“Rinse your plates off and stack them on the counter,” Mrs. Miller instructed. “No dishes tonight, we’ll take care of them tomorrow.” She laughed amid cheers and pulled marshmallows, several chocolate bars, and a box of graham crackers out of a bag on the counter. “If the boys will start the fire and find some good sticks, we’ll have dessert by firelight.”
“S’mores, we’re going to have s’mores. I’ve always wanted to try one,” Emma said in disbelief as Mina tried to help her zip her windbreaker a few minutes later. It wasn’t easy as the little girl hopped around in her excitement. “Are you having fun, Mina?” Emma whispered. At Mina’s nod, she said, “Me too, the best ever,” before tearing out the door with Sarah. Mina pulled on her own jacket and followed them out the door in the living room to the back yard. She realized the new addition went the whole length of the back of the camp.
Ori and Joe were absorbed in lighting a huge pile of brush, boards, chunks of wood, and some broken pallets. Someone had taken a couple of planks and nailed them to chunks of wood to make a crude bench on each side of the fire pit, with a couple of folding lawn chairs angled in next to one of the benches.
“I’m in the stick cutting business.” Sam appeared at her side and held up a folding knife with a long blade. “You want one?”
He’d been hanging back from talking to her much tonight. Why? “Yes, please.” She tried to ignore the dog that reappeared from nowhere.
“C’mon, I’ll help you find one.” He led the way toward the edge of the lawn and the tree line. Grabbing a poplar sapling, he used the wicked-looking knife to cut it near the bottom, then cleaned off all the leaves with one swipe of his hand. “There you go.” Sam handed her the switch, “One marshmallow stick,” before turning back to cut another one.
“Sam? Have I done something wrong?”
“No. Why?”
“I don’t know. It seems like you’ve hardly talked to me tonight.” I hope he doesn’t think I’m whining.
“Sorry. My brothers…well, they know how to get under my skin. They think you’re my girlfriend, so they’re giving me a hard time. I didn’t want them to give you a hard time, too.”
Sam, my boyfriend? Blair Whitman has boyfriends, not me. He wouldn’t pick me anyway. So it doesn’t matter. He’s my friend. That’s all I care about. “Thanks for thinking of me.” Despite her thoughts, Mina was unable to keep the slight tinge of sarcasm out of her voice.
“You’re welcome.” Sam seemed oblivious to her tone. “They’re just doin’ it to bug me. They know I don’t want a girlfriend. They aren’t all that bad once you get to know them, and they know you. Ori’s mad at the world right now.”
“How come he doesn’t have braids like the rest of you?”
“It’s an old Sioux custom, when someone was in mourning, they sometimes cut their hair. Ori used to have the longest braids of all of us. But the morning before we left, his braids were gone, and he said he was in mourning for our life there. He didn’t want to come here. He left his girlfriend, Marie, back on the rez.”
“Why did you move here?” The question popped out before Mina had time to think about it. “I’m sorry; it’s none of my business.”
“No, that’s okay. We didn’t live on the rez, but close enough. We hung out there a lot, Ori more than the rest of us because of Marie. Anyway,” Sam leaned down to cut another sapling, “There’s a lot of gang stuff going on there too. Some thug liked Marie, and said she shouldn’t be hanging out with half breeds. Ori got pissed about it and pounded him, so a few guys from his gang got even.”
“What do you mean? How?” Mina knew sometimes older kids around here cut tires or threw eggs on cars to take the paint off.
“You really want to know this?” At her nod, he continued. “About a week after the fight, Ori and I went to Marie’s house to straighten out a problem I was having with Jess—her sister. We were leaving the rez when they caught up with us. They had knives; we didn’t. It wasn’t much of a fight.”
“What?” Mina was shocked. “Are you kidding?”
Shrugging his flannel shirt off one shoulder, Sam yanked up the sleeve of his t-shirt, exposing a scar that slashed across the width of his arm. “Does this look like I’m kidding? They cut me there and across the chest, and Ori got it even worse.” He dropped his sleeve. “After that, even though my mom liked being near her people, she and my dad decided it was enough. They were afraid one of us, mainly Ori, would end up dead. My dad’s uncle died a couple of years ago and left him this place, so here we are.” He held up the knife. “It won’t happen again though.” Folding it, he put it in his pocket and picked up the pile of sticks, heading back toward the bonfire.
