Breath of Scandal(38)

"Gary? 'The kids said you was acting mean." "Can't I have one moment's peace around here?" "Something happen at school?"

"No! I'm just looking for some pri vacy. " Gary felt like lashing out at something, and his father was a convenient target. "For once, can't you just leave me alone?" he shouted.

"All righty." Otis turned to go. "Don't forget to slop the hog."

Gary surged to his feet, his hands balled into fists. "Lis-ten, old man, I've slopped that f*cking hog for the last time. I'm sick to death of slopping the hog. I'm sick of being surrounded by screaming kids that you didn't have any better sense than to make. I'm sick of this place and the rotten stench of your failure, I'm sick of school and teachers and talk about scholarships when nobody really gives a shit about anything, Being the good boy sucks. It gets you nowhere. Nowhere. "

His rage and energy spent, Gary fell to his knees in the dirty straw and began to cry. Several minutes elapsed before he felt his father's rough hand shaking his shoulder.

"Looks like you could use a swaller of this."

Otis was holding out to him a Mason jar of clear liquid. Gary reached for it hesitantly, uncapped it, and sniffed. Then he took a sip. The moonshine seared all the way down to his stomach. Coughing and wheezing, he passed the jar back to Otis, who took a big draft.

"Don't tell your mama 'bout this



106



Sandra Brown



911 -Where'd you get it.

-Reckon it,s time you learned about Georgie. She's a kking moonshine for years. She nigger lady what's been mz all I can afford anyway. I keep don't charge too much. It's old saddle, if you ever need it hid over yonder under that laced the lid on it when I ain't around-" Otis carefully rep



the jar. ,you got woman troubles?"

ttally, though the reminder Of Gary shrugged nonconimi t more than the moonshine did. Jade's betrayal burned his gu

"They's bout the only thing in God's creation that can drive a man to go crazy and talk wild the way you was atalkin'. " Otis regarded him sternly . "I didn't like what you had to say about your little brothers and sisters 'cause it don't speak well of your mama-"

,'I'm sorry. I didn't mean it-" know that each one "Yeah, you did. But I want you to e're proud of every of our kids was conceived in love. W ,

single one." Otis's eyes grew misty - ' We're 'specially out for the life of me where you proud of you. Can't figure



come from, bein' so smart and all - I reckon You're ashamed Of us. "

"I'm not., Daddy."

sighing, Otis said, "I ain't so dumb that I don't know ver bring friends out here to the place, Garywhy you ne and me, we don't it's plain to see why. Listen, your mama



want you to get educated so you can take care of us and our other children. We want you to get away from here for o bad. You don't only one reason-'cause You want to s



want to be a failure like me. orry piece of land, "All I've ever had to my name is this s



and it for damn sure ain't much .I wasn't even the one that acquired it, but my daddy. I've did the best I could to hold on to it."

Gary almost strangled on the remorse he felt for saying what he had. Otis sensed his guilt and forgivingly patted his son's knee, then used it as a prop when he stood up.

,,you and Jade have a tiff?" Gary nodded. "Well, it'll blow over. A female's got to have her spells every now and again or she wouldn't be female. When they get on a tear,

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107



just leave 'em be for a while. " Having dispensed that sage advice, he ambled toward the door. "Comin' up on suppertime. Best get your chores did."

Gary watched his father leave. His rolling, bowlegged gait carried him across the dismal yard, which was littered with broken, secondhand toys and chicken droppings. Gary covered his face with his hands, wishing that when he lowered them and opened his eyes he would be a million miles away, untethered from his obligations.

Everyone, including his family, expected too much of him. He was doomed to failure before he began. No matter what mountains of achievement he scaled, he could never live'up to everyone's expectations. He could never be good enough, rich enough. He could never be Neal Patchett.

For God's sake, did Jade have to run to him? So what if Neal was the richest boy in town? Jade knew how shallow he was. How could she stand to let him touch her? As Gary gazed at his derelict surroundings, the answer became instantly clear: Neal Patchett never went to school with chickenshit on his shoes.

Resentment gnawed at him like the raw liquor in his belly. She would be sorry. Before long she would come crawling back. She had a crush on Neal, that's all. It wouldn't last. It was him, Gary, she truly loved. What they had was too deep and abiding to throw away. Sooner or later Jade would regain her senses. In the meantime, he would ... what?

His sense of responsibility reared its ugly head and drew him to his feet. He went out to slop the hog.



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