Read Online Roseflower Creek by Jackie Lee Miles - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jackie Lee Miles
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tonight? Melvin and me could get out for a spell."
"I'd like to, Lexie," I said, "but Ray's takin' Mama and me to the picture show."
"That's real nice. It's about time that man did right by you girls."
"Yes, ma'am. He's doin' real fine, he is," I said. "He's like a brand-new daddy. I think I could love 'im like a regular one even, 'fore too long."
"You gettin' enough to eat?" she asked. "I know he's not workin' regular."
"Well the church folks been helpin' with little jobs and stuff and the town folks, too. We gettin' by okay, 'til he finds somethin' regular," I said. "Mama's doin' laundry and cleanin' for Mz. Hawkins and I'm gonna help her this summer when school's out."
"Tell your mama, I'm gonna bring the babies by this weekend and visit a piece, hear?" she said.
But that weekend, nobody could come visit us 'cause we wasn't home. After I left Carolee with her daddy that afternoon, Mama and Ray and me got ready to go to the picture show. They was playing Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison with Robert Mitchum an d Deborah Kerr. Robert Mitchum was my mama's favorite and Ray didn't mind her having a favorite movie fella none 'cause he said Deborah Kerr weren't hard to look at herself. We was fixin' to eat first.
When we got to the café, everyone was talking up a storm about a tractor accident. I was doing me some of that eavesdropping like MeeMaw always done. Seems a fella was plowing one his fields when the axle snapped off and threwed him clear to the ground. They took 'im all the way to Atlanta to the hospital there. They said he was gonna be all right. I was mighty relieved. Might could be somebody we knowed. Never know.
Dottie the waitress come over. She wan't really a waitress. She was the owner's wife, but she did the waitress work, took all the orders and stuff. I was fixin' to order me the Big Burger Plate. It cost ninety-five cents. It come with fries and coleslaw, but you gotta pay extra if you want a Coca-Cola.
"Go ahead, Lori Jean. Git yourself one them Co-Colas," Ray said. "Tonight we goin' first class all the way." He was in fine spirits, telling us jokes and stuff. He still weren't drinking no more and he was turning into a fine fella for sure. Mama and me was having a special time. We ordered our burger plates and Dottie brought our Coca-Colas while we waited on the food.
The menfolk in the booth by the corner was still talking 'bout that accident with the tractor that near killed some man.
"Reckon that might be someone we know, Mama?" I asked.
"Someone we know about what?" she said.
"That man them fellas is talkin' 'bout, got hisself near killed on a tractor. Reckon it's someone we know?"
"Lori Jean, stop listenin' on other folks. It's not polite," she said.
"Well I was just thinkin' maybe it could be someone we knowed and we should ask 'em who it was."
"We're out tryin' to have us a good time, Lori Jean," Ray said. "Let's just mind our own business."
"Well if it's someone we know then it sorta would be our business then, wouldn't it?"
"Quit, Lori Jean," Mama said and give me her evil eye. I guess she was worried I'd get Ray in a sour mood. I decided I best change the subject.
"What time's the movie start?" I asked.
"Oh, not for over an hour. We got plenty a' time," Mama said.
"Hhhhhmmm, Hhhhhhmmmm…" Ray said. "Here comes the chow." And there was Dottie with the biggest platters of food you ever seen. Burgers and French-fried potatoes was about my favorite eatin' foods in the whole world. Dottie put down catsup and salt and pepper.
"Anything else I kin get you, folks?" she said.
"That'll do us," Ray said.
We started eating and two more men come in and pulled up chairs around the back booth where them other fellas was. I recognized a couple of them but couldn't remember their names none. Burt Peters come
"I'd like to, Lexie," I said, "but Ray's takin' Mama and me to the picture show."
"That's real nice. It's about time that man did right by you girls."
"Yes, ma'am. He's doin' real fine, he is," I said. "He's like a brand-new daddy. I think I could love 'im like a regular one even, 'fore too long."
"You gettin' enough to eat?" she asked. "I know he's not workin' regular."
"Well the church folks been helpin' with little jobs and stuff and the town folks, too. We gettin' by okay, 'til he finds somethin' regular," I said. "Mama's doin' laundry and cleanin' for Mz. Hawkins and I'm gonna help her this summer when school's out."
"Tell your mama, I'm gonna bring the babies by this weekend and visit a piece, hear?" she said.
But that weekend, nobody could come visit us 'cause we wasn't home. After I left Carolee with her daddy that afternoon, Mama and Ray and me got ready to go to the picture show. They was playing Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison with Robert Mitchum an d Deborah Kerr. Robert Mitchum was my mama's favorite and Ray didn't mind her having a favorite movie fella none 'cause he said Deborah Kerr weren't hard to look at herself. We was fixin' to eat first.
When we got to the café, everyone was talking up a storm about a tractor accident. I was doing me some of that eavesdropping like MeeMaw always done. Seems a fella was plowing one his fields when the axle snapped off and threwed him clear to the ground. They took 'im all the way to Atlanta to the hospital there. They said he was gonna be all right. I was mighty relieved. Might could be somebody we knowed. Never know.
Dottie the waitress come over. She wan't really a waitress. She was the owner's wife, but she did the waitress work, took all the orders and stuff. I was fixin' to order me the Big Burger Plate. It cost ninety-five cents. It come with fries and coleslaw, but you gotta pay extra if you want a Coca-Cola.
"Go ahead, Lori Jean. Git yourself one them Co-Colas," Ray said. "Tonight we goin' first class all the way." He was in fine spirits, telling us jokes and stuff. He still weren't drinking no more and he was turning into a fine fella for sure. Mama and me was having a special time. We ordered our burger plates and Dottie brought our Coca-Colas while we waited on the food.
The menfolk in the booth by the corner was still talking 'bout that accident with the tractor that near killed some man.
"Reckon that might be someone we know, Mama?" I asked.
"Someone we know about what?" she said.
"That man them fellas is talkin' 'bout, got hisself near killed on a tractor. Reckon it's someone we know?"
"Lori Jean, stop listenin' on other folks. It's not polite," she said.
"Well I was just thinkin' maybe it could be someone we knowed and we should ask 'em who it was."
"We're out tryin' to have us a good time, Lori Jean," Ray said. "Let's just mind our own business."
"Well if it's someone we know then it sorta would be our business then, wouldn't it?"
"Quit, Lori Jean," Mama said and give me her evil eye. I guess she was worried I'd get Ray in a sour mood. I decided I best change the subject.
"What time's the movie start?" I asked.
"Oh, not for over an hour. We got plenty a' time," Mama said.
"Hhhhhmmm, Hhhhhhmmmm…" Ray said. "Here comes the chow." And there was Dottie with the biggest platters of food you ever seen. Burgers and French-fried potatoes was about my favorite eatin' foods in the whole world. Dottie put down catsup and salt and pepper.
"Anything else I kin get you, folks?" she said.
"That'll do us," Ray said.
We started eating and two more men come in and pulled up chairs around the back booth where them other fellas was. I recognized a couple of them but couldn't remember their names none. Burt Peters come
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