Prayers and Lies Read Online Free PDF
Author: Sherri Wood Emmons
But she finally was prevailed upon to have just one piece, since Reana Mae and Bobby Lee had brought them especially for us.
I stood by the table, staring as Tracy chewed the chocolate-covered caramel she had chosen.
I couldn’t believe she could eat Reana Mae’s chocolates after what she’d done to Essie. Yet there she was, chewing noisily and eyeing the box hungrily, spying out which piece to have next.
Reana looked up at me eagerly. “Ain’t you gonna have a candy, Bethany?”
I shook my head, unable to open my mouth for fear I’d scream.
“Bethany has a tummy ache, Reana. We’ll save her a piece for tomorrow.” Mother’s hand still rested on Reana’s shoulder.
Reana Mae suddenly bent forward, rustling in the bag again. “I almost forgot. I brought these, too,” she said, holding up several magazines. “Daddy thought you all might want ’em.”
Nancy and Melinda eagerly snatched the magazines. “ Photoplay ,” Melinda squealed, “and Teen Beat ! Thanks, Reana!”
The older girls soon disappeared up the ladder to their loft with another piece of chocolate each and the magazines. I knew we wouldn’t see them again for the night. Mother didn’t even remind them to wash the dishes. She sat smiling on the couch with Reana Mae and Tracy, letting her girls enjoy the small holiday.
“Tell us about your day, Reana Mae,” she said.
Reana stared adoringly at her.
“Well, we went to the movie theater and saw Chitty Chitty Bang Bang . And Daddy bought us some popcorn and Jujubes and Coca-Colas. And we had lunch at Woolworth’s. And he bought Mama some fabric to make herself a dress and one for me, too. And he bought me a comb and brush set. You got to see it, Aunt Helen. It’s powdery blue, and the brush is round and soft, and it’s so pretty. And then we had us some ice cream cones at the Tastee Freez and came on home. And Daddy took the turns so fast on the road, we almost touched the ground. But I didn’t squeal or nothin’; I just held on real tight to him, like I seen Mama do. And he said I was almost as brave as Mama!”
Reana beamed proudly, and my mother touched her hair softly.
“You are a good, brave girl, Reana Mae,” she said.
“Shoot, I guess anyone would be brave with Bobby Lee,” Tracy spat. “Anyone can see he’s a safe rider. What’s there to be afraid of?”
“I think I’d be afraid.” Mother laughed lightly, but I could see she wasn’t pleased. She never let us ride on the motorcycle with Bobby Lee, although sometimes she let us ride in the sidecar. “I hope he didn’t ride too fast with you, Reana.”
“Oh no, Aunt Helen. My daddy’s a real good rider, you know.”
“Of course I do. And I’m glad you had a fun day together.”
“Lord God in Heaven.” Reana stood abruptly. “I gotta get back home. I promised Mama I’d help her put supper on the table.”
She skittered to the door and was gone in an instant, leaving behind chocolates and ribbons.
When Reana Mae had gone, Mother made me lie down in bed while she and Tracy washed the dishes. I heard them clatter around the small kitchen, Tracy chattering about what she would do on a day in St. Albans.
I was still awake when Tracy came in. I lay quietly as she pulled back the covers and crawled into the double bed beside me. She sighed, pulled the quilt up over her head, and almost immediately fell into the deep, regular breathing that told me she was asleep. Whatever she did or didn’t do during her days, my sister’s conscience never kept her awake nights. She always slept the sleep of the innocent.
I lay quietly beside her, wondering what I could possibly do. I couldn’t tell anyone what Tracy had done, that much I knew for sure. But what would Reana Mae do without Essie?
I shuddered, thinking of poor Essie buried under the black mud by the river. I couldn’t leave her there. I would have to go get her … that was all there was to it.
It seemed like hours before I heard my mother pull out the
I stood by the table, staring as Tracy chewed the chocolate-covered caramel she had chosen.
I couldn’t believe she could eat Reana Mae’s chocolates after what she’d done to Essie. Yet there she was, chewing noisily and eyeing the box hungrily, spying out which piece to have next.
Reana looked up at me eagerly. “Ain’t you gonna have a candy, Bethany?”
I shook my head, unable to open my mouth for fear I’d scream.
“Bethany has a tummy ache, Reana. We’ll save her a piece for tomorrow.” Mother’s hand still rested on Reana’s shoulder.
Reana Mae suddenly bent forward, rustling in the bag again. “I almost forgot. I brought these, too,” she said, holding up several magazines. “Daddy thought you all might want ’em.”
Nancy and Melinda eagerly snatched the magazines. “ Photoplay ,” Melinda squealed, “and Teen Beat ! Thanks, Reana!”
The older girls soon disappeared up the ladder to their loft with another piece of chocolate each and the magazines. I knew we wouldn’t see them again for the night. Mother didn’t even remind them to wash the dishes. She sat smiling on the couch with Reana Mae and Tracy, letting her girls enjoy the small holiday.
“Tell us about your day, Reana Mae,” she said.
Reana stared adoringly at her.
“Well, we went to the movie theater and saw Chitty Chitty Bang Bang . And Daddy bought us some popcorn and Jujubes and Coca-Colas. And we had lunch at Woolworth’s. And he bought Mama some fabric to make herself a dress and one for me, too. And he bought me a comb and brush set. You got to see it, Aunt Helen. It’s powdery blue, and the brush is round and soft, and it’s so pretty. And then we had us some ice cream cones at the Tastee Freez and came on home. And Daddy took the turns so fast on the road, we almost touched the ground. But I didn’t squeal or nothin’; I just held on real tight to him, like I seen Mama do. And he said I was almost as brave as Mama!”
Reana beamed proudly, and my mother touched her hair softly.
“You are a good, brave girl, Reana Mae,” she said.
“Shoot, I guess anyone would be brave with Bobby Lee,” Tracy spat. “Anyone can see he’s a safe rider. What’s there to be afraid of?”
“I think I’d be afraid.” Mother laughed lightly, but I could see she wasn’t pleased. She never let us ride on the motorcycle with Bobby Lee, although sometimes she let us ride in the sidecar. “I hope he didn’t ride too fast with you, Reana.”
“Oh no, Aunt Helen. My daddy’s a real good rider, you know.”
“Of course I do. And I’m glad you had a fun day together.”
“Lord God in Heaven.” Reana stood abruptly. “I gotta get back home. I promised Mama I’d help her put supper on the table.”
She skittered to the door and was gone in an instant, leaving behind chocolates and ribbons.
When Reana Mae had gone, Mother made me lie down in bed while she and Tracy washed the dishes. I heard them clatter around the small kitchen, Tracy chattering about what she would do on a day in St. Albans.
I was still awake when Tracy came in. I lay quietly as she pulled back the covers and crawled into the double bed beside me. She sighed, pulled the quilt up over her head, and almost immediately fell into the deep, regular breathing that told me she was asleep. Whatever she did or didn’t do during her days, my sister’s conscience never kept her awake nights. She always slept the sleep of the innocent.
I lay quietly beside her, wondering what I could possibly do. I couldn’t tell anyone what Tracy had done, that much I knew for sure. But what would Reana Mae do without Essie?
I shuddered, thinking of poor Essie buried under the black mud by the river. I couldn’t leave her there. I would have to go get her … that was all there was to it.
It seemed like hours before I heard my mother pull out the