“You don’t take that to school, do you?” Mina followed along, trying to ignore the dog right at her heels.
“Damn right. All three of us do.” He kept walking.
Mina was taken aback, by both the fact he swore, and that he and his brothers all carried knives. “You know you can get suspended if you get caught with that at school.”
He stopped, whirling on her. “I don’t care. That’s nothing compared to watching your brother get gutted like a fish and not being able to do anything about it.” He turned back toward the fire. “Ina and Dad don’t know about these,” he warned, patting his pocket as they neared his parents.
Sam handed out sticks to Sarah and Emma, sending them to Lilith for marshmallows before heading around the fire to join his brothers. Winona sat on the bench next to her mother, munching on a blackened marshmallow when Mina dropped down next to her. Winona handed her two marshmallows, and then shoved two more onto her own stick. Mina carefully turned her stick to toast the marshmallows to a golden brown. Winona on the other hand, liked her marshmallows the color of charcoal. She set them on fire, and let them burn a couple of seconds before blowing out the flame. Mina popped one into her mouth to enjoy the gooey texture and sweet warmth. Winona did the same, and smiled at Mina. Black stuck to Winona’s teeth, and Mina couldn’t help it, she burst out laughing. Winona laughed and rubbed her teeth with her finger before going back for more. Mina finished her second marshmallow. She had a cavity in one of her molars, despite brushing her teeth all the time and avoiding the sugar-laden Kool Aid in the refrigerator at home. Her mother said they couldn’t afford a dentist right now. Not wanting to pass the night in pain, Mina declined when Winona offered her another marshmallow and some chocolate. Winona continued making s’mores.
“Not too many,” Mina warned Emma, stepping close to the fire. “And watch out, don’t let the sparks burn a hole in your dress.”
“I won’t. Ori’s been helping me cook my marshmallows. I’m done after this one,” Emma said around a bite of s’more. “Hmm, good.” She chewed for a second. “The fire’s nice and warm, huh?”
Mina nodded, stepping a little closer. It had gotten dark, and the dew had fallen, dampening everything, including the thin nylon of Mina’s jacket. The lightweight tights she wore did nothing to warm her legs either. “Are you cold?”
“A little,” Emma admitted.
“Wanna go play in my room?” Sarah asked.
“Sure. Is it okay?”
“Sure. I’ll be right here. Wash your hands,” Mina called as the little girls ran off toward the house. She reluctantly left the warmth of the fire to sit on the bench next to Winona.
“Oh, I don’t feel so good.” Winona groaned.
“How many s’mores did you eat?” her mother asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe four.” Winona groaned again and hesitated a moment. “Okay, more like six, plus four marshmallows.”
“No wonder. You need to get that sweet tooth in check,” Lilith chided. “In the meantime, we’ll give you something for your stomach, but I think you’d better call it a night.” She stroked her daughter’s hair.
“Okay.” Winona nodded. “Mina, I’m sorry.”
“That’s all right. I hope you feel better.”
Mr. Miller got up. “Night, boys.” He
headed toward the house. “Make sure you bank that fire well.”
“Sam?” Lilith called. He looked up from the other side of the fire where he stood with his brothers. “We’re going in, too. Winona isn’t feeling so good. Sarah and Emma are playing, and I want to give them a little more time before we take the girls home. Keep Mina company for a while, would you?” She turned toward the house.
Oh, please don’t make him babysit me. Glancing over, she saw Joe say something to Sam and grin, while Ori gave him a punch on the arm at the same time. Sam rolled his eyes and started around the fire while his two brothers laughed and punched each other. Mina’s face warmed, and it had nothing to do with the fire. “Sorry,” she said as he came to sit next to her.
“No problem.” He glared at his brothers across the fire. “They’re jackasses.” He raised his voice, so it carried to his brothers.
