OCR Text |
Show Hannah Mae and the Mona Lisa 97 patience anymore. I promised I'd stop buying Thin Mints. I promised to take him to Pennsylvania so he could see Christmas-card snow and capture the magic in his sketchbook. I ordered him to get better. I threatened to kiss Billy Waltrup if he didn't, but I took it back. I told him Billy Waltmp has a dumb dog. I told Colby about Mr. Morris. I told him about my portrait. I told him he shouldn't be embarrassed because folks were wrong; Mr. Morris didn't paint pictures of folks in their altogether. And even if he did and I did-which I wouldn't, mind you- Colby Jones would be the last soul on earth who would get to set eyes on it! I told him how much folks missed him at the market. I admitted I couldn't sell a ripe tomato for a handshake and a smile. I explained that Dad would take care of the market tonight, and I would run the place until he got better. I told him I had sworn off Paris. The nurse brought the pillow and blanket. I settled into the recliner. I kept talking until I fell asleep. Sometime in the night, one of Colby's machines started to beep. I woke with a start. Beep! Beep! Beep! Colby lay quiet. No one came. Beep! Beep! Beep! I stood and looked in the hall. No one was in sight. I held my breath and waited. Beep! Beep! Beep! |