indeed already flip-flopped on the issue of him dying in Alabama. Because I could clearly hear him saying things like, “That’s more money than Bill Gates has.” and “Saraland can kiss my ass!”
Then, after a good five or ten more minutes or so of being hunched up under their window sill among the thorny weeds, it started to seem like Step Daddy Cade was beginning to make real headway with my mama. Their voices had begun to simmer down once again becoming barely audible to me, and I knew that their discussion was most likely coming to its conclusion.
Knowing-full-well that my Step Daddy Cade doesn’t back down from any argument about money unless it will be a favorable outcome for him. I had already assumed that it was my mama who’d given in and was beginning to soften over the issue of us moving to New York.
Having heard enough, I was just about getting ready to leave my awkward position tucked away under the window when, just then, who should sneak up behind me?
Tucker.
He had pulled up in front of our house without me ever having heard the sound of his obnoxiously loud truck. Later on, he would tell me that when he had approached the front door of the house he had heard my parents squabbling inside. So, he then had decided to sneak around back to knock on my bedroom window to see if I was held up in there needing rescue. But instead he found me clinging to the side of the house hiding among the bushes like a field mouse.
“What are you doing here?” I asked him with a startled whisper.
“I came to see what you were up to.” he said, whispering back at me as I pulled him down and away from the window fearing that my parents might see him. “Be quiet,” I then snipped at him while giving him what I was sure must have been a very dour look.
“What are your parents fightin' bout?” he then asked, but before I could tell him to hush up again, he said, “I betcha did somethin' awful, didn'tcha?”
“No.” I whispered harshly at the thought that he would automatically assume that my parents were fighting about me. “It's not about me. I'll tell you later. Now let's just go.” I said and then I grabbed him by his wrist pulling him away from the window.
We then quickly hopped in his pickup and took a ride over to Owen’s house to see what he was up to. All along the way, Tucker had asked me again-and-again about what it was my parents were fighting about. And, again-and-again I had told him that I hadn't any clue. I told him that they’d been going at it since I’d come home from Marzie’s, and that any hope of me finding out what the argument was about ended up being foiled on account of him sneaking up on me—causing me to have to bail.
I don't think he believed me though, and judging from the dog-faced look he wore I don’t think he appreciated me blaming him for not having found out what it was my parents were bickering about.
As we continued our drive over to Owen’s I started feeling somewhat bad for having been so short with Tucker—he was only trying to help after all. So, I had thought about apologizing to him, but at the time I was also really happy that he’d finally stopped asking me questions and I didn’t want to jeopardize opening up that can of worms again. So, I just kept my mouth shut and enjoyed the rest of the ride in peace and quiet.
Later that night when we had all gotten together again, I was happy to discover that Marzie had managed to keep my secret from everyone else that I might be moving to New York. Her keeping to her word allowed me the ability to enjoy myself for the rest of the evening and it granted me the ability to think a little more deeply about my future without being everyone’s center of attention.
*****
The next morning after breakfast, just as I was putting away the dishes after having washed them in the basin, my mama
Then, after a good five or ten more minutes or so of being hunched up under their window sill among the thorny weeds, it started to seem like Step Daddy Cade was beginning to make real headway with my mama. Their voices had begun to simmer down once again becoming barely audible to me, and I knew that their discussion was most likely coming to its conclusion.
Knowing-full-well that my Step Daddy Cade doesn’t back down from any argument about money unless it will be a favorable outcome for him. I had already assumed that it was my mama who’d given in and was beginning to soften over the issue of us moving to New York.
Having heard enough, I was just about getting ready to leave my awkward position tucked away under the window when, just then, who should sneak up behind me?
Tucker.
He had pulled up in front of our house without me ever having heard the sound of his obnoxiously loud truck. Later on, he would tell me that when he had approached the front door of the house he had heard my parents squabbling inside. So, he then had decided to sneak around back to knock on my bedroom window to see if I was held up in there needing rescue. But instead he found me clinging to the side of the house hiding among the bushes like a field mouse.
“What are you doing here?” I asked him with a startled whisper.
“I came to see what you were up to.” he said, whispering back at me as I pulled him down and away from the window fearing that my parents might see him. “Be quiet,” I then snipped at him while giving him what I was sure must have been a very dour look.
“What are your parents fightin' bout?” he then asked, but before I could tell him to hush up again, he said, “I betcha did somethin' awful, didn'tcha?”
“No.” I whispered harshly at the thought that he would automatically assume that my parents were fighting about me. “It's not about me. I'll tell you later. Now let's just go.” I said and then I grabbed him by his wrist pulling him away from the window.
We then quickly hopped in his pickup and took a ride over to Owen’s house to see what he was up to. All along the way, Tucker had asked me again-and-again about what it was my parents were fighting about. And, again-and-again I had told him that I hadn't any clue. I told him that they’d been going at it since I’d come home from Marzie’s, and that any hope of me finding out what the argument was about ended up being foiled on account of him sneaking up on me—causing me to have to bail.
I don't think he believed me though, and judging from the dog-faced look he wore I don’t think he appreciated me blaming him for not having found out what it was my parents were bickering about.
As we continued our drive over to Owen’s I started feeling somewhat bad for having been so short with Tucker—he was only trying to help after all. So, I had thought about apologizing to him, but at the time I was also really happy that he’d finally stopped asking me questions and I didn’t want to jeopardize opening up that can of worms again. So, I just kept my mouth shut and enjoyed the rest of the ride in peace and quiet.
Later that night when we had all gotten together again, I was happy to discover that Marzie had managed to keep my secret from everyone else that I might be moving to New York. Her keeping to her word allowed me the ability to enjoy myself for the rest of the evening and it granted me the ability to think a little more deeply about my future without being everyone’s center of attention.
*****
The next morning after breakfast, just as I was putting away the dishes after having washed them in the basin, my mama
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