Shem Creek by Dorothea Benton Frank Read Free Book Online

let me warn you now, if I hear one word about you picking up thugs at Taco Bell or any other place and you coming home like you did today, I will ground you for a thousand years! Am I understood?”
    There was silence at the table, followed by more silence. I was breathing rapidly and everyone knew I was within seconds of slapping Gracie to the floor if she made one objection. At that moment, she realized she had no support, and to my surprise she said nothing. In New Jersey, we would have been at a level of mother-daughter anger that would have frightened the neighbors. Lindsey would have been screaming over us to stop yelling and she might have been holding me back from hitting Gracie. Maybe it was because of Mimi’s presence and because we were in Mimi’s house that Gracie opted not to throw a full-scale fit of temper. Or, maybe Gracie wanted to be stopped. Now, there was a possibility worth exploration. And, hellfire, she had to grow up at some point, didn’t she?

THREE
    GRACIE SPEAKS

    MOMMA and Lindsey left early this morning. Personally, I thought Lindsey was crazy as hell to make the trip without a fight, but that’s how she always was—the good DooBee of the family. And, I guess I was feeling a little guilty about yesterday, so I got up first and made pancakes for everyone. Aunt Mimi was right on my heels, resetting the table, moving the forks to the left and the knives to the right. She was like a little obsessed with the table looking like a magazine layout. I mean, who was gonna see it? I said zero about it. I hoped I hadn’t been left behind to get trapped for a giant lecture on alcohol and hickeys.
    The morning speeches came from Mom, who rushed in the kitchen all nervous and clucking around.
    “Now, Gracie? No nonsense from you while I’m gone. Is that understood?”
    “Yeah, I understand,” I said.
    “I’ll call from Richmond and check on you,” Mom said. “Do we have gas? Oh, yes, I filled up last night. Anyway, Gracie, you behave yourself or else!”
    “I already said I would, didn’t I?”
    I was standing by the stove, filling plates with food. When Lindsey snickered, I gave her the finger behind everyone’s back. She shot one back to me and we giggled.
    “What’s so funny?” Aunt Mimi said.
    “My daughters are making obscene gestures to each other,” Mom said.
    Mom had eyes in the back and the sides of her head.
    “Oh, Lordy! I have my work cut out for me!” Aunt Mimi said, with a sigh.
    I knew what that meant—that Aunt Mimi was going to make this gargantuan effort to Carolina-ize me. I could deal. It was still better than a million hours in the car, driving up and down I-95.
    Anyway, by the time they took off, I was exhausted and considering going back to bed. No such luck. Aunt Mimi, the general, was waiting for me.
    “Come on, Gracie, let’s get these dishes.”
    I said, “At home whoever cooks doesn’t have to wash.”
    “Well, this ain’t Kansas,” she said. “Here’s a sponge.”
    Normally, I would have flat-out refused, but it was too early to bicker, even for me. Besides, she said it smiling and it’s harder to bite someone who is smiling at you.
    “So, Miss Gracie? Tell me what’s going on. Why don’t you want to be down here with your Aunt Mimi? What’s the problem with South Carolina?”
    “It’s not you, Aunt Mimi. It’s just that it’s weird, you know?”
    “Honey, you’re gonna have to spell it out for me. I gave up mind reading a long time ago.”
    The hot water was running, filling the sink area with steam. She rinsed and placed the plates in the dishwasher. I scooped crumbs from the counter and put the milk, butter and syrup back in the refrigerator. How was I going to explain this to her without insulting her?
    “Look, I’ve been living in New Jersey all my life! All my friends are there! And my friends are very different from what I see around here. They’re black, Hispanic, Asian, everything! I mean, there are two thousand kids in my high