Excerpts That Will Leave You Wanting More: Part 5 of 5 - The Fall

When Mother heard them enter the room, she turned toward

them, revealing the purple-and-yellow bruise covering the right side

of her face. She held her left arm out to take Anna’s.

“Oh, my Anna. What a pleasant surprise,” Mother said.

“Oh, Mother! Does it hurt? Can we do something for you? Do

you need anything?”

“Oh, I’m quite all right. Mary’s doing a fine job helping me.”

“I suppose, except for having you carry baskets of peaches that

were obviously too heavy for you.”

“That was my fault. I was supposed to fill a sack, and I decided

to carry the basket.”

“Well, you shouldn’t have been doing either. Not in your

condition!”

“Come, Mother,” Mary said. “Let’s go in the living room. Nora

and Bess are in there with Flossie. I’ll get you some tea.”

“We don’t need any tea,” Anna said.

“Oh. Mother drinks tea every day at this time. I’m making it for

her. I’ll make more in case Nora and Bess want some.”

The unannounced company stayed until they were finished

drinking the tea. Mary slipped out of the room to fix herself up a

little and clean the kitchen. When it was time to leave, they all said

their goodbyes to Mother, and then Mary showed them to the door.

Flossie stayed in the house with Mother, while Nora and Bess walked

to the car. That left Anna and Mary alone on the porch, which was

just what Anna wanted. But Mary knew what was coming and was

prepared.

Anna started, “How could you let this happen to our mother?

You know she’s not well. And you have her canning peaches of all

things!”

“It was an accident. I didn’t ask her to do anything she hadn’t

done before. It gives her something to do. Makes her feel useful while

she still can,” Mary fought back.

“But carrying a bushel basket of peaches? That sounds like slave

labor to me!”

“She was only supposed to fill a sack halfway, but you believe

what you want. In no time did I put Mother at risk. You came here

so you could tear into me. I’m surprised you could find the place.

You’ve never been here before. And what are you going to do now,

take her with you? Of course not, or you would have taken her in the

first place. You never liked Rose or me. And you think now’s a good

time to lash out. Well, let me tell you this—if you ever come here

unannounced again like you did today, I’ll meet you on the porch,

and that’s as far as you’ll get. Now run off to John and the boys and

tell them how miserable I’m making Mother’s life. But I would be

careful if I were you. You may get the same from them as you are

now from me.”

Anna was contemplating slapping her but saw Turney coming

up the stairs.

“Everything okay here?” he asked.

Anna spun around without saying a word and walked to the car.

Mary is loving yet feisty. Buy the book to learn more about Mary and her family!