collapsed into tears. A feeling passed between us that didn’t need words, an understanding that there was no other place on earth that we should be right then, no one else we could quite so fully share this strange and beautiful day with. We squeezed closer to each other and leaned our foreheads together, forming our own tight, private triangle. Finally, Clarice said, “Let’s get back across the street where we can laugh out loud. You don’t need to be out in this heat, Odette. And we all know that old fake isn’t about to jump.”
From the roof, Minnie, with that good hearing of hers, shouted, “I heard that! Don’t you call me a fake!” We turned toward her just in time to see her launch herself out into the open air with her long purple painted nails aimed at Clarice, ready to scratch her eyes out.
It seemed to me that it wasn’t until Minnie’s feet had parted with the metal gutter that she remembered she was up on the roof and not on ground level with Clarice. I clearly recall seeing the expression on her face transform from white hot fury to surprise and terror as she fell. Minnie screamed as she came hurtling down toward the lawn, her purple robe fanning out all around her like a parachute.
As it happened, she didn’t hit Clarice or the lawn. She landed on Sharon. The impact caused Sharon to fall back against Little Earl, and all three of them tumbled across the lawn in a purple and white blur. Because the yard sloped slightly toward the street, the Minnie-Sharon-Earl bundle tumbled downhill until it came to a stop against the low yew hedge that lined the front of the property.
The three of them were immediately set upon by rescuers. The first challenge was untangling them from the purple robe and the torn lace of the wedding gown. Then, as a throng of people asked if they were hurt, Minnie shoved helping hands away from her and hopped right up, still ready to take a swipe at Clarice. But as soon as she took one step in Clarice’s direction, she crumpled back to the ground and grasped her foot. She howled, “Oww!” Then, pointing at Clarice, she wailed, “You broke my ankle.”
Erma Mae, who had come running when she saw Little Earl hit the ground, was checking her husband over for injuries even though he kept insisting that he was just fine.
Tearful and grass-stained, but unhurt, Sharon crawled across the yard on her hands and knees picking up crushed pastries and tossing them back into the pink box.
I heard tires squealing again and I looked toward the street and saw Veronica leaping from her shiny gray car. She trotted over to where Sharon crouched in the grass in her ruined wedding gown and, getting onto her knees, embraced her daughter. She kissed the top of Sharon’s head and tried to comfort her, while at the same time attempting to pull the Donut Heaven box from her daughter’s grasp.
From the edge of the growing crowd in Minnie’s yard, I heard a voice say, “Now that was somethin’ to see.” I turned, and there was Mama.
Everyone else was occupied. Clarice was trying to prevent a tug-of-war between Veronica and Sharon over the Donut Heaven box. Barbara Jean was playing nursemaid to Minnie. The rest of the crowd was busy discussing what they’d just seen, already starting to exaggerate. So I walked away from the commotion and took off down the street with Mama.
I had seen my mother milling around the hospital during the days between my leaving the ICU and my being released to go home. And later I had noticed her roaming through my backyard, frowning over the condition of my flowers. But we hadn’t talked since that day in Leaning Tree when I thought I was going to join her in the afterlife.
Mama said, “You’re lookin’ good.”
“Thank you. I’m feeling all right, considering middle age and cancer.”
She said, “Well, you won’t have to deal with cancer too much longer. I’ve got a feelin’ you’ll be past that soon.”
“No offense, Mama, but I think I’m done listening to predictions about whether or not I’ll be recovering.”
Mama made a face like my remark had stung her. “I’m so sorry about that. Believe you me, I gave Eleanor a piece of my mind for misleadin’ you. She swears up and down it wasn’t a prank. And I’m inclined to believe her. It was a big