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Authors: Kathryn Reiss
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began Uncle Willy, but Aunt Belle was off the porch already, pulling Anni by the arm and herding Simon up the steps in front of her.
"Now you two are in for it," she stormed. "I won't be disobeyed!" She sat down heavily in her chair, still holding Anni by the arm. Even in the semi-darkness, Miranda could see that Anni had turned white under her tan.
Aunt Belle pushed Simon toward Uncle Willy. "Well, William, I trust you to take your son in hand. Flagrant disobedience! I won't have it!"
Simon grabbed his father's hand. "Dad! What's wrong with her? We didn't do anythingâ!"
He broke off as Aunt Belle raised a hand and slapped him across the cheek.
Uncle Willy gathered the sobbing boy into his arms and glowered at Aunt Belle. "I think," he said in a tight voice, "it's time for us all to go get ready for bed." He stood up. "Come on, Anni."
Simon shuffled down the steps and over to the camper parked in the driveway. Helen cleared her throat, frowning. "
Really,
Belle! What in the world is wrong? There was no harm in it. Willy told the kids they could playâand the Hooton boys are niceâ"
Aunt Belle still held Anni tightly. "Harm in it? I don't know about that. But the simple issue is that I won't have my children playing with street children. I will not have it said that my children are common."
"Come on, Belle, let's go," said Uncle Willy. Helen set her lips.
"Go on over with Simon, Anni," said Uncle Willy, when Aunt Belle did not move.
"No!" Aunt Belle's voice was razor sharp.
The stillness on the porch was complete. Miranda sensed, rather than saw, the icy glitter of Aunt Belle's eyes. Aunt Belle stood suddenly and crossed to where Miranda and Helen sat in the swing. Miranda shrank back. Aunt Belle lifted the unoccupied corner cushion of the swing and removed one of the thin wooden slats that supported the cushion. She turned to Anni, who backed away.
"Belle!" Helen jumped up.
"You stay out of this, Helen," warned Aunt Belle. "You handle your daughter the way you like, and leave me to mine."
Miranda squeezed her eyes shut.
"All right, then, young miss." And with that, Aunt Belle turned the child over her knee and lifted the slat. Anni let out a strangled cry. In an instant, Uncle Willy seized her from Aunt Belle's grip and guided her away, down off the porch into the night. Miranda could hear Anni's sobs from the camper. Another sound broke in, too: the sharp, hard hits of wood on flesh as Aunt Belle, who sat staring over the bushes, smacked the slat into her hand again and again and againâand then the chorus of crickets and tree frogs resumed, and the smell of magnolia was everywhere. The smell of magnolia! A closed feeling bore down on Miranda, stifling herâthe feeling of having been here before, exactly so, but differently soâand the terror rising to her throat paralyzed her limbs. A deep moan escaped from her throat.
Helen grabbed Aunt Belle's wrist as the slat came down on her palm again.
"That's
enough,
Belle!" she shouted and threw the slat clattering onto the floor.
Aunt Belle sucked in her breath and stared at her reddened palm. There was silence on the porch for the space of a heartbeat. "Oh, my God," Aunt Belle whispered.
The scent of magnolia blossoms was very strong. And Miranda was thirsty.
6
Early the next morning the visitors prepared to leave. Uncle Willy sat in the driver's seat looking drawn; Anni and Simon sat quietly in the back. Uncharacteristically, Anni sucked her thumb. Aunt Belle was still in the house with Helen. Uncle Willy honked his horn for her to hurry.
Miranda walked over to the window on Uncle Willy's side. "Have a good trip," she said, not knowing what else to say. No one seemed to know what to say this morning.
"Thanks, honey." His voice was distant.
"The geysers should be fantastic." It was terrible the way no one met anyone else's eyes.
Uncle Willy tapped the horn again shortly and looked toward the house. Helen and Aunt Belle were coming
"Now you two are in for it," she stormed. "I won't be disobeyed!" She sat down heavily in her chair, still holding Anni by the arm. Even in the semi-darkness, Miranda could see that Anni had turned white under her tan.
Aunt Belle pushed Simon toward Uncle Willy. "Well, William, I trust you to take your son in hand. Flagrant disobedience! I won't have it!"
Simon grabbed his father's hand. "Dad! What's wrong with her? We didn't do anythingâ!"
He broke off as Aunt Belle raised a hand and slapped him across the cheek.
Uncle Willy gathered the sobbing boy into his arms and glowered at Aunt Belle. "I think," he said in a tight voice, "it's time for us all to go get ready for bed." He stood up. "Come on, Anni."
Simon shuffled down the steps and over to the camper parked in the driveway. Helen cleared her throat, frowning. "
Really,
Belle! What in the world is wrong? There was no harm in it. Willy told the kids they could playâand the Hooton boys are niceâ"
Aunt Belle still held Anni tightly. "Harm in it? I don't know about that. But the simple issue is that I won't have my children playing with street children. I will not have it said that my children are common."
"Come on, Belle, let's go," said Uncle Willy. Helen set her lips.
"Go on over with Simon, Anni," said Uncle Willy, when Aunt Belle did not move.
"No!" Aunt Belle's voice was razor sharp.
The stillness on the porch was complete. Miranda sensed, rather than saw, the icy glitter of Aunt Belle's eyes. Aunt Belle stood suddenly and crossed to where Miranda and Helen sat in the swing. Miranda shrank back. Aunt Belle lifted the unoccupied corner cushion of the swing and removed one of the thin wooden slats that supported the cushion. She turned to Anni, who backed away.
"Belle!" Helen jumped up.
"You stay out of this, Helen," warned Aunt Belle. "You handle your daughter the way you like, and leave me to mine."
Miranda squeezed her eyes shut.
"All right, then, young miss." And with that, Aunt Belle turned the child over her knee and lifted the slat. Anni let out a strangled cry. In an instant, Uncle Willy seized her from Aunt Belle's grip and guided her away, down off the porch into the night. Miranda could hear Anni's sobs from the camper. Another sound broke in, too: the sharp, hard hits of wood on flesh as Aunt Belle, who sat staring over the bushes, smacked the slat into her hand again and again and againâand then the chorus of crickets and tree frogs resumed, and the smell of magnolia was everywhere. The smell of magnolia! A closed feeling bore down on Miranda, stifling herâthe feeling of having been here before, exactly so, but differently soâand the terror rising to her throat paralyzed her limbs. A deep moan escaped from her throat.
Helen grabbed Aunt Belle's wrist as the slat came down on her palm again.
"That's
enough,
Belle!" she shouted and threw the slat clattering onto the floor.
Aunt Belle sucked in her breath and stared at her reddened palm. There was silence on the porch for the space of a heartbeat. "Oh, my God," Aunt Belle whispered.
The scent of magnolia blossoms was very strong. And Miranda was thirsty.
6
Early the next morning the visitors prepared to leave. Uncle Willy sat in the driver's seat looking drawn; Anni and Simon sat quietly in the back. Uncharacteristically, Anni sucked her thumb. Aunt Belle was still in the house with Helen. Uncle Willy honked his horn for her to hurry.
Miranda walked over to the window on Uncle Willy's side. "Have a good trip," she said, not knowing what else to say. No one seemed to know what to say this morning.
"Thanks, honey." His voice was distant.
"The geysers should be fantastic." It was terrible the way no one met anyone else's eyes.
Uncle Willy tapped the horn again shortly and looked toward the house. Helen and Aunt Belle were coming
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