When the three of them had finished giggling, Millie stood on the top step and surveyed the remaining light. “No more painting today,” she said and headed to the carriage house to put away her supplies.
This greatly disappointed Josie. The envy that had been snuffed by the twinkling of an aspiring artist came roaring back to life. Josie shot her brother a look warning of impending revenge. Her eyes were so heated and her posture so poised for the kill one could almost see the pointed green tail of envy swish from beneath her skirt.
Matthew was not unfamiliar with this side of his sister’s perpetually shifting personality. If he waited long enough (and it usually wasn’t very) it would change. He rolled his eyes at her and stuck out his tongue.
Just as Millie turned back, as if by a trick of mirrors the look disappeared, Josie's posture relaxed, the tail recoiled, Matthew’s eyes returned to center and his tongue looked as if it were only licking his lips.
“Would the two of you like to come back tomorrow?”
Simultaneously they turned to her with twin innocent smiles. “We’d love to,” said Josie, speaking for the both of them. “But we have church first. Will that be okay?”
“The same time tomorrow would be fine. If it would help, I could pick you up and meet your mother.”
Josie and Matthew exchanged a look that did not go unnoticed by Millie. She chose to ignore it and instead waited for a response.
“Uh, our mother won’t be home. She has to…stay after church,” Josie answered.
“Oh, well then I can pick you up all the same.”
“No thank you. We like to walk.”
“Same time tomorrow then.”
Millie walked them to the carriage door and knelt down before Matthew. “Will you bury him tonight?” she asked. He nodded. “Remember where you bury him. I’ll make a marker for him, and you can take it with you tomorrow.”
With a nod he said softly, “I will.”
“Thank you for the soda, Millie,” Josie added.
“’Til tomorrow then.”
The children walked along quietly for several minutes. Matthew was pensive waiting for a cuff up side the head or a scathing lecture on the place of younger brothers. Neither came. Instead, Josie talked idly about the weather, school and whether or not she should wash her hair tonight.
Matthew wasn’t fooled. He was sure she was only lulling him into thinking he was safe, so he broached the subject himself. “I didn’t know she was going to paint me,” he said meekly, hoping just bringing up the subject didn’t garner him the expected cuffing.
“I know,” she said coolly.
“So…we’re okay?” he asked.
“Maybe,” she said drawing out the syllables.
“Oh.” Matthew knew the longer she held on to the impulse for revenge the worse it would be. If there were anyway he could draw it out now, he would. “Maybe she’ll paint you tomorrow.”
“What if she doesn’t?”
“I’ll ask her to.”
“No, Matthew. Don’t embarrass me by doing that.”
“Maybe I won’t go.”
“You have to.”
“You can leave me at the corner, and I’ll just wait there,” Matthew suggested.
“That won’t work either. Someone will see you.”
Matthew thought for a moment and then decided it all just wasn’t worth it. “What ever you do to me, you’ll get the switch and you know it,” he threatened.
“Who said I was going to do anything?” Josie asked.
Matthew was sure he saw a flash of green behind her.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Several minutes lapsed while Millie painted Matthew’s inspection of the limp bird. When the light faded and the silence had finally parted Matthew’s thoughts he looked up quzzically. Scrambling to his feet he asked, “What are you doing?”
“You made a beautiful painting, Matthew. Would you like to see?” Millie replied.
Matthew walked cautiously over to where Millie was seated and Josie was kneeling beside her. He wasn’t quite sure what to expect or whether or not he’d like what he saw. He was also concerned that Josie was going to swat him. She was the one who was supposed to be the model after all.
Millie held the water color and the sketch side by side for him to see. His eye brows shot up high on his forehead. “That’s me?”
Nodding, Millie said, “Well, it’s a likeness of you. It’s not finished though. I’m thinking it would look better in chalk. What do you think?”
“Chalk? I don’t know…” He wrinkled up his nose.
“Not school chalk. Art chalk. I think I’ll play with this later.” Millie stood and clipped the art work to a board running above her work bench. As she did this she asked, “What happened to your bird?”
“He died,” Matthew said sadly.
“I’m sorry. What are you going to do with him?”
“I thought I’d bury him. I didn’t want him to fry on the sidewalk.”
“That’s kind of you,” Millie said. Turning around she said, “C’mon. Let me get you two some sodas.”
Josie was relieved. She’d thought she’d been forgotten for her brother and the resentment was starting to creep back. Artist or model it was still her idea to come. She was the one who was issued the invite; not Matthew.
They followed Millie to the back of her house and up the steps through the screen door into a small enclosed porch that led into her kitchen. She opened the icebox and pulled out two bottles of Coca Cola, icy cold. With a bottle opener she popped the caps, handing a bottle to each of them. She reached back into the ice box and repeated the process for herself. They all returned to the steps. Matthew sat on the bottom, Josie on the second step and Millie on the top.
Quietly they savored the first fizzy, icy cold swallows. “What made you want to be an artist,” Josie finally asked.
