The Heaven of Mercury by Brad Watson Read Free Book Online Page A

sack was tied and set beside the door where Creasie stood. And next to it was a little bundle, like a loaf of baker’s bread wrapped over and over in a stained and yellowing sheet. The woman lay in the bed with a rag on her forehead. Her eyes were open. She was looking at Creasie. Then the woman blinked. Creasie almost jumped back into the door she’d closed behind her.
    Aunt Vish dried her hands on her skirts and went over, checked the woman’s forehead, said something to her and patted her cheek. Then came over to Creasie.
    -You take my sack, she said to Creasie.
    -Yes’m.
    Creasie picked up the lumpy sack full of Aunt Vish’s tools. They clattered and clanked and clinked.
    -Careful, child! They’s glass in there.
    -Yes’m.
    Aunt Vish picked up the bundle wrapped in the dirty sheet, held it cradled in one arm, and opened the door. Creasie heard a quiet voice behind them, -Thank you, Miss Vish.
    At the buckboard Aunt Vish lay the bundle on the seat between them, picked up the reins and the crop, flicked the crop against Dan’s butt and said, -Hup. Dan pulled them away.
    They followed their own ruts back toward town. Crows winged over moving faster than their wings, seemed like. A wind behind them. Their black heads looking this way and that. Creasie looked at the bundle, the edges of its sheets touching her quilts.
    -Is that the baby?
    Aunt Vish said nothing, then glanced at her, looked ahead.
    -Mmm hmm.
    -Is it dead?
    -It’s dead.
    -Aunt Vish. How come the woman to thank you if her baby died.
    Aunt Vish looked down her nose at her for a minute.
    -I saved her life, she said. -That’s something. If I could have killed that husband, now, I’d done some real good. Should have called me early on.
    Creasie looked at Dan’s behind, the tail lifted off it again. Here it comes, she thought. But nothing happened. Dan’s tail dropped back down.
    -Why you want to kill that man? she said to Aunt Vish.
    -I don’t. I expect she might.
    In a minute, looking at the bundle.
    -Can I look at the baby, Aunt Vish?
    -No.
    They rode on.
    -Is its eyes closed or open?
    -Who? What you talking about, child?
    -The baby.
    Aunt Vish gave her a fierce look that said hush up or else. She hushed.
    -How come it died? she said real quietly after a time.
    Aunt Vish didn’t answer. They rode on. They made the turn toward the north part of Mercury, climbing the hill.
    -How come we taking the baby with us?
    -Hush up all your questions! Aunt Vish said. She nicked the crop tails against Dan’s flank.
    They rocked behind the clopping horse back to town, past the old Case mansion and the trail to the ravine, Creasie looking but holding back her question. Down winding Poplar Avenue, into town. Vish stopped in front of Dr. Heath’s house. She reached around behind her for a little paper sack.
    -Take these in to Dr. Heath.
    Creasie jumped down and bounded up the steps, knocked on the door. Dr. Heath came in his robe, his hair up funny on his head.
    -Hello there, Creasie, he said, looking down his nose.
    She held the sack out to him. He took it, looked up, and nodded to Vish, who nodded back.
    -Bye, Creasie said, and ran back to the wagon.
    They clopped on into downtown. White people stopping on the sidewalk to look at them, to laugh at their rig, at Aunt Vish sitting proudly there with the reins in her hand. Past the fire station, where the firemen came out to call out to her, Hey old Aunt Vish! Vish didn’t acknowledge. She pulled up before the white funeral home. Aunt Vish handed Creasie the reins, stepped down, reached back and picked up the dead baby in the bundle.
    -You wait here with the wagon.
    She went inside. Creasie waited. Old Dan shifted, clopped a hoof on the slushy pavement. Creasie burrowed down into her quilt. After a few minutes Aunt Vish came back out, climbed back onto the wagon seat and took up the reins. -Hup.
    Creasie ventured, -He going to bury the little baby, Aunt Vish? A