Read Online Porch Lights by Dorothea Benton Frank - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Dorothea Benton Frank
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they say these days,” Jackie said.
“Well, then what does ‘booty’ mean these days in the parlance of the young people?”
Jackie laughed then, and I loved the sound of it. “Um, it’s what you shake on the dance floor, Mom. Why are you asking me that?”
“Because I used it to describe pirate’s loot, and Charlie nearly choked. He told me I was using a bad word. Imagine a ten-year-old correcting his grandmother? I just corrected him right back.”
“I’m sure you did, Mom.”
“Well, excuse me!”
Jackie laughed again. “It’s okay, Mom. You can correct him all you want. But you talk like you’re a hundred-year-old woman!”
“Humph,” I said, “I think I still have a whole lot of living left to do, if it’s okay with you and the rest of the world!”
To my surprise, Jackie gave me a hug. “I think . . . if I lost you? I don’t know what I would do. You know that, don’t you?” she said and took a big sniff as though she was going to turn on the waterworks any second.
“Well, now, come on, let’s not get all sentimental . . . I’m not going anywhere for a long time! Besides, we have a lot to do! We have a gentleman coming for supper!”
Chapter 5
“Well!” I said, after contemplating it for some minutes, “this is a strange scarabœus, I must confess: new to me: never saw anything like it before—unless it was a skull, or a death’s-head—which it more nearly resembles than anything else that has come under my observation.”
—Edgar Allan Poe, “The Gold-Bug”
Jackie
A gentleman coming for dinner. Great. Actually, on second thought, it might be nice to have a diversion at the dinner table, especially for Charlie’s sake, although Charlie seemed to be pretty fascinated by my mother’s tutorial about all things pertaining to the Lowcountry. I should tell you that in that short span of time since Steve had left to take a shower, she seemed to have had a total nervous breakdown. You would think Prince Harry was dropping by tonight for a barbecue with the way she began flitting around. She dashed out to the grocery store and came home with ten bags brimming with food. In between paring potatoes, trimming asparagus, and baking bread, she put new candles everywhere and a candy bowl on the buffet, and she even put a scented votive candle and fresh flowers with sprigs of lavender in the bathroom. It wasn’t a bad thing to be excited about having company, but her sweet spot for the boy next door made me a little uneasy. Someone probably needed to tell Daddy, but I did not want to be that someone. It was usually best to stay out of other people’s business, and she probably didn’t even realize how transparent she was.
I knew she was standing at the door to my room because she arrived in a cloud of perfume, and when I turned to look at her, there were those infamous red lips. Yikes, I thought, don’t be so obvious, girlfriend. But my mother’s heart had always been worn on her sleeve.
“Hi!” I said. “Do you need a hand with dinner?”
“What? Are you going to wear that T-shirt? I mean, it’s fine, but I was thinking you might want to wear something pretty?”
I narrowed my eyes into the smallest slits possible and scowled at her.
“Oh, dear! I’m sorry, Jackie. I’ve offended you. I just . . . oh, listen to me, will you? Going on and on. It’s just my nerves acting up. Wear whatever you like. Of course. Wear whatever you like.”
“Thanks.” I was still annoyed. “So, um, is there anything I can do to help?”
“Oh, would you be a dear and set up the bar on the porch? I was thinking it would be nice to sit outside until it gets dark. Just gin and vodka and tonic and the vermouth, of course, and a shaker, and oh, some lemon peels and olives? Oh, and lime wedges. And maybe a little bowl of nuts? Obviously, we’ll need an ice bucket . . .”
“Mom? He’s coming at six thirty and it doesn’t get dark until nine. We’ll get completely hammered if we
“Well, then what does ‘booty’ mean these days in the parlance of the young people?”
Jackie laughed then, and I loved the sound of it. “Um, it’s what you shake on the dance floor, Mom. Why are you asking me that?”
“Because I used it to describe pirate’s loot, and Charlie nearly choked. He told me I was using a bad word. Imagine a ten-year-old correcting his grandmother? I just corrected him right back.”
“I’m sure you did, Mom.”
“Well, excuse me!”
Jackie laughed again. “It’s okay, Mom. You can correct him all you want. But you talk like you’re a hundred-year-old woman!”
“Humph,” I said, “I think I still have a whole lot of living left to do, if it’s okay with you and the rest of the world!”
To my surprise, Jackie gave me a hug. “I think . . . if I lost you? I don’t know what I would do. You know that, don’t you?” she said and took a big sniff as though she was going to turn on the waterworks any second.
“Well, now, come on, let’s not get all sentimental . . . I’m not going anywhere for a long time! Besides, we have a lot to do! We have a gentleman coming for supper!”
Chapter 5
“Well!” I said, after contemplating it for some minutes, “this is a strange scarabœus, I must confess: new to me: never saw anything like it before—unless it was a skull, or a death’s-head—which it more nearly resembles than anything else that has come under my observation.”
—Edgar Allan Poe, “The Gold-Bug”
Jackie
A gentleman coming for dinner. Great. Actually, on second thought, it might be nice to have a diversion at the dinner table, especially for Charlie’s sake, although Charlie seemed to be pretty fascinated by my mother’s tutorial about all things pertaining to the Lowcountry. I should tell you that in that short span of time since Steve had left to take a shower, she seemed to have had a total nervous breakdown. You would think Prince Harry was dropping by tonight for a barbecue with the way she began flitting around. She dashed out to the grocery store and came home with ten bags brimming with food. In between paring potatoes, trimming asparagus, and baking bread, she put new candles everywhere and a candy bowl on the buffet, and she even put a scented votive candle and fresh flowers with sprigs of lavender in the bathroom. It wasn’t a bad thing to be excited about having company, but her sweet spot for the boy next door made me a little uneasy. Someone probably needed to tell Daddy, but I did not want to be that someone. It was usually best to stay out of other people’s business, and she probably didn’t even realize how transparent she was.
I knew she was standing at the door to my room because she arrived in a cloud of perfume, and when I turned to look at her, there were those infamous red lips. Yikes, I thought, don’t be so obvious, girlfriend. But my mother’s heart had always been worn on her sleeve.
“Hi!” I said. “Do you need a hand with dinner?”
“What? Are you going to wear that T-shirt? I mean, it’s fine, but I was thinking you might want to wear something pretty?”
I narrowed my eyes into the smallest slits possible and scowled at her.
“Oh, dear! I’m sorry, Jackie. I’ve offended you. I just . . . oh, listen to me, will you? Going on and on. It’s just my nerves acting up. Wear whatever you like. Of course. Wear whatever you like.”
“Thanks.” I was still annoyed. “So, um, is there anything I can do to help?”
“Oh, would you be a dear and set up the bar on the porch? I was thinking it would be nice to sit outside until it gets dark. Just gin and vodka and tonic and the vermouth, of course, and a shaker, and oh, some lemon peels and olives? Oh, and lime wedges. And maybe a little bowl of nuts? Obviously, we’ll need an ice bucket . . .”
“Mom? He’s coming at six thirty and it doesn’t get dark until nine. We’ll get completely hammered if we
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