Broken Wings Read Free Page B

Nashville the way you did back home, I’m not goin’ to come your rescue. I won’t want anyone, especially people in the business, to know I gave birth to a petty thief. Do you understand me?”
    “You already told me you’re going to pretend you’re my older sister, didn’t you? No one will blame you for giving birth to anything.”
    “Don’t be so smart. Oh damn,” she said, grimacing. “I was hopin‘ we would have a nice trip and you would be as excited about all this as I am. We’re startin’ a new life!”
    “You’re starting a new life,” I corrected.
    She sighed and shook her head again.
    After a moment I took out a pack of cigarettes and lit one. She spun around even faster than before.
    “Where did you get those?”
    I shrugged.
    “You stole them, too, probably. My God, the trouble we just missed. Didn’t I tell you I don’t want you smokin‘ around me? Didn’t I tell you how bad it was for my throat, my voice? I can’t chance strainin’ it, not now. Stop makin‘ me shout!”
    “I’m not making you,” I said.
    “Throw that cigarette out the window!”
    I took one more defiant puff, rolled down the window, and flipped the cigarette out.
    “Throw out the whole pack,” she ordered.
    “The whole pack? But—”
    “Throw it out, Robin. Now,” she said, and I did.
    Then I sat back with my arms folded and pouted, until we both heard the police siren and she looked in the rearview mirror and exclaimed, “Oh no!”
    As she slowed down to pull over, my heart began to pound. Had I been seen back at the store?
    “Now you’ve gone and done it,” she wailed. “I’m ruined before I even begin.”
    The state trooper got out of his vehicle and sauntered over to my side, moving his hand in a circle to indicate I should roll the window all the way down.
    “Let me see your license and registration,” he ordered Mother darling. He looked ten feet tall to me and broader than Grandpa.
    Mother darling hurried to dig it all out of the glove compartment and her purse. It took a while, and all that time, he stood there glaring at me. I’m caught again, I thought sadly.
    He took the license and the registration.
    “Where are you going?” he asked as he read it.
    “To Nashville, Officer. I’m a singer and I have an opportunity to improve my career. My daughter and I are goin‘ to start a whole new life,” she continued. I thought she was pathetic, trying to sound so sweet and innocent.
    He didn’t smile.
    “Do you realize,” he began, looking more at me, “that you could start a serious fire tossing lit cigarettes out of the window and into the dry grass back there?”
    “Oh,” Mother darling said, obviously relieved I wasn’t being arrested for shoplifting. “Yes. I mean, no. I didn’t realize she had thrown a lit cigarette out the window. I thought she had snuffed it out. Didn’t I tell you to do that first, Robin?” she demanded with a face full of steam.
    I looked at her without answering. He would have to be a very stupid policeman to buy that, I thought.
    “We’ve had some serious fires here recently, and with the drought and all…”
    “Oh yes, Officer. You’re absolutely right. We weren’t thinkin‘. You know how two young women can git sometimes. We were listenin’ to music and talkin‘ because we’re so excited about startin’ a new life.”
    “Umm,” he said. “I really should cite you for this.”
    “We don’t have much money,” she wailed. “Just enough to get ourselves goin‘. I swear we won’t do anythin’ like that again. Will we, Robin?”
    “No,” I said dryly. “Never again.”
    He nodded.
    “All right. You watch it, and watch your speed. I notice your right rear tire is too worn. You had better get that changed soon.”
    “Oh. It’s so like me to neglect my car. But,” she said, flicking her eyelids, “I never neglect my men.”
    He finally laughed.
    “I’ll bet,” he said. “Have a good trip.”
    “Thank you kindly, Officer,” she