Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere

by Julie T. Lamana

  Then Memaw grunted, trying to stand up quick, and said to Mama, “I’ll go fill the tub.”

  I was fixin’ to ask her why when the front door flew open and the wind blew in TayTay’s dad. The door went to smacking up against the side of the house. Sealy ran over and tried to pull it shut, but the wind was blowing too hard. I slid past him and went to help her.

  TayTay’s dad brought the stormy weather with him. Shadows filled the living room, and it turned three shades darker inside and out. The temperature inside the house felt like it went up by fifty degrees on account of the heat pouring off my cousin’s dad.

  Memaw came back in the room. “Alvin,” is all she said with a nod. Then she went and took a heavy seat back in her chair.

  “Mama Jean,” he slurred and slow-blinked.

  I smelled the whiskey on my uncle’s breath, and the sourness of it was making my stomach do flip-flops.

  He stared down at his only child with his lip curled up, like he couldn’t stand her. If my daddy ever looked at me that way for even a second, I’d shrivel up and die from sadness right on the spot.

  “Get your butt up, girl,” TayTay’s dad spit out. He pushed hard up against the side of her leg with his grimy ol’ work boot. “Weather’s bad. Gotta get you home.” He burped and swayed.

  Anger started rising up inside me—a heavy burning that started in the bottom of my belly. It worked its way up past my heart and caused a throb in my head, turning my hands into fists.

  I jumped up off the floor without thinking. Cricket ran and hid up behind Memaw’s feet and started a low puppy growl. The man was drunk, mean, and huge. But I wasn’t gonna sit there and watch him bully my TayTay no more.

  “Sealy, honey,” Mama said all calm, but in a hurry, “go get your daddy.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Sealy ran like a scuttlebug.

  “It’s all right, Auntie Katherine,” TayTay said to Mama in a voice I hardly recognized.

  TayTay set her plate of cake on the floor in front of her and started to get up. She was almost standing when her dad pushed again with his foot and knocked her off balance. She fell forward and her hand came down, landing smack-dab in the middle of her plate. Globs of thick, creamy blue buttermilk frosting flew up in the air and landed with a plop all over Mama’s wood floor.

  I barely remember winding my arm up like one of them girl softball pitchers and bringing my fist up as hard as I could square into his big, hard, bloated belly. The man barely moved. A hot poof of sour air shot from his mouth. Hatred poured out of his eyes and straight into mine. A shiver ran through my hair. His giant hand flew up over his head. I squeezed my eyes closed and covered my head.

  “What in blazes is going on in here?” Daddy’s voice came rushing into the room. I opened one eye and seen Daddy holding tight to the man’s raised arm. Daddy looked around the room. Mama was standing right close, clutching Khayla to her chest, rocking back and forth with Sealy hiding behind her. Memaw was mumbling with her face buried in her hands.

  Daddy looked down at TayTay and seen her crying, with blue frosting everywhere.

  “Stupid girl made a mess on your floor, man,” TayTay’s dad said.

  Daddy’s eyes landed on TayTay’s dad.

  I took a step toward the stinking bully.

  “Armani.” Daddy held his arm straight out in my direction.

  “Sir?” I said, never taking my eyes off the man.

  “Armani,” Daddy said again. “Look at me.”

  I turned my head toward Daddy, but kept my eyes locked on Tay-Tay’s dad. He looked away with slow, bouncy, beady eyes. Daddy took a step to the left, blocking me from my enemy.

  “That’s enough, Armani.”

  Tears puddled up, stinging my eyes.

  Mama helped my cousin to her feet.

  “I’m so sorry, Auntie Katherine,” TayTay sniffled.

  “Oh, sweetheart, it’s not your fault,” Mama said. “Come on in the kitchen and let’s clean you up.” Mama put her arm around TayTay and led her toward the kitchen.

  My fool-headed uncle grabbed Tay’s arm. “She can clean up at home,” he slurred, his fingers digging into the softness of her arm.

  Mama kissed TayTay on the cheek and walked away. I was mad all over again. How could Mama just leave TayTay to fend for herself?

