took off his shirt, dropped it, and walked into the water.
On the ground beside Caroline was an inner tube inside sewn-together tow sacks — a raft for floating on.
Trixie ambled over, her tail wagging.
Aunt Dorie put the baby in her lap and rubbed his back, while Uncle Jack waded into deeper and deeper water, until he was in almost up to his shoulders. The cigarillo still dangled, untouched, and he puffed on it while tossing the chew tobacco around in his mouth. He crossed his arms and stood there like that. Way out there. And then Aunt Dorie picked up Henry and pulled the float into the water a little ways and plopped Henry down on it and floated him in a circle. Way down at the end of the pond a boy dove off the diving board. Another boy followed. They were yelling and laughing.
Caroline stood and stepped into the pond, walked out, looking down into the murky water lit by streaks of sun rays, water up to her knees and then up to her waist. It was cool water with cold spots here and there at her ankles and feet. Her daddy had taught her to swim the summer before. He said everybody had to learn when they were six. Now he wasn’t in the world to teach Henry. She wondered if he might come walking up out of the woods and say he’d just had to go away for a while. She wondered where her mother was. But she didn’t mind living with Aunt Ruth. Her mama had scared her a lot sometimes by staring out the window while Caroline talked to her.
She fell onto her back and floated, kicking her feet — the part about swimming she’d learned first. The back of her head was almost cold, after getting hot in the sun.
When she came back onto shore, Aunt Dorie told her to sit with Henry while she swam out to Uncle Jack. Once Aunt Dorie got way out there, and Uncle Jack started horsing around with her, Caroline decided she’d take Henry for a little ride on the inner tube. That new man who’d married Dorcus was rowing Dorcus in a boat.
Caroline managed to get Henry on the inner tube and then float it in very shallow water at the edge of the pond, and then on a little deeper. She watched Henry look at the water, waited for him to start crying, but he didn’t. He seemed pleased, and so she walked him into waist-deep water. Dorcus and her new husband rowed their boat right up to Uncle Jack and Aunt Dorie.
Caroline looked back to the inner tube. It was empty. She looked first on shore, then at the long, wide surface of the pond — as smooth and calm as it could be — and she started to scream but swallowed it and dove beneath the tube with both eyes wide open, a deep orange muddy color in front of her. She grasped forward with her hands. Her right hand was suddenly touching — and then her fingers were around — Henry’s thigh. She found one ankle and then the other and lifted as she stood straight.
She heard Aunt Dorie shout, “Caroline, what are you doing?” She looked out where Aunt Dorie and Uncle Jack stood. “Nothing,” she shouted. “Teaching him to swim.”
“Put him back up on the beach, sweetie.”
“Okay.”
She held him a foot or so above the water like he was lying on his stomach, his nose down, and shook him. He coughed, struggled, and then threw up water, milk, and other stuff, something yellow, as she waded with him toward the shore.
Uncle Jack hollered, “Don’t let that float float off!”
A sob pushed out from her. She sat down on the white towel, holding Henry, looking out to Aunt Dorie and Uncle Jack and then down at her brother. He was more precious than the world. And now she had a big secret, unless Dorcus or her new husband had seen . . . But here came Aunt Linda holding her baby, Carson, in her arms. She was talking to him. She hadn’t noticed. Henry looked okay, except he was a little blue maybe. He held up his hand and looked at it as if he’d never seen it before. Aunt Linda walked up and set baby Carson beside Henry. “Well, what’s been going on?” she said.
“I been teaching
On the ground beside Caroline was an inner tube inside sewn-together tow sacks — a raft for floating on.
Trixie ambled over, her tail wagging.
Aunt Dorie put the baby in her lap and rubbed his back, while Uncle Jack waded into deeper and deeper water, until he was in almost up to his shoulders. The cigarillo still dangled, untouched, and he puffed on it while tossing the chew tobacco around in his mouth. He crossed his arms and stood there like that. Way out there. And then Aunt Dorie picked up Henry and pulled the float into the water a little ways and plopped Henry down on it and floated him in a circle. Way down at the end of the pond a boy dove off the diving board. Another boy followed. They were yelling and laughing.
Caroline stood and stepped into the pond, walked out, looking down into the murky water lit by streaks of sun rays, water up to her knees and then up to her waist. It was cool water with cold spots here and there at her ankles and feet. Her daddy had taught her to swim the summer before. He said everybody had to learn when they were six. Now he wasn’t in the world to teach Henry. She wondered if he might come walking up out of the woods and say he’d just had to go away for a while. She wondered where her mother was. But she didn’t mind living with Aunt Ruth. Her mama had scared her a lot sometimes by staring out the window while Caroline talked to her.
She fell onto her back and floated, kicking her feet — the part about swimming she’d learned first. The back of her head was almost cold, after getting hot in the sun.
When she came back onto shore, Aunt Dorie told her to sit with Henry while she swam out to Uncle Jack. Once Aunt Dorie got way out there, and Uncle Jack started horsing around with her, Caroline decided she’d take Henry for a little ride on the inner tube. That new man who’d married Dorcus was rowing Dorcus in a boat.
Caroline managed to get Henry on the inner tube and then float it in very shallow water at the edge of the pond, and then on a little deeper. She watched Henry look at the water, waited for him to start crying, but he didn’t. He seemed pleased, and so she walked him into waist-deep water. Dorcus and her new husband rowed their boat right up to Uncle Jack and Aunt Dorie.
Caroline looked back to the inner tube. It was empty. She looked first on shore, then at the long, wide surface of the pond — as smooth and calm as it could be — and she started to scream but swallowed it and dove beneath the tube with both eyes wide open, a deep orange muddy color in front of her. She grasped forward with her hands. Her right hand was suddenly touching — and then her fingers were around — Henry’s thigh. She found one ankle and then the other and lifted as she stood straight.
She heard Aunt Dorie shout, “Caroline, what are you doing?” She looked out where Aunt Dorie and Uncle Jack stood. “Nothing,” she shouted. “Teaching him to swim.”
“Put him back up on the beach, sweetie.”
“Okay.”
She held him a foot or so above the water like he was lying on his stomach, his nose down, and shook him. He coughed, struggled, and then threw up water, milk, and other stuff, something yellow, as she waded with him toward the shore.
Uncle Jack hollered, “Don’t let that float float off!”
A sob pushed out from her. She sat down on the white towel, holding Henry, looking out to Aunt Dorie and Uncle Jack and then down at her brother. He was more precious than the world. And now she had a big secret, unless Dorcus or her new husband had seen . . . But here came Aunt Linda holding her baby, Carson, in her arms. She was talking to him. She hadn’t noticed. Henry looked okay, except he was a little blue maybe. He held up his hand and looked at it as if he’d never seen it before. Aunt Linda walked up and set baby Carson beside Henry. “Well, what’s been going on?” she said.
“I been teaching
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