Free The Girl. by Laura Lee Fall

what is it Paul Gene?”
“Sugar get with it”.
     
“I am that’s why I said they seem cute together”.
    Grinning bigger he said, “Heck can't you tell by now”.
“What they have is a good time together that is what I see Paul Gene”.
“Yes maw they do but they are just friends dear, believe me nothing more”, chewing his tobacco.
Brenda put her knitting down to her lap, “How do you know Paul Gene, shoot you don’t know
everything”, sarcastically remarked.
    Wiggling his eyebrows, “Yes I do, especially with this one dear”. Brenda waved her hand at her
husband that added, “Just ask Ella, because you picked the wrong boy of ours”.
Putting her hand to her head, “Oh no”, said Brenda looking at them all shooting hoops having
fun.
Paul Gene chewing on his tobacco said, “Yep maw it’s the truth, trust me, because I am always
right about things”.
Brenda really shook her head and said, “Oh lord not that boy of ours”.
“Yep maw, Saul the winner of Ella’s heart”.
Upset, “You know I hate to say this, but he is awful with women”, said Brenda knitting roughly.
“Well maw nothing you can do about it”.
     
Brenda still carried on and said, “I think Saul sleeps with one then dumps her moving on to
another”.
    Paul Gene was putting more chew into his mouth as he said, “Maybe with the real thing he
wouldn’t, sooner or later he has to find true love”.
“Says who Paul Gene, you and another Wiley rule”, as he grinned at Brenda who got quiet and
back to her knitting.
    Walking up to the porch, Saul said, “Hey y’all”, smiling.
Brenda now saw the way Ella stared at him when he walked by, “Yes Paul Gene your always
right”, said Brenda with an angry look.
With his palest eyebrows high, “Heck what did I do?” Looking at his mother.
“Nothing yet”, said Brenda with such a cocky attitude knitting the yarn roughly and tangling
string.
“What paw?” Cracking chewing gum then blew a bubble.
“Nothing son just go get ready for your night”.
“Okay paw”, as he looked over at his maw almost growling he mumbles, “That’s where Sebastian
gets that attitude from”, and went into the house Ella did watch his every move.
    Knitting Brenda said, “Paul Gene maybe I should talk to her or at least Saul”.
“No maw, we don’t get into our boys life like that, no need to tell them how or what with
females”.
    Pointing at her husband she said, “What Paul Gene, another rule that you made up, please
get over your bull, because you just buried yourself in it”. He just grinned and kept carving the
wood.
“She is just a baby that can get hurt by our playboy son, who has too much experience”, said
Brenda watching Ella do another cartwheel happily.
     
Shaking her head practically off and highly upset, as she knew how Saul was such a player and
would probably break Ella’s heart.
     
Nodding his head Paul Gene said, “No Brenda please, you’ve always listened to me, maybe Ella
is right for Saul, and it’s about time his clock is ticking”.
    Waving her hands all up she replied, “Says who Paul Gene, once again you, he just turned
twenty and she is only seventeen”.
“Tick tock”, said Paul Gene laughing.
Brenda threw a ball of yarn at him and he hit her behind, as she got up going into the house.
Where she saw Saul ironing his jeans, as he glanced at his mother, but kept ironing and said,
“Hey maw”.
“Oh getting ready son”, acting as if she was looking for something and going over to the counter.
“You okay, because it don’t seem it at all”.
“No I am fine, really son”, as she was tearing a drawer apart with papers falling all out on the
floor. Saul mumbles, “Yeah sure” and just kept ironing.
    Brenda was about to get more involved, as she slammed the messy drawer and it would not
close.
Slamming it shut, taking a deep breath, she said, “All better”, brushing her hands together.
With curiosity asked, “Ella is a nice girl isn’t she