Dirty Faces- Book 1

Chapter 4: Lessons from the Master

She smiled as she quickly glanced at the paperclip, broken pocket watch, three washers, marble, baseball card, gum wrappers, pocket knife, and small, folded paper he was clutching. "How are you today, Kody?"

He began stuffing items into his pockets as quickly as possible. "I'm fine, thank you. And you, Miss Williams?"

"I'm well."

He nodded. "Well, good day!" he choked, and darted for the door, still held open by Jack, wearing a smug face.

"Good day to you, too!" she called.

In the safety of outside, he could feel them watching him from behind the diner's plate glass windows; he couldn't take his eyes off the ground. Jack considered him for a moment as they walked back toward home then surmised, "Yeah. You need some educating."

A few moments later Mama's voice called to them from across the street. She was getting into the green truck she and her children affectionately referred to as "Lilly" outside the company store.

"Y'all want a ride home?"

They crossed the traffic-less street to join her. "Leaving work early, Mama?" Kody asked, a bit confused.

"Yes. Mr. Kelly was so nice about the whole thing when I spoke with him about Granny. He's letting me go early today so I can get packed and leave first thing in the morning. We'll have to leave pretty early since it'll take us a good hour to get to the bus station."

"You're not driving to Cleveland?" Kody asked, a bit more confused.

She looked confused, too. "What? No, of course not! That would be a horrible trip to drive alone. I'm leaving the truck here for you to drive, and for Ralph when he's here."

Kody's obsessive mind became hyper with activity. Was it a trick? It seemed too easy; there had to be a catch. Was she trying to test him? To catch him doing something he shouldn't? If so, why? He stayed out of trouble, made good grades, and obeyed her completely; he didn't even strangle his sister when provoked. And Ginny was a particularly skilled antagonist. He had certainly never earned such a privilege before, either. If that was the case, what had so abruptly changed?

Jack's eager face gave away the fact that the few wheels inside his head were turning. Mama gave him a stern look then looked back to Kody. "To be driven only when needed, of course," she clarified.

"Yes, ma'am," he agreed. She smiled and looked back to Jack, who was now smiling innocently back at her. She shook her head and walked around to get in the driver's side. The boys hopped onto the back of the bed, Lilly roared to life, and they were off. Jack gave Kody a quick jab in the arm and grinned wildly, like a little kid who just got candy bought for him for no reason. Kody was only able to muster a half-hearted smile in return. Yep, he thought. She's going to catch me doing something I shouldn't.

*****

By the time Ginny got home Mama's suitcase was already packed and sitting by the door. This day she had been swimming, and when Mama looked up from the stove to instinctively command, "Bath. N--," she stopped mid-sentence. "Oh. Just change outta them wet clothes."

"Yes, ma'am."

When the bedroom door closed, Mama sighed and spoke low to Kody, who was working the crossword puzzle in the newspaper at the table. "Please take her to church so she's in a dress at least once a week." He nodded, feeling guilty for having already plotted to skip church.

"Did you go by the service station today?" she asked, completely switching the subject.

"Yes. Mr. Grant said he could use me a few days a week."

"Good. It'll be good for you to have your own money."

Ginny returned to the kitchen in her cotton nightgown. "Ginny, set the table, please," Mama said as she pulled a pan of cornbread from the oven. Ginny obeyed and Mama continued, "It'll be good for you to have some money and being at work will at least put you around people. I worry about you and your...books."

Kody nodded, never looking up from the crossword. "You're just so quiet and backward..." she went on.

Now on this subject, Ginny disagreed with Mama. If there was anything worth liking about her brother it was his extreme introversion. Though they tended to be at each other's throats at home, he never did or said anything in public that would embarrass her in front of her friends; the only other people she knew who had such a luxury didn't have any siblings. And though she would never admit that she had learned anything from him, she had. She had learned that you learn a lot more by listening and keeping your mouth shut than by running it. She might have even spoken in his favor before Mama went into all the "nice girls at church" he should talk to...if he hadn't eaten the last biscuit that morning. She had really wanted that biscuit.

When she had finished shaming Kody for his awkwardness, Mama let loose on Ginny.

"If I hear about you getting into any more fights while I'm gone, young lady, you better pray I don't come home 'til you're married and off on your own."

"Yes ma'am."

She hoped she hadn't seen her gulp; Mama sounded pretty serious. She had been in four fights that school year alone. She just couldn't help it. Once provoked, she couldn't stop herself. And moreover, she didn't see where she was in the wrong in any of those fights - those kids had gotten what they had coming!

"Not only is it not lady-like, it's just not the Christian thing to do."

"Yes, ma'am."

Mama sighed and closed her eyes. "And please, please don't kill each other."