Read Online Women & Other Animals by Bonnie Jo. Campbell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Bonnie Jo. Campbell
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into the cab of a semitruck, saw a man's fat belly pushing against a bright red Tshirt. In a flash he was gone. He was probably hauling that trailer from some other part of the country, the South maybe, or New England. Years ago, Bess and Hal used to pull down their pants and moon the passing Amtraks from this porch, then practically fall down laughing at the shock on the passengers' faces. All her life Bess had felt as though she was going to burst—out of her clothing, out of her desk at school, out of this town, out of her own skin. Maybe Victoria had felt this way once too, but instead she just swelled and stretched.
Finally she heard the sputtering of the Omni, climbing up and
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over the tracks, threatening to stall, then regaining its power at the top. Hal parked in his usual spot, close to the house. He jingled his keys as he sauntered up and stood before her, grinning, eyes bright. "Hi, Bess."
"Thanks a lot for picking me up from work last night."
"Oh, no, Bess. I'm sorry. I totally forgot."
"No shit." She stood up and went into the kitchen, letting the screen door snap behind her. Hal followed, closing the door carefully, and she felt his eyes on her back as she wiped margarine across a piece of bread. She tipped back her head to hold in the tears, and Hal reached around and handed her a lit cigarette. She took a long draw and released it. When she turned, Hal was still smiling as though he were the township idiot.
"What's that on your neck?" asked Bess.
"What?" Hal felt his neck with his hand.
"It's a hickey," she said, leaning closer. "You got a goddamn hickey."
Hal ran his fingers over his neck. Bess imagined the redbellied truck driver kissing Hal's neck. She saw the scolding, wirerimmed engineer with his greencapped head curled on Hal's chest. Bess stuffed some bread into her mouth. "Aren't you hungry?" she asked.
"Someone took me out to breakfast," said Hal.
"Someone a man?"
"Yes."
"So what did you have?"
Hal rolled his eyes, but then complied, counting the items on his fingers. "Scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage, toast, and hash browns."
"Were the eggs fluffy?" she asked.
"Sure, I guess."
"Link sausages or patties?"
"Links."
"Figures." She drew on her cigarette. "Smoky flavored?"
"Kind of smoky." He shrugged.
"I went out with a guy last night, too," said Bess. "He had a Camaro." Her vision blurred. She wasn't ready for Hal to leave her, not for a man or anybody.
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The clock read 12:10, time for the westbound noon train, and neither spoke while the whistle sounded. They felt the usual rumbling in the floor. Hal would make a life for himself, thought Bess, and looking into those bright, laughing eyes, she knew it wouldn't be a sad life like Victoria's. Maybe it would be complicated, but it would be like their mother's life, full of love and fun. Bess didn't know why the thought made her want to cry. Her left hand went slack, and she dropped her halfslice of bread. Just about the time it hit the linoleum, a crash like a dull gray battleship shook their house; metal screamed and tore and gave way in the distance. Hal glanced at his watch, then back at Bess. The two stood dumb, sharing the same thought: Aunt Victoria was returning from work. Bess imagined Victoria's car wrenched in two, her gelatinous body ripped to bits across the tracks, bloody jowls and butt cheeks spread all over the township. They tore outside to see Aunt Victoria pulling safely into the driveway in her modified white Ford. The car tilted toward the driver's side and nearly lifted off the ground on the other. The driver's seat had been moved back to accommodate her size. Bess and Hal watched Victoria extricate herself from behind the steering wheel, her head still attached to her body. The car sprang miraculously to a level position.
"She must've gotten new shocks," whispered Hal.
"What the hell are you staring at?" Victoria growled.
"What do you think?" said Hal.
In the sunlight Victoria's skin was
Finally she heard the sputtering of the Omni, climbing up and
Page 46
over the tracks, threatening to stall, then regaining its power at the top. Hal parked in his usual spot, close to the house. He jingled his keys as he sauntered up and stood before her, grinning, eyes bright. "Hi, Bess."
"Thanks a lot for picking me up from work last night."
"Oh, no, Bess. I'm sorry. I totally forgot."
"No shit." She stood up and went into the kitchen, letting the screen door snap behind her. Hal followed, closing the door carefully, and she felt his eyes on her back as she wiped margarine across a piece of bread. She tipped back her head to hold in the tears, and Hal reached around and handed her a lit cigarette. She took a long draw and released it. When she turned, Hal was still smiling as though he were the township idiot.
"What's that on your neck?" asked Bess.
"What?" Hal felt his neck with his hand.
"It's a hickey," she said, leaning closer. "You got a goddamn hickey."
Hal ran his fingers over his neck. Bess imagined the redbellied truck driver kissing Hal's neck. She saw the scolding, wirerimmed engineer with his greencapped head curled on Hal's chest. Bess stuffed some bread into her mouth. "Aren't you hungry?" she asked.
"Someone took me out to breakfast," said Hal.
"Someone a man?"
"Yes."
"So what did you have?"
Hal rolled his eyes, but then complied, counting the items on his fingers. "Scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage, toast, and hash browns."
"Were the eggs fluffy?" she asked.
"Sure, I guess."
"Link sausages or patties?"
"Links."
"Figures." She drew on her cigarette. "Smoky flavored?"
"Kind of smoky." He shrugged.
"I went out with a guy last night, too," said Bess. "He had a Camaro." Her vision blurred. She wasn't ready for Hal to leave her, not for a man or anybody.
Page 47
The clock read 12:10, time for the westbound noon train, and neither spoke while the whistle sounded. They felt the usual rumbling in the floor. Hal would make a life for himself, thought Bess, and looking into those bright, laughing eyes, she knew it wouldn't be a sad life like Victoria's. Maybe it would be complicated, but it would be like their mother's life, full of love and fun. Bess didn't know why the thought made her want to cry. Her left hand went slack, and she dropped her halfslice of bread. Just about the time it hit the linoleum, a crash like a dull gray battleship shook their house; metal screamed and tore and gave way in the distance. Hal glanced at his watch, then back at Bess. The two stood dumb, sharing the same thought: Aunt Victoria was returning from work. Bess imagined Victoria's car wrenched in two, her gelatinous body ripped to bits across the tracks, bloody jowls and butt cheeks spread all over the township. They tore outside to see Aunt Victoria pulling safely into the driveway in her modified white Ford. The car tilted toward the driver's side and nearly lifted off the ground on the other. The driver's seat had been moved back to accommodate her size. Bess and Hal watched Victoria extricate herself from behind the steering wheel, her head still attached to her body. The car sprang miraculously to a level position.
"She must've gotten new shocks," whispered Hal.
"What the hell are you staring at?" Victoria growled.
"What do you think?" said Hal.
In the sunlight Victoria's skin was
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