TheBanyanTree: The Trouble With Flowers

[Sharon Mack]

The Trouble With Flowers
By Sharon A. Mack

	Flowers came yesterday for Lessie Sue but she wasn't very
happy.  Mama got mad and told Lessie Sue she was a fool.  Here was a
nice man with the style and money to send her flowers and she was
actin' like he was trash.  Lessie Sue made a face like she had just
sucked a lemon and made a spittin' sound and left in a huff.  Mama
told me to put the flowers in a jar with some water but I stood a minute
so's I could hear Mama yell some more at Lessie Sue.

	Lessie Sue is purty, I s'pose, if ya' like a priss with
frizzed-up hair and lotsa' bows and lace and uncomfortable clothes. 
Sometimes her bosoms get squeezed so tight in them sweaters they
liketa' pop, and her skirts make her walk funny.  But all the older
boys (and a helluva' lot of the younger ones, too) sure go nuts
whenever she wiggles herself on by 'em.

	We never talk much, me 'n Lessie Sue, she calls me "the baby"
or "Mama's accident" and likes to pretend I don't exist.  Most times
I don't care 'cause it leaves me to myself, but sometimes I get so
mad I wish I could punch her like I did Solly Beumonte.  I gave 'em
two black eyes and he won't be messin' with me no more.  When I come
around now, he kinda' huddles and gets real quiet, like maybe I
won't notice him and leave him alone.  Well, that's how I'd
like to do Lessie Sue.  Not often now, but just every now and then when
she treats me bad or embarrasses me in front of my friends.

	But anyhow, getting' back to them flowers.  She came down
early this mornin', even earlier than Pa and did somethin' in the
kitchen.  I could hear her grumblin' under her breath and movin'
kinda' quick-like.  My rooms off the kitchen 'cause it's the
warmest in winter and I guess I useta' be sickly when I was smaller so
Mama thought it best if I moved downstairs, only I never moved back. 
Well, I snuck to my door and looked out real careful-like and there she
was stuffin' somethin' in the trash and coverin' it over with a
bunch o' papers.  I knew it was the flowers 'cause I seen the empty
jar settin' on the sideboard where Mama had stuck it the day before. 
She turned 'round suckin' her thumb and for a minute I thought she
saw me but she didn't, so I let out my air and went back to bed.  I
knew there'd be hell to pay later.  Maybe I could play sick or
somethin' and stay away from the breakfast table.

	Of course, I was right.  Mama went into an immediate fit and
Papa left quicker 'n usual to milk the cows.  I played only half sick
and got out of the house with only havin' to eat toast and tea.  It
eats real fast and I sped over to the chicken coup so's I could be
outa' earshot.  I guess I was a lot more like my Pa than I thought.

	After tendin' the chickens, I lit out for the orchard and the
shade of an apple tree.  I knew I should take them eggs into Ma and
maybe if I had, I coulda' changed things or gotten Pa to, or at least
called Doc Bramble or Aunt Martha or somethin', but it was already too
hot and I just didn't wanta' be within Mama's grasp while she was
still hot over Lessie Sue and them flowers.

'Long about noon I heard Pa's tractor stop and I knew it was time
for lunch.  Mama wouldn't be too happy 'bout the eggs but I figgered
on usein' my sick act for an even quicker lunch than breakfast, even
though I was purty hungry by now.  

I started slowly to the back door and that''s when I heard the
yellin', only it wasn't Ma....it was Pa and he sounded scared....or
drunk and I got goose bumps along my neck and the hair on my arms stood
right up.  I dropped the eggs and ran faster 'n I'd ever run in my
life, even faster than the day I punched Solly and had to run away from
his Ma, who had a broom swingin' over my head.

When I hit the door it was standin' wide open and I saw Pa's back. 
He was on his knees and all hunched over.  He was shakin' and cryin'
and even after he turned and looked in my direction he never seemed to
know I was there.  I stood beside him and even touched his shoulder but
he looked at me with blank, tired eyes.  Then I noticed the blood on the
floor and saw the head all beat in and bloody.  It took me the longest
time to realize it was Ma a-layin' there.  Her eyes looked as bad as
Pa's.  I kinda' moved away and nearly fell, but a hand caught me and
stood me up on my feet again.  It was Lessie Sue and she looked all soft
and messy and her hair was frizzier than ever and she was smilin' at
me.  I smiled back and thought to myself that maybe there was a chance
for us to be friends.  I looked at her face for a long time, I guess.  I
never noticed the blood on her hands and skirt until she hit Pa...hit
him right in his head...over and over again, 'til he fell and covered
Ma with his body...and his blood.

**************************************

I never knew what all happened that day.  Somehow the sheriff got there
and so did Aunt Martha.  Some say Lessie Sue, herself, called 'em. 
They took her away first and then Aunt Martha shuffled me off next. 
Lessie Sue ended up in a hospital somewheres and I stayed with Aunt
Martha.  Eventually, I heard that Lessie Sue got loose and no ones found
her yet.  Seems she took off with one of the doctors and he was found
dead two weeks later, his body floatin' in the river what ran past his
house.  His wife found him and had to be put away.

Some said, "Ain't you scared?"  I knew Aunt Martha was, even though
she tried her damnedest not to show it to me, but I saw it anyway. 
After all, I weren't no kid anymore.  But I never did feel scared. 
I'm not sure why 'cept I think it mighta' had somethin' to do
with Lessie Sue's helpin' hand and that last smile she gave
me....just before she hit Pa.