The Book of Bright Ideas by Sandra Kring Read Free Book Online Page B

speak up when I ask you a question.” She glanced out the window as Daddy’s truck rumbled down the driveway. “He’s going right over there, but do you think he could drop his daughter off and save me the trip? Like he’s the only one here who has to get to work.” She turned back to me, blinking like she just remembered I was there. Some sad was sitting in her eyes. “Get your sweater on, and get in the car, please.”
    When I got to Aunt Verdella’s, Daddy was there, leaning against the counter holding a coffee cup and a piece of coffee cake. Aunt Verdella was standing at the counter making pancake batter. They were all laughing, so I figured that either Uncle Rudy or Daddy had just told a funny story. “Get over here and give Auntie a hug,” Aunt Verdella said. She moaned like she was eating chocolate when she hugged me. “You ready for some breakfast?”
    â€œGood thing you feed her, or she’d starve to death. Crissakes, you should have seen the eggs we had this morning,” Dad said. “Like rubber. And they stunk like a skunk!”
    â€œOh Reece,” Aunt Verdella said. “Jewel isn’t much of a cook, that’s true, but she is good at so many things. Don’t be mean, now.”
    Daddy looked at his watch and said he’d better get going. He set down his cup and picked a big tool off of the corner of the table. Aunt Verdella handed him his filled thermos. “You have a good day, Reece,” she said. She moved me in front of her. “Give your daddy a hug good-bye,” she said, as she pushed against my back. I leaned back against her, not budging. “Bye, kid,” Daddy said.
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    Winnalee came over while we were sitting at the table. She pressed her face against the screen—which wasn’t easy, since she had her ma in her arms and had to lean over the vase—and we told her to come in. She was wearing another mesh skirt. Pink, this time, but she had on a girl’s shirt and a pair of shorts under the slip so her undies didn’t show.
    Aunt Verdella poured three ladlefuls of pancake batter onto the skillet, then stretched the two blobs on top into long bunny ears with the back of her spoon. When the batter bubbled up, she dropped two raisins on the face for eyes, then flipped him over. “You eat breakfast yet, sweetie?” she asked Winnalee. Winnalee told her no, because they hadn’t shopped yet, so Aunt Verdella told her she’d make her a bunny pancake too. Winnalee giggled, because she’d never heard of bunny pancakes before.
    â€œHey, where’s my bunny pancake?” Uncle Rudy said, and all three of us giggled. Uncle Rudy shoved the last strip of his bacon into his mouth, saving the fatty part for Knucklehead—his old chocolate Lab with a jagged scar by his lip—who waited by his chair. Knucklehead caught it with a snap, then came over by me to see if I had some for him too. I didn’t, but I had a pat, so I gave him that instead.
    Uncle Rudy got up and grabbed his hat from the post of his chair. “Verdie, send Tommy over to the east forty when he gets here, will ya?” He smiled down at me and Winnalee. “We’re fixing that fence up so good that those cows will have to grow wings if they want to get loose now.”
    Aunt Verdella wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big squeeze. “Don’t you go working too hard or your back will start acting up again. Let that boy do the heavier stuff, Rudy. That’s what you hired him for. You be good, and tomorrow morning maybe I’ll make you bunny pancakes too.” She started giving him noisy smooches on his cheek. Uncle Rudy spread his elbows a bit to break out of her hold, but Aunt Verdella just leaned over his arms and kept right on smooching.
    â€œVerdie, you keep mauling on me and those cows are gonna have the time to grow wings before I get that fence fixed too.” Aunt Verdella let