The Porch
by
Me
Tally once told me there wasn't nothin in the world like a sunset from her daddy's porch. I always loved Tally's place. There was somethin special about the ol' McGregor farm. It was right there in those fields that Tally and me first found Jack, and Jack was more special than just about anythin else in the whole world. 'Cept maybe my momma's apple pie when it first came out of the oven, and I could never wait 'til it cooled down to grab a piece and Momma would yell, "Dammit, Lily, ya gotta wait til it cools! Ya just ruined the whole pie. I ain't never seen no girl with less patience than you. Why ya always gotta be so much trouble? Never should have had ya, shoulda stopped after one." She was always sayin stuff like that, but she didn't really know no better. She just could never understand me. And it weren't that I didn't have no patience, I do got some, it was just that when somethin came into my head, I just couldn't stop myself from goin after it. Besides, it wasn't no pie that really got her, it was Tally and me.
Tally used to say that Momma just never had a friend like we was to each other. I think she just wanted to make me feel good, cause Momma was always yellin at me. Tally was a good friend, my best friend. She'd say, "Lily, you're different. Your momma don't mean to yell at ya, it's just that she's had six children, and the other five, they just all the same. There ain't nothin different about them." I guess maybe that's why I never fit in with them neither. None of my brothers or sisters ever thought nothin of me. Only my daddy had any kind words for me. He used to tell me that I weren't from this world, that I belonged somewhere better, some place where the earth couldn't touch me. Never knew what he meant, and never much cared after he up and left. Without even a word to explain or nothin. Only Tally had any guts at all to tell me that Daddy had skipped town with Mavis Brounhile, who used to do Momma's hair. When he left, things got real bad at home, worse than usual even, cause no one was there to like me no more. I wanted to not like them back, but it was hard, and besides, it never seemed right, begrudgin family when Tally didn't have none at all. Jack and me, we was the only family Tally got.
Tally let me keep him, even though we found him on her property. At first, she kept talkin like maybe Jack had another family or somethin and they might be comin to take him back. I just nodded like I was agreein, but deep down I knew I would be fightin to the death to keep my Jack. Eventually, Tally gave in and she knew just as well as anyone that Jack and me belonged together. He sure was a funny kind of dog, not like no kind of dog I ever seen before. My brother Lance said Jack was a really ugly horse paradin around as a dog, and not doin very well at that. Well, Jack was big, but I loved him real bad. When Momma said there wasn't no way she was lettin "that god-awful thing into my house", I startin sleepin in the barn with him. Jack loved me real good and he wasn't never leavin me. That was downright rare in my life, and the least I could do was never leave him neither. My sister Amy said she was glad she weren't sharin a room with me no more, and just the same, I can't say as I was too unhappy not to be sleepin with her. Jack didn't snore half as bad as that ol' Amy.
When Tally found out I was sleepin in the barn, her head like to fall right off. I ain't never seen Tally so mad in my life. She got right on me, sayin "Dammit, Lily, why you sleepin in an ol' barn? You know I never got anyone over at my place. Sometimes, I don't think you got a brain in your head. Pack up your stuff, you gonna come live with me. You and that scruffy ol' dog." Well, Jack and me, we went to pack up our stuff straight away. Momma threw a big fit, but I wasn't lettin nothin stop me. "Lily, you ain't leavin this house!" she screamed. I just kept puttin more stuff in my ol' beat-up bag. "Dammit, girl, are you listenin to me? I won't have it. Won't have you livin over there, probably sleepin in the same bed. God knows what you two'll be doin. And that huge thing you call a dog. You ain't leavin here." I knew she was goin to hit me soon, but I said, "Momma, I'm leavin. You can say any mean thing ya like, but I ain't stayin." She grabbed the closest thing to her, my shoe, and started hittin me with it. I covered my head as best I could and she just kept hittin my back, my arms, whatever she could get her hands on. I knew it wouldn't last too long. She finally dropped the shoe, and my back really ached this time. "You leave this house, and you'll be mighty sorry. Ya hear me?"
She left the room. I have to admit, she had me a little scared. After all, she was my momma, and maybe there was somethin wrong with me. I heard a noise and when I looked out my window, there was Tally, smilin so pretty I thought I'd die. I knew right then, Momma was wrong, and there weren't nothin wrong with me. I picked up my bag and walked through that house that had brought me nothin but pain and the memory of a father who had once treated me right, and went right on out the door. Don't know if Momma was watchin, never heard a word. When it got so that I could see the McGregor place, I began to feel so warm inside. I sure did love that place, that ol' place that had given me Tally and Jack.
