Broken Branch Read Online Free PDF

He’s our minister. He’d love to speak of God with you, Mr. . . .”
    â€œI don’t hold with no misters. Call me G.L.”
    â€œG.L.?”
    â€œThat’s my name,” he shot back, grinning.
    â€œYou look tired. Come with us.”
    G.L. nodded. “I don’t mind a little rest, but I don’t put much stock in ministers.”
    This stopped Rachel. “I think you’ll find my husband well versed in the Word. I’m sure he will be unlike the shysters and charlatans you may have encountered.”
    â€œI ain’t never met none of those,” G.L. said. “But if they’re anything like ministers, I’ll pass.” He grinned. “No offense intended.”
    Trudy laughed. She couldn’t help it. She knew it would anger Rachel, but it was too funny.
    Rachel’s mouth pinched shut. “Simpson? Oh, where did he run off to? The dumb child. Trudy, would you find him and get him to bring the cart? And find your son. They both seem to have wandered off.”
    Trudy turned around in a circle, looking for Rodney. He did appear to be gone, which was completely unlike him. Trudy felt a surge of panic grip her.
    â€œRodney?”
    â€œHe was over there, last I saw,” Eugenia said, pointing toward a slight opening in a large mass of kudzu and underbrush.
    â€œThank you,” Trudy said.
    â€œHe might have slipped off to the swamp,” G.L. said, but Trudy hardly heard him. She was moving fast, almost running, the panic so real it made her heart jump in her chest. She had just gathered her skirts to run when she saw his arm. It was poking out of the thick kudzu and shaking violently, like a tree limb being pulverized by the wind. Except there was no wind. Whatever made Rodney different seemed to emanate from inside him.
    Trudy nearly ran into Simpson, who was standing over her son. His face was tight with anguish. She ignored him and knelt beside Rodney, who had stopped convulsing and was now lying motionless and unresponsive.
    â€œI didn’t do nothing, Ms. Trudy. I promise.”
    Trudy turned and saw that the boy was crying. “I promise,” he said again.
    â€œNo, of course not, Simpson.” She stood and held him for a moment, such a fragile boy, maybe not physically but in spirit. “This has to be our secret, but this happens to him often. He’s going to be okay. I know it’s scary at first, but it’ll pass.”
    He nodded. “That’s what Otto tells me. He says that right now it’s tough, but I’ll be glad I stayed when the hard times end.”
    â€œI’ve been thinking about leaving too,” Trudy said. She knew it wasn’t wise to talk about it, but she couldn’t help herself. Simpson didn’t seem like the other men. He seemed like he would understand.
    â€œI’m afraid,” he said. At first she thought he was talking about Rodney, but when she looked down, she saw that he’d stopped shaking. He was asleep now and would stay that way for several hours unless Trudy woke him up.
    â€œAfraid of what?”
    â€œLeaving. Otto says that God will be angry.”
    Trudy shook her head. “God isn’t so angry, Simpson. All the talk about him punishing people is just to keep us in line. That’s what I think.”
    â€œOtto said you weren’t a believer.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œI’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. You seem like a nice lady to me, but . . . I don’t know, sometimes Otto talks about folks. He says God told him you weren’t a real believer. He says God still has work to do with you.” He shrugged. “I wouldn’t take it personal. Otto says the same thing about me. I try to pray, I really do. I try to keep my thoughts pure.” He looked away, suddenly embarrassed, and Trudy knew that he had thought of her before. Surprisingly, she found this pleasing.
    She took his hand in hers. He