Precious Bones

by Mika Ashley-Hollinger

“Yes, I remember.”

  “You remember what those animals looked like. Some of ’em were crippled or had their paws cut off from being caught in those steel traps. And that poor old panther, sitting in that dirty, smelly cage with its hair all matted and flies eating on its ears. It was just about the saddest thing I ever did see.”

  “Yes, I remember. I tried to tell you it wasn’t going to be a good place to go. But you insisted.”

  “Do you remember what me and Nolay did?”

  She turned to me, a flicker of happiness crossing her face. “I remember what you two did. How could I forget? You opened all those cages and set those animals free.”

  “That was so much fun, Mama. And that big ol’ panther, at first it wouldn’t even come out the door. Nolay had to shake the cage to get it to move. It slinked down to the edge of the woods, then turned and looked back at us. It just stood there and then it shook its body all over, like a dog does when it gets out of the water. When it looked back at us, it was a panther again. Its eyes were big and wild. It was a beautiful sight to see. Then it ran off into the woods.”

  We rode in silence for a while. “Mama, I wish I could do that for Nolay. I wish I could just open up that jail door and set him free.”

  “I wish it was that easy, Bones. But wishing won’t help.”

  We pulled into the yard and were welcomed by the dogs, Pearl, and Harry. As I got out of the car, the animals surrounded me and almost knocked me to the ground in their need to give and receive attention.

  At the front door Mama stooped down and picked up a small tobacco tin leaning on its side. She pulled off the top. Inside were ten neatly folded one-dollar bills. She looked around the yard as if whoever put it there might still be standing in the shadows. She held the folded bills in her hand. “What on earth. Bones, what do you think this is?”

  It was plain to see what it was, and I told her. “Mama, that is a miracle.”

  And that was when the miracles started to rain down on our lives. Mama found an envelope with five dollars on the front seat of the Champion, a box of sweet potatoes at our front door with six dollars, a paper bag with three dollars’ worth of nickels and pennies. They arrived in mason jars, snuff bottles, tins, bags, boxes, and envelopes. Each one filled with its own special miracles.

  Mama got out one of her big pickling jars and began to drop the miracles inside, one by one. Her face began to brighten; the dark half-moons drifted away from under her eyes. The tree roots of sadness lost their grip. I watched as she, along with that pickling jar, began to fill up with hope.

  Monday morning, me and Mama had just finished washing the breakfast dishes when the dogs started barking. I looked out the picture window and there were Uncle Bob Cat and Uncle Tom Cat sitting in their truck. We went to meet them. Mama said, “Y’all come inside. The dogs won’t bother you.”

  They came in and sat down on the couch.

  Mama asked, “Can I get you some coffee or something?”

  Uncle Bob answered, “No, thank you, Lori. We just wanted to come up and see how you were doing. Thanks for getting the message down to us about Nolay. Everyone at home sends their regards.”

  “Thank you, Bob Cat.”

  “Grandma Spot is saying some special prayers. Nolay can sure get himself into some mischief, but this one is a real mess.”

  “I know. But with the help of our friends and family we’ll get through it.”

  Uncle Tom Cat pulled an envelope from his front pocket. “We took up a little collection in the village and wanted to give this to you.”

  Mama reached out and took the envelope. It would have been uncivil to open it in front of them. She looked at it and placed it in her lap, where it sat like a little curled-up kitten. “Thank you. Please give our thanks to everyone.”

  “We’ll sure do that. We can’t stay for long, we just wanted to stop by and let you know we’re thinking about you folks.”

  “That was such a long ride for you. I can’t tell you how much we appreciate it.”

  “Nolay would do it for us, that’s for sure.”

  After they left, Mama opened the envelope. Inside were five ten-dollar bills. I watched as Mama’s eyes glistened with hope.

  Ironhead stopped by that afternoon. “Miss Lori, you take a break and stay home. I’ll be going up to see Nolay tomorrow. I’ll stop by and let you know how he is.”

  “Thank you, Ironhead. I appreciate that. And while you’re there, tell Nolay things are beginning to look up.”

  “I’ll sure do that, Miss Lori.”

