The Brooch

The Plea

As Maple sat in the shaded corner scratching her head trying to figure out how she was gonna save her Momma and get her out of this mess... Uncle Jeffy began to scrap.

"I'll tell you one thang baby girl ... when you get back home, I know your usss is..."

"Oooo!" Maple gasped! "You hold yo tongue Uncle Jeffy!" You hold it rat there! I'm tellin! Yes suh I'm tellin! You done sweared on a Sunday! Oooo! And__"

"Pifft!" Uncle Jeffy huffed! "I was just gonna say it's grass! And you know it is!"

"Emm hmm Uncle! And All I know is you betta hold your tongue before you get in trouble with the Lord almighty!"

"Me?!?"

"Yessaaa! You!" Maple scornfully nodded.

"Well... little Miss smarty pants... I's ain't the one runnin round on a Sunday and skippin the Lord's word! No ma'am!"

Maple gasped! "Yes you is! You standin here guilty! Like a chicken with grease ready for the fire! More than I!"

"How so?" Uncle Jeffy argued.

"Well not onlay are you runnin from destiny with probably Miss Georgia Pine and Loard knows who else! But you ain't in all no holy over here! And with a beer bottle or two in the corner! Drinkin on a Sunday! I'm a saint compared to you!"

"Well I ain't the one whose hide is gonna be chapped when she gets home! Now is it?"

"Oh ya?" Maple fussed

"Yeah!" Uncle Jeffy fussed back.

"Yeah... well you maybe you is right. But maybe it won't be so bad... if you come home with me and tell Mama I had a good reason to be here with you?"

"Haha! Maple Joelle, please! And face yo momma's wrath head on?! No way! Nuh uh! Noooo thank you! She'll blame me for sure for you not being there! I ken just hear it naw!" Uncle Jeffy replied as he began role playing how his older sis would react and scold!

"Well... I could say, that I was comin ta getchu is all. And you were comin ta take me and some em went wrong?"

"Oh yes! Sure!" Uncle Jeffy laughed at the thought. Like.... like We got a flat! On your banana bike?"

"I'm serious uncle!" Maple whined!

"And so am I!" Uncle Jeffy replied in a mocking tone.

"Well.... whut am I gonna do?!" Maple pouted!

"I don't know bout you, suga, I'm havin another beer! And I'm gonna enjoy the rest this here Sunday... alone. Well with God anyways! He can keep me company as always! And I can at least splain to him better than I ever could to my dear sis why I skipped out. He made women after all and is more compassionate than my sis ever could be.!"

"Oh cmon Uncle!" Maple whined!

"You best git naw! I've obliged and entertained you long enough! Now leave the brooch. I'll fix it. Somehow. And while your mosining on home, I bet you can come up with a good story just as ripe to entertain my beloved sista!"

"Emm... so it's like that?" Maple hissed

"It's like that sweet Maple!" Uncle Jeffy said smirking and patting her head in a patronizing way.

"Tell you what Uncle J... you come with me naw and share the wrath... or..."

"Or you'll whut?!?" He laughed at Maple's gall.

"Or I swear on this here brooch, that you know I loooove more than anythang in this world besides my precious family, that when I get back from Mumma's wrath of a pure fallout restriction... I swear I'll..."

"You'll whut..." Uncle Jeffy said snidely walking away and taking a swig of his beer.

"I'll... I'll... I'll... find every single woman in our dear Ponchas Avenue Row, Orange Haven, and where Eva else beyond this here county especially Miss Georgia Pine.. and I'll tell them of your whereabouts! All yo hideouts you think no one knows about. But I's do! I know all of them! And I'll rat you out without so much as a flinch! Whut ya thank bout that?" Maple folded her arms with a cantankerous smirk!

"You bluffin..." Uncle Jeffy razzed getting in Mabels ornery and oh so defiant face.

"All of them..." Maple sneakily grinned.

"Pifft!" Uncle uttered waving her off!

"Every single last one! And you know I'll do it too! And I'll tell Mumma you forced me out here!"

"You Liar!" Uncle Jeffy bickered!

"Whose to say you didn't?"

"I forced you to ride your banana bike all the way out here? Cha! Likely story!"

"Whose to say I didn't come try and get you for today's society picnic and you held me
Hostage till it was ova?"

"Why you little..."

"I've been in momma's good graces..."

"Till last night! Till this mornin..." Uncle hissed.

"Exactly..." Maple smirked... "And whose influence to skip on a Sunday do you think momma will be in more ire with?" Maple widely grinned...

"I should tan yo hide! Right here! Right naw! Myself! And you know I can do it!" Uncle Jeffy scolded!

Maple deeply gulped fearing he would. Still, She pretended to stand her ground. All the while in whole honesty, she was starting to quake! But trying to call his bluff, Maple began to playfully sway all the while guarding her hide. Uncle Jeffy could see the nervousness in Mapel's eyes..

"I'm gonna get me a switch right naw....Yes ma'am young lady! Just you wait! Emm hmm..." Uncle Jeffy scowled walking toward the door pretending to look at the branches on the tree. "A niccccce thick one!"

"But you won't!" Maple nervously interjected!

"Oh yah? I won't? "You think I won't wear you out?"

"No suh!" Mapel deeply gulped again...

"And why is that young lady?" Uncle Jeffy ranted!

"Cuz..... Cuz you loooove me! Besides I'm just like you! And you know it!" Maple confidently said kissing her uncle on the cheek! Catching his crimsoned cheek off guard. With that kiss, Uncle Jeffy, began to calm down.

"Well?" Mapel said taking a chance and holding out her hand to his...

"Hmph! Like I have a choice?" He groaned!

"None!!" Maple giggled knowing she had her uncle right where she wanted him. And knowing he was gonna help save her hide from being chapped even more if she came home alone to a steaming and mystified Mama Woods. At least for the time being that is...

"And this is why I love you! And you're my favorite Uncle!"

"I'm your onlay Uncle!"

"Yes! And it is why you're my favorite!" Maple said embracing her Uncle.

"Yaya!" Uncle Jeffy groaned. "Just get in the truck, foe I change my mind'

"Yes suh!" Maple smiled!

She joyfully bounced outside to the back where Uncle Jeffy had cleverly hid his truck for all to be seen.
Putting Mapel's bike in his beat down truck, Uncle Jeffy and Maple headed home to face the wrath of Mama Woods. But deep down it wasn't Mama's wrath that bothered Maple so much. It was more of what Mrs. Crowder was gonna do to her mama and her precious brooch when she returned to Ponchas Avenue Row.
As Mabel sat in that beat down truck with the sun deeply shining in, she thought outloud... "Doesn't matter! "

"Whut doesnt?" Uncle Jeffy wondered...

"What's about to happen with Mrs. Crowder. Cuz as sure as I breathe, I ain't... momma ain't, goin down.... Not without a fight! No... suh!"