on the ledges for the insects to eat.
Denise stood in awe as the butterflies collected on the trays, landing on the fruit and inserting their long, straw-like tongues into it. Sherry heard Ned naming the species of a few to her as she held out half an orange, unpeeled, on her palm. Three butterflies flocked to her, landing gently on the sweet fruit.
“See, they’re attracted to you, dear. Yer sweet just as you are.” Ned stroked her chubby cheek with his finger. He caught Sherry in the corner of his eye and offered her the other half of the orange. “You want to give it a try?”
“No, thanks,” Sherry smiled. “I just came to say goodbye for now.” She looked at Denise, who was distracted and showed no interest in her mother. “Leon’s bringin’ ya home later, sweetie, okay?”
Denise blinked, evidently scared to move and disturb the feeding frenzy.
Ned beamed. “She’s no mind.”
“Ring if ya need me,” Sherry said before heading out the door. She waved at Kate, watching from the kitchen window, and entered the Eldorado.
Driving up her street, she heard a loud bang and slowed down as she craned her neck from side to side, looking for the cause of the noise. As she approached Mrs. Marx’s house four doors down, she saw the elderly woman lying on her back in the driveway. A garbage bin was moving back and forth on its side as the lid wound itself down, making such a racket as it finally hit the ground. Sherry pulled over quickly, slamming the car door as she raced to Mrs. Marx’s side.
“Mrs. Marx, are ya okay?” Sherry cried. “Why didn’t you ask someone for help?”
Jinny Marx was a small, slender woman in her seventies. Her long white hair was pulled back in a bun at the nape of her neck. Her stark blue eyes looked miles away.
“I…I got dizzy,” she said, before closing her eyes, losing consciousness. Sherry bent down and took Jinny’s head into her hands, scanning the area for help. A small car pulled up behind Sherry’s Eldorado and she was relieved to see a familiar face: Jinny’s daughter, Mandy.
“Mandy!” she yelled, cradling Mrs. Marx’s head in her arms. “Call 911!”
Mandy hurried into the house, stumbling on a pile of garbage sitting on the front stoop.
“Just hang in there, Mrs. Marx,” Sherry said, smoothing a loose strand of hair away from the old woman’s eyes. “We’re gettin’ help.”
Moments later, Mandy joined Sherry at her mother’s side.
“I told her to wait until I got here,” Mandy insisted. “That’s what I get for bein’ late I s’pose.”
“Don’t blame yourself, Mandy.” Sherry was solemn. “She’s a stubborn woman. I see her doin’ stuff like this all the time.”
“I know it.”
Hours later, when Sherry and Denise were cleaning up the dinner dishes, the phone rang.
It was Mandy Marx.
“Hi, Sherry. I just wanted to thank you for being there for my mom today.” Her voice was quivering.
“Oh, it was nothin’, darlin’, I was just passin’ through on my way home.” She hesitated, “H…how’s your mom?”
“She had a stroke.” Mandy’s voice cracked. “I just wanted y’all to hear it from me. I know how fast news travels in this town.”
“Good Lord.” Sherry breathed. “I’m so sorry, Mandy,” she gulped. “I really don’t know what to say.”
She heard Mandy whimper. “Just pray for her at church.”
“I will. With all my heart, I will.”
“I’ll see ya there Sunday, if momma’s feelin’ better.”
“Give her our love.”
…
Sherry and Denise sat together at the table. Sherry was eating a bowl of oatmeal and Denise was devouring her cereal and milk. There was a knock at the door.
“Yer chariot is here!” Sarah sang, pushing the door open. “You ready? Mark’s got the car runnin’.”
“Yep. Just let me grab some change for the offerin’.” Sherry rose and placed her dirty dish in the sink. “You got yer bear?” she asked Denise.
When they arrived at church, Sarah
Denise stood in awe as the butterflies collected on the trays, landing on the fruit and inserting their long, straw-like tongues into it. Sherry heard Ned naming the species of a few to her as she held out half an orange, unpeeled, on her palm. Three butterflies flocked to her, landing gently on the sweet fruit.
“See, they’re attracted to you, dear. Yer sweet just as you are.” Ned stroked her chubby cheek with his finger. He caught Sherry in the corner of his eye and offered her the other half of the orange. “You want to give it a try?”
“No, thanks,” Sherry smiled. “I just came to say goodbye for now.” She looked at Denise, who was distracted and showed no interest in her mother. “Leon’s bringin’ ya home later, sweetie, okay?”
Denise blinked, evidently scared to move and disturb the feeding frenzy.
Ned beamed. “She’s no mind.”
“Ring if ya need me,” Sherry said before heading out the door. She waved at Kate, watching from the kitchen window, and entered the Eldorado.
Driving up her street, she heard a loud bang and slowed down as she craned her neck from side to side, looking for the cause of the noise. As she approached Mrs. Marx’s house four doors down, she saw the elderly woman lying on her back in the driveway. A garbage bin was moving back and forth on its side as the lid wound itself down, making such a racket as it finally hit the ground. Sherry pulled over quickly, slamming the car door as she raced to Mrs. Marx’s side.
“Mrs. Marx, are ya okay?” Sherry cried. “Why didn’t you ask someone for help?”
Jinny Marx was a small, slender woman in her seventies. Her long white hair was pulled back in a bun at the nape of her neck. Her stark blue eyes looked miles away.
“I…I got dizzy,” she said, before closing her eyes, losing consciousness. Sherry bent down and took Jinny’s head into her hands, scanning the area for help. A small car pulled up behind Sherry’s Eldorado and she was relieved to see a familiar face: Jinny’s daughter, Mandy.
“Mandy!” she yelled, cradling Mrs. Marx’s head in her arms. “Call 911!”
Mandy hurried into the house, stumbling on a pile of garbage sitting on the front stoop.
“Just hang in there, Mrs. Marx,” Sherry said, smoothing a loose strand of hair away from the old woman’s eyes. “We’re gettin’ help.”
Moments later, Mandy joined Sherry at her mother’s side.
“I told her to wait until I got here,” Mandy insisted. “That’s what I get for bein’ late I s’pose.”
“Don’t blame yourself, Mandy.” Sherry was solemn. “She’s a stubborn woman. I see her doin’ stuff like this all the time.”
“I know it.”
Hours later, when Sherry and Denise were cleaning up the dinner dishes, the phone rang.
It was Mandy Marx.
“Hi, Sherry. I just wanted to thank you for being there for my mom today.” Her voice was quivering.
“Oh, it was nothin’, darlin’, I was just passin’ through on my way home.” She hesitated, “H…how’s your mom?”
“She had a stroke.” Mandy’s voice cracked. “I just wanted y’all to hear it from me. I know how fast news travels in this town.”
“Good Lord.” Sherry breathed. “I’m so sorry, Mandy,” she gulped. “I really don’t know what to say.”
She heard Mandy whimper. “Just pray for her at church.”
“I will. With all my heart, I will.”
“I’ll see ya there Sunday, if momma’s feelin’ better.”
“Give her our love.”
…
Sherry and Denise sat together at the table. Sherry was eating a bowl of oatmeal and Denise was devouring her cereal and milk. There was a knock at the door.
“Yer chariot is here!” Sarah sang, pushing the door open. “You ready? Mark’s got the car runnin’.”
“Yep. Just let me grab some change for the offerin’.” Sherry rose and placed her dirty dish in the sink. “You got yer bear?” she asked Denise.
When they arrived at church, Sarah
Similar Books
