Walking Through Shadows Read Free Page B

heads. “Well…” I sighed. And then seeing that she had no idea of how to set the alarm, I took it from her and showed her how to work it. “Well…” I began again, taking up the empty saucer and unused fork. “Guess I’ll say good night.”
    Sheila was already wiggling out of her dress, her back turned to me. “Night,” she called. “See you tomorrow.”
    I grinned. “Tomorrow,” I said, knowing now this was the word I was longing for. Her dress slid to the floor, and just before I turned to grab the door handle, I saw the horrible red welts that looked like hash marks across her hump, rising like a huge fiery boil between her shoulder blades. I bolted out the door into the fading light, panting and frightened, and somehow exhilarated by it all.

C HAPTER 2
    Mother’s birthday sewing machine was already whirring when I awoke the day after Sheila came. Daddy and his brother Howard had carried it into Mama’s bedroom and set it in front of the west window where Mama had been up half the night, feet pumping, palms on the wheel, her head cocked to guide the fabric beneath the steel needle. By the time I came into her room, she had already sewn up every torn piece of cloth in the house and was stitching around a bib for Lil’ Bit, who was sitting on the floor playing with blue cloth scraps. I picked him up, kissed his fat little cheeks, and jostled him on my hip. He smiled showing his pink gums with two white bumps that we expected to erupt into teeth any day. Leaning over he chomped down on my hand and gnawed my index finger.
    “This machine is a marvel,” Mama said turning around on her stool. “It’s even got attachments for buttonholes and fancy stitching. I’ll make you some school dresses this year that will be the envy of all the girls.”
    I knew Mama was just saying that because she was always worrying about me feeling left out or jealous of all the attention she gave Lil’ Bit. But I would have sewn things for Lil’ Bit first, too. He was such fun to dress and so cute in the diaper shirts Mama had appliquéd with ducks and cows. “Great,” I said, putting the baby back in the middle of his scraps. “Maybe I could help you cut out some overalls for Lil’ Bit too. Corduroy ones for winter.”
    Mama turned back to her machine. “Yes, I’ll teach you to use the machine. We’ll have lots of fun together.”
    “I’m going to get dressed and go see how Sheila is making out.”
    “Eat something first.” Mama ducked her head and pressed her foot back on the treadle.
    I settled for a biscuit drowned in maple syrup and a glass of chocolate milk and headed for the barn where Sheila was just finishing up her first morning’s work. When I opened the barn door, the scent of disinfectant overrode the usual smell of grains and cow shit. The concrete floor was wet, and I stepped over the puddles that had formed in the uneven surfaces. The big double barn doors were open, and the sunlight twinkled in multi-colors on the water all around me. Now that the cows had been let out to pasture, the barn was quiet except for the swishing of Sheila’s broom. She was busily pushing the water toward the open door and hadn’t heard me come in, and I stood for a moment watching her body sway with her strokes. She was wearing the light blue work shirt, the calico skirt, and the scuffed shoes I’d seen her pull out of her bag the night before. Her hair was knotted on her head, but escaped blonde strands fell all about her head, moving in rhythm with her long-handled broom. “Hi,” I said.
    She wheeled around, startled out of some reverie. She grinned, pushed her hair away from her face. “Morning. I’m just about done till they come back with the bottles to wash.”
    I wrinkled my nose. “Smells like a hospital instead of a dairy.”
    She nodded. “Yeah, your daddy said, since I come, he’s gonna have the cleanest dairy in the state. There must’ve been eighty cows pissing and pooping in here this