The Pick-up

"The Screamer"

by: E. A. Morris

One summer day in the Appalachian Mountains the wind was blowing and the sun made an appearance, the dew had dropped and the fog was gone.

The air smelled like summer, the whole house was up. The windows were up and the doors open. If the grown-ups were up, everyone was up. MaMaw, who stood four foot, nine inches, with brown hair and gray eyes, had made breakfast, biscuits, and gravy, we got a cup of gravy and a biscuit. Naomi, Godfrey, and Ella were ready to go.

Naomi was a small girl for thirteen, she had curly bright red hair and because she had a degenerative disease in her eyes, her glass was as thick as coke bottles. For a small girl, she was always full of piss and vinegar, unless it came to Godfrey and Emma.

She always showed patience and understanding. Until they pushed her too hard, then she would hit Ella and Godfrey or slap their heads. Godfrey was three, small framed with blond hair and hazel/blue eyes, and every time Naomi hit him, he would cry like he was dying.

Ella was six during this summer, she was as tall as Naomi and average weight, brown hair and brown eye, but the eyes were so dark you could not see the pupil. Naomi's eyes were light brown and her pupils were always big.

Naomi had announced at the breakfast table that she was going to take Godfrey and Ella to the pool, which was in the park.

Their wonderland of dragons, tigers, lions, and bears existed. Godfrey was afraid of everything, even if you told him it was just a story, it didn't matter, he was still afraid.

Every time they went to the park, there were stories to be told. Trees that looked like dragons, bushes that looked like tigers, the walk was so fun that when going back to the house it was harder to come up with the stories.

Each time was a new adventure, which Godfrey would plead with Ella, "Please don't make it so scary this time." Ella laughed and he would cry, "it's not funny, you don't see them as I do."

MaMaw protested against them going to the pool, after all, it was only seventy-six degrees outside that day. Ella told her they would be fine, the sun was up and they would be busy swimming the whole time.

Which is what concerned her most. During the winter Ella had almost died of pneumonia, and if it hadn't been for penicillin she would have.

Naomi told her it was going to warm up and if it didn't she would bring them home early, this pleased MaMaw and she allowed them to go.

They packed a towel with their bathing suits Naomi folded the towels, for each bathing suit, over and then put the bathing suit in between the folds.

Then the screaming began, Sally their Aunt, MaMaw's baby daughter, started screaming that they only needed two towels, if that.

Naomi said, "we needed at least two." MaMaw said, "Let her take three, if she wants three, they can be hung up on the line to dry and used again."

Sally started to rant and raven about how they were always getting what they wanted and taking away from her happiness.

Naomi hit them on the head as she was walking out the door, which meant it was time to leave. They could hear Aunt Sally going on and on to MaMaw, about how they always got their way, and why did she allow them to get their way all the time. Naomi wanted to go back and fight with her more, but Ella wouldn't let her.

The pool was three miles from the house, and it felt like ten sometimes. It was at the head of one of the hollers in the park.

They lived in a small coal mining community in West Virginia. If you weren't in the mines, you worked on the railroad, the transportation for the coal.

Either way, the company store owed your soul. What a living, grown men playing in the dirt and breathing in the dust that would eventually kill them.

They lived right off Rural Route Three, in a small community call Henry. There was only one way in and one way out, if there was a boulder dislodged, it was cut off from the world. Which usually happened after every winter snow storm.

Godfrey always started out walking, but eventually, Naomi and Ella would have to carry him to the pool and back to the house.

Ella asked Naomi on the way down the hill why she had to fight with a crazy woman. Naomi laughed and said, "It is because she ain't as smart as she thinks she is." Ella laughed and said, "Neither are you, using that word ain't, you know it isn't a word." Naomi said, "I know, but it's just you and I."

Then Godfrey spoke up and said, "What am I, dog poop?" Naomi and Ella laughed, then Ella put her hand on his head and he took a swing, Ella said, "missed'. Naomi said to cut it out, no more horse playing someone was going to get hurt. Godfrey said, "She started it." Ella retorted with a smile on her face, "I did not."

They got halfway down

Impressum

Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 29.10.2018
ISBN: 978-3-7438-8495-3

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