Carry Me Home by Sandra Kring Read Free Book Online

ain’t nothing wrong.
    “Well, where are you guys going?”
    “Just outside for a bit,” Dad says.
    It’s a lot of hoopla for nothing, I decide, when Jimmy comes back upstairs and says Dad’s gonna borrow him the money to buy Molly one of them engagement rings. “Don’t say nothing to Ma, though. She’ll find out soon enough.”
    The next morning, Jimmy wakes me up while it’s still dark outside. “Hey, Earwig, you want to ride with me over to the jewelry store in Ripley?” I rub the crusty gunk outta the corners of my eyes. “Sure,” I say, just ’cause Jimmy is leaving today and I’m missing him already and he ain’t even gone.
    We drive to Ripley ’cause we ain’t got a jewelry store in Willowridge, but we gotta drive fast ’cause Jimmy and Floyd gotta be on the 2:15 bus.
    “Hey, Jimmy, why do guys give their girls them dumb rings anyway?” I ask as we roar down the highway so fast the trees alongside it ain’t nothing but smears.
    “Well, Earwig. It’s like a promise. When I give a ring to Molly, it means I promise to marry her, and if she accepts it, it means she’s promising to marry me.”
    “Why can’t you just say the promise?”
    “Well, ’cause girls like promises they can show off to their girlfriends.”
    “Oh.”
    “Well,” Jimmy says, “it’s a promise that the girl ain’t going to let anyone else feel her up too, and a promise that the guy ain’t going to hose any whores.”
    Jimmy buys a ring that is little and sparkly like Molly, then he whistles most of the way home, and his whistle sounds all happy. I ain’t feeling happy, though. Today Jimmy is leaving for one whole year, and I’m gonna miss him something fierce.
    When we get back home, Molly is at our house. Jimmy goes in, and he takes Molly’s hand and starts leading her up the stairs. Ma calls out, “Jimmy, what are you doing?” ’cause Jimmy ain’t supposed to bring girls up to his bedroom, but Dad tells Ma it’s okay.
    When they come down, Molly’s eyes are shining with happy tears, and Jimmy is grinning like he just caught a ten-pound walleye. “Ma, Dad . . . Molly and I are engaged.” Ma’s hand clamps over her mouth and her eyes look like they are gonna bug right out of her head. Molly shoves her hand out so everyone can see her new ring. Dad hurries to shake Jimmy’s hand and gives Molly a hug. Ma kisses Molly’s cheek, but before she does, she gives Dad a mad look like she just caught him lying. Ma’s acting how she does when she wants to get the store cleaned up and some lady comes in and stays forever, flapping her gums about her aches and pains. She smiles then too, but it’s a smile that don’t creep up into her eyes.
    When Ma and Dad stop fussing, Jimmy looks at me and says, “Well, Earwig?” and I say, “Well, what?” Dad laughs and tells me to congratulate my brother and his new fiancée. I feel sorta silly shaking Jimmy’s hand, ’cause I ain’t never done that before, so I’m glad when Jimmy starts jabbing little punches on my belly.
    I stick out my hand to congratulate Molly too, and Molly takes it, then she gives me a big hug. I can feel her little titties right up against me, and her hair smells real good, like lemon cake. When she lets go of me, I feel downright dizzy and it feels like I got a campfire cooking under my cheeks. Jimmy grins and says I’d better not chase his girl while he’s gone, and everybody laughs.

Chapter 5
    B ig raindrops are plopping on our windshield as we drive Jimmy to the bus station. Ma and Dad are sitting in the front, and Jimmy and me are in the backseat, Molly smack-dab between us. Her and Jimmy got their heads tipped together, and Jimmy is rubbing Molly’s hand, real soft-like. I turn and look out the back window, and there is Floyd and Mary in the car behind us and they got their heads stuck together too.
    Ma, she keeps reminding Jimmy that it’s just for a year, and Dad says it won’t be nothing but a Boy Scout camp. Molly’s eyes