“Oh, she’s not going back.”
“She’s not?”
“No. I believe she’s got other things on her mind now.”
“Like what?”
“Well, she and Hamp are getting pretty close.”
“Oh, I could tell from the way he looked at her that something besides music was going on.”
“I think things might be getting pretty serious between them.”
“Here’s your chili, Wilma.”
“It’s for Rex. He’s home complaining of his gallbladder. So what does he want? Chili.” Wilma made a face of disapproval, then pulled two bills from her purse and handed them to Caney. “Guess I’d better get down to the office. Got a couple of houses to show to Frances Dunn. You hear that she and Luter are splitting up?”
“Is that right?”
“I hear she’s involved with someone, but I don’t know who.”
“Ask Wanda Sue.”
“Oh, I won’t have to ask. She’ll volunteer it.” Wilma slid off the stool, grabbed her purse and chili. “See you all later.”
As soon as Wilma was out the door, Caney said, “You know, Molly O, you might be setting yourself up for another disappointment.”
“How’s that?”
“This thing you’re building up about Hamp and Brenda.”
“Now don’t get the wrong idea, Caney. I’m not butting into that. That’s their business.”
“I have a hard time believing Brenda’s through with show business.”
“But things have changed now, Caney. After what she’s been through, losing the baby and all.”
“Molly O, she didn’t ‘lose’ that baby.”
“Well, same thing. You know, she’s still so young that something like that—”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about. She’s seventeen, pretty damned unpredictable. I’m just not sure you ought to be encouraging this business with Hamp right now.”
“Oh no, Caney. I’m not. That’s between her and Hamp. Last thing she needs is to have me trying to push her into something before she’s ready.”
*
“You feeling okay, Vena?” Molly O asked.
“Sure.”
“Well, you’re looking a little peaked, I’ve noticed. Kind of pale.”
“Guess I didn’t get enough sleep.”
Molly O knew that Vena was sharing Caney’s bed now, had known it for weeks, but she’d been too worried about Brenda to get into that. Besides, Caney seemed happy, really happy, for the first time since he’d come back from Vietnam.
“Why don’t you sit down and let me get you a bowl of soup. Get off your feet for a while.”
“Thanks, but I’m not hungry yet.” Vena could feel a sourness in her mouth at the thought of food. “Maybe a little later.”
Bui came from the kitchen with a tray of clean plates. Just as he set them down, he glanced outside and saw the mail truck pulling up, which sent him dashing out the door.
“That Bui is sure anxious about the mail these days.”
They watched as he took the mail from the carrier, then ripped open a letter and stood beside the road reading it.
“Must’ve got what he was waiting for.”
Moments later, he wheeled, sprinted across the lot, then burst through the door, his face wet with tears.
“My baby borned!”
“Your wife had a baby?” Molly O said in amazement.
“Yes! Baby girl! Wife and baby leave Vietnam soon. Come to America to living with me.”
“Congratulations, Bui,” Vena said. “Why didn’t you tell us you were going to be a father?”
“Big surprise.”
“Bui,” Molly O said, hoping she didn’t sound too much like Wanda Sue, “when did you say you left Vietnam?”
“More than two year.”
Molly O, in what was a rare instance for her, was speechless.
“Take long time to make good baby,” Bui explained. “Long time.” Then, laughing, he hurried to the kitchen to tell Caney the news.
*
“Hamp, I hope I’m not becoming a pest,” Molly O said.
“I’m glad you called. I wanted to talk to you, too.”
“I just had to tell you how much I appreciate you getting Brenda involved in her music again.”
“Well, it was your idea, really. But it was a good one.”
“She’s feeling so much better now. Feeling better about herself, and part of that is because of you.”
“Mrs. O’Keefe, I think you know how I feel about Brenda.”
“I do, Hamp. And I think she feels the same way about you.”
“You do?” Hamp let out a breath and smiled. “That’s what I’m hoping for.”
“Me too. You’re good for her.”
“You know, I’ve . . . well, I’ve loved her since the first time I saw her, in seventh grade. But when we started to go together, when she said she’d go steady with me . . .”
“Oh, that’s been ages ago, Hamp. She’s changed, grown up, ma-tured.”