Mina didn’t look up to see what the boys were doing but kept her eyes trained on the red embers at the base of the fire. “You don’t have to sit with me. I’m fine.”
“No, that’s okay. I don’t mind.”
Neither of them said anything for a few minutes. Mina could hear his brothers’ voices, but not what they were saying. “I won’t say anything about the knife.” She’d concluded he’d have no reason to use it here since there weren’t many roving gangs. Just the occasional common redneck, but if it made him feel better to have it, she understood. “Are you mad about your family moving here?”
“Even though there were things I was glad to leave behind, I was mad at first. The house was so small, we were tripping over each other. There was nothing to do around here and school…” Sam shook his head. “I hated going there.”
He picked up a discarded stick and scratched in the dirt at his feet. “It’s not so bad now. I’m going to try out for soccer next year at the high school, and I’ve found a couple of things I like doing. And as you can see, we are working on making the house bigger.” He pointed the stick in the general direction of the camp. “School’s definitely getting better. Thanks for pushing me to read that book. Sometimes I have a hard time figuring out some words, but it’s still good.” Sam cleared his throat. “I’ve been meaning to tell you thanks for your help, and for not ratting me out to the other kids or Mrs. McIntosh.”
“I would’ve never told the other kids.” Not that I talk to them much anyway. Mina wasn’t used to compliments. She decided to change the subject. “You said you’ve found some things you like doing—like what?”
“I’ve been fishing a lot, something we didn’t do much back home, and my Dad said we could go hunting for white tail this fall. So, I’m psyched for that. He used to come here when he was a kid and hunt.”
“Deer hunting? I think they’re too pretty to kill.” She gave an involuntary shudder. “But I’ve been fishing with my parents.” It was really the only thing they did as a family. They’d never been to the drive-in movies, or any movie in fact. They’d never been on a vacation. Ma said they already lived in the country, so they didn’t need to go on vacation. But, she said, worms could be dug for free. It cost nothing to sit on the river bank, and if they were lucky, they’d catch some dinner. So they fished. Mina didn’t like the smell or taste of fish, but she was smart enough not to say anything. However, she flat out refused to put her own bait on. She just couldn’t make herself drive the metal hook through the worm as it tried to stretch its body in…what? An effort to get away?
“Doesn’t your dad hunt? I thought all Vermonters hunted.”
Mina shook her head. “No. I don’t think he has time, and he says his arthritis bothers him too much to tromp in the woods.”
“Arthritis? How old is he?”
“My dad? He’s sixty-one.”
“Wow. That’s the same age as my grandpa in South Dakota. Do they have any other kids, besides you and Emma?”
“Well, yes. Kind of…” How do I explain this? “I have a brother named Richard, but I’ve never met him.”
“Did he die or something?”
Mina shook her head. “No. But he’s a lot older than I am. I think they had him right after they got married. My mother told me he went away; I guess into the military or something before I was born. He doesn’t come to visit.”
“That’s weird. Why?”
What am I supposed to say? Ma doesn’t want him to see our house? Maybe Richard didn’t like them very much and didn’t want to visit? Mina truly had no clue. She shrugged. “I have no idea. They never talk about him.”
“I can’t imagine not seeing my brothers.” Sam glanced over at Ori and Joe.
Mina didn’t know her brother, so how could she miss him? She used to imagine, especially when her parents were fighting, he’d come and get her and Emma. They’d live in a nice house, have friends over, and Richard and his beautiful wife would attend school events and be so proud of their accomplishments. She didn’t have that fantasy anymore. “You’re lucky to have such a great family.”
“Yeah? Great, huh? You wouldn’t think so if you were here in the morning when all seven of us are trying to get ready at the same time. We’re supposed have a schedule, but Ori ends up pounding on the bathroom door every morning to get his turn. He’s right after the primper.”
“Winona?”
“Winona? Not so you’d notice it. Joe.”
“Joe?” Mina glanced at Sam’s brother across the fire. As if he knew she was looking, Joe turned and looked at her, giving her that smile. Again finding herself unable to help it, she smiled back.