  Late Tuesday morning Little Man came strolling up our road. In one hand he carried a small basket woven from guava twigs. It was filled with eggs. In the other hand, he held a flour sack. I went out to meet him.

  “Howdy, Bones. I got a few things here for your mama.”

  “Come on in, she’s in the kitchen.”

  Little Man walked into the kitchen and set the basket and sack on the table.

  “Morning, Miss Lori. This here is from Mr. Charlie, and this here is some lima beans from my mama.”

  “Why, thank you, Little Man.”

  “And Mama and Daddy want to invite you and Bones over for supper tomorrow. Daddy shot a big ol’ turkey this morning and Mama wants to roast it up in her new oven.”

  “That sounds wonderful, Little Man. I’m going up in the morning to see Nolay. Bones can come over and stay with you if that’s all right.”

  “Yes, ma’am. You know Bones is pretty much family at our house.”

  Before he left, Little Man placed some wrinkled dollar bills in my hand. “Bones, I been thinking. This here is the Christmas money you and me got saved up. I want you to give it to your mama, for Mr. Nolay.”

  “But we worked all summer long gettin’ that money. Specially you—you worked so hard, helping your daddy and all. Are you sure?”

  “Well, it is our Christmas money, and it ain’t gonna be much of a Christmas without Mr. Nolay back home.”

  “Christmas! Do you think Nolay will be gone that long?”

  “I sure hope not. I want ’im to be home tomorrow. But anyways, you take this and give it to your mama.”

  I swallowed down a small lump rising in my throat. “Thanks, Little Man.”

  Under Chicken Charlie’s basket of double-yolked eggs were six shiny quarters. Five ten-dollar bills held together with a paper clip tumbled out with the lima beans.

  That afternoon Ironhead came driving up. Mama went out and motioned for him to come inside. He came in the kitchen and placed a newspaper-covered package on the table. “Caught it early this morning. It’s a big fat mullet. Thought you might enjoy some fresh fish.”

  “We sure will, thank you.”

  Ironhead sat down at the table and ran his hands through his fiery red hair.

  “I tell you what; it felt like someone done stomped on my heart to see Nolay in there. But don’t you worry none, Miss Lori; he’ll be home soon enough. I’m sure of it.”

  After he left, Mama unwrapped the package. Laying beside the fish, all neat and tidy in a piece of waxed paper, was thirty dollars.

  Wednesday morning Mama dropped me off at Little Man’s. Nearly the whole day was spent preparing the turkey and all the fixings that went with it. By the time Mama came back, the table was fixed and Miss Melba had that turkey on the countertop to cool off.

  Mr. Cotton placed it in the middle of the table, right under the single hanging lightbulb. He stood back and said, “This here is like having Thanksgiving in September. Let’s gather around and give thanks.”

  We stood around the table and bowed our heads as Mr. Cotton said grace. “Dear Lord, bless this here food, bless our family and friends. Thank you, Lord, for all the many blessings you give to us and continue to give to us. And we thank you, Lord, for what you don’t see fit to give to us, ’cause we don’t need it. Hep us to know right from wrong. We ask all this in Jesus’s name. Amen.”

  After that Amen, a moment of silence fell over us.

&n
bsp; Everyone sat down except Mr. Cotton. He leaned over and started carving the turkey and dishing it out to us. We filled our plates with turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and butter-topped biscuits. It truly was like having Thanksgiving in September, except for one big emptiness: Nolay wasn’t there with us. We all ate until our mouths were tired and then tried to eat some more.

  At the end of the meal, I asked Miss Melba if I could have the wishbone. I told her, “I want to give it to Mr. Speed. He says that wishes can come true, so maybe if the two of us wish on something together, it will be that much stronger.”

  Miss Melba replied, “That is a very sweet idea. Of course you can have it.”

  Mama looked over and gave me one of her smiles that had lots of words in it.

  Miss Melba’s September Thanksgiving dinner had been just the thing to lift me and Mama’s low spirits. It was the first time I had seen Mama smile and laugh since Nolay was arrested nearly a week ago.

  Mama said, “Melba, that was just wonderful. Let me help you clean up.”

