[Section opener]
Meg
Chapter 39
If it was up to me, I would jerk a knot in Lucille.
With only a week left till school, you figure a girl deserves a little fun with her cousins
before the end of summer. Well you figure wrong. As if it wasn’t enough that Lucille called
Marybeth and her mama fat, now the whole family knows Lucille kept Mrs. Heidelberg’s
adoption money and picked up a urchin for free.
It was Gloria’s mama started it. Yesterday at church, before Mrs. Heidelberg came over,
she overheard Mrs. Heidelberg upset, talking to Big Tom about what Tom and Lucille did, so
Gloria’s mama called Lucille up on the telephone last night and asked was it true. And did
Lucille say she was sorry for telling the family all those lies? Or for wrapping me and Tom up in
her scheme?
No. She told Gloria’s mama so what if it’s true, mind your own damn business, and
congratulations on winning the ugly contest.
So now the other mamas think it’d be best to keep the cousins away from me.
Marybeth is the only one I really care about seeing anyway, so this morning, I write her a
apology note since, unlike Lucille, I am a civilized human being.
Dear Marybeth,
I am sorry I lied to you about Memphis. Please forgive me. I was in a bind.
682
