Come back tomorrow to see what happens next...
Meredith knew it was time she followed her mother into the bedroom to apologize and make peace. Her feet moved in the opposite direction: out the kitchen door. What did Henry and Fanny expect her to do? Meredith jumped over the last porch step and ran into the trees. She hadn’t been alone for too long. There was no quiet to be had with everyone expecting her to pick up their slack. She took refuge under the lilac tree-- a bushy tree that hung over the fence and made a sort of cave where she used to hide away and play back when Pa was still alive. No one, not even Henry could find her when she hid there. Not that they’d look for her until it was good and dark. Let Ma call all she wanted! No, it wouldn’t do any good to think like that. Meredith let herself cry. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. She’d tried her best. Ma tried her best. Henry too-- even though his “best” was unhelpful. The twins were too young to understand. They couldn’t see the need to stop getting into mischief.
Meredith hugged her knees and watched the black ants on the ground make their way over twigs and pebbles. She watched them and listened to the soft night breeze blow through the leaves. It would be difficult for Ma’s cousins to try and raise both of those twins at once. This way of life couldn’t go on without Pa.
It had gotten dark.
After crawling out of the lilac bush, Meredith pulled a few leaves out of her hair and walked back to the house. She didn’t stop in the kitchen where Henry was timidly washing the dishes. The twins were pushing water across the floor, calling it “mopping”, and Fanny was playing Peek-a-Boo with Claire. Meredith knocked softly on her mother’s bedroom and opened the door.
Her mother was lying on the bed, hugging Pa’s old pillow.
“Ma,” Meredith said. “I’m sorry.”
Ma was silent. She tried to rub her eyes real casual-like, pretending that she hadn’t been crying.
Meredith took a deep breath. “I’ll go.”
Ma rolled over to look at her, forgetting her tear-stained face.
“I’ll go to St Louis and stay with Cousin Lucy. You can send the twins with me. That way they won’t be separated. Henry and Fanny will help you out with Claire.”
Meredith hugged her knees and watched the black ants on the ground make their way over twigs and pebbles. She watched them and listened to the soft night breeze blow through the leaves. It would be difficult for Ma’s cousins to try and raise both of those twins at once. This way of life couldn’t go on without Pa.
It had gotten dark.
After crawling out of the lilac bush, Meredith pulled a few leaves out of her hair and walked back to the house. She didn’t stop in the kitchen where Henry was timidly washing the dishes. The twins were pushing water across the floor, calling it “mopping”, and Fanny was playing Peek-a-Boo with Claire. Meredith knocked softly on her mother’s bedroom and opened the door.
Her mother was lying on the bed, hugging Pa’s old pillow.
“Ma,” Meredith said. “I’m sorry.”
Ma was silent. She tried to rub her eyes real casual-like, pretending that she hadn’t been crying.
Meredith took a deep breath. “I’ll go.”
Ma rolled over to look at her, forgetting her tear-stained face.
“I’ll go to St Louis and stay with Cousin Lucy. You can send the twins with me. That way they won’t be separated. Henry and Fanny will help you out with Claire.”