“That guy who was gonna marry her, the one who got her pregnant . . .”
“He’s out of the picture, I can promise you that, Hamp. She never even mentions him anymore.”
“I’m glad to know that.”
“No, the only person she ever talks about is you.”
“Really?”
“It’s the truth.”
“You know, I been thinking . . . Well, it might be too soon to talk about it, but . . .”
“What, Hamp? You can talk to me about anything.”
“Well, I’ve been thinking that maybe I might ask Brenda to marry me. I mean, if that’s all right with you.”
“Oh, Hamp. Nothing could make me any happier than to see you two married, settled down. Starting a family.”
“We could live out at my place. My folks have a trailer out there.
Used to have a farm hand living in it, but it’s empty now.”
“It’d be perfect, Hamp. Just perfect!”
“Well, I wanted to talk to you about it first, see what you thought. See if it seemed too soon after her getting all tangled up, losing her baby.”
“I don’t think it’s too soon at all! Besides, the best way to get over a miscarriage is to get pregnant again. The sooner the better.”
“Okay, then. I’m gonna give this some more thought, but—”
“Good idea. Don’t rush into anything, but don’t wait too long, Hamp. You never can tell what tomorrow will bring. Just never can tell.”
*
Molly O had gone home before seven following a brisk dinner trade. Since then, Vena had handled the dining room and the curb, enough business to keep her on the move until eight-thirty when everyone had cleared out except for a couple of beer drinkers at a table inside. But she could tell they were looking for more action than the Honk offered, so she figured they wouldn’t stay much longer.
“Caney, I think I’m going to go on back and take a hot bath. I’m beat.”
“You go on. Soon as those two leave, I’m gonna close up.”
“Need any help?”
“Nah, Bui’s still around.”
“Where is he?”
“Out back.”
“Gone to give Spot and the gelding their midnight ‘snake’?”
“Yeah.” Caney grinned.
“He’s making a habit of that now, isn’t he?”
“You know, after I saw how jumpy he was around the gelding, I never thought he’d go near a horse again. Now, he’s treating the damned thing like a pet. If you’ve noticed that the stew’s a little shy of carrots, it’s because Bui’s sneaking them out of the vegetable bin so there’ll be enough for the gelding.”
“You think he’ll ever get up the nerve to ride him?”
“Might be. I haven’t seen him back off from anything yet.”
“Okay,” Vena said as she started for the bedroom. “I’m going to go soak for a while.”
“Don’t you want something to eat first? I didn’t see you have any supper.”
“Yeah, I had a bite,” she lied, then she turned and walked away.
The beer drinkers left a few minutes later and Caney turned off the sign, then went to the back door where he watched Bui coming back, his flashlight bobbing across the dark field.
But what he couldn’t see was Sam Kellam’s pickup pulled off on a dirt road a hundred yards east of the pasture. And Bui didn’t see it either.
A
S MOLLY O WANDERED the aisles of the Super Saver, she hummed the tune to one of Brenda’s songs, and once, when she was going for a bag of potato chips, she even did a little dance step.
In the days following the concert, with her worry about Brenda fading, she was often surprised to find herself singing and dancing.
But she wasn’t embarrassed, even when someone in the Honk would notice and make some crack about it. She felt too happy to care.
She and Brenda were getting along so well now that she’d started leaving work right after supper, anxious to be at home.
Since the concert, Brenda had been a different person, and they’d been able to talk, really talk, for the first time ever. One night they’d even talked about the abortion, and though Brenda didn’t actually say she was sorry about it, Molly O could tell she was.
She was so eager now to get home that she hated taking the time to shop for groceries, but tonight she needed to pick up some snacks Brenda had asked for: Baby Ruths and Cap’n Crunch, Pop-Tarts and Cracker Jacks. And butter pecan ice cream.
When she turned down the frozen foods section, she was surprised to run into Life, but he wasn’t at all surprised to see her.
He’d followed her to the Super Saver, had been following her ever since she’d entered the store. He’d started to catch up with her several times already, but he enjoyed watching the way she walked as she pushed the shopping cart ahead of her, so he’d been content just to stay behind. But now, as she turned down the last aisle, he figured he’d better make his move.
