Raney Read Online Free PDF

embarrassed but once. Did I ever tell you about the time we all went to the beach before him and Naomi were married?"
    "I don't think so."
    "Well, me and Doris were swimming in the ocean when here comes Naomi and Forrest from the bath house. They don't get no farther than about a foot deep — where the waves are breaking for the third or fourth time — and Naomi is holding onto Forrest's hand and jumping every little wave and screaming like nobody's business when Doris — who's standing behind me — says, 'Lord have mercy.' I look and there's Naomi just jumping up and down over those little waves, laughing, and one of her breasts — just as white as flour — was out of her bathing suit and Forrest — they weren't married yet — was looking off down the beach, like he hadn't noticed. Doris says, 'Lord have mercy, Flossie, one of Naomi's dinners has fell out.' Well, I thought I would die. I started walking toward them, motioning to Naomi, and she just kept jumping up and down. Forrest was pretending he hadn't noticed — looking off down the beach. Naomi saw and turned away from Forrest and bent over double and got everything tucked back in. Forrest was standing there embarrassed to death and I said, 'Tell us a joke, Woody.' But the funniest thing was your mama saying, 'One of Naomi's dinners has fell out.'"
    A pan of cookies was done — and Aunt Flossie wrapped me up a bunch in wax paper and put them in a cookie can.
    "Anyway, honey, try not to worry too much about the rough spots."
    "What rough spots?"
    "With Charles — if and when."
    "Oh, there ain't no rough spots." I couldn't get into all that about Charles. Even with Aunt Flossie. If it got worse: maybe.
    "I mean any you might have."
    "Oh. Well, Charles is just as sweet as he can be. We been working up some new music. We learned three new Carter family tunes last week. I'll let you know if there get to be any rough spots."
    "You be sure to do that," says Aunt Flossie. "It never hurts to have somebody to listen."
    A week or two ago, Charles said he wished he had a Aunt Flossie in his family. His aunts are all out West , or in Connecticut.

 
     
    V
     
     
    Aunt Naomi called me this past Wednesday was a week ago and upset me terrible. She called to find out all about our upcoming trip to the beach: when, exactly, we were coming back, what food she needed to take, and so forth. She also said Mama was upset about the argument with Charles — they had talked about it on the phone — but that Mama wouldn't say nothing to me about it for the world. She said Mama felt betrayed and couldn't understand why it all had to happen to her.
    Well, it just made me sick. I don't know why Charles had to react so. Mama would never hurt anything in the world, and Charles knows it.
    Now Aunt Naomi, as well as Mama, has got something against Charles. The problem is that nobody has seen the good side of anybody else — in the whole family, since the wedding — except, I guess Daddy has pretty much seen the good side of Charles, and has took to Charles better than anybody else. Except me, of course — and maybe Aunt Flossie.
    So anyway, when we drove to the beach last Sunday (we left right after Sunday School ), Charles insisted on sitting up front with Daddy, so they could talk about surf fishing. They had these great long fishing rods, and some short ones, tied to the top of the car. I don't know why they don't just use the short ones, which are way less expensive, and fish off the pier like other people. They can get their line farther out in the ocean that way. Those big rods cost a fortune.
    I wanted Charles to sit in the back with me and Aunt Naomi so they could get to know each other's good sides a little better, and so Mama and Daddy could sit up front where they could argue by themselves. But oh no. Charles gets up front before anybody else has a chance. Me , Mama, and Aunt Naomi sat in the back. Uncle Nate, Aunt Flossie, Mary Faye, and Norris followed us in Aunt