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Show in my father's house/ 106 My baby brother began to cry in the bedroom. "Oh, no! What have I done now?" She burst open the bedroom door. The baby stopped crying and stared, wide-eyed. She huddled beside the crib, clawing at her wrists, whimpering. "Please stop itching." Then she was silent, holding her head between her hands and shaking all over. I stared, heart and breath suspended. Then I ran as fast as I could down the hall, out the door and across the yard to get Aunt Sarah. When we returned, my mother still huddled against the crib, weeping. The baby was fast asleep. "My nerves won't stop crawling," she hiccoughed, staring at her hands. She wouldn't look up. Aunt Sarah went to the phone and called my father's office. I heard her voice, soft but firm. "We've got to do something for her. This isn't fair to her and it isn't fair to the children." Then she came to my mother and put an arm around her, drawing her to her feet and leading her into the kitchen. "Sit down, Hannah. You and I are going to have a good visit. You know, Rulon ought to swallow his pride and get you some help." That afternoon, I stayed with Aunt Sarah while Aunt Helga drove my mother to see a strange, new doctor. They returned at suppertime. My mother was calm, but her eyes were red. She carried a bottle of wine. "The doctor says I must drink it three times a day," she |