  Real calm-like, Daddy looked TayTay’s dad straight in the eye. “I don’t think this is necessary, Alvin.” Without moving his eyes, Daddy peeled each one of the man’s fingers, one by one, away from TayTay’s arm. He took the man’s hand in his like they were fixin’ to shake. Daddy put his other arm around the man’s shoulder. And just like that, Daddy walked him to the door. “T-Bone’s going to take you and TayTay home in my truck.”

  TayTay rubbed her arm where her dad’s fingers had dug in. She stared down at the floor. I stood beside her, not knowing what to say. A tear slipped from her eye and landed on the floor.

  “Sorry for ruining your birthday, Armani.”

  “You didn’t ruin it. Ol’ pooh-breath did,” I said, with my lip curled up and my head sliding to the side.

  TayTay’s head was hanging, but she turned it up enough so she could look at me. A tiny smile found her eyes. “Yeah, pooh-breath,” she whispered. Another tear ran down her cheek. I reached up and wiped it with my thumb.

  “Well, I better go.” She shrugged.

  The thought of her going home with that man made me feel sick. “You should stay here, Tay. Let me ask Mama if you can sleep over!”

  Memaw walked up behind me. “She needs to go on with her daddy now, before the storm gets worse. Your Uncle T-Bone’s already out there waitin’.” Memaw had both hands on her hips, looking over the top of her glasses.

  “But, Memaw, that man is gonna kill her!” I argued.

  “Nobody’s gonna kill nobody. You listen here.” Memaw looked from me to TayTay. “My own daddy was a mean ol’ dog when he drank, just like that one. You do as you’re told and don’t give him no reason to have to correct ya. Do you hear me, baby girl?” Memaw took TayTay’s face in her hands.

  “Yes, ma’am.” TayTay nodded.

  “But Memaw . . .”

  Memaw shook her finger up in my face. “Nope, that’s it.” She gave TayTay a big hug, then shooed her toward the door. “Go on now.”

  Memaw turned on the switch for the hall light, forgetting that the power was out. She slapped the wall and scooted off toward her room. “And as for you, Miss Muhammad Ali,” she hollered at me over her shoulder, “you and me’s gonna have a talk later.”

  I rolled my eyes as far up into my head as possible. “Who’s Muhammad Ali?” I hollered after her.

  Mama’s hanging plant came crashing through the kitchen window and shattered glass flew clear into the living room.

  I never made it to the door in time to say bye to my best friend.

  CHAPTER 10

  Rain was coming down sideways. Thunder and lightning filled the sky. And the wind had a mind of its own.

  There was still a hint of light making its way in from the outside world, but the usual golden colors of Mama’s living room in the late light of the day was missing. A stillness and a gray had took over the whole house.

  Mama never said one word when she swept up the broken glass and dirt and pieces of her favorite hanging plant into the dustpan that Memaw held for her. The little ones didn’t even wander in there and get in the way. Somehow they just knew to stay put and not be whiny.

  Daddy and Georgie had stretched thick silvery tape crisscrosses on all the windows while I laid out the papers that Memaw gave me. She showed me how to put them down for Cricket, since we wasn’t gonna be able to take her outside to do her business.

  Miss had herself stuffed into the corner of the couch. She looked lost and uncomfortable without Uncle T-Bone to hang on. Her eyes were fixed on the floor, and her shiny knees moved up and down as fast as her feet could bounce. I almost went and sat next to her, but I went into the kitchen instead.

  Mama was sitt
ing at the table with her head in her hands. Memaw was keeping herself busy wiping down the counters with a rag. The trash bag covering the hole where the window used to be was flapping loud and poofing like it was gonna tear loose any minute. I couldn’t take my eyes off it.

  “Mama, can I have a water?”

  Mama never looked up at me. “Just one.” Her tired voice got lost in the sounds of the storm and the noisy trash bag window. “Make it last,” she said.

  I took a bottle off the table. “Here,” I said, holding it out in front of me.

  Miss slowly stopped staring at the floor. Her gaze met mine and I froze. Her caramel-colored eyes were sad, scared, soft, and sweet.

  I blinked and swallowed. “I thought you might want a water or somethin’.”

  She took the bottle and pressed it against her chest. “Thank you, Armani. This is so thoughtful of you.” She smiled, but her eyes filled with tears. “I’m so scared.” She stared at me in a way that sucked me in. “If anything happens to T-Bone, I don’t know what I’ll do.” Tears fell from both of her eyes at the same time.

