Free Shadow Country by Peter Matthiessen Page B

gruff but he looked real glad to see this gloomy bunch saying My O My with a big smile for us four frights in our stupid line that dared to call ourselves his family. He kept his hat off but he came no closer so as not to scare us.
    I could see Mama yerning to smile back. The new rose bonnet she had scrimped for saying over and over how buying it was a disgraseful waste cause who knows she might never wear it again—that pesky hat had tilted and gone lopsided like it was melting. Poor Mama never even noticed thats how wore out the poor thing was from no sleep and bad nerves. Her red hands she was so ashamed of were clenched white at her waist and her elegant face so pale and peaked broke my heart.
    Papa said Well Mrs. Watson thats a fine looking family you have there!
    Mama nodded being too upset to speak. The best she could do was give a smile to the strange boy who came with Papa and looked just as shy and scarred as all the rest of us. He was skinny and brown hair near white from the hot sun and very long legs in outgrown pants which came to a stop high above his long bare feet. Probably no underware which I admit is none of my fool bizniss.
    I gave this boy a suden smile that scarred the daylites out of him. Went tomato red frowned something terible looked up at the sky serching for birds then faced away from us trying to whissle.
    Finely Papa stepped across the space holding both hands out to Mama.
    I saw her hands how the poor fingers started up then quit and clutched each other and how Papas hands were closing. All four hands were quitting. Someone had to
do
something. I let out a yip and darted forward threw my arms around our Papa and hung on for dear life. He was hard as any tree. I felt him gazing at Mama over the top of my red ribbon bow. Then he let out a breath and put his arms around me but was too shy to hug his very own daughter.
    When I turned around Mama was smiling a beautiful smile kind of crooked but full of hope. I never saw such a deer expresion on that lonesome face. Her smile was a signal to the boys to run and jump on Papa the way fool boys do for the pure heck of it. Mama was covering up her tears by scolding them for rinkling his linen suit but he was happy Papa Bear woofing and rolling around just like he used to. Thretened to run off into the woods with a hole armlode of kids that he wood eat up later in his cave. Eddie was screching due to nervous fright but little Lucius only six was quiet. He let himself be bounced and tossed turning his head sos to watch Mama over his Daddys shoulder and make sure she didnt run away and leve him.
    That darn Rob never budged one inch from where he was. Kept his hands in his hip pockets giving Papa his worst serly stare and making the hole family look at his bad maners and his old curled lip. But Rob could not meet Papas eye so he jerked his chin at the strange boy as if to say
You better keep your durn eyes to yourself or Ill punch your nose off.
    Mama warned him. Just a murmur.
Rob?
    Papa put the small ones down then stratened his coat up kind of slow. Well son he said and stepped forward to shake hands. Oh how that scared us knowing Rob was going to refuse! But Papa had gessed what Rob would do and he was reddy. Kept his hand out there maybe half a minute till Rob terned red and that serly stare fell all apart and he shot a despert look over at Mama.
    Then Rob came out with that braking voice he had since Arkansas where he first grew that pathetical mustash to go with all his hickeys.
How come you run off? Never left word and never sent for us? Never would of neither if your wife hadn’t come crawling!
But that durn fool stopped short rite there because Papas fist flew up and back cocked like a pistol hammer.
    Mama cried Mister Watson please hes just upset he means no harm! Those were her first words to her husband in five years.
    He brought his arm down and he spoke real quiet. I have some explaining to do that is correct boy and I aim to do that