| Description |
Clark both sad and scared, and he still shuddered when he thought about that day He closed his eyes in an effort to block out the memory from his mind. It made him feel queasy down in the bottom of his stomach, like a wound that never really healed. It had only been a few months, a while longer and he might start to get over it all a bit-But for now he still missed Papa every day, sometimes even more. There was so much he didn't understand about the world around him, and who could he ask7 Mama was already burdened enough and his older brother, Lyman, was working such long hours that he came home too tired to talk at all. He had feelings he didn't understand, a certain bitterness that would well up in his stomach and claw at his throat, demanding release. The first time he felt this way was when Mrs. Porter came over to buy raspberries last summer. She wore fancy clothes and smelled of perfume. Even her housedress was better than Mama's Sunday best. She lived across the street and would order berries from Mama at the going rate of seventy cents a case. Mama would spend the better part of the early morning picking and filling the twelve pint baskets. Then when Mrs. Porter arrived, she would eye the berries, hesitating and questioning Mama about when she had picked them. Mama knew, Mrs Porter knew, and Clark knew that Mama had picked them that morning Each berry was a dark crimson and so plump they made the saliva in his mouth swirl around his tongue as he peered into the too full baskets. Spring City's climate was perfect for growing berries. The cool mornings and long growing season made a perfect balance to produce the sweet, red fruit. Looking at the berries once again, she would tell Mama that she had hoped to buy the berries for fifty cents a case, that she just couldn't pay the full price, she didn't have that much money- Mama consented. He knew it made him hate Mrs. Porter, yet he knew better than to fuss in Mama's business. It hurt him to see her taken advantage of, he felt helpless and weak. His thoughts were interrupted by Mama's voice calling him for breakfast. He hurried into the house. 114 |