Livin there wasn't like nothin I ever known. I felt a strength, a feelin of home that I never had at my own house. It was so peaceful with no sisters pullin at my hair, or brothers kickin at my legs. Tally and me did whatever we wanted, and there wasn't no momma yellin at us, or hittin us, or gettin drunk. Just Tally and me and Jack and darn it all if Tally weren't right about those dang sunsets. The three of us would sit out on that ol' porch, and just watch as she went down. Prettier even than little Annabelle in her Sunday church clothes.
Jack and I avoided Momma's house as much as we could. If we just happened to run into her in town, she acted like she didn't even know us. Tally said it was better that way, and that we should be grateful she was leavin us alone. I reckon she was right. Cause it was a lot worse when she finally did say somethin. It was a Sunday and Tally was near breakin my arm off tryin to get me into a dress. She thought church were important, but I didn't like dresses, and I sure as hell didn't like church. All that dumb talkin and never about God which I thought church was s'pposed to be about. All Momma ever talked about was the devil, and how the devil done took Daddy away and temptation and some silly apple. Well, I ate apples all the time and I never got no Satan comin after me. And I knew it weren't the devil that took Daddy, but Mavis Brounhile.
So when Tally said we gotta go to church, I said no way. She busted me up on the leg and forced me into an ugly ol' dress. I screamed, "Tally, now why would I wanna go somewhere that tells lies? An' Momma'll probably be there, and she'll be tellin lies too, and you know I don't like seein her. Uh-uh, you can't get me to go nowhere near that stinkin place." Tally didn't say nothin but kept zippin up that ugly dress that was too big for me anyways. Then she tied Jack up outside and I said no to that business right away, if I had to go, then Jack was comin with me. Finally, Tally turned to me and she looked so nice in the only dress that fit her proper, and she said quietly, "My daddy told me before he died that it was important, the most important thing ever, to know God. He done said that if someone don't know God, they might as well not be livin. And I reckon that church is the place to go to know God."
Well, after that, I didn't say nothin but I still wasn't too happy about goin and not takin Jack. I asked Tally weren't it important for Jack to know God too, but she just shook her head and pushed me on down the road. When we got there I saw Momma straight off, and she looked real pretty in her blue dress, and I almost forgot how mean she were, how she didn't understand my differentness. Tally stuck by my side and we walked right on past her. She didn't call me or nothin. I didn't really spect her to, not really. Durin the middle of the service, she started up. Right there, while the guy was talkin about hell and what-not, she started callin my name. "LILY!" She was yellin and I knew everybody done heard her. Tally grabbed onto my hand and I sat there, scared and my eyes shut tight. "You're goin to hell, Lily Tucker! Devil's child! Satan's spawn!" Didn't know I was cryin til Tally wiped at my face with her hand. She stood me up and we started walkin down that long aisle that had never looked no longer. Momma was screamin at me and cursin while some women near her was tryin to quiet her.
Finally we got outside, and Tally was huggin me and tellin me she was sorry but Momma, she just followed us right on out the door. "Ya better get home today, girl! Ya ain't stayin with that trash no more! Whorin around, livin alone on that big place. No sir, ya ain't livin like that no more. And that animal, ya probably been sleepin with that beast, haven't ya?" I was cryin so hard, and I just couldn't say nothin, just kept shakin my head cause I knew I was never goin back there, not ever. But Tally didn't have no such problem findin her tongue. She got so mad and there was just no stoppin her, and she began to scream at the top of her lungs for everyone and God to hear, "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! Lily ain't never goin back home, she ain't never goin back so that you can beat her and hurt her and make out like she's some freak. Not as long as I'm breathin will she ever go back there. Lily's special and you're fraid of her. You wanna beat it outta her, but it ain't goin away. Do you hear me? IT AIN'T GOIN AWAY! I won't let it. You just leave her alone!"
Tally was standin there all flushed and she was lookin just like an angel to me, and I loved her more than anythin at that moment cause I knew she loved me, and didn't want me to hurt no more. She pulled my arm and we started walkin away from the church. Momma kept screamin about how I was the devil, and Tally was the devil, and she wasn't gonna let the devil get away this time. Tally and I just kept walkin, didn't look back once even though it was my momma. I guess I was still cryin some cause Tally's hands kept wipin at my face.
