent brush from Jane’s hair and turned on the dryer.
“And you should not. Do you part your hair on the right or on the left?”
Chapter 5
Yesterday it was rain that had kept Granny’s Country Kitchen busy, and today it was the elementary school scandal. Everyone had taken sides, and they weren’t shy about voicing it. Granny’s was the best forum in town.
Lovey held an early morning employee meeting in the kitchen, cautioning her employees not to get involved in the growing disagreement, but it was all they could do to take and serve orders without commenting, because everyone had an opinion.
The waitresses kept Dori and Walter filled in on what was being said as they hustled in and out with orders. But the uglier the comments became, the angrier Dori became. A little boy had been seriously injured, and half the town seemed to have forgotten that. She was banging pots and clanking cutlery with obvious vehemence, voicing her opinion of the whole mess in a somewhat subversive manner.
Walter slapped another couple of hamburger patties on the grill and then put some buns off to the side to toast. He didn’t know what to make of Dori’s behavior. Normally she was so quiet, he almost forgot she was there, but not today. He looked at her again and decided she wore anger well.
Dori caught him looking at her and frowned.
“What?”
“I was
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