Tender Graces by Kathryn Magendie Read Free Book Online Page A

coming home late more here lately? Am I imagining that cheap perfume I wouldn’t wear? I reckon I’m not.”
    Daddy stomped into the living room. “Go to your room, Bug. Right now .”
    I ran to my room, jumped on my bed, and buried my face in Grandma Faith’s quilt. Momma and Daddy took their fussing into their bedroom, slamming the door, like that would keep us from hearing.
    My brothers came into my bedroom, which wasn’t like a real bedroom with a regular closet, but had a cedar robe and a fancy ceiling light I was proud to have like nobody else. The old woman before us called it a parlor for her teas nobody came to.
    Andy had tears and snot running. Micah had him by the hand, talking about the Wild Wild West Out Yonder and how much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood—that usually made Andy laugh. He plopped Andy next to me. I wiped Andy’s face with the bottom of his shirt.
    Micah asked,  “How’s about some Kool-Aid and crackers?”
    Andy nodded fast.
    Micah opened the door, looked out, and made a face. “Momma and Daddy are in their room wrestling again.”
    Micah got our snack; we settled on my quilt to eat. Nothing was better than a picnic in the middle of the bed. I thought those were the good days, even with all the fussing. We chewed our crackers and drank the last of the Kool-Aid. The soft noises in the bedroom down the hall stopped and everything was quiet.
     

Chapter 5
    Mysterious ways
    1964
    I’d never been inside a church, not even at Christmas when Mee Maw said she went to sing happy birthday to Jesus. She sent us kids a picture-book Bible with Jesus, Jesus’ momma, and other people standing around with halos on their heads. It had Jesus hung up on the cross looking so pitiful and sad. I didn’t understand why Jesus’ Daddy wanted him up there. The stories were interesting, but God sounded ornery and was likely to smite anyone for any little thing. I liked Jesus better than God because he was a kind man and almost as handsome as my daddy.
    Momma said God never did anyone any good and to believe it was a waste of time. It didn’t stop Mee Maw from calling to screech over some fellow named Satan. Momma said, “Mee Maw’s afraid that instead of sliding into heaven on a beam of light, she’ll be riding down on Satan’s coattails.”
    A fancy new dress changed Momma’s mind about getting religion. Momma held the dress in front of her, smiling so wide I thought her lips would stretch out of place. She said, “We’re going to church!”
    The rest of us stared at her, too dumbed up to say anything.
    “What’s wrong? Cat got your tongues?”
    “What brought this on, Katie?” Daddy asked.
    “I want to show off my beautiful new dress to lots of people and church seems as good a place as any.” She twirled around pretending she already wore the dress and knew she looked pretty in it.
    “Buster said church is boring,” Micah said. He had peanut butter stuck on his face. “He said they try to drown you in front of the whole church unless you say you love Jesus.” Buster was Micah’s best friend who lived down the long road a fair piece.
    “Nuh uh. You lie,” I said.
    “I love Uncle Jesus,” Andy said.
    “Hush it, you kids.” Momma pulled her I’m-thinking-about-things-so-be-quiet look while the rest of us admired her still holding the dress against herself. “There’s a Baptist church in town. And being Easter next Sunday, it ought to be packed full up.”
    Daddy raised up an eyebrow. “As long as our priorities are clear. Right, dear?”
    Momma twirled around again and paid no mind to Daddy.

    Easter morning, I followed Momma into her room to watch her get ready. She shook off her housecoat, and wiggled into the new dress. It was light green and had a wide belt that she made an extra hole in so it would fit just right. Standing at the mirror, she tilted her head one way, then the other. She unzipped the back of the dress, pulled down the top, took off