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

bucket until it was time to let them go. I can still remember how my step daddy used to like to tease the crawdads with a stick, poking them in their faces until he could get them to fight each other. He would then laugh his ass off like a stupid son-of-a-bitch as they ripped each other apart.
     As I sat for a while on the rocks near the water’s weed-choked edges, I watched as tadpoles dipped and vanish in-and-out of the reeds. It had by this time of day begun to cool off, the sun having made its way west. But the rock that I had parked myself upon still felt plenty warm from having collected the sun’s intense rays all day.
     As I pondered for a while just what that letter from my grandmother’s lawyers really meant. What it meant for me and what it would mean for my parents. It had been the first time since that moment at Marzie’s house when I had found myself upset while thinking about Tucker, that I had taken a moment to reflect on how this inheritance was going to change all of our lives. For a little while there, I have to admit, it somewhat scared me to think about it. I mean, Saraland is all I know. All I’ve ever known, and up until a couple of hours ago I had figured that I was going to spend the rest of my life there. Just like everyone in my Step Daddy Cade's family had done. I really hadn’t any clue about how life in New York was going to end up. I really didn’t know much , if anything at all about it, except that the New York Yankee’s liked to buy their championships, and I’ve been told the people are rude. Niagara Falls was up there somewhere, along with a lot of liberals that my Step Daddy Cade liked to bitch about. But, as far as Mt. Harrison goes, I knew nothing, not even its location on a map.
     After leaving the creek I rode my bike slowly home still needing more time to figure things out. But when I had gotten close to home I had seen that the pea-green eyesore was now parked back in the driveway. I then knew that my step daddy was probably right-at-that-very-minute finding out about the letter for himself.
     Quickly, I ditched my bike in the front yard and snuck around to the back of the house where my parent’s bedroom window was located. I wanted to eavesdrop in on them and I’d figured that’s where they’d be. I knew if I heard them arguing it would’ve been because my mama would have broken the news to my step daddy and then had told him that she didn’t want to accept the inheritance on account of us needing to move up to Mount Harrison as part of the deal. Which I’m sure would’ve irritated my step daddy enough for him to knock a little sense into her head. (Figuratively of course, my step daddy has never laid a finger on either of us.)
     Slowly, I crept up under their window, careful not to make any noise, and when I got close I could hear that my parents indeed were in their bedroom, and of course, they were bickering. I could hear my Step Daddy Cade arguing to take the money and my mama was basically telling him that she just didn’t think it would be a good idea.
     After having heard the two of them quarreling that sinking feeling I had that my mama had planned on turning down her inheritance was all but then confirmed in my mind.
     Jesus Right Christ on a Triscuit, lady. Just take the damn money already, I thought as I clung ever closer to the house so my parents wouldn’t catch me spying on them.
     After a while, they had quieted down for a bit and I had to work my way further still under their bedroom window sill so I could hear them better. All while having to wrestle with the weeds and brambles that surrounded me.
     After the brief lull had ended, my parents picked back up as they continued to go at it. They were gradually becoming louder again, but I still couldn't completely make out just what each of them was saying.
     One thing I did know for sure though, was that my step daddy had