When we got back to the McGregor place, I could see Jack jumpin around the yard, he was so happy to see me. My heart was leapin too just to see him, and I knew there were no girl luckier than me cause there was my dog, who didn't care bout nothin cept lovin me, and standin right next to me, her warm hand surroundin mine was my Tally, and there just weren't no words to describe her and how she made me feel. I squeezed her hand and then let go. I ran to my Jack and threw my arms round him, and his lickin made me feel better than just bout anythin in the whole world. I fell down and Jack jumped on me and I was gettin that ugly dress all dirty but I didn't care none. Later on, Tally took a scrubbin to it and all the dirt came out. I was glad but only cause it was somethin of Tally's.
After we had both showered and Jack was untied, we went out on the porch. Jack lay down by my feet and his warmth was real nice. Tally and me just sat in those chairs for a long time, not sayin nothin. When the sun began to set, I looked at it, and it was just so pretty, just as pretty as Tally, and it was kinda hard for me to separate that sun settin from Tally's beautiful face. She touched my cheek and said, "Lily, I'm real sorry bout this afternoon. You was right about church, bout everything. I still think it's important to know God, but ya know what? I feel closer to Him watchin this sunset with you than I ever felt in that stuffy ol' church." I pretty much felt the same but I didn't have to say it for Tally to know. Cause I knew then, that just like me and Jack were the only family Tally got, she and Jack were the only family I got.
The sun was just about down when Momma shown up. She was plain drunk, trippin her way up the road. I froze but Tally, she moved her chair closer to mine and grabbed onto my hand. Her touch felt good. Momma started talkin from far off. "I told ya plain as day to get home, but you never shown up, so here I am. Can't believe you, makin me come all the way out to this devil's land to get ya. LILY! Can't ya see me standin here? Get down here now!" I didn't move a muscle, but I did manage to find my voice. "Go way, Momma. I ain't comin home with you. Just go way and leave me alone. You don't like me none anyhows." I was shakin just like a leaf and Tally's hand got tighter round mine. I looked at her, at my Tally and I could see she were just as scared as me, and Jack too, he had stood up and was growlin kinda low-like. When I turned back to Momma, I could see the gun. She done pulled it out from somewhere, Daddy's gun, and I knew I had to start thinkin clearly but all I could do was wonder why he hadn't taken it with him and Mavis Brounhile. Why? Weren't there no crime or wild animals or nothin where he and Mavis went? Why had he just left it here for Momma to use?
Tally began to speak and her voice was shakin real bad. Before I even heard her words I remembered what she had said to Momma at the church. 'Not as long as I'm breathin will she ever go back there.' My spine straightened. She wasn't hurtin Tally no way. "Please, please put that gun away," Tally said, "Lily and I are just gonna go on in, and you can just go on home and sleep this whole thing off and we'll forget anythin ever happened." Right away I knew that were the wrong thing to say to Momma. She didn't even say nothin, but I was watchin her close, and saw her pull that hammer back. Seemed like I had forever to look at her face before she squeezed the trigger off. It was a sad face, and I didn't need to see no tears to know that. She was just scared, just like me. Right before I managed to throw myself in front of Tally's chair, I got a chance to see her face too. She was just starin straight ahead, not scared of nothin. Knew she had seen that hammer too, knew cause she squeezed my hand like she was wantin to comfort me. She was amazin, my Tally, amazin.
I don't know how Momma managed to shoot so straight when she was so piss drunk, but I sure as hell felt that bullet hit my chest. I heard someone scream but I don't know if it were Tally, Momma or even me. I couldn't think real straight bout anythin, but I know Momma must have run off, cause she weren't nowhere near me. I didn't blame her none though. I just wish she woulda stayed cause I sure wish I could have told her that I had already forgiven her, that her apple pie was better than anythin I'd ever eaten and I understood about everythin. I think she woulda wanted to know those things.
My thoughts started gettin all hazy, and soon there were only room in em for Tally and Jack. I remember as clear as anythin Jack lickin my face. The rough slappin of his tongue against my cheek was one of the sweetest things on that earth. His big head bobbin up and down made me smile, despite everythin. Tally, she just sat with me, rubbin my hair, cryin softly and talkin nonsense as I died. I don't remember nothin bout what she was sayin, but I don't think the words were real important. All I needed was to see her face to know everythin was gonna be fine. I was so glad we'd had that last sunset together, so glad she'd told me what she'd told me. There wasn't nothin that gave me more peace than the thought of Tally and my dog, sittin on that porch, feelin close to God.
