Here Today, Gone Tamale Read Online Free PDF Page A

you.” Her words might have been polite, but her tone was somewhere between
shut up
and
let’s take this outside.
    â€œIt’ll loosen you up, prissy pants.” Dixie laughed and glanced around the room as if she expected the committee to join in.
    Suellen’s jaw fell open in horror and snapped shut in rage. “At least they make pants in my size,” she said, her voice as quiet and threatening as a roll of thunder over the desert. She turned to where I stood with my jaw hanging open. “I want a shot of Jack Daniels, a shot of Jägermeister, and a shot of Dr Pepper in a tall glass with ice.”
    Without drawing my attention, Elaine had appeared at her daughter’s side. “That’s enough, little sister,” she said in a gentle voice and squeezed Suellen’s hand. Under her breath, she added, “Sticks and stones.”
    Suellen tore her gaze from the inebriated woman to her mother’s disappointed face. “Oh, alright,” she muttered through her teeth. “Give me a margarita.”
    â€œWhatever Dixie says goes,” Melanie’s sarcasm could have melted iron.
    Yesterday, I’d heard from a customer that Melanie and the jewelry maker had had a huge blowout in front of Bubba’s BBQ. I made a quick note on my pad. “Ohh-kay. That’s four without salt. Anybody else?”
    The mayor chimed in, “Two with salt.”
    Felicia Cogburn fidgeted with her sparkly bangles, her eyes wide and unblinking as a gecko, smiling at no one in particular.
    â€œDiet coke, please.” Of course, Hillary needed to watch her calories to prevent her head from growing any fatter. Oops. That thought wasn’t very Christian. I’d better watch it or one day I might say something to Hillary that I’d live to regret.
    Senora Mari stepped into the center of the room, twitching with the need to get the tamales rolling. “Back to work,
por favor.
No breaks until the drinks arrive.” Among the volunteers I detected a few groans.
    With a wide smile, my aunt added, “But when they arrive you can take a nice long sit down.” Someone let out a whoop.
    â€œLord knows, I could use one of those,” said Mayor Cogburn, turning from the restaurant’s industrial, double-sidedsink. He was drying his hands thoroughly with paper towels from the nearby dispenser, and though his comment was clearly sarcastic, his delivery was so dry it was hard to take offense or think less of him.
    â€œYou’re welcome,” Senora Mari hadn’t caught the sarcasm. She smiled encouragement to him and the other volunteers as she circled the room, yet again, inspecting the committee’s progress.
    Walking toward the group, the mayor balled up his paper towels and lobbed them into the trash can. “Hurry up with them drinks, now, ya’ hear?” he said in a campy Southern drawl.
    Dixie barked a brittle laugh at his remark as Aunt Linda whisked her over to the sink to wash her hands.
    â€œWe wouldn’t want to deprive Miss Honeycutt of anything her heart desires.” Cogburn turned and gave his wife a tight-lipped smile. “Would we, sugar?”
    â€œNo, definitely not,” Felicia said. The mayor’s wife turned her head toward me and whispered, “Not while we’re waiting for the witch to finish the auction necklace. She’s two weeks late.”
    The laughter died in my throat. “Don’t go away,” I said, infusing my voice with false cheer. “I’ll be right back.” I broke through the swinging doors, relieved for any excuse to skedaddle away from the melodrama.
    *   *   *
    An hour later, Senora Mari had stacked the first batch of tamales in two tall steamers
,
and folks were feeling mellower. Alcohol had done the trick.
    â€œDoes anyone know why in the Sam Hill we don’t have more traffic on our WWWF page?” I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. The