embarrassment, then went on. “Did Edward get a lot of hassle when he lived here? I mean,
about being gay?”
She nodded. “The Lord doesn’t look too kindly on his choice, and neither do the people
in Rough Butte. We’re simple people, and Eddie isn’t simple. That don’t mean he ain’t
loved, though.”
I let that one go, because even a fool wouldn’t touch the whole “choice” thing
with a ten-foot pole. If I’d learned anything about having a gay dad, it was that arguing about the choice thing
was useless. You believed it or you didn’t, and any time God had something to do with how people felt, He was
the only one that could change their minds. “Why’d he come back if it was so bad, then?”
“He makes his own decisions. Ask him, if that’s what you’re after.”
I looked at her. “They said they moved because of me.”
She furrowed her brow.
“I mean, it just didn’t make sense. Just about everything Edward ever said about this
place was bad. All the stuff he went through.”
She frowned. “Edward might be different, but I raised that boy.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you do right by your family even if it causes you pain.”
I thought about that, and knew what she was saying. I was his family. “Then why did you send
him away?”
Her face softened. Just a little bit, though; it couldn’t
really
soften. “For his own
sake. This place wasn’t right for him.”
“You understand, don’t you? I mean . . . that he was born that way?”
She cleared her throat, pausing. “It’s a sin.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about.”
After another moment, her face hardened. “It’s my business what I understand and
don’t understand. Now eat.”
I took another bite of potatoes and my stomach groaned, stuffed to the brim. “What happened to
Billy’s mom?”
She set her napkin on her plate, then stood. “Up and left one night about three years ago. Girl was
always talking about city life.”
I smiled. “Can’t blame her, being with him.”
She took my plate, and I was sure to thank her. If I got whacked tonight, my arm would probably drop
off. She shook her head, but her eyes weren’t hard. “She’s a no-account for leaving her
son.”
“You don’t like Mr. Hinks, do you?”
“Too hard on the boy, if I had an opinion.”
I raised my eyebrows. “ ‘Too hard’ coming from you must mean
something.”
She turned around and smiled. “Eddie must have told you some stories.”
“Understatement of the year. He told me you hung him by his pants on a hook for three hours
one time.”
She nodded, fondly remembering the episode. “Boy needs to learn respect for his mother or she
loses control. You raise boys and you’ll know what I mean.”
I knew Edward had a brother, long gone from Rough Butte. “Did you strap your kids like Mr.
Hinks?”
“I done it myself on occasion with my boys.”
“That’s child abuse.”
“Maybe to your way of thinking, but since what you think don’t mean diddly, it
don’t matter.”
“So you think what he did was fine?”
She shook her head and continued clearing plates. I stood and began helping her; she shooed me away.
“You done your work, I’ll do mine.” She paused. “There’s a difference
between strapping a boy for good reason and strapping a boy because you’re a miserable sonofabitch. No, Billy
didn’t deserve that strap, I don’t think. Sometimes he does, though, and I ain’t going to say
Norman Hinks is a bad man because of it.”
“You don’t like him, though.”
“I sure don’t, but he cares for that boy the way he knows how. His daddy did the same to
him.”
“Well, he’s wrong.”
She chuckled. “At least you got an opinion on you. Now get on out of here while I finish
up.”
I did, and as I walked out of the kitchen, she called to me. I turned around. She kept her back to me as she
did the dishes. “You make waste in my garden again and I’ll whip the
about being gay?”
She nodded. “The Lord doesn’t look too kindly on his choice, and neither do the people
in Rough Butte. We’re simple people, and Eddie isn’t simple. That don’t mean he ain’t
loved, though.”
I let that one go, because even a fool wouldn’t touch the whole “choice” thing
with a ten-foot pole. If I’d learned anything about having a gay dad, it was that arguing about the choice thing
was useless. You believed it or you didn’t, and any time God had something to do with how people felt, He was
the only one that could change their minds. “Why’d he come back if it was so bad, then?”
“He makes his own decisions. Ask him, if that’s what you’re after.”
I looked at her. “They said they moved because of me.”
She furrowed her brow.
“I mean, it just didn’t make sense. Just about everything Edward ever said about this
place was bad. All the stuff he went through.”
She frowned. “Edward might be different, but I raised that boy.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you do right by your family even if it causes you pain.”
I thought about that, and knew what she was saying. I was his family. “Then why did you send
him away?”
Her face softened. Just a little bit, though; it couldn’t
really
soften. “For his own
sake. This place wasn’t right for him.”
“You understand, don’t you? I mean . . . that he was born that way?”
She cleared her throat, pausing. “It’s a sin.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about.”
After another moment, her face hardened. “It’s my business what I understand and
don’t understand. Now eat.”
I took another bite of potatoes and my stomach groaned, stuffed to the brim. “What happened to
Billy’s mom?”
She set her napkin on her plate, then stood. “Up and left one night about three years ago. Girl was
always talking about city life.”
I smiled. “Can’t blame her, being with him.”
She took my plate, and I was sure to thank her. If I got whacked tonight, my arm would probably drop
off. She shook her head, but her eyes weren’t hard. “She’s a no-account for leaving her
son.”
“You don’t like Mr. Hinks, do you?”
“Too hard on the boy, if I had an opinion.”
I raised my eyebrows. “ ‘Too hard’ coming from you must mean
something.”
She turned around and smiled. “Eddie must have told you some stories.”
“Understatement of the year. He told me you hung him by his pants on a hook for three hours
one time.”
She nodded, fondly remembering the episode. “Boy needs to learn respect for his mother or she
loses control. You raise boys and you’ll know what I mean.”
I knew Edward had a brother, long gone from Rough Butte. “Did you strap your kids like Mr.
Hinks?”
“I done it myself on occasion with my boys.”
“That’s child abuse.”
“Maybe to your way of thinking, but since what you think don’t mean diddly, it
don’t matter.”
“So you think what he did was fine?”
She shook her head and continued clearing plates. I stood and began helping her; she shooed me away.
“You done your work, I’ll do mine.” She paused. “There’s a difference
between strapping a boy for good reason and strapping a boy because you’re a miserable sonofabitch. No, Billy
didn’t deserve that strap, I don’t think. Sometimes he does, though, and I ain’t going to say
Norman Hinks is a bad man because of it.”
“You don’t like him, though.”
“I sure don’t, but he cares for that boy the way he knows how. His daddy did the same to
him.”
“Well, he’s wrong.”
She chuckled. “At least you got an opinion on you. Now get on out of here while I finish
up.”
I did, and as I walked out of the kitchen, she called to me. I turned around. She kept her back to me as she
did the dishes. “You make waste in my garden again and I’ll whip the
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