the end
by
Me
Tally once told me there wasn't nothin in the world like a sunset from her daddy's porch. I always loved Tally's place. There was somethin special about the ol' McGregor farm. It was right there in those fields that Tally and me first found Jack, and Jack was more special than just about anythin else in the whole world. 'Cept maybe my momma's apple pie when it first came out of the oven, and I could never wait 'til it cooled down to grab a piece and Momma would yell, "Dammit, Lily, ya gotta wait til it cools! Ya just ruined the whole pie. I ain't never seen no girl with less patience than you. Why ya always gotta be so much trouble? Never should have had ya, shoulda stopped after one." She was always sayin stuff like that, but she didn't really know no better. She just could never understand me. And it weren't that I didn't have no patience, I do got some, it was just that when somethin came into my head, I just couldn't stop myself from goin after it. Besides, it wasn't no pie that really got her, it was Tally and me.
Tally used to say that Momma just never had a friend like we was to each other. I think she just wanted to make me feel good, cause Momma was always yellin at me. Tally was a good friend, my best friend. She'd say, "Lily, you're different. Your momma don't mean to yell at ya, it's just that she's had six children, and the other five, they just all the same. There ain't nothin different about them." I guess maybe that's why I never fit in with them neither. None of my brothers or sisters ever thought nothin of me. Only my daddy had any kind words for me. He used to tell me that I weren't from this world, that I belonged somewhere better, some place where the earth couldn't touch me. Never knew what he meant, and never much cared after he up and left. Without even a word to explain or nothin. Only Tally had any guts at all to tell me that Daddy had skipped town with Mavis Brounhile, who used to do Momma's hair. When he left, things got real bad at home, worse than usual even, cause no one was there to like me no more. I wanted to not like them back, but it was hard, and besides, it never seemed right, begrudgin family when Tally didn't have none at all. Jack and me, we was the only family Tally got.
Tally let me keep him, even though we found him on her property. At first, she kept talkin like maybe Jack had another family or somethin and they might be comin to take him back. I just nodded like I was agreein, but deep down I knew I would be fightin to the death to keep my Jack. Eventually, Tally gave in and she knew just as well as anyone that Jack and me belonged together. He sure was a funny kind of dog, not like no kind of dog I ever seen before. My brother Lance said Jack was a really ugly horse paradin around as a dog, and not doin very well at that. Well, Jack was big, but I loved him real bad. When Momma said there wasn't no way she was lettin "that god-awful thing into my house", I startin sleepin in the barn with him. Jack loved me real good and he wasn't never leavin me. That was downright rare in my life, and the least I could do was never leave him neither. My sister Amy said she was glad she weren't sharin a room with me no more, and just the same, I can't say as I was too unhappy not to be sleepin with her. Jack didn't snore half as bad as that ol' Amy.
When Tally found out I was sleepin in the barn, her head like to fall right off. I ain't never seen Tally so mad in my life. She got right on me, sayin "Dammit, Lily, why you sleepin in an ol' barn? You know I never got anyone over at my place. Sometimes, I don't think you got a brain in your head. Pack up your stuff, you gonna come live with me. You and that scruffy ol' dog." Well, Jack and me, we went to pack up our stuff straight away. Momma threw a big fit, but I wasn't lettin nothin stop me. "Lily, you ain't leavin this house!" she screamed. I just kept puttin more stuff in my ol' beat-up bag. "Dammit, girl, are you listenin to me? I won't have it. Won't have you livin over there, probably sleepin in the same bed. God knows what you two'll be doin. And that huge thing you call a dog. You ain't leavin here." I knew she was goin to hit me soon, but I said, "Momma, I'm leavin. You can say any mean thing ya like, but I ain't stayin." She grabbed the closest thing to her, my shoe, and started hittin me with it. I covered my head as best I could and she just kept hittin my back, my arms, whatever she could get her hands on. I knew it wouldn't last too long. She finally dropped the shoe, and my back really ached this time. "You leave this house, and you'll be mighty sorry. Ya hear me?"
She left the room. I have to admit, she had me a little scared. After all, she was my momma, and maybe there was somethin wrong with me. I heard a noise and when I looked out my window, there was Tally, smilin so pretty I thought I'd die. I knew right then, Momma was wrong, and there weren't nothin wrong with me. I picked up my bag and walked through that house that had brought me nothin but pain and the memory of a father who had once treated me right, and went right on out the door. Don't know if Momma was watchin, never heard a word. When it got so that I could see the McGregor place, I began to feel so warm inside. I sure did love that place, that ol' place that had given me Tally and Jack.
