Send Me Down a Miracle Read Free Page A

green-and-white fern-leaf shirt and a straw sun hat dyed a bright shiny green. Law, if she didn't look just like a parrot escaped from one of her cages. And Daddy was fit to be tied 'cause he said green was way too tacky for a preacher's wife to be running around in. But Mama wore it anyway, so Daddy refused to kiss her good-bye or wave or anything, forgetting, I guess, that Mama and Aunt Nooney were going on to Tennessee to stay with Maggie and them after the convention.
    There was no telling how long they'd be away. That's what Mama told me. And the way she said it, tossing it out, carefree-like, and not looking at me when she said it, was strange, not like Mama atall. And I remember her squeezing me and Grace real tight when she hugged us good-bye. Squeezing like she wanted our imprints on her body 'cause the hugs were going to have to last such a long time. Then she got in the car and she and Aunt Nooney rolled out of the drive, their car loaded down with the birdcages they were hoping to trade at the convention. Me and Grace stood on the porch waving at the back of their car, and Mama was waving, too, only she wasn't looking back. I remember that; she never looked back.
    I scowled at Sharalee with my hands on my hips. "I've been waiting all week to talk to you and there you are going on about Mama."
    "So what? You haven't asked me about my bagging job at the Food World and it's my first week." Sharalee lifted the lid of a coffin and pulled out a bag of chocolate chip cookies. "I'm thinking that maybe the reason you haven't even bothered to call me this week is 'cause you're jealous of my real job in Dothan while you're stuck here in Casper with the farmers and young'uns teaching Vacation Bible School for your daddy."
    "I am not jealous. It's just that what I got to tell you I couldn't say over the phone."
    Sharalee moved in closer. "Oh? You keeping secrets from your daddy?"
    "It's no secret. It's just—Oh, Sharalee! I met her! I saw her and spoke to her. I even went over to her house before she shut herself in for good. She's wonderful! Splendid! Full of creativity, and her artwork's just bursting with artistic merit! Law! Know what she said?"
    "Who?" Sharalee asked with her mouth full of cookies and cornmeal. "Who are you even talking about?"
    "Adrienne Dabney. Adrienne Dabney! Look." I pointed down at my feet.
    "What you got there?" She drew in her breath and choked on the chips or something. "Girl, is that my friendship ring you got stuffed onto your fat old toe?" she asked, coughing and leaning over. "It ist I don't want my ring getting all smelly. Take it off."
    "Sharalee, it's artistic. Anyone can wear a ring on her finger but only a creative spirit such as myself would wear it on her toe."
    "Creative spirit? Since when?"
    "You know I'm artistic. I've gotten an A in art every year of my life."
    "Everyone gets A's in art. Charity."
    "Yes, well, Adrienne said that I have the artist's eye, the way I stand back and observe the world. She said she noticed it right away the day she came over and she saw me go sit in the ladderback chair over in the corner. You know the one."
    "Sure I do. The wobbly, breaking-apart ladderback. The one your daddy says you're supposed to take when there's company so they don't get it and discover it's just for show."
    "So what? I would have taken it anyway, even if Daddy hadn't said. Adrienne says I'm an observer of life and someday I'm going to choose my art form and interpret my observations for all the world to see because I'll have this burning desire, this inner urging need to express myself, and most likely I'll have to go to Paris and New York City to do it. She says I got way too much spirit for a small town like Casper and someday, someday soon I'll have to spread my wings and fly." I spun around with my arms spread out and banged into one of the coffins.
    Sharalee laughed. "No, you won't. Your daddy won't let you get any farther than Birmingham. You'll go to that Bible college