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Show Moon - 159 The boys hung their heads, embarrassed, ashamed. Joy reached her hand toward her mother, and said, "I tried to get him to tell you, I really did." Anne shouted, "Why did you leave it up to him?" James left the room to get himself a beer. Later, after a few more beers, he took Anne into the bedroom. I don't know why this should be, but I can't say how that went. My mother has earned the privacy of that truest, hardest moment of her life, the one time, perhaps, when she and James unfolded to each other like daylillies in the sun. That night after Christmas, Mother, you and James retired early to bed, and something got released between my brothers and me. I was fascinated with their new hippie look, complete with hair already grown almost to their shoulders, tattered jeans, and beads. We sat up in Lee's bedroom late into the night talking. He pulled a packet out of his bedside drawer and rolled a joint, passed it around. At first, we avoided mentioning what was heavy on our minds. They talked a while about their years in Manila. Caleb said he and Lee used to play in the tall grass that grew in back of our house. He said, "We weren't told about the cobras, not until someone at school happened to mention them." I said, "How strange. I was sure Mom and Dad told you about them, but I suppose it's like them to forget such things." My brothers smiled and nodded, and I saw an accord among us that filled me with happiness. Caleb said, "Religion was Mom's opiate. She hid behind the notion of Christian love." He sat so rock-steady, his green eyes so clear and intelligent, |