Livin there wasn't like nothin I ever known. I felt a strength, a feelin of home that I never had at my own house. It was so peaceful with no sisters pullin at my hair, or brothers kickin at my legs. Tally and me did whatever we wanted, and there wasn't no momma yellin at us, or hittin us, or gettin drunk. Just Tally and me and Jack and darn it all if Tally weren't right about those dang sunsets. The three of us would sit out on that ol' porch, and just watch as she went down. Prettier even than little Annabelle in her Sunday church clothes.
Jack and I avoided Momma's house as much as we could. If we just happened to run into her in town, she acted like she didn't even know us. Tally said it was better that way, and that we should be grateful she was leavin us alone. I reckon she was right. Cause it was a lot worse when she finally did say somethin. It was a Sunday and Tally was near breakin my arm off tryin to get me into a dress. She thought church were important, but I didn't like dresses, and I sure as hell didn't like church. All that dumb talkin and never about God which I thought church was s'pposed to be about. All Momma ever talked about was the devil, and how the devil done took Daddy away and temptation and some silly apple. Well, I ate apples all the time and I never got no Satan comin after me. And I knew it weren't the devil that took Daddy, but Mavis Brounhile.
So when Tally said we gotta go to church, I said no way. She busted me up on the leg and forced me into an ugly ol' dress. I screamed, "Tally, now why would I wanna go somewhere that tells lies? An' Momma'll probably be there, and she'll be tellin lies too, and you know I don't like seein her. Uh-uh, you can't get me to go nowhere near that stinkin place." Tally didn't say nothin but kept zippin up that ugly dress that was too big for me anyways. Then she tied Jack up outside and I said no to that business right away, if I had to go, then Jack was comin with me. Finally, Tally turned to me and she looked so nice in the only dress that fit her proper, and she said quietly, "My daddy told me before he died that it was important, the most important thing ever, to know God. He done said that if someone don't know God, they might as well not be livin. And I reckon that church is the place to go to know God."
Well, after that, I didn't say nothin but I still wasn't too happy about goin and not takin Jack. I asked Tally weren't it important for Jack to know God too, but she just shook her head and pushed me on down the road. When we got there I saw Momma straight off, and she looked real pretty in her blue dress, and I almost forgot how mean she were, how she didn't understand my differentness. Tally stuck by my side and we walked right on past her. She didn't call me or nothin. I didn't really spect her to, not really. Durin the middle of the service, she started up. Right there, while the guy was talkin about hell and what-not, she started callin my name. "LILY!" She was yellin and I knew everybody done heard her. Tally grabbed onto my hand and I sat there, scared and my eyes shut tight. "You're goin to hell, Lily Tucker! Devil's child! Satan's spawn!" Didn't know I was cryin til Tally wiped at my face with her hand. She stood me up and we started walkin down that long aisle that had never looked no longer. Momma was screamin at me and cursin while some women near her was tryin to quiet her.
Finally we got outside, and Tally was huggin me and tellin me she was sorry but Momma, she just followed us right on out the door. "Ya better get home today, girl! Ya ain't stayin with that trash no more! Whorin around, livin alone on that big place. No sir, ya ain't livin like that no more. And that animal, ya probably been sleepin with that beast, haven't ya?" I was cryin so hard, and I just couldn't say nothin, just kept shakin my head cause I knew I was never goin back there, not ever. But Tally didn't have no such problem findin her tongue. She got so mad and there was just no stoppin her, and she began to scream at the top of her lungs for everyone and God to hear, "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! Lily ain't never goin back home, she ain't never goin back so that you can beat her and hurt her and make out like she's some freak. Not as long as I'm breathin will she ever go back there. Lily's special and you're fraid of her. You wanna beat it outta her, but it ain't goin away. Do you hear me? IT AIN'T GOIN AWAY! I won't let it. You just leave her alone!"
Tally was standin there all flushed and she was lookin just like an angel to me, and I loved her more than anythin at that moment cause I knew she loved me, and didn't want me to hurt no more. She pulled my arm and we started walkin away from the church. Momma kept screamin about how I was the devil, and Tally was the devil, and she wasn't gonna let the devil get away this time. Tally and I just kept walkin, didn't look back once even though it was my momma. I guess I was still cryin some cause Tally's hands kept wipin at my face.