“Yup. He spends more time in there than both Winona and Sarah put together. It must be working for him, though. He always has girls around him.”
“It’s his eyes. He smiles with his eyes,” Mina answered absently, lulled by the warmth and glow of the embers from the fire.
“Not you too.” Sam jumped up, tossing the stick in the fire.
“What? What are you talking about?”
“You like him too.” Sam’s tone was accusatory and loud enough to draw his brothers’ attention.
“I do not,” she hissed. “Well, I do, but I don’t like him like that. I don’t like anyone like that. Why would you even say that?”
“I don’t know. I just didn’t want you to end up talking about him all the time.”
“I don’t think so.” Mina was uncomfortable with this line of conversation. “Guess what? I forgot to tell you. I got a call from one of the ladies at church. She wants me to babysit.”
“You wanna do that? Who wants to take care of a bunch of bratty kids?”
“Me. They’re not bratty, and there are only two little girls. Besides,” she said when he shook his head, “this is my first chance to make my own money, real money.”
“I don’t know.” Sam still shook his head. “I think I could find other ways easier than that.”
She shrugged. “Not for me. I like kids.”
Before he could say anything else, Mrs. Miller came out, followed by Emma and Sarah, both of whom seemed to be dragging their feet. “Our little ladies here are not happy, but I think it’s time we got you home. I don’t want your mother to worry. I did promise the girls I’d give your mother a call soon to see if Emma could stay overnight. I’m sure Winona will want you to stay too, Mina.”
Mina stood as Sam’s mother approached. “Ahh, sure. We’re kind of busy doing firewood and all, so I’m not sure when we could do that…” Mina trailed off. She wasn’t sure how her mother would react to a call from Lilith or any other parent for that matter.
Mrs. Miller looked at her for a moment before answering. “Okay, why don’t you let Winona or Sam know when it’s a good time. Maybe after school gets out for the summer?”
At Mina’s nod, they all headed toward the car, including Sam. He got in the front seat next to his mother, and the three girls got in the back. As Mrs. Miller neared the house, Mina sighed in relief. The house was dark, her parents asleep. Mina knew her mother was still mad; she hadn’t left the porch light on, which
was okay as far as Mina was concerned. They could find their way into the house, and the cover of darkness hid the jumble that choked any and all space on the porch.
August 1992
“Do you want to eat lunch?” Mina asked, noticing Emma’s purple lips. “You look cold; maybe we should get out of the water?”
“I’m fine,” Emma insisted between chattering teeth.
Neither one of them were strong swimmers, but on the rare day Mina didn’t have to babysit, she’d pack a lunch, and they’d spend the day here by the covered bridge in the summer. Ma didn’t care; she was in her garden.
“Em, why don’t you get out for a while and warm up? How about we build a new village?” Mina coaxed. Even at ten, Emma still loved to build fairy villages, as she called them, using whatever they could find lying around.
“Hey. What’re you doing?” Sam and Joe stood by the guard rail outside the bridge with their bikes.
Emma smiled. “We’re going to build—”
“Swimming,” Mina cut her off. What are they doing here?
“Great. We’re coming down.” Sam hopped on his bike and rode it to the river bank, Joe right behind.
“We were mowing the Richford’s lawn at the other end of the road. Dad dropped us off there on his way to work this morning,” Sam explained, as if he’d heard her silent question.
In up to her knees, Mina quickly got out of the water, the edges of her long t-shirt damp against her legs.
The boys whipped off their shirts and slogged into the current in cut-off jeans shorts. Both sucked in their breath at the cold water, and the movement brought their rib cages into relief. They wrestled each other and then took turns giving Emma piggy back rides into the deep water. Mina could tell Emma loved every minute of it. Her thin, pale arm stood in sharp contrast to dark skin as she held each boy’s neck in a stranglehold, winding her other hand in their braid like a rein. That has to hurt. But neither boy said anything as they pretended to be bucking broncos, making Emma laugh louder each time they did it. Mina stayed on the bank, her arms crossed over her chest.
My Mother Grows Wallflowers Page 5
