The other night
She pointed to Oscar still sitting in living room floor, still looking blankly into space. “Help me get him up and over to his house, please.” They worked together to move him. “Does he make a habit of not eating?” She knew the answer to that before she even asked.
“The more stress he has in his life, the less he eats. I have seen him down to 100 pounds soaking wet, if he even weighed that much. He reminded me of String Bean”
“Bluegrass singer?” She questioned.
“I’m surprised you know that.”
“I’m full of surprises.”
“I bet you are,” he smirked.
They laid him on the couch and Esther went into the kitchen to heat up some leftover lasagna. Chet sat at the table and watched her.
“How long have you two known each other?” She asked.
“All our lives, we grew up together. He went off to college; I stayed here and got married. He came back and it was like he’d never left.”
“Where were you that summer all of my kin was having a reunion across the street?”
Chet looked confused, “Oscar told you about that?”
“What did he tell you?”
“He talked for days about this little blonde girl that played with him. How they played hide-n-seek for hours. How they got lost and ended up at the lake. That’s when he found out he couldn’t swim. She had saved him from drowning. He was so proud that his mom and dad let him spend that week with his aunt and uncle. They let him spend a couple nights with all the Morrison children. My family and I went somewhere I don’t even remember where. He and I were dreading it so bad. But come to find out he was having a ball.” Chet laughed. “He talked about that little girl all summer long. You know, I don’t even think he asked her her name.” Chet thought for a minute, “I think that was the first and last time, as a child, he got to stay with them.”
“Have you eaten?”
“No,” Chet patted his belly. “But I can go a day or two without a meal.”
“No, I don’t think so. I don’t want a hungry sheriff protecting me.”
He laughed. “Why did you ask me about that summer?”
“You want to hear something wild?”
“Sure.” Chet said cautiously.
“I was that little girl.” She went in the living room to get Oscar. He was still staring into space. “Dinners ready and you have to eat something. Oh, and Chet is here. So you really have to eat.”
Oscar got a sheepish grin on his face and sang, “sticks and stones may break my bones but hand cuffs and beat sticks excite me.”
She laughed, “you little booger. Get to that table.”
They sat down to the smell of delightful lasagna.
Oscar smiled a sleepy smile, “Chet did you hear?”
“I did.”
He giggled, “she called me a little booger.”
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