  “Lori, you and Bones don’t need to stay and help. Y’all should get on home before it gets too dark, so you can take care of all the animals.”

  “Thank you, I can’t tell you how much I have enjoyed this.”

  On the drive home me and Mama actually talked about things other than jail, money, and lawyers. It felt good to have her back.

  Thursday me and Mama both stayed home. “Bones, I have gotten so behind in some of my gardening I need to stay home today,” she said.

  All morning the two of us worked in the garden weeding and getting everything back into shape. After noon dinner, I asked, “Mama, can I go down and see how Mr. Speed’s doing?”

  “Of course, you’ve been so much help to me this morning.”

  When I arrived at the Last Chance, I went over and sat down beside Mr. Speed on the bench. “Howdy, Mr. Speed. I sure do miss my daddy. I hope we can get him back home soon.”

  He bobbed his head up and down. “Shine in the dirt. At the knuckle. In the dirt.”

  I guess the pages in his mind were stuck on knuckles again today.

  “Mr. Speed, remember when you told me that if you wish hard enough for something that a miracle might happen?”

  “Miracles, miracles happen.”

  “Well, I want to tell you, I think they are starting to happen. I think they surely are. And Mr. Speed, I have a surprise for you. I’m still working on it, but when it’s finished I’ll bring it down to you.”

  Half of Mr. Speed’s face moved into a lopsided smile. “Surprise.”

  “Mr. Speed, you want an RC?”

  Mr. Speed nodded.

  When I went inside to get our RCs, Mr. Ball handed me a carton of Lucky Strikes. “Bones, let your Mama know I did something so foolish, I overordered on cigarettes. Not many people smoke Luckies, so if I don’t sell them, they’ll just go stale on the shelf. You give her these, all right?”

  “Yes, sir, I will. And thank you very much, Mr. Ball.”

  I went out and sat down next to Mr. Speed. As we looked out at the Indian River, a long line of brown pelicans flew gracefully over the top of the water.

  “Look at that, Mr. Speed. I think they are mighty beautiful birds. I know some fishermen don’t like them because they think they’re fish thieves. But I don’t think that. Do you?”

  “Not thieves, just smart. Smart birds. The brown ones live here, but the white ones don’t. Just come to visit when it’s warm. They can herd fish onto shore, just like cows. Like cows.”

  “The white pelican can herd fish like a cowboy herds cattle?”

  “Circle around the fish school and herd them in. Smart birds. Smart.”

  “My goodness, I have never seen that, but I hope I will get to someday.”

  The two of us sat together for a while longer, just enjoying each other’s silence. After we finished our colas, I said, “I best be getting home. I’ll be stopping by again real soon.”

  “Real soon.”

  On my walk back home, I saw Blue and Jackson standing by the railroad tracks. Jackson stepped forward and handed me a paper bag. “Tell your mama we done grown too many mustard greens.”

  Blue kept his eyes averted. Jackson touched his frayed straw hat and looked directly at me. His black eyes were clear and kind.

  “You give our regards to Mista Nolay.” He spoke as if Nolay were still at home or just out on a fishing trip.

  When I got home, Mama was up and looked a little refreshed. I placed the carton of cigarettes and the bag on the table. When she opened the carton, a fifty-dollar bill slid from between the packs. And at the bottom of that bag of mustard greens, rolled into a little tube and wrapped with a rubber band, was thirty dollars.

  It took just five days for Mama’s pickle jar to fill up with three hundred dollars’ worth of miracles, and Nolay’s freedom. Friday morning Mama woke me and said, “Hurry up. Never mind any chores today, just get all the animals fed and eat some breakfast. We’re going to get your daddy.”

  To me that sounded like a grand thing to do for the day.

  Mama put the top down on the Champion, tied a bright green scarf around her hair, placed her pickle jar full of miracles on the front seat, and started driving us to the Titusville Courthouse. When we reached town, she drove straight past the Melbourne City Bank. I turned to her and said, “Mama, aren’t you going to go to the bank and cash all that money in?”

  Mama looked over at me with the same little twinkle in her eyes that I had seen in Nolay’s and said, “No, I don’t think so.”