Millie grimaced. “It’s the only thing I’m good at.”
“Oh I don’t believe that. Not someone like you!” Josie was astonished that someone as lovely as Millie Radmask thought she was only talented at one thing.
“It’s true. Sometimes God gives people all the tools they need to survive and succeed. They may be better at one or two of them than they are at other things, but they can pretty much do a little bit of everything. That’s nice enough, I guess. But for other people He pours everything He’s got into one special talent. That’s what He did with me.” She took a sip of her soda, and then held the cool glass against her neck.
“Which do you think He did with me?” Matthew asked.
“I don’t know, Matthew. That’s between you and God still.”
“I know,” Josie said. “You are terribly talented at making my life a bear!” As soon as she said it she wished she could take it back. She was sure Millie would scold her so she braced for it. It never came.
Instead, Matthew said with his eyes crinkled up and his head shaking, “That’s not a talent. If it were, it would come from the devil not God.”
“Maybe,” Millie said. “But maybe Matthew makes your life - more challenging to make your talent stronger,” she suggested.
Josie and Matthew thought about that for a few moments, then at the same time said, “Nah!”
When the three of them had finished giggling, Millie stood on the top step and surveyed the remaining light. “No more painting today,” she said and headed to the carriage house to put away her supplies.
This greatly disappointed Josie. The envy that had been snuffed by the twinkling of an aspiring artist came roaring back to life. Josie shot her brother a look warning of impending revenge. Her eyes were so heated and her posture so poised for the kill one could almost see the pointed green tail of envy swish from beneath her skirt.
Matthew was not unfamiliar with this side of his sister’s perpetually shifting personality. If he waited long enough (and it usually wasn’t very) it would change. He rolled his eyes at her and stuck out his tongue.
Just as Millie turned back, as if by a trick of mirrors the look disappeared, Josie's posture relaxed, the tail recoiled, Matthew’s eyes returned to center and his tongue looked as if it were only licking his lips.
“Would the two of you like to come back tomorrow?”
Simultaneously they turned to her with twin innocent smiles. “We’d love to,” said Josie, speaking for the both of them. “But we have church first. Will that be okay?”
“The same time tomorrow would be fine. If it would help, I could pick you up and meet your mother.”
Josie and Matthew exchanged a look that did not go unnoticed by Millie. She chose to ignore it and instead waited for a response.
“Uh, our mother won’t be home. She has to…stay after church,” Josie answered.
“Oh, well then I can pick you up all the same.”
“No thank you. We like to walk.”
“Same time tomorrow then.”
Millie walked them to the carriage door and knelt down before Matthew. “Will you bury him tonight?” she asked. He nodded. “Remember where you bury him. I’ll make a marker for him, and you can take it with you tomorrow.”
With a nod he said softly, “I will.”
“Thank you for the soda, Millie,” Josie added.
“’Til tomorrow then.”
The children walked along quietly for several minutes. Matthew was pensive waiting for a cuff up side the head or a scathing lecture on the place of younger brothers. Neither came. Instead, Josie talked idly about the weather, school and whether or not she should wash her hair tonight.
Matthew wasn’t fooled. He was sure she was only lulling him into thinking he was safe, so he broached the subject himself. “I didn’t know she was going to paint me,” he said meekly, hoping just bringing up the subject didn’t garner him the expected cuffing.
“I know,” she said coolly.
“So…we’re okay?” he asked.
“Maybe,” she said drawing out the syllables.
“Oh.” Matthew knew the longer she held on to the impulse for revenge the worse it would be. If there were anyway he could draw it out now, he would. “Maybe she’ll paint you tomorrow.”
“What if she doesn’t?”
“I’ll ask her to.”
“No, Matthew. Don’t embarrass me by doing that.”
“Maybe I won’t go.”
“You have to.”
“You can leave me at the corner, and I’ll just wait there,” Matthew suggested.
“That won’t work either. Someone will see you.”
Matthew thought for a moment and then decided it all just wasn’t worth it. “What ever you do to me, you’ll get the switch and you know it,” he threatened.
“Who said I was going to do anything?” Josie asked.
Matthew was sure he saw a flash of green behind her.
“You made a beautiful painting, Matthew. Would you like to see?” Millie replied.
Matthew walked cautiously over to where Millie was seated and Josie was kneeling beside her. He wasn’t quite sure what to expect or whether or not he’d like what he saw. He was also concerned that Josie was going to swat him. She was the one who was supposed to be the model after all.
Millie held the water color and the sketch side by side for him to see. His eye brows shot up high on his forehead. “That’s me?”
Nodding, Millie said, “Well, it’s a likeness of you. It’s not finished though. I’m thinking it would look better in chalk. What do you think?”
“Chalk? I don’t know…” He wrinkled up his nose.
“Not school chalk. Art chalk. I think I’ll play with this later.” Millie stood and clipped the art work to a board running above her work bench. As she did this she asked, “What happened to your bird?”
“He died,” Matthew said sadly.
“I’m sorry. What are you going to do with him?”
