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Show Peppermint Monday word puzzle in the newspaper. He had his dark-rimmed reading glasses on, and of course his dress pants. I looked him over real good, wondering what Renae saw in him. "What's a seven letter word meaning 'to cause to approach or adhere'?" I froze in my steps. Barton had never said a full sentence to me since he'd politely requested the bathroom. When I didn't answer, he looked up from his paper. "Oh, it's you." Barton didn't hide his disappointment. "I thought it was your ma." He enunciated ma with deliberate slowness, enjoying the jab. Barton had kidded Jason before about our hillbilly language, as he had called it. "Ma and pa are words hicks use. Backwoods hicks!" Jason had fisted his hands, ready for a punch, when ma walked in the room. Jason just left, without an agruement or anything, but he was fumming mad. This was the first time Barton had dared say anything to me about the way we talked. I guess ma was nearby. Barton was a chicken when it came to fighting. "Ma's not much good at crossword puzzles. She's always too busy to spend any time with silly word games." I enunciated ma as he had done,, It didn't bother me in the least if he thought we were hicks. My opinion of him wasn't overly high either. He did bristle a little when I made fun of his game. I knew it would. That was about all I had seen him do since he got here. He could have helped with Russ or helped pa with the farm, but Barton didn't know much about working. Barton grunted and returned his attention to the puzzle on his lap. He tucked his pencil behind his ear, and nibbled on his lip while he thought. I left my books and jacket on the table and stalked toward the kitchen in search of ma and a snack. At the doorway I stopped, turned, and said |
