said in her ice-melting voice. "I thought you might want to go in to see the chair. You said yesterday..."
Mad Joe smiled. "Yes, ma'am. I would, that's a fact. I just got to dip my hands in this here bucket and wash 'em off."
Mad Joe reached down and rubbed his hands together in the water. Then he wiped them on the towel he had wrapped around his neck, picked himself some of the rosemary, and gave a little bow. "Excuse me, won't you," he said. Then he hurried round to the back porch, and we waited but he didn't slam the screen door. He just let it gently creak shut.
Grace and Boo both stood up, dusting off their hands. Boo pushed Mad Joe's hat back off his face and studied Adrienne. Just when I was really starting to squirm 'cause he was staring so hard, he said, "The reverend's going to be talking about you this morning."
"About me? About my visions, you mean?"
Grace and Boo both nodded.
"About the Rapture," Boo said. "We heard him talking about it this morning, didn't we, Grace?"
Adrienne gave Boo a real hard look, studying him all over. Maybe she was just getting around to noticing he had no eyebrows or something, but I had a feeling it was more 'cause of the Rapture thing.
"Folks are saying this could be it," Grace said. "'Course the reverend doesn't agree. He said it would take more than this kind of thing to fool this town."
"What?" Adrienne's face went all chalky. "What are you talking about. Rapture? What's rapture?"
"Rapture. You know, Jesus' second coming. Miss Becky Cobb was saying yesterday how this is it. The time is nigh." Boo blinked at Adrienne. "She came by our place last night all fidgety fingered. She said she was just making sure one of us hadn't gone up into the clouds yet 'cause she's wanting to make sure when people start going she knows it so she can be ready. She hates surprises, Miss Becky does. They make her real nervous. 'Course my daddy says with all the fires she's been setting lately, she's likely to really get a surprise when she's one of the ones left standing on the ground jest a-weeping and a-gnashing her teeth."
Adrienne tightened the silk sash around her waist and looked at the three of us with such choking bewilderment it's a wonder she could stay standing.
I tried to explain. "The Rapture is when Jesus returns after a lot of wars and evildoings and judges both the dead and live folks and chooses which ones He's wanting with Him and which ones will be left behind to suffer. He takes all the good, true believers up with Him."
"The Rapture?" Adrienne said for the hundredth time.
"It's in the Bible," I said.
"In the Bible? Really? Jesus is going to take people up into the clouds?"
"He's going to suck 'em up like that." Boo snapped his fingers. "Two men will be out working in the field and without any warning atall one of them will just disappearâthe Rapture."
"Your father's going to talk about this?" Adrienne asked.
"This morning in church." Grace nodded and took hold of Boo's hand.
"I haven't been inside a church in years, but I think I'll go today. What time is the service?"
"Ten," I said. "I'll save you a seat so you won't feelâyou know, funny."
8
The church was hot and airless when we arrived. Both sets of doors were propped open to let in any outside breezes that might blow our way, but there weren't any. Folks were filing into the pews and pulling out the old straw fans before they even sat down. My fan had been eaten away some, probably by one of the Dooley babies, but unfortunately I could still read the tired old ad on the back: Thomson's Funeral HomeâMay Your Loved Ones Pass the Thomson Way.
I settled in next to Grace and Boo in the front pew, where Daddy liked us to sit, and set to fanning myself.
"Could you turn a little so that's not blowing my way. Charity? I might catch cold."
I glared at Boo. "Just what exactly is this disease you were born with, anyway?" I said. "I mean, how could anyone sit here on a day like today and think it's
Mad Joe smiled. "Yes, ma'am. I would, that's a fact. I just got to dip my hands in this here bucket and wash 'em off."
Mad Joe reached down and rubbed his hands together in the water. Then he wiped them on the towel he had wrapped around his neck, picked himself some of the rosemary, and gave a little bow. "Excuse me, won't you," he said. Then he hurried round to the back porch, and we waited but he didn't slam the screen door. He just let it gently creak shut.
Grace and Boo both stood up, dusting off their hands. Boo pushed Mad Joe's hat back off his face and studied Adrienne. Just when I was really starting to squirm 'cause he was staring so hard, he said, "The reverend's going to be talking about you this morning."
"About me? About my visions, you mean?"
Grace and Boo both nodded.
"About the Rapture," Boo said. "We heard him talking about it this morning, didn't we, Grace?"
Adrienne gave Boo a real hard look, studying him all over. Maybe she was just getting around to noticing he had no eyebrows or something, but I had a feeling it was more 'cause of the Rapture thing.
"Folks are saying this could be it," Grace said. "'Course the reverend doesn't agree. He said it would take more than this kind of thing to fool this town."
"What?" Adrienne's face went all chalky. "What are you talking about. Rapture? What's rapture?"
"Rapture. You know, Jesus' second coming. Miss Becky Cobb was saying yesterday how this is it. The time is nigh." Boo blinked at Adrienne. "She came by our place last night all fidgety fingered. She said she was just making sure one of us hadn't gone up into the clouds yet 'cause she's wanting to make sure when people start going she knows it so she can be ready. She hates surprises, Miss Becky does. They make her real nervous. 'Course my daddy says with all the fires she's been setting lately, she's likely to really get a surprise when she's one of the ones left standing on the ground jest a-weeping and a-gnashing her teeth."
Adrienne tightened the silk sash around her waist and looked at the three of us with such choking bewilderment it's a wonder she could stay standing.
I tried to explain. "The Rapture is when Jesus returns after a lot of wars and evildoings and judges both the dead and live folks and chooses which ones He's wanting with Him and which ones will be left behind to suffer. He takes all the good, true believers up with Him."
"The Rapture?" Adrienne said for the hundredth time.
"It's in the Bible," I said.
"In the Bible? Really? Jesus is going to take people up into the clouds?"
"He's going to suck 'em up like that." Boo snapped his fingers. "Two men will be out working in the field and without any warning atall one of them will just disappearâthe Rapture."
"Your father's going to talk about this?" Adrienne asked.
"This morning in church." Grace nodded and took hold of Boo's hand.
"I haven't been inside a church in years, but I think I'll go today. What time is the service?"
"Ten," I said. "I'll save you a seat so you won't feelâyou know, funny."
8
The church was hot and airless when we arrived. Both sets of doors were propped open to let in any outside breezes that might blow our way, but there weren't any. Folks were filing into the pews and pulling out the old straw fans before they even sat down. My fan had been eaten away some, probably by one of the Dooley babies, but unfortunately I could still read the tired old ad on the back: Thomson's Funeral HomeâMay Your Loved Ones Pass the Thomson Way.
I settled in next to Grace and Boo in the front pew, where Daddy liked us to sit, and set to fanning myself.
"Could you turn a little so that's not blowing my way. Charity? I might catch cold."
I glared at Boo. "Just what exactly is this disease you were born with, anyway?" I said. "I mean, how could anyone sit here on a day like today and think it's
Similar Books
