Meanwhile the old woman had snapped the suitcase shut and was now in the kitchen rummaging around, picking up stray cigarettes and emptying a jar filled with nickels into her coat pocket. I watched her, but she paid me no mind whatsoever, like I wasn’ t even there. Why don’ t you make some coffee, I said, eyeing the pot. I was doubtful that there’ d be any coffee, but she produced a can of Butternut and said I could fix it myself, that she wasn’ t waiting on me or anyone after the old man. What kind of a man was he, I asked? She stopped and squinted at me. An ass, she said. Jesus, you can’ t do better than that, I said? I mean, he’ s gone over to the other side and all … She considered a moment. I could see the wheels turning. An asshole, she said bitterly, and went back to looking in drawers. She filled her pockets with various kitchen stuff; salt and peppershakers, a fork, spatula, a can opener. And in case you’ re wondering, I brought these things when I come here. She glared at me, her eyes burning and her mouth twisted violently. But then she emptied out what she’ d taken onto the table. God, how could I get this woman calmed down, I asked myself. I was wondering, but not about that, I said. She sneered at me and then stopped, waiting for me to say something further. I let the silence hang there like a curtain. She ignored it and went on searching. You looking for something in particular? No answer. Well, I just wanted to say, that whatever it is … well … it’ ll be O. K. Naturally, your upset that you lost your … er … your … that you lost Charlie … Mr. Pine Marten … with his dying … ah … his passing on so sudden and all … You and him was probably close and... She stopped and looked at me, surprised. You talking to me? You got no right to say nothing about Charlie. You don’ t know nothing about him. And nothing about me! Why don’ t you get the hell out of here? Her voice rose in a crescendo to a near scream. It drew the boys back into the messy and crowded trailer. They were both carrying the ax. Abel had ahold of the handle and Fox the head. They looked scared, their eyes wide and their steps hesitant, careful. What do youse doing with that ax in here, she screamed. Get out of here! Hold on, hold on, I yelled. She looked crazy, like she wanted to kill somebody, but didn’ t know who to go after first. I thought she might grab the ax, so I took it from the boys so she wouldn’ t get it. I held it behind my back. Jesus Christ, I thought, what is going on? The woman had begun throwing cans out of the cupboard onto the floor. I know where he hid them, Fox said quietly. She shrieked, You what? Where he hid them, he said again. Hid what, I asked? Her pills, said Abel, who had taken refuge inside my long coat again. Grandpa always hides … always hid … her pills, because … because she takes too many of them. Shut up, Abel, Fox yelled. The old woman’ s eyes were wild. Where are they? Where did he put them? She turned from us and looked under the sink, throwing bottles and boxes aside. Then she turned to the cupboards, her rummaging causing dishes, a box of oatmeal, a tin of crackers to cascade onto the floor. Fox ran to the back of the trailer. The entire trailer was only twenty-five feet or so long, and there were a couple of dividers, a tall boy and a water heater closet that separated the dining, cooking and living areas. I saw him push on a wall panel, exposing a crack. Then he reached inside the hole and pulled out a pill bottle. He handed something else to Abel who rushed outside with it. Whatever it was … The old woman rushed at Fox and grabbed the pills. Gimme those, you little shit! Keeping me from my medicine. She fumbled with the childproof lid. Don’ t take too much, Fox said quietly. You shut up, you little devil. Devil, she screamed! Windigo! This was the name of a cannibal monster from the ancient stories of the people. The boy cringed and sidled away from her, afraid that she might try to hit him. She swatted at the air. Hey, hey! I stepped between them, thinking that this poor woman was totally unwired. I wasn’ t eager to get slugged by her either, but I couldn’ t let anything happen to the boy. I spied a butcher knife on the sink that was well within her reach, and should she grab it, it would be all up for somebody. But then the boys both started hollering, overpowering her screeches, and she all of a sudden calmed down.
Just relax, I said, you just take your danged pill, if you want. Nobody’ s stopping you. I snatched the bottle from her hand and opened it for her. She took it back from me. Here, I said, have some water. I picked up a jelly jar that was lying at my feet and then went to fill it at the sink. The water faucet coughed and banged and then a stream of stuff that looked like apple juice gone bad came trickling out. Here, said Fox, handing me a plastic milk jug of water that was on the kitchen table. I poured the jelly jar full and stretched my arm tentatively toward the old woman. She snatched the water and took several pills, spilling a little water down her front. We stood there looking at one another. I realized then that she wasn’ t nearly as old as I first thought. The old man who had died was at least seventy. This woman looked in her fifties if that.
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