In the Forest of Light and Dark by Mark Kasniak Read Free Book Online Page A

there probably isn’t anybody up there now who even knows who she is anymore. And, what choice does she have anyways? We only got another couple of weeks before the bank throws us out of our home here.”
     Dumbfounded, by what I’d just let slip Marzie then asked me what I’d meant.
     I had forgotten that she and the rest of my friends hadn’t yet found out about the bank foreclosing on our home, and that soon we’d be without even a pot to piss in.
     So, at that point I’d figured keeping the foreclosure a secret from everybody really didn’t matter that much anymore given the news of my mama’s inheritance. So, I told Marzie all about it, and after telling her she still managed to look at me befuddled and asked, “But what about our senior year together?” sounding disappointed as she said it. And to tell you the truth, up until that point, I hadn't even thought about the fact that I would most likely be leaving Saraland for good if my mama did accept that inheritance, and leaving my friends behind with it.
     I didn't know what to say to her. So, I said the first thing that had popped into my mind, which ended up being the God's-honest-truth. I said, “Well, I suppose I'll be leavin'. I mean what choice do I have? It’s either homeless and broke in Saraland or rich and livin’ in a big-ass house up in New York.”
     “Well, what about your step daddy? What did he have to say?” Marzie then asked me beseechingly before adding, “You know he’s not about to pack up and move to New York. He was born and raised here, right? Ain't-no-way he's about to move up North to become a city- slicker.”
     (The thing though to know about my step daddy Cade’s stubbornness is… That it can be easily remedied by a big pile of money. For all the times he’d said, “It'll be a cold day in hell before I move up North.” Nobody’s ever offered him a heap of cash and a new house. Just watch him whistle a new tune when my mama tells him about the inheritance.)
     “When are you gonna tell the rest of the guys?” Marzie then asked referring to Tucker, Owen, Lettie, Gerralyn, and Eron.
     Again, I hadn't even given any thought yet to them either. How was I supposed to break the news to the rest of them? I reckoned that I’ll just have to come clean and tell them just like I had done with Marzie. But, the thought of telling the rest of them that I’ll soon be leaving Saraland felt different somehow, harder. I knew it would be especially difficult with Tucker, who I had a feeling that deep down that fool was truly in love with me. The news of me leaving Saraland was probably going to break his heart , and for the first time since finding out about the money I felt sad enough to cry as I continued to think about how my life was about to change.
     “I suppose I'll hold off for a bit.” I said, giving Marzie an answer, but then adding, “At least until my parents have had time to talk it over and it’s been settled on that we're definitely moving. So maybe… tomorrow,”
     “Well, if it does get decided on that you’ll be leavin’. I guess we'll be needin’ to throw you a goin' away party.” Marzie then said with a ratcheting chipperness to her voice.
     “Well, yeah,” I said jokingly. “But for now don't say anythin' to anyone else until I know I’m leavin’ for sure, okay. No use makin' a big stink about nothin' until it's somethin'.”
     Marzie agreed.
     After leaving Marzie’s place I felt like I needed to take some time alone, so I stopped at Catfish Creek . The tiny tributary has been where I always liked to go when I had a lot on my mind. The creek, which cut through town not far from my house, was nothing more than a muddy rivulet, really. My Step Daddy Cade had used to take me to it when I was just a little girl, and we would catch crawdaddies, turtles, and bullfrogs gathering them in a five-gallon