Free Saving Cicadas by Nicole Seitz Page A

She had a plastic bag on her head and a purple dress. The woman scratched her bag and cackled, “Harlan Bradfield? Don’t care if I never see him again. But you find him, tell him he owes me a new washing machine. Commode don’t work, neither.”
    My daddy? Harlan Bradfield was my daddy’s name! I couldn’t believe it! Mama’d known where he was all along? And he was here? He’d been in that very house? My heart skipped and ached a little. I’d tried long and hard not to care about my daddy, but hearing his name set me back.
    â€œOh,” said Mama. “I see. Sorry to bother you.”
    The door closed and Mama put her hands over her face. She stood there frozen for maybe twenty, thirty seconds. Her shoulders bounced up and down again like they always did when she cried. The sight of her hurting hurt me. Somehow it was worse than missing my own daddy. Mama stood up straight again, smoothed her hair across her head and came toward us, smiling all fake-like.
    â€œWhy didn’t you just say you were coming to find Daddy, Mama?” I said quietly, carefully. “Why didn’t you tell me? Where did he go?”

Chapter Twelve

WAR OR PEACE
    â€œAll for nothing,” Mama said, her words like dripping ice. “All this way for nothing.”
    â€œNothin’ for nothin’,” said Rainey, grinning to beat the band. She was holding her cicada out like a consolation prize.
    â€œOh, goodness, you’re just what the doctor ordered,” Mama said. She looked at me and gave a sad little smile like she was sorry it didn’t work out the way she planned, coming up to the mountains to find my father. She was not one for long explanations, but I knew at some point she’d tell me what she knew about Daddy. She would.
    â€œIt’s okay, Mama,” I said. “I’m sorry you didn’t find him.”
    â€œCome on, now. It’s time to go.” Her eyes went wide. “We’re off to find an airport!”
    Just like that Mama sprung airport on us. First the trip, then my father, now this. Mama was completely out of control and we were just flailing right after her. Grandma Mona had wanted to go home this morning. For the first time in my life I was thinking she might be the voice of reason. That alone made my stomach twist all up.

    We followed the signs to the Asheville Regional Airport, and I could only imagine my father worked there. Or maybe he was flying somewhere and we were off to catch him at the last minute before he got on the plane like they did in the movies. Maybe we’d won a trip or something. Mama bought lotto tickets sometimes and stashed them in her sock drawer. Maybe she’d won and been trying to keep it a surprise. Lately, that’s all she was, surprises. I was too afraid to ask her what this was all about. Rainey was still holding her cicada, but turned out, mine was already dead before we got in the car, so I was just sitting there empty-handed, grieving my bug.
    â€œLook at that,” said Poppy to Rainey. “Look right there on its wing. What do you see?”
    Rainey pulled the cicada so close to her eyes, they crossed.
    â€œDo you see a letter of the alphabet? Right there?”
    â€œA dub-ya,” said Rainey.
    â€œThat’s right. Every time the magicicadas come up from the ground, they grow wings with either a W or a P on them.”
    â€œReally, Poppy?” I said.
    â€œReally. And you know what those letters are said to stand for?” “Huh-uh.”
    â€œWar or Peace.” We all stared at the critter, everybody except Mama, who was driving. “Now that might be an old wives’ tale, but you know there’s always a war or peace somewhere in the world, so in a way, the cicadas are right—every time.”
    â€œWow. Every time,” I whispered. Rainey was truly marveling now.
    â€œWell, this is interesting. We’re flying somewhere, Priscilla? With what