SISTERS
I lay in bed that night, unable to sleep. I was used’a my sisters lying in bed with me. The bed was so big without ’em.
I heard Daddy scream out in his sleep for Blissie. I went in to calm him down. Between the blame he was feeling and the intoxication he wasn’t, gitting him to fall asleep wasn’t easy. I set with him most’a the night.
I told him I knew it would be hard for him not to drink, but I asked him to promise anyhow.
“I kin only promise to try not to,” he said.
I went out to the kitchen and fetched the burnt tangle that used’a be Lula. I put it in his hand and said, “Keep this to remind ya what your drinking does.”
Raynelle sent word that Blissie was in the hospital down to Harlan. It was Monday morning, a mine-shift day for Daddy, afore Raynelle showed up at the shanty again.
“I come in on the coal train,” she said. “And I’m going right back on the night train. I’ll pack me a spare dress and underwear. I’m staying down there.”
“And Blissie?”
“She won’t be home no time soon. She hurts considerable, but she’s alive. They tell me her arm will carry scars, but her hand is the worst of it. If only she’da dropped Lula. She cries for her, you know. Cries for Lula. She don’t ask for you nor me. Only for her doll.”
“Kin I go see her?”
She shook her head. “Daddy needs ya here. And they want Blissie to git plenty’a rest anyhow. I spend most’a my time in a waiting room, until the nurse says I kin talk to her for a short spell. I’m hoping I kin spend more time with her on Christmas.”
“Christmas?” I’d plumb forgot all about Christmas.
“It’s jist six days away,” she said.
“And I got nothing for her,” I said. “Nothing but a half-made apron and hat for a doll that’s ashes.”
“We have to put off Christmas until Blissie’s well.”
“Oh, Raynelle. It’s too sad. A Christmas without Pick. You and Blissie at a hospital down in Harlan. And I thunk Hard Times was jist about money. This here is the true Hard Times.”
Me and Raynelle set at the table most of the day, talking more like sisters than we had in longer’n I could recollect. I told her what Daddy said.
“I done heard Daddy’s promises afore,” she said. “Ya’s goin’ end up disappointed if’n ya think he’ll quit drinking.”
“Maybe so. But I need to give Daddy a chance. Did ya know he saved my life? Back when you and Blissie stayed with Granny Cutler.” I told her about being sick and Daddy taking care of me. “Daddy had a good reason to send ya away. Not jist for ya to learn from Granny. He didn’t want ya gitting sick like me. Pick thunk Daddy done it to git shed of y’all.”
“Pick always did find Daddy’s worst side. Them two was like bucks in the forest, ramming their antlers up against one another.” Raynelle took a deep breath. “Me and Lud are putting off our wedding until Blissie is well.”
Not long ago, that delay would’a made me smile, but there wasn’t no smiles left in me.
“And after we’s married, I think Blissie should live with me and Lud.” Her words was the kind of firm that let me know there was no arguing on the subject. And I knew Blissie would be better off with Raynelle than with me and Daddy. But it was like the last piece of our family breaking apart. And then my life would have nothing but empty places.