When we got back to the McGregor place, I could see Jack jumpin around the yard, he was so happy to see me. My heart was leapin too just to see him, and I knew there were no girl luckier than me cause there was my dog, who didn't care bout nothin cept lovin me, and standin right next to me, her warm hand surroundin mine was my Tally, and there just weren't no words to describe her and how she made me feel. I squeezed her hand and then let go. I ran to my Jack and threw my arms round him, and his lickin made me feel better than just bout anythin in the whole world. I fell down and Jack jumped on me and I was gettin that ugly dress all dirty but I didn't care none. Later on, Tally took a scrubbin to it and all the dirt came out. I was glad but only cause it was somethin of Tally's.
After we had both showered and Jack was untied, we went out on the porch. Jack lay down by my feet and his warmth was real nice. Tally and me just sat in those chairs for a long time, not sayin nothin. When the sun began to set, I looked at it, and it was just so pretty, just as pretty as Tally, and it was kinda hard for me to separate that sun settin from Tally's beautiful face. She touched my cheek and said, "Lily, I'm real sorry bout this afternoon. You was right about church, bout everything. I still think it's important to know God, but ya know what? I feel closer to Him watchin this sunset with you than I ever felt in that stuffy ol' church." I pretty much felt the same but I didn't have to say it for Tally to know. Cause I knew then, that just like me and Jack were the only family Tally got, she and Jack were the only family I got.
The sun was just about down when Momma shown up. She was plain drunk, trippin her way up the road. I froze but Tally, she moved her chair closer to mine and grabbed onto my hand. Her touch felt good. Momma started talkin from far off. "I told ya plain as day to get home, but you never shown up, so here I am. Can't believe you, makin me come all the way out to this devil's land to get ya. LILY! Can't ya see me standin here? Get down here now!" I didn't move a muscle, but I did manage to find my voice. "Go way, Momma. I ain't comin home with you. Just go way and leave me alone. You don't like me none anyhows." I was shakin just like a leaf and Tally's hand got tighter round mine. I looked at her, at my Tally and I could see she were just as scared as me, and Jack too, he had stood up and was growlin kinda low-like. When I turned back to Momma, I could see the gun. She done pulled it out from somewhere, Daddy's gun, and I knew I had to start thinkin clearly but all I could do was wonder why he hadn't taken it with him and Mavis Brounhile. Why? Weren't there no crime or wild animals or nothin where he and Mavis went? Why had he just left it here for Momma to use?
Tally began to speak and her voice was shakin real bad. Before I even heard her words I remembered what she had said to Momma at the church. 'Not as long as I'm breathin will she ever go back there.' My spine straightened. She wasn't hurtin Tally no way. "Please, please put that gun away," Tally said, "Lily and I are just gonna go on in, and you can just go on home and sleep this whole thing off and we'll forget anythin ever happened." Right away I knew that were the wrong thing to say to Momma. She didn't even say nothin, but I was watchin her close, and saw her pull that hammer back. Seemed like I had forever to look at her face before she squeezed the trigger off. It was a sad face, and I didn't need to see no tears to know that. She was just scared, just like me. Right before I managed to throw myself in front of Tally's chair, I got a chance to see her face too. She was just starin straight ahead, not scared of nothin. Knew she had seen that hammer too, knew cause she squeezed my hand like she was wantin to comfort me. She was amazin, my Tally, amazin.
I don't know how Momma managed to shoot so straight when she was so piss drunk, but I sure as hell felt that bullet hit my chest. I heard someone scream but I don't know if it were Tally, Momma or even me. I couldn't think real straight bout anythin, but I know Momma must have run off, cause she weren't nowhere near me. I didn't blame her none though. I just wish she woulda stayed cause I sure wish I could have told her that I had already forgiven her, that her apple pie was better than anythin I'd ever eaten and I understood about everythin. I think she woulda wanted to know those things.
My thoughts started gettin all hazy, and soon there were only room in em for Tally and Jack. I remember as clear as anythin Jack lickin my face. The rough slappin of his tongue against my cheek was one of the sweetest things on that earth. His big head bobbin up and down made me smile, despite everythin. Tally, she just sat with me, rubbin my hair, cryin softly and talkin nonsense as I died. I don't remember nothin bout what she was sayin, but I don't think the words were real important. All I needed was to see her face to know everythin was gonna be fine. I was so glad we'd had that last sunset together, so glad she'd told me what she'd told me. There wasn't nothin that gave me more peace than the thought of Tally and my dog, sittin on that porch, feelin close to God.
the end
VIEW 5 of 5 COMMENTS
jerawyn:
that was a tremendous story. thank you for posting it, and sharing 
marlowe:
Wow.. i'm speechless