  At the courthouse, Mama walked into that cold gray building with her head held high. When the officer at the front desk saw us, he put his head down real quick. Mama walked over and set her pickle jar full of dollars, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies right in front of that officer. He looked back and forth from the jar to Mama. In her sweetest Southern drawl, Mama said, “If you would be so kind, sir, as to count out the three hundred dollars for my husband’s bail. I will just take a seat over there and wait for you.”

  Me and Mama went and sat on a small wooden bench across from the desk. We watched as the officer slowly wrapped both his hands around the jar as though it were going to jump up and run away. He spilled out the miracles and began stacking them in assorted piles. He finally looked in our direction and said, “Yes, ma’am, there is the correct amount of money here. I will go get your husband.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  I said to Mama, “Don’t you think that was sort of mean, to make him count out all that money?”

  Mama smiled. “Absolutely not. He has never been very polite or cordial to me. What goes around comes around. You remember that, Bones.”

  Thinkin’ about watching that man sort through all those coins and crumpled-up dollars, I replied, “Yes, ma’am, I sure will remember that.”

  About a half hour later, the elevator doors magically slid open and Nolay stepped out.

  We walked out of that building as quickly as we could. Nolay slid into the driver’s side of the Champion. I curled up on the seat between my parents. The Champion purred along the hot pavement, Florida’s warm air playfully licking at our faces. Nolay took in a deep breath, shook his headful of shaggy black curls, and said, “Smell that sweet air. That was about the longest eight days I have ever spent in my life.”

  His blue eyes twinkled as he looked back and forth from me to Mama. “Honey Girl, how did you come up with all that money? Y’all didn’t rob a bank or anything, did ya?”

  Mama laid her arm across my shoulder and gently twirled a strand of my hair between her fingers. I could feel the softness of her eyes resting on me. “No, Nolay, we didn’t rob a bank. It was just a miracle, just a plain old miracle.”

  Over the weekend Nolay was busy going on some of his business trips. I began to notice how things appeared around the house and just as quickly disappeared. Although we still didn’t have electricity, he carted home radios, toasters, and cases of lightbulbs. Ther
e were sets of tires, fishing rods, guns, and car batteries. Boxes, crates, and barrels, they all came and they went.

  He also visited the swamps to check on a little something out there.

  On Sunday he showed up with a washing machine sitting in the back of his truck and covered by an old blanket. I walked over to have a closer look and heard Mama question him. “Where did you get something like that and what are you going to do with it? Did you steal this?”

  “Honey Girl, I keep tellin’ you that some people got more stuff than they know what to do with. I’m just moving some things around. It just ain’t right for things like this to set around idle. Ain’t doin’ any harm.”

  “That’s what you said about running those Yankee men off with a gun, and look where that got us.”

  “Ain’t the same. Don’t you fret about it, Honey Girl. If I end up going to trial over all this, we got to have money for a lawyer. I’m taking care of it, that’s all.”

  “Nolay, have you ever thought about getting a steady job?”

  “You don’t think net fishin’ is a steady job? What other sort of job? Working for seventy-five cents an hour? That’s a waste of time. I’m doing just fine.”

  The three of us were standing out in the yard by Nolay’s truck, when none other than Sheriff LeRoy pulled into our yard. Nolay walked over to the car and said, “LeRoy, what brings you out here on a Sunday?”

  The sheriff sat in his car and glanced at the blanket-covered object in the back of Nolay’s truck but didn’t say a word about it. “Sorry about the intrusion on a Sunday. Just wanted to stop by and remind you not to be wandering off. You stick close to home. And stay clear of them Reemses. I got some po-lease work to do. I got me some ideas. I’ll be back in touch with you soon as I learn something more. And Nolay, don’t go doing anything foolish or you’ll end up back in jail.”

  “I ain’t gonna do nothing foolish.”

  Sheriff LeRoy looked in my and Mama’s direction, politely nodded his huge head, started up his car, and drove off.

  I wasn’t worried so much about Nolay doing something foolish. It was Sheriff LeRoy’s ideas and his po-lease work that concerned me.