Read Online Orchard of Hope by Ann H. Gabhart - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Ann H. Gabhart
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share your cookies, Sandy,” Jocie said, emphasizing the word “share” to be sure the little girl knew that was a good thing to do. Jocie moved over a little. “You want to look out the window with me and Murray?”
“What are you looking for?” Sandy asked.
“I was just watching all the people coming to church this morning.”
“Why didn’t they come for Sunday school?” Sandy asked. “My mommy says everybody should come to Sunday school to learn about Jesus.”
“Maybe they’ll all come to Sunday school next week,” Jocie said.
“Miss Vangie will have to bring more cookies,” Sandy said.
“She might.” Jocie laughed.
“Look.” Sandy put her finger against the window screen to point out toward the parking lot. “There’s your daddy’s girlfriend.”
“Oh, really. Who’s that?” Jocie said, even as she watched Leigh climb out of her tan and white ’59 Chevy with the fins in the back that looked like wings.
“Her.” Sandy shoved her finger a little harder against the screen. “Mommy told me.”
“Oh, you mean Leigh. You know, your mommy might be right,” Jocie said as she watched Leigh pick up her Bible and purse and then try to shut her car door with her free hand. The door didn’t budge. Leigh said the hinges must be broken or need oil or something. Sometimes when Jocie was with her, they both had to push on it to get it to shut. Now Leigh gave up trying to close it with her free hand and stepped around behind the door to push it shut with her backside. Jocie could hear the hinges creak all the way across the churchyard.
Leigh was wearing the new dress with the white top and yellow-and-white-striped skirt that she bought when she took Jocie shopping for school clothes last Monday after they’d visited Wes at the hospital. She’d lost almost ten pounds, and she said that kind of effort deserved a new dress.
She looked nice, Jocie decided, as she watched Leigh brush off the back of her skirt and head across the yard toward the church door. She was still what some of the church ladies might call pleasingly plump and far from skinny like Jocie was. Jocie was too skinny. If she stuffed her hair under a baseball cap and wore jeans, nobody would even guess she was a girl just by looking.
Leigh had laughed when Jocie had told her that as they were driving home from their shopping trip. “Better to be too skinny than too heavy. At least you can eat all the cakes and doughnuts you want without feeling guilty.”
“But don’t you think I should be starting to develop?” Jocie had asked.
“Develop what? Hives?” Leigh looked over at her with a smile.
Jocie didn’t smile back. “That sounds like something Wes would say.”
“It does, doesn’t it? His Jupiterian wit must be rubbing off on me.” Leigh laughed. Leigh laughed a lot.
“It’s not funny. You know what I mean. Something to fill out those new bras you helped me buy.” They’d bought the smallest cup size the store had, and they were still too big. “After all, I am almost fourteen.”
“I know. September twelfth. Chocolate cake with white and dark blue icing so our teeth can turn blue when we eat it.”
Leigh was a great cook, and the chocolate cake she had helped Jocie bake for Tabitha’s birthday in July was the best Jocie had ever eaten. Still, Jocie hadn’t been worried about chocolate cake right then. She just stared down at her hands without saying anything.
Leigh reached over to touch Jocie’s shoulder lightly. “I’m sorry, Jocie. But you really are beautiful just the way you are.” Leigh took her hand away and smacked the steering wheel. “Ooh, I can’t believe I said that. That’s what my mother used to tell me when I worried about being so chubby. It never made me feel the least bit better, and I’ll bet it didn’t you either.”
“Not really,” Jocie said.
Leigh let out a long sigh. “I guess it’s just a girl thing not being happy with the way we look.”
“I never thought
“What are you looking for?” Sandy asked.
“I was just watching all the people coming to church this morning.”
“Why didn’t they come for Sunday school?” Sandy asked. “My mommy says everybody should come to Sunday school to learn about Jesus.”
“Maybe they’ll all come to Sunday school next week,” Jocie said.
“Miss Vangie will have to bring more cookies,” Sandy said.
“She might.” Jocie laughed.
“Look.” Sandy put her finger against the window screen to point out toward the parking lot. “There’s your daddy’s girlfriend.”
“Oh, really. Who’s that?” Jocie said, even as she watched Leigh climb out of her tan and white ’59 Chevy with the fins in the back that looked like wings.
“Her.” Sandy shoved her finger a little harder against the screen. “Mommy told me.”
“Oh, you mean Leigh. You know, your mommy might be right,” Jocie said as she watched Leigh pick up her Bible and purse and then try to shut her car door with her free hand. The door didn’t budge. Leigh said the hinges must be broken or need oil or something. Sometimes when Jocie was with her, they both had to push on it to get it to shut. Now Leigh gave up trying to close it with her free hand and stepped around behind the door to push it shut with her backside. Jocie could hear the hinges creak all the way across the churchyard.
Leigh was wearing the new dress with the white top and yellow-and-white-striped skirt that she bought when she took Jocie shopping for school clothes last Monday after they’d visited Wes at the hospital. She’d lost almost ten pounds, and she said that kind of effort deserved a new dress.
She looked nice, Jocie decided, as she watched Leigh brush off the back of her skirt and head across the yard toward the church door. She was still what some of the church ladies might call pleasingly plump and far from skinny like Jocie was. Jocie was too skinny. If she stuffed her hair under a baseball cap and wore jeans, nobody would even guess she was a girl just by looking.
Leigh had laughed when Jocie had told her that as they were driving home from their shopping trip. “Better to be too skinny than too heavy. At least you can eat all the cakes and doughnuts you want without feeling guilty.”
“But don’t you think I should be starting to develop?” Jocie had asked.
“Develop what? Hives?” Leigh looked over at her with a smile.
Jocie didn’t smile back. “That sounds like something Wes would say.”
“It does, doesn’t it? His Jupiterian wit must be rubbing off on me.” Leigh laughed. Leigh laughed a lot.
“It’s not funny. You know what I mean. Something to fill out those new bras you helped me buy.” They’d bought the smallest cup size the store had, and they were still too big. “After all, I am almost fourteen.”
“I know. September twelfth. Chocolate cake with white and dark blue icing so our teeth can turn blue when we eat it.”
Leigh was a great cook, and the chocolate cake she had helped Jocie bake for Tabitha’s birthday in July was the best Jocie had ever eaten. Still, Jocie hadn’t been worried about chocolate cake right then. She just stared down at her hands without saying anything.
Leigh reached over to touch Jocie’s shoulder lightly. “I’m sorry, Jocie. But you really are beautiful just the way you are.” Leigh took her hand away and smacked the steering wheel. “Ooh, I can’t believe I said that. That’s what my mother used to tell me when I worried about being so chubby. It never made me feel the least bit better, and I’ll bet it didn’t you either.”
“Not really,” Jocie said.
Leigh let out a long sigh. “I guess it’s just a girl thing not being happy with the way we look.”
“I never thought
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