Cherish the Closer Things

Chapter 1; 1936

"Mama, Joe-Anne's eat 'n my honey again!"

"I am not!" Mama ran down the stairs with an armful clothes she was take 'n out to the clothes lines.

"You two hush up! I don't want no calls of complaints all the way from the state of Louisiana!"

"But Mama, She's eat 'n all my honey!" Ruthie whined.

"Now I can't see why you don't just wait for me to get a new jar!"

"' 'Cause she'll just go and eat that one to!" Their argue 'n amused me. Ruthie knew what was come 'n  to her if she didn't hush up like Mama told her to, but she was fearless from the day she was born! ( One time, she even threw a rock at a wasp's nest to see how angry they'd get, we came home with seven stings on her left arm and fourteen down my legs.)

I ran onto the porch where Thomas was walk 'n up the steps. "Come on Thomas, we got 'a eat this honey!" I hollered, run 'n fast as I could whether he followed or not.

"Jo-Anne, she's come 'n!" He yelped in warning behind me. I done whipped myself around, just in time to see Ruthie inch 'n closer and closer to Thomas. I ran on over to him, and grabbed him by the hand  run 'n along his side. We both knew exactly where we were go 'in even if we didn't say it out loud.

We dove straight into the trees run 'n, although I wasn't to sure if Ruthie was even after us no more, but I wasn't take 'n any chances look 'n back. When Thomas and I reached our secret tree, we climbed up fast as we could so no one would see us.

We had to be real careful in that tree 'cause the only thing support 'n us were pieces of scrap cardboard we set up when we were eight. There were a few things up there that made it our tree like, a box full of Ruthie's empty honey jars and blankets we spread along the branches 'an cardboard.

Thomas and I climbed up there together when we were sad or just needed to hide away. He was my best friend, my only friend and we ran around together all the time. " Do you ever get sick of eat 'n honey?" He asked me, lick 'n his sticky fingers.

" No. We're gonna be eat 'n it for a long time."

We didn't say much after that, we just ate our honey laughing at the thought of Ruthie's anger until the sun went down and we knew we best go home. So we stuck the jar in our honey box and walked on down the woods.

When I got there, Mama done threw a fit about me be 'n so late. She said, "Joe-Anne where on earth have you been?"

"Mama I was with Thomas, he wouldn't let 'anything hurt me."

"He is ten year old boy Joe-Anne what makes you think if somethin' were to happen to you he could've helped?"   I had seen an expression in her eyes that I had never seen before and my answer took time.

"He would've tried." I mumbled, look 'n at the floor. I was to frightened to look in her eyes.

"Oh child." she started, lift 'n my chin. " You know I a'int strong enough to handle the guilt if something were to happen to you. Now I und 'a stand Thomas is your friend and you trust him, but you can't be wonder 'n off after dark." I nodded my head.

"Yes Mama."

Now you go on up to bed." She smiled warmly as she always did and nudged me up the stairs.

           When I walked into the bedroom, Ruthie was already snug in bed, read 'n her book and angry 'bout her honey. "Your lucky you know." She said, irritation ringing through out her voice, her eyes still glued to her pages.

"'Bout what?"

"You know!" She barked and scowled me as I climbed into bed. "You 'ot to be punished for steal 'n my honey then run 'n off to eat it with Thomas! You didn't even come home 'till the sun was down!"

She knew the guilt she was push 'n on me wouldn't last. She knew I'd hardly listen to a word she was say 'n but she would continue 'cause she was older.

"I came home didn't I?"

"Mama's still angry."

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            The next morning I woke up to a voice whisper 'n, "Joe-Anne, wake up!" and no matter how hard I tried to ignore it, it kept on. Then I felt hands start shake 'n my shoulders when I tried to turn around and I knew then it was Ruthie. I groaned and pulled on my blanket, but she only threw it off me and shook me up again. "Joe-Anne get up! There's a man outside!" I sat up yawning and rub 'n my eyes.

"What's he do 'n out there?" I mumbled.

"He's talk 'n to mama," She stood up and began peek 'n out the window.

" 'Bout what?" I asked, joining her side.

"Now how am I suppose to know?" I only shrugged and starred at the strange man who was wear 'n real nice clothes that were black with a tie like Daddy used to wear on special days. Suddenly, Mama placed a hand on her worried face and started raising her voice.

"What's go 'n on Ruthie? Why she yell 'n?" I stammered. My face burned with fear and Ruthie just starred blankly out the window.

"I don't know." She said calmly as she could so that I wouldn't worry but her face was ghostly.

"Well I'm gonna find out!" I turned around and ran for the door, Ruthie run 'n after me.

"No Joe-Anne we don't know what could happen!"

I kept on until I made it to the porch where the strange man was stand 'n. Mama stopped talk'n and the man scowled me for interrupt 'n when Ruthie burst through the door. A cloud of silence hovered over us but I spoke loud and clear with my body language. I crossed my arms real tough and stuck my chin high in the air to let that man know I was not pleased with the way he must've been treat 'n my mama.

The next thing you know, a boy started walking up the lawn.  "Oh look Joe-Anne, It's Thomas, Why don't we go welcome him!" Before I could speak, Ruthie had grabbed my arm and pulled me down the porch.

"Let go of me!" I yelled and squirmed my way loose, running over to Thomas. "Thomas!" I hollered. "Thomas there's a man on m porch and he's make 'n Mama angry!" Ruthie caught up to us just in time to hear me.

"Now you don't know that!" she protested.

"But didn't you see it? Mama never yells!" Thomas then tapped me on the shoulder and started pointing to something in the yard.

"Is the that a truck?" he asked.