Carrying Mason Read Online Free PDF Page A

Mason never, ever talked about him, and all I knew was what Mama told me. Ruby Day’s husband died when Mason was only a tiny baby. And then, Mama said that all she knew was, “Ruby Day and Mason lived with Ruby Day’s father until Mason was seven years old—that was when her father died and they moved to Makeshift.” But that’s all anyone knew for sure.
    Mason’d been caring for his mama ever since. I just didn’t understand it until that day. She really couldn’t take care of herself—by herself. She needed help. Mason did tell me that Ruby Day’s Uncle Charles would show up every now and again and check on them. But even so, Ruby Day needed everyday help.
    I tossed the tea bags into the trash, added the sugar, and fortunately I found a bottle of ReaLemon Juice in the fridge and poured a tablespoon into the mixture. Then I added some ice and dumped it all in a pitcher, added cold water, and poured two tall glasses of iced tea.
    Ruby Day was out back tending to her flowers, and I watched from the kitchen window. She squatted on her bare heels, rocking back and forth like an old lady. I imagined her thoughts were so heavy she could barelylift her head under the weight. The sun, now on the down side of her journey, cast long shadows of Ruby Day’s flowers onto the grass.
    I snatched a sun hat from a nail near the back door, stuffed it under my arm, and stepped outside carrying the two glasses of iced tea. The glasses began sweating from the collision of heat and cold, small droplets running down and onto my wrists, cooling them.
    “They get bugs this time of year,” Ruby Day said. “I can pick most of ‘em off.” Ruby Day was sweating in the sun. She wiped her forehead with the back of her gloved hand.
    “Here you go, ice-cold tea. Sweet, the way you like it.”
    Ruby Day took the glass, sipped, and then set the glass on the lawn. “Thank you, Luna.”
    I crouched down and tied the wide-brimmed hat onto her head. “Don’t want to get sunstroked, Ruby Day.”
    She looked up at me, squinting. After a few seconds she let go a thin laugh. “I always forget my hat.” Then she went back to picking aphids off the purple flowers like I wasn’t even there anymore.
    I stayed at Ruby Day’s house for a little while longer. I washed the few dishes in the sink before I noticed an odd, mildewy smell coming from the laundry room—actually a little service porch off the kitchen. I opened the washer and the odor hit. Wet clothes that must have been there since the day of Mason’s accident. I addedmore detergent and started a second washing. Then I ran the vacuum and dusted the living room, making sure to pay close attention to the pictures of Mason that Ruby had scattered all around the room. I will admit it was hard, and I shed tears as I went along, but by the time I finished I knew I was faced with a problem that I didn’t think anyone else in Makeshift County was thinking about: What would come of Ruby Day?

CHAPTER 6
    I left Ruby Day just before dinnertime, even though I was feeling a frightful amount of worry for her staying in the house all night, all alone, after she just buried her only boy. The thought made me swallow about a dozen times before I hugged her tight.
    “Now listen to me, Ruby Day. You watch TV until ten o’clock and then go to bed.” I looked her square in the eye the way Mason always did when he needed her to understand. “And if you cook anything, make sure you turn the flame off when you’re done or you could burn down your house.”
    She swiped at tears. “All right, Luna. I will.”
    All I could do was stand there and heave a great sigh, feeling like a whole mountain of burden hadjust been dropped on my shoulders. Ruby Day was suddenly completely alone, and I couldn’t stand the thought.
    I walked home thinking and thinking about Ruby Day batting around her house with nothing particular to do now that Mason wasn’t there for her to tend to. I imagined her sitting on the couch