Read Online The Book of James by Ellen J. Green - Free Book Online
Authors: Ellen J. Green
Ads: Link
so much in her life.
“Nick.” This word was spoken, soft.
Water, filling the bathtub. Very hot. As hot as Nick could
stand. He was twelve. Thin, bony, all angles, his body just beginning to stretch, to fill out his skin. He sat on the toilet seat in his underwear. Cora leaned over and felt the temperature with her fingers. Steam had filled the space so that he was almost an apparition across the room.
“Come. Get in.”
Nick moved closer. “Mom, don’t make it so hot this time.
Please put a little cold in it.” He felt the water and then pulled his hand back. “Ow. That’s too hot.”
“It’ll cool as you sit in it. Take your clothes off.”
Nick hesitated only a bit. This had been their routine as long as he could remember. He pulled his undershirt over his head, freez-ing when he felt her fingers on him, near his armpits.
“You’re getting older, Nick. I never understood how these
things happen so suddenly.” Her fingers brushed the fuzz develop-
ing under his arms. “Hair on my little boy.” Nick kept his arms up for a moment and then dropped them abruptly to his sides.
He stripped off the white briefs in a second and climbed too
quickly into the scalding water. He yelped in surprise and grabbed for the cold-water spigot. Cora grabbed his hand before he reached the knob.
“You don’t need to be ashamed with me, Nick. I’m your
mother.” She released his hand. “Leave the water be. It’ll cool in a minute.” She snatched a washcloth from the linen closet and
kneeled beside the tub. “You came from me. You’re part of me.” She dipped the cloth and washed his arm. “I’m always going to know
everything about you. About your life. About your body.” Nick
slumped down into the water, curling up into a bal , wetting his
hair. Cora watched him splashing about, saying nothing for a few
THE BOOK of JAMES
57
minutes. When he surfaced, she began to run the washcloth over
his body again. He sat very stil , his eyes closed, until her hands stopped moving.
“You can get out now,” she said. “Open your eyes.” He rose
from the tub, his skin deep crimson from the blistering water. He wrapped himself in the white towel she held in front of him. “Go
to your room now. Your pajamas are ready.”
When she entered his bedroom he was already in his pajamas
in bed, rolled up in his blanket like a burrito. He lay on his side, staring at the blank wal .
She entered the room and smiled. “Unroll yourself, Nick. You
can’t sleep that way.” He did without saying a word. He chose to
stay on his side, his face to the wal .
Cora kicked off her shoes, lifted the blanket, and slid in next
to him. She pressed herself against his back and wrapped her arms around him. “No one will ever love you the way I love you. No one.
Don’t ever forget that, okay? No matter what happens. No matter
where you go.” There was silence. She shook him gently. “Nick?”
Cora felt a hole, a desperation inside her. This boy was all she had.
“Yes, Mother, I know.” His voice was robotic. An automatic
response.
“Tell me again,” she said. “Like you always do.”
“I love you, Mother, and I’ll never leave you.”
“You’d better not. I’d have to track you down, bring you back
here to me if you did. You know that, right?” She kissed the back of his head. “Bring you back dead or alive.”
Now Cora opened her eyes and ran her hand over her mouth,
remembering how she had kissed his head all those years ago.
Mackenzie had taken her place in his life, that much she knew. But had he given his body and his soul to her? Had he told her everything and then sworn her to secrecy?
She breathed deeply, recognizing the shrill sound in the
background as the whistling of the teakettle. She pushed it from
58
ELLEN J. GREEN
the burner; the noise slowed and then stopped, steam billowing
angrily from the spout.
She filled the sink with hot water and soap. Then she slowly
poured in water
“Nick.” This word was spoken, soft.
Water, filling the bathtub. Very hot. As hot as Nick could
stand. He was twelve. Thin, bony, all angles, his body just beginning to stretch, to fill out his skin. He sat on the toilet seat in his underwear. Cora leaned over and felt the temperature with her fingers. Steam had filled the space so that he was almost an apparition across the room.
“Come. Get in.”
Nick moved closer. “Mom, don’t make it so hot this time.
Please put a little cold in it.” He felt the water and then pulled his hand back. “Ow. That’s too hot.”
“It’ll cool as you sit in it. Take your clothes off.”
Nick hesitated only a bit. This had been their routine as long as he could remember. He pulled his undershirt over his head, freez-ing when he felt her fingers on him, near his armpits.
“You’re getting older, Nick. I never understood how these
things happen so suddenly.” Her fingers brushed the fuzz develop-
ing under his arms. “Hair on my little boy.” Nick kept his arms up for a moment and then dropped them abruptly to his sides.
He stripped off the white briefs in a second and climbed too
quickly into the scalding water. He yelped in surprise and grabbed for the cold-water spigot. Cora grabbed his hand before he reached the knob.
“You don’t need to be ashamed with me, Nick. I’m your
mother.” She released his hand. “Leave the water be. It’ll cool in a minute.” She snatched a washcloth from the linen closet and
kneeled beside the tub. “You came from me. You’re part of me.” She dipped the cloth and washed his arm. “I’m always going to know
everything about you. About your life. About your body.” Nick
slumped down into the water, curling up into a bal , wetting his
hair. Cora watched him splashing about, saying nothing for a few
THE BOOK of JAMES
57
minutes. When he surfaced, she began to run the washcloth over
his body again. He sat very stil , his eyes closed, until her hands stopped moving.
“You can get out now,” she said. “Open your eyes.” He rose
from the tub, his skin deep crimson from the blistering water. He wrapped himself in the white towel she held in front of him. “Go
to your room now. Your pajamas are ready.”
When she entered his bedroom he was already in his pajamas
in bed, rolled up in his blanket like a burrito. He lay on his side, staring at the blank wal .
She entered the room and smiled. “Unroll yourself, Nick. You
can’t sleep that way.” He did without saying a word. He chose to
stay on his side, his face to the wal .
Cora kicked off her shoes, lifted the blanket, and slid in next
to him. She pressed herself against his back and wrapped her arms around him. “No one will ever love you the way I love you. No one.
Don’t ever forget that, okay? No matter what happens. No matter
where you go.” There was silence. She shook him gently. “Nick?”
Cora felt a hole, a desperation inside her. This boy was all she had.
“Yes, Mother, I know.” His voice was robotic. An automatic
response.
“Tell me again,” she said. “Like you always do.”
“I love you, Mother, and I’ll never leave you.”
“You’d better not. I’d have to track you down, bring you back
here to me if you did. You know that, right?” She kissed the back of his head. “Bring you back dead or alive.”
Now Cora opened her eyes and ran her hand over her mouth,
remembering how she had kissed his head all those years ago.
Mackenzie had taken her place in his life, that much she knew. But had he given his body and his soul to her? Had he told her everything and then sworn her to secrecy?
She breathed deeply, recognizing the shrill sound in the
background as the whistling of the teakettle. She pushed it from
58
ELLEN J. GREEN
the burner; the noise slowed and then stopped, steam billowing
angrily from the spout.
She filled the sink with hot water and soap. Then she slowly
poured in water
Similar Books
