Biggie and the Devil Diet - By Nancy Bell Page 0,25

Willie Mae?"

"She's okay, I reckon." Rosebud didn't sound so sure. "They said no houses were destroyed."

"We've got to get home right now." Biggie got up and started toward Rosebud.

"Come on!" Miss Julia grabbed her purse off a table.

"Wellum, we can't do that." Rosebud shook his head.

"Why?" Biggie wanted to know.

"On account of there's trees down all over the road between here and there. They're sending out crews with chain saws to get them clear." Rosebud looked down at Biggie. "But, Miss Biggie, we ain't gonna get home before morning."

I had never seen Biggie look so scared.

Just then the lights came back on.

Laura came back into the room. "Rex is okay. Grace, will you see to the girls? They must be petrified." She turned at the doorway. "Now you all just make yourselves at home. Feel free to tour the house if you like. Since you'll be staying the night, I'll tell Josefina to get your rooms ready. We'll have supper at seven."

"Come on, Ruby," said Miss Julia. "I've been dying to see the rest of this house."

Rosebud spoke to Biggie. "I'd better go back out and help them fellers down at the barn."

"By all means," Biggie said.

"I'll help," Monica said and followed Rosebud out the door.

After they left the rest of us got comfortable around the fireplace. Biggie sat on a low chair next to Jeremy Polk and crossed her little feet in front of her.

"Well, Mr. Polk," she said, "you sure know how to take charge in an emergency. I'll bet you've had some kind of training in that sort of thing."

"I used to be in the National Guard, Miss, uh, Biggie, is it?"

"I'm afraid that's it," Biggie said. "My real name is Fiona Wooten Weatherford, but most people just call me Biggie. You see, when J.R. was small his daddy wanted him to call me Big Mama, but he had a hard time saying that, so he ended up calling me Biggie and the name stuck." She smiled. "Are you a lawyer, Mr. Polk?" She looked at the briefcase on the floor next to his chair.

"That's right. I've been representing Rex Barnwell since my father retired. He was Uncle Rex's lawyer before that."

"Uncle Rex? Are you related then?"

"Oh, no, ma'am. It's just, I've known him all my life. Dad and he were lifelong friends."

"Oh?" Biggie tucked one foot under her knee and leaned forward. I could tell she was settling in for a long chat. "I've known Rex for a long time, too."

"So I understand," he said.

"Are you by any chance related to Hiram and Geneva Polk from Center Point?" Biggie asked.

"As a matter of fact, I am. Hiram was my great uncle."

"What a small world it is," Biggie said. "Geneva Polk was my mother's third cousin on her father's side. I guess that makes us kissing cousins."

Jeremy's face brightened. "Miss Biggie, lately I've become interested in genealogy. I'm very anxious to find out something about the Kemp County branch of my family. Do you think you could help me with that?"

Biggie grinned from ear to ear. "I expect so," she said. "Genealogy happens to be one of my specialties. I'm the president of the James Royce Wooten chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and former recording secretary for our local DAR chapter. It just happens that I have a great deal of material on your family in my file at home."

"Wonderful!" Jeremy took a business card out of his pocket and handed it to Biggie. "I'd be grateful for any information you could send me. You'll be reimbursed for postage, of course." He glanced at his watch and picked up his briefcase. "Look at the time. Will you excuse me, Miss Biggie? I really need to go over these papers before I present them to Rex." He stood up. "It's been very nice chatting with you."

Before Biggie could answer, Laura came back into the room. "Jeremy, Rex says he'll see you after supper. Right now, Miss Biggie, he'd really like a short visit with you."

8

Biggie got to her feet.

"You want me to come, Biggie?" I was surprised to find I was curious about my real granddaddy.

"Not just now," she said. "I may send for you later."

I picked up a magazine and thumbed through it. It was all about raising cattle, a subject I'm not much interested in. The sun had come out now, and except for the tree limbs all over the yard, you would never know we'd just had a bad storm. I