that itch," Gracie said, and they went inside.
Within an hour of the shampoo, Delia had completely forgotten any of it had happened and crawling up onto her bed, she went to sleep.
Gracie confiscated the can of pepper and stashed the scissors up in the attic in great-grandpa's army trunk, with all of the other lethal weapons, then went out to the back porch to sweep up the hair.
The non-existent lice had been dispatched, along with a goodly amount of black pepper, and neither Delia nor Gracie had suffered. It was all she could ask on any given day.
* * *
Gracie woke up from the dream. It was a good hour before sunrise, and it was Friday.
The day had finally arrived.
She threw back the covers and got up, padded across the hall to the bathroom, and when she came back, stripped all the sheets off the bed, folded them up and packed them. Then she got another set to go with them, added two pillows and some towels and washcloths to the box, sealed it, and carried it into the living room.
Tonight, the house would be empty, but looking after it was no longer her job.
She stepped into her slippers and walked through the rooms, pausing in the kitchen to get a Coke, then she got the last honey bun from the pantry and went out on the back porch to watch the sunrise one last time over the land on which she'd been born. By the time the eastern sky began coming to life, her honey bun was gone, and so she watched in silent rapture as it began.
Pale yellow wisps of cloud vapor slowly added in some soft pink, then began stringing across the horizon like a weaver carding cotton. The wisps grew into broad strands as the new day approached. Then just before the sun showed its face, the sky exploded, painting slashes of yellow, bright orange, and deep pink all across the sky.
Gracie blinked away tears.
"Oh, Mama...what a sendoff!"
Tomorrow morning when she woke, she would be in another place, looking at the world through a different window.
It was frightening, but she was ready to see what was waiting for her next. She glanced back at the sky. The sun was coming up now, and the colors were fading. It was the day to lay Mama to rest.
Breakfast had come and gone. James, Daphne, Joel, and Mamie were dressed and ready to leave.
"We each drive our own cars," Daphne said.
"Agreed," James said. "I'll lead the way to the church and you all can—"
"We don't need a convoy, James. We just need to get there," Daphne muttered, and headed for her car.
Joel and Mamie got in their car, leaving James to trail along. So, being the eldest in the family did not hold water today.
He got in his car and left the motel parking lot, following his siblings to the church, accelerating to catch up, so they could at least walk in together.
Gracie had been at church for over an hour, even though Willis Decker was in charge now. Organizing funerals was what he did, and Brother Harp said the words that laid the dead to rest. All she had to do was be present.
Gracie was not a fan of funerals in general, although she acknowledged they meant a lot to other people. It was their last way to honor a loved one, share their grief, and be comforted by the presences of friends and family.
To her, funerals were just ritual and drama in front of people you knew, so they could judge you on how much you did or did not spend, and how hard you were "taking it" when the casket was opened. But it was her mama's desire to do it this way, and so it was.
One of the classrooms in the church had been set aside for the family, and Gracie was pacing the floor, dreading the moment the others would arrive, when all of a sudden the door opened, and a fiery redhead in a blue dress came sailing in with her purse strap on her shoulder and the heels of her shoes clacking rhythmically on the old wooden floors.
"I thought you might need backup," Darlene said.
Gracie sighed. "I am seriously glad to see you."
Darlene eyed the black dress, and for the first time, saw the scars she'd felt last night, then looked away.
"You look stunning," she said. "Is there anything I can do for you, honey? Do you need some water? I have