Free Taking Care of Moses by Barbara O'Connor Page B

hymn singing and floated skyward, a miracle happened. Randall looked out the window of the Rock of Ages Baptist Church and there was Lavonia Shirley, sitting on the curb in her floppy straw hat.
    Randall felt like somebody had flipped the switch of the world to “off.” Everything stopped. The singing all around him. His father’s feet shuffling on the wooden floor. The old man coughing in the back of the church. Seemed like even his own heartbeat had stopped.
    Then he felt himself lean toward his mother. Heard himself whisper, “I’ll be right back.”
    The next thing he knew, he was outside squinting in the bright sun. Organ music drifted out of the windows and swirled around in the still summer air.
    Randall looked across the street. The curb was empty. Lavonia was gone.
    He shielded his eyes from the glaring sun and searched the empty lot across from the church. Nothing. He raced to the corner and around the Elks Lodge. Then he spotted her, hurrying up the sidewalk away from town. She hiked her flowered skirt up above her knees with one hand and clutched her straw hat with the other.
    Randall ran after her. The slap of his sneakers
echoed down the empty street. Lavonia glanced over her shoulder, walking faster. Just as Randall was about to catch up to her, she whirled around to face him.
    â€œWhat you want?” she said, glaring at Randall. Her voice was hoarse and raspy. She kept one hand on her hat.
    Randall was surprised how young she looked. Her bushy black hair seemed to struggle to escape from under the hat. Big looped earrings dangled to her shoulders and glistened in the sun. Her skin was dark and smooth, and her eyes were a peculiar color. Almost gold.
    Now that Randall had caught up to her, he felt foolish. He must have been crazy to run after her like this.
    He looked down at the sidewalk, wishing the words he should say to her would be written there.
    She took her hand off her hat and peered down at Randall. “I said , what do you want?”
    â€œI know you’re the one who left Moses at the church.” Randall kept his eyes down, afraid to look up at Lavonia.
    She let out a small breath, like a sigh, and was silent.
    Randall looked up. She was studying him through narrowed eyes. She put her hands on her waist. Her arms were long and thin. Her sharp, pointy elbows formed perfect “V”s.

    â€œI don’t know Moses,” she said in that raspy voice.
    â€œHe’s a baby,” Randall said. “The baby in the box.”
    Lavonia’s arms dropped limply to her sides, and her shoulders drooped slightly, but she kept her gaze on Randall. He wondered if she was thinking about lying to him. Maybe she would say it wasn’t her. That he must have her mixed up with somebody else.
    â€œYou’re right,” she said. “It was me.”
    â€œOh.” Randall’s mind went blank. What was he supposed to say? Why had he done this, anyway?
    â€œWhat do you want from me?” Lavonia said. Her voice had a sadness to it that made Randall feel bad. He wished he could turn around and go home. But he couldn’t. Not now. The cat was already out of the bag. He couldn’t put it back.
    â€œEverybody’s fighting over him,” Randall said.
    Lavonia paused for a minute. She kept those gold-colored eyes of hers on him, and he felt himself blush.
    â€œThe whole town is all stirred up and taking sides,” he said. “Some folks think Miss Frieda ought to take care of him, and some folks think Mrs. Charlotte Jennings ought to. And now the Gilleys don’t even come to church anymore.” He paused for a minute, but when he saw she wasn’t going to say anything, he went on, “Queenie Avery saw you, too. And she keeps talking
about you and she’s even gone looking for you, and Mr. Avery is scared somebody will put her away in a home. And those foster care people up in Spartanburg are going to come and take Moses