Read Online The Pirate Queen by Patricia Hickman - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Patricia Hickman
Ads: Link
the seasons the house had been closed up. She wanted Sherry to come and see toeverything after all. She went into the guest bath and pulled a hand towel out of the closet. It took only a couple of minutes to dust the furniture. But as the afternoon sunlight hit the surfaces, she could see her fresh swirls in the wood top. She pulled out a glass full of seashells from the upper closet shelf. She placed them on top of the smudged table surface.
Eddie shrieked from outside.
She ran to look through the glass doors. He was only reacting to Tobias, who had beat him to the top ladder rung and was climbing into the tree house.
Gwennie appeared in the doorway. “You look like you did the night I pulled my first tooth,” said Gwennie, “wincing at the sight of blood.” Crying aged her in a good way.
“I’ve never seen you so sentimental,” said Saphora. “I like it.” She handed her a box of tissues.
Gwennie closed the bedroom door. “Daddy looks fine, Mama. I don’t know what I expected.”
“Surgery and chemo will change how he looks. So enjoy today.” The tabletop did not shine in spite of the steady rubbing she was giving it. How her housekeeper made old tables look new again was beyond her.
“I’m glad you brought him here. It’ll keep him out of the office so he can properly mend.”
“I think he didn’t want his colleagues to see him looking like a patient.”
“Daddy said he wanted Jim overseeing his treatments.” Saphora knew what Bender had told her. But in spite of the distance between them she still knew him better than he knew himself.
“You probably haven’t been in much of a cooking mood. If youhelp me, I’ll make pizzas for the boys and something healthy for us,” said Gwennie.
“I don’t care if it’s healthy.”
“I’ll make both.”
The afternoon moved slowly for Saphora. The boys took their pizza up the tree house ladder. Bender joined Saphora and Gwennie for pizzas and salad but seemed relieved that Gwennie was in such a talkative mood. It was like her to rattle along in waves of what had been accomplished, especially in front of her father. She had closed on the condo and paid off her car. Of course, now she was afraid she would have to trade in the car because none of them were built to last. It was a soothing inventory of all things Gwennie.
“You’ve done something to your hair,” said Bender.
That surprised Saphora so much that she said, “That’s nice you noticed.”
“I notice when my daughter’s changed her hair,” said Bender. “That color suits you.”
Gwennie reddened under his approval.
“I just meant it’s not the usual thing you talk about,” said Saphora.
“That’s nonsense. I can make personal observations. What are you implying? I can’t coalesce like you, Saphora? I realize I don’t ramble on like you women are prone to do,” he said. Looking at Gwennie he added, “Present company excluded. But I need the comfort of daily talk just like everyone else.” His voice was growing in volume. “Does that surprise you too, Saphora? That I’m just like everyone else?”
“Daddy,” said Gwennie.
“I’m tired.” He said to Saphora, “Forgive me.”
“It’s not important that you’re like everyone else, Daddy. Don’tgive it a thought,” said Gwennie. “You’re not like everyone else. You’re you. Mama is, well, Mama.”
There was a distinction in the way Gwennie alluded to Bender’s uniqueness followed by the sort of tone that asserted that Saphora was exactly like everyone else; it stabbed Saphora even more than Bender’s comment. “Do we have to compare me to anyone?” she asked.
Bender laughed as he once did right after they were married. It was a laugh he had inherited from his father, who had often gotten Bender to laugh at his mother for some comment he felt proved she was less than intelligent. It was very off-putting.
“I’m going to leave you two to catch up. I’ll wash dishes,” said Saphora.
“You and
Eddie shrieked from outside.
She ran to look through the glass doors. He was only reacting to Tobias, who had beat him to the top ladder rung and was climbing into the tree house.
Gwennie appeared in the doorway. “You look like you did the night I pulled my first tooth,” said Gwennie, “wincing at the sight of blood.” Crying aged her in a good way.
“I’ve never seen you so sentimental,” said Saphora. “I like it.” She handed her a box of tissues.
Gwennie closed the bedroom door. “Daddy looks fine, Mama. I don’t know what I expected.”
“Surgery and chemo will change how he looks. So enjoy today.” The tabletop did not shine in spite of the steady rubbing she was giving it. How her housekeeper made old tables look new again was beyond her.
“I’m glad you brought him here. It’ll keep him out of the office so he can properly mend.”
“I think he didn’t want his colleagues to see him looking like a patient.”
“Daddy said he wanted Jim overseeing his treatments.” Saphora knew what Bender had told her. But in spite of the distance between them she still knew him better than he knew himself.
“You probably haven’t been in much of a cooking mood. If youhelp me, I’ll make pizzas for the boys and something healthy for us,” said Gwennie.
“I don’t care if it’s healthy.”
“I’ll make both.”
The afternoon moved slowly for Saphora. The boys took their pizza up the tree house ladder. Bender joined Saphora and Gwennie for pizzas and salad but seemed relieved that Gwennie was in such a talkative mood. It was like her to rattle along in waves of what had been accomplished, especially in front of her father. She had closed on the condo and paid off her car. Of course, now she was afraid she would have to trade in the car because none of them were built to last. It was a soothing inventory of all things Gwennie.
“You’ve done something to your hair,” said Bender.
That surprised Saphora so much that she said, “That’s nice you noticed.”
“I notice when my daughter’s changed her hair,” said Bender. “That color suits you.”
Gwennie reddened under his approval.
“I just meant it’s not the usual thing you talk about,” said Saphora.
“That’s nonsense. I can make personal observations. What are you implying? I can’t coalesce like you, Saphora? I realize I don’t ramble on like you women are prone to do,” he said. Looking at Gwennie he added, “Present company excluded. But I need the comfort of daily talk just like everyone else.” His voice was growing in volume. “Does that surprise you too, Saphora? That I’m just like everyone else?”
“Daddy,” said Gwennie.
“I’m tired.” He said to Saphora, “Forgive me.”
“It’s not important that you’re like everyone else, Daddy. Don’tgive it a thought,” said Gwennie. “You’re not like everyone else. You’re you. Mama is, well, Mama.”
There was a distinction in the way Gwennie alluded to Bender’s uniqueness followed by the sort of tone that asserted that Saphora was exactly like everyone else; it stabbed Saphora even more than Bender’s comment. “Do we have to compare me to anyone?” she asked.
Bender laughed as he once did right after they were married. It was a laugh he had inherited from his father, who had often gotten Bender to laugh at his mother for some comment he felt proved she was less than intelligent. It was very off-putting.
“I’m going to leave you two to catch up. I’ll wash dishes,” said Saphora.
“You and
Similar Books