  Her crying made my eyes sting. I sat down beside her on the couch, not knowing if I should touch her or not. Finally I laid my hand on her shoulder and patted a couple times. “He’ll be okay” was all I could think to say.

  She fell into me and went into a full-blown ugly cry, all but suffocating me with her tangerine hat.

  The front door slammed open and a soaking-wet Uncle T-Bone fell in.

  Listening to Uncle T-Bone go on about the ride to Uncle Alvin’s and how he had to practically carry the grown man into his house in the pouring rain turned my stomach.

  I gathered up my new puppy and went to my room. Of course, Sealy followed. I didn’t mind ’cause I knew she’d let me be.

  Quicker than Memaw could crack a nut, Sealy had one of her books out. She sat down on the floor and folded her legs up under her with the book spread across her lap.

  The curtains above Sealy’s head fluttered the tiniest bit even though the window was closed up good and tight. It made me nervous.

  I plopped facedown on my bed with Cricket. I ran my finger up and down in the space between her eyes and down the top of her short, round little nose. She stared at me with her shiny jet-black eyes and thump-thumped her wagging tail up against my arm. Every couple of seconds, she’d stare at the window and whimper, cocking her little head to the side. I wondered if she was hearing the same wind-whistle as me.

  I was admiring the beauty of her when there was a quiet knock on my door. It opened a couple of inches and Georgie’s wide, fat nose peered in at me. “Armani, can I come in?”

  “No,” I said, with no energy.

  Georgie walked in anyway.

  He sat on the edge of the bed. I scooted over, making sure no part of my brother was touching me.

  Cricket left my side and crawled up on Georgie’s lap. He bent his face down and she licked him on the chin. He laughed and petted her. She went to licking faster all over his face.

  I’d seen enough. All I could do was pray that Cricket hadn’t picked up some dreaded disease from that ugly boy’s face.

  I sat up. “Come here, Cricket,” I called in my baby-talk voice. “Come here.” I clicked my tongue a couple times.

  Cricket hopped over to me and sniffed my hand, all the while wagging her stumpy tail. Then she turned around and hopped back to Georgie, picking right back up with the licking.

  “She likes me!” Georgie said. He kissed my puppy on top of her head.

  “Whatever,” I mumbled. I folded my arms across my chest. Sealy smiled at me over the top of her book.

  “Anyway,” Georgie said, still playing with Cricket. “I just wanted to tell you that I thought it was cool the way you stuck up for TayTay.”

  “What?” I said.

  Georgie jumped to his feet, dancing on his tippy-toes around in a circle, boxing the air.

  I rolled my eyes and unfolded my arms.

  In a really high, squeaky voice he said, “My name’s Armani Curtis. Mess with me or my cuz and I’ll kick your butt!” Georgie laughed at his own self, like he was the funniest person alive.

  A boom of thunder shook the house at the exact same time a huge, bright flash of lightning lit up my room like someone was shining a spotlight. The three of us stopped breathing and stared at each other. Sealy grabbed her book sack and leaped onto our bed.

  Georgie cleared his throat. He reached over and gave Cricket a quick belly rub.

  “Anyway,” he said.

  “Yeah, anyway,” I said, just ’cause.

  “Well, happy birthday, Sis.” And before I realized what he was fixin’ to do, that crazy boy bent down and kissed me on my cheek.

  I swatted at him, but Georgie moved too quick. He was out the door, bouncing off walls in the dark hall.

  “What an idiot,” I grumbled.

  I threw myself back on the bed. Sealy snuggled up next to me and opened her book sack. She put her book inside and pulled out her journal and fluffy feather pen.

  I lay there with Cricket, feeling sticky and hot. The room got darker and darker as the gray light of day faded away. I watched my sister’s pen move across the pages of her journal. I couldn’t hear the scritch-scratch sound that her writing usually made on account of the whistling winds and pouring rain pounding down on our roof.

  But the rain and wind couldn’t cover up the cracking sound that made me and my sister jump clean out of our skin. It was like God was tearing the whole world in half in one big, long riiiiiipppp. . . .

