The Sand Castle by Rita Mae Brown Page B

to Louise. “We could give him half an aspirin.”
    â€œMmm, not yet. I don’t like giving stuff like that to kids.”
    â€œWe could give him children’s aspirin.”
    â€œI’d have to go all the way into Leonardtown and that would cost us an hour.” Louise’s hands gripped the steering wheel at ten o’clock and four o’clock. “It’s more important to get home.”
    â€œYou’re right.” Mother uttered the magic words. A bit later she said—voice low but I was straining to listen—“I don’t think any veins are cut. There’s some blood but I don’t think a vein was hit. There’d be more blood.”
    â€œLet’s hope.”
    â€œThey get crooked after an injury.”
    â€œI know. Marie said after Bill broke his pelvis, his part never straightened out. Now why is that? Why would breaking his pelvis affect his part?” Louise was recalling a conversation with one of her pals.
    Mother stared out the window; there was a beautiful small white church in the distance. “I don’t know. We think men are uncomplicated, thatpart of them, but I’m not so sure. Seems to be a lot of problems in that area. Bill’s not the only one. Remember when Tommy Lavery passed out then came to and threw up? We thought he had an appendicitis attack but it was one of those tubes from his testicle that got twisted although the pain was in his guts.” Mother shook her head. “Must have been just awful.”
    I pretended not to listen. The ice was melting so I wrung the towel out into the ice bucket, plucked out more cubes, wrapped them up, and handed it to Leroy.
    â€œUsually you can see if something’s wrong down there,” Louise replied. “But sometimes you can’t. Course, when we have female troubles you can’t see a thing.”
    â€œYou and I have been very lucky on that front,” Mother changed the subject. “Remember when we were teenagers and everything was happening? I mean, you’d wake up to a different body? All of a sudden breasts appeared.”
    Louise smiled. “God, I wouldn’t go back and do that over for all the tea in China.”
    â€œBut did you ever think what it’s like for boys? No control. Their part stands up at the darnedest times. How embarrassing.”
    â€œSure made us all laugh, though, didn’t it?”
    â€œI’m not one hundred percent sure they ever really get it under control. Reach a certain age and it doesn’t work right or it stands up but then dies on you.”
    Louise raised an eyebrow. “Chessy,” she used Dad’s name, “having problems?”
    â€œNo. But you hear about it, you know?”
    â€œOh.”
    They launched into a discussion of their girlfriends and their husbands. I tuned out. Leroy fell asleep.
    Silence in the back alerted Mother. She turned around.
    â€œHe’s asleep.”
    â€œI can see that.” She half rose, got on her knees, and leaned over the front seat. “Hold the ice on him for awhile. When it’s all melted you can stop. That ought to help.”
    â€œI’m not touching him.”
    â€œNickel.”
    Just the way she said my name made me grimace. I reached over because his hand had slipped, repositioned the small towel, and held it while I plotted some future, great revenge.
    The ice seemed to melt at a glacial rate. My left arm was tired from holding the towel straight and I hated the procedure. Every now and then Mother would turn around.
    â€œIt’s almost melted,” I lied.
    â€œWait until it’s all gone.”
    I must have pushed down a little harder than necessary because he woke with a whimper. I pulled my hand away as though it was on fire.
    â€œHey!” He was as horrified as I was.
    â€œMother made me do it,” I quickly proclaimed.
    Mother whirled around, “Yes, I did. Leroy,” a long pause followed, “we want