Read Online This One and Magic Life by Anne C. George - Free Book Online Page A

moves a Family Circle magazine on a wicker table and places her cup on it carefully. “Sometimes I think he has better sense than Donnie, though. At least you can reason with him.”
    â€œDonnie is a very sensible man,” Naomi says. “You know that.”
    â€œHe’s taking Artie to Birmingham to be cremated.”
    â€œLord!”
    Mariel is pleased at the expression she has caused on her mother’s face. “I told you, Mama, the Sullivans don’t have any sense. Artie wants to be cremated. Mr. Brock came out from Mobile yesterday afternoon with that neat little piece of news. Of course by that time we already had everything planned. The announcement’s already in the paper this morning about the funeral. Everything.”
    â€œWhat are you going to do?”
    â€œI don’t know. First I thought we’d just go on and have the funeral and then Donnie could take her to Birmingham. But he wants to go today like there was some hurry. And then I thought, Well, nobody would know the casket was empty. We could just go on and have it anyway.” Mariel looks out at the bay. “I don’t know. It doesn’t matter anyway.”
    Naomi sees the deep circles under Mariel’s eyes. “Pull your shoes and stockings off,” she says, “and let’s walk down to the beach. I got it cleaned up from the jubilee yesterday.”
    Mariel is alarmed. “You shouldn’t be down raking that beach, Mama.”
    â€œI waited till it was cool. Did you see that sunset last night?”
    â€œWe would have sent somebody.”
    â€œMariel, you worry too much. Reckon it’s a Cates gene?”
    Mariel bursts into tears. “Those damn Sullivans. None of them with a grain of sense.”
    Naomi holds her middle-aged child. “Shhh,” she says. “Come on, dry your eyes now. Of course Artie ought to have a funeral. Let’s figure out just what all we need to do.”

THIRTEEN
Artie on Her Fifteenth Birthday
    MAMA’S RUN AWAY AGAIN. I KNEW IT AS SOON AS I WOKE UP this morning. The house had that too quiet feeling. I got up and looked in their room and, sure enough, the bed hadn’t been slept in. I went in and woke up Donnie and Hektor and told them.
    Hektor said, “Maybe they’re just walking on the beach.” And I said, “Sure, Hektor. And maybe pigs can fly.”
    But he and Donnie had to get up and go check their room themselves. And then they went downstairs and out on the porch with Hektor calling, “Mama! Papa!” loud as he could.
    I went in my room and started dressing for school. Might as well. Wasn’t anything we could do about it. In a few minutes the boys were back upstairs.
    â€œMaybe they just went to get some bread or something,” I heard Hektor say.
    â€œMaybe they did. Go on, get dressed now. We have to get you some breakfast before the bus gets here.” Then Donnie was banging on my door. “Artie!”
    â€œCome on in.”
    Donnie had slept in an old bathing suit for some reason. His hair was sticking up in spikes.
    â€œDid you hear anything last night?” he asked.
    â€œNope.” I leaned closer to the mirror and started putting on the mascara Mama had forbidden me to wear.
    â€œYou think she’s really gone?”
    â€œSure. Happy birthday, Donnie.”
    â€œWell, hell. Where do you think Papa is?”
    â€œOut looking for her, of course. He’ll probably be back in a little while.”
    Donnie sat down on the bed. He was so skinny you could count the ribs down his back. “I’m not going with him again,” he said.
    â€œMe neither. Let her stay.”
    â€œLet her stay.”
    â€œWillie Mae takes care of us, anyway.”
    â€œWe can take care of ourselves. Hektor, too.”
    â€œThat’s the truth.”
    â€œDonnie!” Hektor called.
    Donnie got up and went toward the door. “I wonder where she is,” he