  CHAPTER 11

  The whole house shook with one quick, loud thwack! I ran out to the living room with Sealy on my heels. It was dark, and I didn’t see Khayla sitting there in the hall playing with the cars and Cricket’s shoebox. I ran right into her, almost dropping the puppy. Sealy plowed into the back of me and screamed. Khayla fell flat to the floor, squashing the little box. She started wailing.

  I grabbed hold of Khayla by one arm and pulled her off the floor. “It’s okay, Khayla, it’s okay . . .” I kept saying in huffs of breath, trying to calm her down. It wasn’t working, though, ’cause I was as close as I’ve ever been to a full-blown panic myself. Everyone was shouting and running around. The room was spooky with candles flickering and shadows running across the ceiling.

  “Katherine!” Daddy shouted. “Get the children and take them to our room! Stay away from the windows!”

  “Come on, y’all, you heard your daddy!” Mama was scooping up babies and still managed to grab hold of Sealy’s hand.

  A bright white light streaked through the checkered curtains and poured into the room. In that split second, I seen Memaw’s face, her mouth wide open and her eyes all bugged out. The air got sucked out of me.

  An explosion of thunder rattled the whole house. I screamed and covered my ears. Another bolt of lightning lit up the shadowy room. There it was again—that look on Memaw’s face. A cry that started in my belly flew out of my mouth, blending in with the screams of the wind.

  Cold prickly shivers ran up my back and down my arms. A sour taste burned in the back of my throat.

  Daddy had his arm around Memaw and led her off to the bedroom to be with Mama and the kids. I didn’t want to see her looking that way—all full of fright. My breathing was coming fast and hard. My heart raced almost as fast as my brain.

  Another clap of thunder. The creaky, broken screen door made one last loud slap up against the house before I heard it rip right off, flying to who knows where. The house moved beneath my feet. “Daddy!”

  “I’m here, baby!” The lightning flashed and there he was—my daddy was right there just on the other side of Memaw’s TV-watching chair. The wind shook the windows like an airplane was fixin’ to land on our roof.

  Even with Memaw and the kids all up in the bedroom, I could still hear them crying and screaming and begging Mama to make it stop.

  Uncle T-Bone was huddled on the couch with his arms wrapped around Miss. She was wailin
g louder than the kids in the bedroom, waving the only flashlight in the room every which way.

  More lightning and more thunder. The constant sound of rain dumping down in buckets so hard it sounded like we might as well’ve been standing up under a waterfall.

  I didn’t even realize I was holding onto Georgie till he screamed in my ear. It was a high-pitched scream that sent terror running through me. He covered his head with his hands. I dug my fingers deep into his arm and screamed with him.

  It wasn’t no normal thunderstorm. The sky had fell out, and the world was ending.

  Daddy stood by the front window and looked out. He shook his head back and forth. He took off his glasses. His right hand came up and held the top of his head and then slid down. He rubbed his eyes. He put his glasses back on. Then his hands fell heavy to his sides. Daddy looked straight up at the ceiling, and squeezed his eyes shut. In a whisper-cry he said, “Protect us, sweet Jesus.”

  A tree branch crashed through the big window and knocked Daddy to the floor.

  CHAPTER 12

  “Daddy!” me and Georgie both screamed. We ran to him.

  Daddy looked up at us. He had a thin line of blood trickling down his forehead and his glasses were missing from his face.

  Miss Shug shined the flashlight in Daddy’s direction. She seen the blood streaming down the side of his face and went to hollerin’. The whole while, she kept right on fanning herself with the tangerine hat, blinking her eyes a mile a minute.

  Uncle T-Bone looked at Georgie. “Go calm Lorraine down.”

  Me and Georgie looked at each other like maybe Uncle T-Bone was the one who got knocked in the head. “Who’s Lorraine?”

  “Shug! Go calm Miss Shug down!” The woman was wailing louder than ever by now.

  My brother looked over at the woman so sweet they called her Sugar. “No, sir,” Georgie said, pushing his glasses firm up on his nose. “Daddy needs me.”

  Georgie walked across the broken glass that was covered with stuck globs of sticky gray tape. He scooted past my uncle and put his arm around Daddy’s waist. He helped Daddy get over to the sofa.