Free Burn District 1 by Suzanne Jenkins Page B

followed Mrs. Baker into her room.
    The soft colors and old-fashioned floral fabrics reminded Katherine of her mother’s house in Roanoke. The memories and the stress, the bad smells and exhaustion were too much for her, and she gave in, starting to cry. Miranda went to her immediately.
    “Mother, I’m so sorry,” she said softly, putting her arms around her. Mrs. Baker stood by patiently, confused. It was apparent these people had been through something terrible, but she didn’t know what.
    “I just can’t believe this is happening to us,” Katherine said. Mrs. Baker stepped closer.
    “I’m sorry I can’t offer words of encouragement,” she said. “But I have no idea what’s going on.”
    “Let me get Ed,” Miranda said. “Mother, stay here with Mrs. Baker.” Katherine didn’t want to sit on the woman’s pristine bedspread with her dirty clothes, so she stood in the middle of the room while Miranda went to Frank’s room.
    “Hey Eddie,” she said. “Your mother is a tad baffled by what’s going on. Maybe you outta have a word with her. It’s just a matter of days, maybe hours before something happens down here.” Ed scratched his beard.
    “She’s probably confused by all these white people in her house. If I tell her what’s happening, I’m responsible for her,” he said, frowning.
    “Ah, yeah, right! She’s your mother.”
    “So what are you saying? We have to bring her along?”
    “Probably,” Miranda said. “We can’t leave her here, can we?”
    “I doubt if anything will happen in Dunwoody,” Ed said sarcastically. “But maybe further south, down by the airport. That’s a concern.” Looking around the house, at the patterned wallpaper and old-fashioned curtains at the window, he gave in. This was his boyhood home.
    “Oh fuck.” Turning to his mother’s room with Miranda following, Katherine Garrison and Mrs. Baker were standing in the same position where Miranda had left them.
    “Mother, you understand Mr. Garrison is Senator Garrison, correct?”
    “No, I didn’t know that. Is that right?” she replied. Ed looked at her carefully, wondering if she was all there.
    “You feeling okay, Mom?”
    “Yes, I’m just fine. I guess I don’t understand what’s going on.”
    “The country is at war,” he said, slightly premature but not for long. “The senator and his family are running for their life. I am, too. Miranda just reminded me that it’s just a matter of time before you may be in danger as well.”
    “I know we’re at war in the Middle East,” she said. “But that won’t affect me here.”
    “Mom, our country is at war right now, on this soil.” The sound of an airplane, a jet, not a prop crop duster, so close the house shook, flew overhead. Concerned, Miranda and Ed looked at each other and went to the window to see if they could determine what it was.
    “That’s ridiculous! Why, I would have heard something on the television if that were true.”
    “I’ll turn a computer on now and you can read for yourself…” The words were out of Ed’s mouth when an explosion rocked the house with almost enough impact to knock their feet out from under them. Miranda grabbed her mother’s arm and reached for Mrs. Baker next while Victor and Alex came running. Danny, in the hallway bathroom shower yelled, asking what had happened.
    “That was too close,” Miranda said. “We need to get out of here, now.” Mrs. Baker started to protest, but Ed’s tone of voice stopped her.
    “Grab your purse and let’s go,” he said firmly. “One of you, get that kid out of the shower.” Katherine, shocked into silence again, allowed Miranda to lead her back down the stairs while the others argued. Ed ran into his mother’s kitchen, grabbed a canvas bag and filled it with anything edible. Alex yelled for him to hurry.
    Light grew brighter as they descended the steps, evidence of fire. The screams of injured and frightened people increased in intensity when Alex opened