“I thought I’d bury him. I didn’t want him to fry on the sidewalk.”
“That’s kind of you,” Millie said. Turning around she said, “C’mon. Let me get you two some sodas.”
Josie was relieved. She’d thought she’d been forgotten for her brother and the resentment was starting to creep back. Artist or model it was still her idea to come. She was the one who was issued the invite; not Matthew.
They followed Millie to the back of her house and up the steps through the screen door into a small enclosed porch that led into her kitchen. She opened the icebox and pulled out two bottles of Coca Cola, icy cold. With a bottle opener she popped the caps, handing a bottle to each of them. She reached back into the ice box and repeated the process for herself. They all returned to the steps. Matthew sat on the bottom, Josie on the second step and Millie on the top.
Quietly they savored the first fizzy, icy cold swallows. “What made you want to be an artist,” Josie finally asked.
Millie grimaced. “It’s the only thing I’m good at.”
“Oh I don’t believe that. Not someone like you!” Josie was astonished that someone as lovely as Millie Radmask thought she was only talented at one thing.
“It’s true. Sometimes God gives people all the tools they need to survive and succeed. They may be better at one or two of them than they are at other things, but they can pretty much do a little bit of everything. That’s nice enough, I guess. But for other people He pours everything He’s got into one special talent. That’s what He did with me.” She took a sip of her soda, and then held the cool glass against her neck.
“Which do you think He did with me?” Matthew asked.
“I don’t know, Matthew. That’s between you and God still.”
“I know,” Josie said. “You are terribly talented at making my life a bear!” As soon as she said it she wished she could take it back. She was sure Millie would scold her so she braced for it. It never came.
Instead, Matthew said with his eyes crinkled up and his head shaking, “That’s not a talent. If it were, it would come from the devil not God.”
“Maybe,” Millie said. “But maybe Matthew makes your life - more challenging to make your talent stronger,” she suggested.
Josie and Matthew thought about that for a few moments, then at the same time said, “Nah!”
When the three of them had finished giggling, Millie stood on the top step and surveyed the remaining light. “No more painting today,” she said and headed to the carriage house to put away her supplies.
This greatly disappointed Josie. The envy that had been snuffed by the twinkling of an aspiring artist came roaring back to life. Josie shot her brother a look warning of impending revenge. Her eyes were so heated and her posture so poised for the kill one could almost see the pointed green tail of envy swish from beneath her skirt.
Matthew was not unfamiliar with this side of his sister’s perpetually shifting personality. If he waited long enough (and it usually wasn’t very) it would change. He rolled his eyes at her and stuck out his tongue.
Just as Millie turned back, as if by a trick of mirrors the look disappeared, Josie's posture relaxed, the tail recoiled, Matthew’s eyes returned to center and his tongue looked as if it were only licking his lips.
“Would the two of you like to come back tomorrow?”
Simultaneously they turned to her with twin innocent smiles. “We’d love to,” said Josie, speaking for the both of them. “But we have church first. Will that be okay?”
“The same time tomorrow would be fine. If it would help, I could pick you up and meet your mother.”
Josie and Matthew exchanged a look that did not go unnoticed by Millie. She chose to ignore it and instead waited for a response.
“Uh, our mother won’t be home. She has to…stay after church,” Josie answered.
“Oh, well then I can pick you up all the same.”
“No thank you. We like to walk.”
“Same time tomorrow then.”
Millie walked them to the carriage door and knelt down before Matthew. “Will you bury him tonight?” she asked. He nodded. “Remember where you bury him. I’ll make a marker for him, and you can take it with you tomorrow.”
With a nod he said softly, “I will.”
“Thank you for the soda, Millie,” Josie added.
“’Til tomorrow then.”
The children walked along quietly for several minutes. Matthew was pensive waiting for a cuff up side the head or a scathing lecture on the place of younger brothers. Neither came. Instead, Josie talked idly about the weather, school and whether or not she should wash her hair tonight.
Matthew wasn’t fooled. He was sure she was only lulling him into thinking he was safe, so he broached the subject himself. “I didn’t know she was going to paint me,” he said meekly, hoping just bringing up the subject didn’t garner him the expected cuffing.
“I know,” she said coolly.
“So…we’re okay?” he asked.
“Maybe,” she said drawing out the syllables.
“Oh.” Matthew knew the longer she held on to the impulse for revenge the worse it would be. If there were anyway he could draw it out now, he would. “Maybe she’ll paint you tomorrow.”
“What if she doesn’t?”
“I’ll ask her to.”
“No, Matthew. Don’t embarrass me by doing that.”
“Maybe I won’t go.”
“You have to.”
“You can leave me at the corner, and I’ll just wait there,” Matthew suggested.
“That won’t work either. Someone will see you.”
Matthew thought for a moment and then decided it all just wasn’t worth it. “What ever you do to me, you’ll get the switch and you know it,” he threatened.
“Who said I was going to do anything?” Josie asked.
Matthew was sure he saw a flash of green behind her.
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