“Why, hello, Life. You’re doing your shopping kind of late, aren’t you?”
“No, this is the time I usually come here. It’s not so crowded.”
“Well, you must not need much.”
Suddenly aware that he had no basket and nothing in his hands, Life reached quickly into one of the freezers and picked up the first thing he touched, a package of frozen lima beans.
“Well, I ran out of these.”
“Lima beans? Why, you hate lima beans.”
“No I don’t,” he said defensively.
“You sure do. Every time Caney has them on the lunch special, you have me substitute a salad.”
“Yeah, but I eat them every evening.”
“Life, you eat at the Honk every evening.”
“I mean later. Like for a midnight snack.”
“A midnight snack of lima beans?”
Seeing that this conversation was not going the way he planned, Life fought the urge to throw the lima beans back in the freezer, but instead, he decided to get to the opening line he’d been rehearsing.
“You know, it’s funny me running into you here, ’cause I been meaning to talk to you about something.”
“Life, you see me three times a day.”
“Yeah, but sometimes it’s kinda hard to finish a conversation with you at the Honk. Always someone buttin’ in.”
“What did you want to talk about?” Molly O pushed the cart forward a few steps, then reached into the freezer and pulled out a gallon of butter pecan ice cream. “Brenda just loves this,” she said.
“And I’m doing everything I can to fatten her up, but—”
“I was wondering if you’d like to go over to Poteau some night and take in a movie?”
“Oh, I don’t think so. I haven’t been to a movie in years.”
“Well, it’s not like you’d be taking up a bad habit if you went to one.”
“Is that what you wanted to ask me, Life? Seems like you could’ve said that while I was pouring your coffee.”
“No, but I thought if we was to go to Poteau, we might go out to dinner, some quiet place where we could talk. See, I’ve got something serious on my mind and—”
“Mrs. O’Keefe!”
A woman Life had seen at the concert rushed up and grabbed Molly O’s hand.
“Hello, Mrs. Miles.”
“I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed hearing our little girl sing the other night.”
“I’m glad you came.”
“I tried to get a short word with you after the concert, but there was such a crowd. Too many big people.” Mrs. Miles shuddered.
“You know, I get so nervous when I’m in a crowd of big people. I break out in a rash, teensy bumps all over my neck.”
Life nudged Molly O’s shopping cart with his boot.
“Oh, Mrs. Miles, this is my friend, Life Halstead. Life, Mrs.
Miles was Brenda’s kindergarten teacher.”
“Yes. Brenda was my little singing valentine. A tiny talent on the big stage. And that voice! That marvelous voice coming from that wee girl. Oh, it just . . .”
Mrs. Miles was still talking as Life backed away.
“. . . I knew then she was going to be a star. A shining little star.
Why, when she put on her valentine costume with all those itty-bitty hearts . . .”
As Life rounded the end of the aisle and headed for the checkout, he sighed and shook his head. He didn’t know what had gone wrong, but he figured it was the lima beans.
*
“Brenda?”
After she switched on a couple of lights, she walked down the hall to check the bathroom and Brenda’s bedroom, but both were dark.
She figured Brenda had gone to dinner with Hamp, and though she was glad they were together, she couldn’t help but feel a little lonely. She’d gotten used to coming in and finding someone waiting for her.
She flipped through the mail, mostly junk and a few bills, including the one from Hazel’s where she’d charged Brenda’s outfit, but she decided not to think about that until payday.
She’d just slipped out of her shoes and turned on the TV when the phone rang.
“Hi, Mrs. O’Keefe. Can I talk to Brenda?”
“Why, she’s not here, Hamp.”
“Do you know where she is?”
“No, I just got home. As a matter of fact, I thought she was probably with you.”
“I haven’t talked to her all day.”
“I called her around eleven, I think, just before I got busy with lunch. She was getting ready to wash her hair.”
“Did she say anything about going out?”
“No. I can’t imagine where she could be.”
“Oh, she probably just went out for a while with one of her friends.”
“I kind of doubt that. As far as I know, you’re the only friend she’s seen since she’s been back.”
“Maybe she walked over to the Quik-Trip.”
“Hamp, I completely forgot. I talked her into going out to Wal-Mart today to put in her application.”