Read Online Providence by Lisa Colozza Cocca - Free Book Online
Authors: Lisa Colozza Cocca
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and glasses and Henry’s bike into the back of the car, I thought of Daddy again.
One of my chores back home was selling vegetables down by the road. One day I had a whole bushel of green beans left and Daddy wasn’t happy to see it. “But Daddy,” I said. “Nobody needed green beans today.”
“Becky, people don’t know what they need until you tell them,” he answered.
When it came to money, Daddy got his sayings right.
CHAPTER 10
I must have found Baby Girl’s sweet spot in that crib, because on only her second night in it she managed to sleep through with only one moonlit feeding. I should have slept like a baby, too, but instead I tossed and turned in that bed trying to figure out our good fortune.
Just before closing time the day before, Rosie sent me to the market to fetch some catfish for dinner. As we walked back toward her house, so I could pick up Baby Girl’s and my belongings, Rosie asked, “Do you want me to fry up that catfish for us before or after you go to the library?”
I held my breath for a minute and tried to think before I spoke. I had found the nerve to look in that pay envelope earlier in the day and discovered it didn’t hold enough to cover rent anywhere. I had thought about asking Rosie if Baby Girl and I could stay in the back room of the store for a few days. But I was afraid if Rosie knew we were homeless, she would have second thoughts about being involved with us at all.
“You do like catfish, don’t you, Becky? I don’t like to brag, but if you don’t it’s only because you haven’t tried my catfish yet,” Rosie said.
I looked into Rosie’s eyes. I had been so busy trying to hide the truth from her all week that I had failed to see that she had already seen a big part of it. I gulped down a big helping of air trying to push back the sobs that were fighting their way out of me.
Rosie reached out and rubbed my arm. “If we’re going to be roommates, then we need to get to know these kinds of things about each other,” she said. “Now, let’s get home before this catfish cooks itself out in this heat.”
We walked down the street in silence until Rosie said, “You’re awfully quiet tonight. Are you tired? I must be working you too hard. A young girl with a baby needs as much rest as she can get. You turn in early tonight.”
I wanted to tell her the Second Hand Rose was the best job I ever had. I wanted to tell her that she wasn’t working me too hard and that she was treating me better than anyone else had in my whole life. But I was afraid if I said anything, I would burst into tears and hug her tighter than an old woman wants to be held.
When I crawled into bed that night, I stared at the ceiling for hours trying to understand Rosie’s kindness. I tossed and turned as I heard Daddy’s voice in my head. “Becky, even a snake oil salesman wears a smile, but only a fool would be taken in by it. A smart girl knows better than to trust anyone.”
But Daddy didn’t know Rosie. He didn’t know people like her walked on this earth along with the snake oil salesmen. He didn’t know there were people who in an instant could make you feel like their home was your home. I thought about the knowing look I had seen in Rosie’s eyes. I went to sleep and left thoughts of Daddy behind.
The next morning, I cradled Baby Girl in the crook of my arm while Rosie and I ate breakfast. “How did our little princess sleep last night?” Rosie asked.
I looked down into Baby Girl’s sweet face and answered, “Like a baby—meaning for no more than three hours at a time.”
“You must be exhausted,” Rosie said. “Do you need some time off from work?”
“No, ma’am,” I answered. “I’m fine.” The truth is, I was fine. Waking up knowing we would have a roof over our heads that night was a weight off my shoulders. It left me with an energy I’d been missing for days.
When we got to the store that morning, I put that energy to good use and got to work on
One of my chores back home was selling vegetables down by the road. One day I had a whole bushel of green beans left and Daddy wasn’t happy to see it. “But Daddy,” I said. “Nobody needed green beans today.”
“Becky, people don’t know what they need until you tell them,” he answered.
When it came to money, Daddy got his sayings right.
CHAPTER 10
I must have found Baby Girl’s sweet spot in that crib, because on only her second night in it she managed to sleep through with only one moonlit feeding. I should have slept like a baby, too, but instead I tossed and turned in that bed trying to figure out our good fortune.
Just before closing time the day before, Rosie sent me to the market to fetch some catfish for dinner. As we walked back toward her house, so I could pick up Baby Girl’s and my belongings, Rosie asked, “Do you want me to fry up that catfish for us before or after you go to the library?”
I held my breath for a minute and tried to think before I spoke. I had found the nerve to look in that pay envelope earlier in the day and discovered it didn’t hold enough to cover rent anywhere. I had thought about asking Rosie if Baby Girl and I could stay in the back room of the store for a few days. But I was afraid if Rosie knew we were homeless, she would have second thoughts about being involved with us at all.
“You do like catfish, don’t you, Becky? I don’t like to brag, but if you don’t it’s only because you haven’t tried my catfish yet,” Rosie said.
I looked into Rosie’s eyes. I had been so busy trying to hide the truth from her all week that I had failed to see that she had already seen a big part of it. I gulped down a big helping of air trying to push back the sobs that were fighting their way out of me.
Rosie reached out and rubbed my arm. “If we’re going to be roommates, then we need to get to know these kinds of things about each other,” she said. “Now, let’s get home before this catfish cooks itself out in this heat.”
We walked down the street in silence until Rosie said, “You’re awfully quiet tonight. Are you tired? I must be working you too hard. A young girl with a baby needs as much rest as she can get. You turn in early tonight.”
I wanted to tell her the Second Hand Rose was the best job I ever had. I wanted to tell her that she wasn’t working me too hard and that she was treating me better than anyone else had in my whole life. But I was afraid if I said anything, I would burst into tears and hug her tighter than an old woman wants to be held.
When I crawled into bed that night, I stared at the ceiling for hours trying to understand Rosie’s kindness. I tossed and turned as I heard Daddy’s voice in my head. “Becky, even a snake oil salesman wears a smile, but only a fool would be taken in by it. A smart girl knows better than to trust anyone.”
But Daddy didn’t know Rosie. He didn’t know people like her walked on this earth along with the snake oil salesmen. He didn’t know there were people who in an instant could make you feel like their home was your home. I thought about the knowing look I had seen in Rosie’s eyes. I went to sleep and left thoughts of Daddy behind.
The next morning, I cradled Baby Girl in the crook of my arm while Rosie and I ate breakfast. “How did our little princess sleep last night?” Rosie asked.
I looked down into Baby Girl’s sweet face and answered, “Like a baby—meaning for no more than three hours at a time.”
“You must be exhausted,” Rosie said. “Do you need some time off from work?”
“No, ma’am,” I answered. “I’m fine.” The truth is, I was fine. Waking up knowing we would have a roof over our heads that night was a weight off my shoulders. It left me with an energy I’d been missing for days.
When we got to the store that morning, I put that energy to good use and got to work on
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